How Paradise is used in the Qur’an

Q: Why is Paradise used in a plural form in the Qur’an and sometimes referred to by different names?

The term janna, or heaven, literally means “to be covered” or “to cover with.” All derivatives of this word have the meaning of being covered or being hidden. Derived from the same root, the term jinnat means madness, frenzy while jann means to darken or to make something invisible. Similarly, the spiritual beings the jinn have been so named because they are not visible. The term janna suggests that which is veiled, covered or surrounded; thus an enclosed garden that is luxuriant with foliage. As a religious term, janna means the land of happiness that is veiled and hidden in an unseen world and is invisible to our worldly eyes.

The Qur’an mentions not just one heaven, but many heavens when describing it. Therefore we understand that there are a variety of heavens in the Hereafter, not just one. This land of eternal bliss has been described in the Qur’an with the following names: Dar al-Salaam, (a place far and free from all hardships, calamities and difficulties), Jannat al-Adn (a place where the sources of everything and various blessings exist), Jannat al-Na’im (a place where different foods, drinks, clothing and vistas exist), Jannat al-Firdaws (the highest place), Jannat al-Khuld (a place to abide in forever), Jannat al-Aliya (a high, supreme and valuable place), Dar al-Maqam (a place to stay and rest in), Jannat al-Ma’wa (a place where the Archangel Gabriel and other angels and souls of martyrs permanently abide), Dar al-Hayawan (a place where there is a permanent life and there is never death). As we look at the descriptions of these heavens in the Qur’an, we see that God is rewarding the believers with various heavens depending on their deeds and actions; each of these has differing pleasures and rewards. Heaven is a place where one receives rewards. God will reward His servants with blessings in the Hereafter after being tested and enduring this worldly life. The delights prepared for the blessed are concealed and difficult to imagine in our present state of existence; they will be totally different from those that are available in this world.

 

Akgul, Muhittin (2009). The Quran in 99 Questions (Abdullah Erdemli Trans.). New Jersey: Tughra Books. (Originally published in Turkish as Kur’an İklimine Seyahat)