Exploring the Rivers in Heaven According to Islamic Teachings

Rivers in Heaven According to Islam ~ Hi, all readers! As the center of eternal pleasure and beauty, Allah Taala has adorned Heaven with various elements that bring about everlasting joy and splendor. One of these magnificent elements is rivers. There are many types of rivers in Heaven, and in this article, I will explain them to you.

Let's dive right in!

In Daqa'iqu al-Akhbar fi Dzikri al-Jannati wa an-Nar, it is explained:

There are many rivers in Heaven: the River of ar-Rahmah, the River of al-Kautsar, the River of al-Kafur, the River of as-Salsabil, and the River of ar-Rahiq al-Makhtum.

The River of ar-Rahmah flows throughout all of Heaven. Its pebbles are made of pearls, its color is whiter than snow, and it is sweeter than honey. The River of al-Kautsar is the river of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam). The trees along this river are made of pearls and rubies. And there are many more rivers beyond these.

The Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said:

"On the night I was taken to Heaven (Isra' and Mi'raj), all of Heaven was shown to me. In it, I saw four rivers: rivers of water whose taste and smell never change, rivers of milk whose flavor remains unchanged, rivers of khamr (wine), and rivers of filtered honey, as Allah Taala described in the Quran:

مَّثَلُ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ ٱلَّتِي وُعِدَ ٱلۡمُتَّقُونَۖ فِيهَآ أَنۡهَٰرٞ مِّن مَّآءٍ غَيۡرِ ءَاسِنٖ وَأَنۡهَٰرٞ مِّن لَّبَنٖ لَّمۡ يَتَغَيَّرۡ طَعۡمُهُۥ وَأَنۡهَٰرٞ مِّنۡ خَمۡرٖ لَّذَّةٖ لِّلشَّٰرِبِينَ وَأَنۡهَٰرٞ مِّنۡ عَسَلٖ مُّصَفّٗىۖ وَلَهُمۡ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ وَمَغۡفِرَةٞ مِّن رَّبِّهِمۡۖ كَمَنۡ هُوَ خَٰلِدٞ فِي ٱلنَّارِ وَسُقُواْ مَآءً حَمِيمٗا فَقَطَّعَ أَمۡعَآءَهُمۡ ١٥

"A parable of the Garden which the righteous are promised: therein are rivers of water unaltered, rivers of milk whose taste never changes, rivers of wine delightful to those who drink, and rivers of purified honey. In it, they will have all kinds of fruits and forgiveness from their Lord. (Can these) be compared to those who abide in the fire and are given boiling water to drink that will tear their insides apart?" (Muhammad [47]; 15).

The Prophet Muhammad then asked Gabriel, "Where do these rivers flow from, and where do they go?" Gabriel, may peace be upon him (as-Salam), replied, "They flow into the lake of al-Kautsar, but we do not know where they originate. Pray to Allah, the Exalted, so that He may tell you or show you."

The Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) then prayed to Allah. An angel came to him, greeted him, and said, "O Muhammad, close your eyes." The Prophet Muhammad closed his eyes. The angel then said, "Open your eyes." When he opened his eyes, he found himself standing beside a tree. He saw a dome made of white pearls. The dome had a door made of green yaqtut, with a key of red gold. If all humans and jinn sat on the dome, they would be like a bird sitting on a mountain in comparison.

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The Prophet Muhammad saw four rivers flowing beneath the dome. As he prepared to leave, the angel who had brought him asked, "Why didn’t you enter the dome?" He replied, "How can I enter when the door is locked?" The angel said, "Open the door." The Prophet asked, "But how? The key is not with me." The angel responded, "The key is in your hands." He then realized that the key was the phrase: بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ (In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful).

When the Prophet Muhammad approached the door, he recited: بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ (In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful), and the door opened. Upon entering the dome, he saw the four rivers flowing from the four corners of the dome’s foundation. As he prepared to leave, the angel asked, "Did you see everything?" He replied, "Yes." The angel then said, "Look again."

When the Prophet Muhammad looked again, he saw the phrase بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ (In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful) written on the four foundations of the dome. He noticed that the river of water was flowing from the letter Mim in the word بِسۡمِ, the river of milk from the letter Ha' in the word ٱللَّهِ, the river of wine from the letter Mim in the word ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ, and the river of honey from the letter Mim in the word ٱلرَّحِيمِ. He understood that the source of the four rivers was the phrase بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ (In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful).

Allah then said, "O Muhammad! Whoever among your people remembers Me with these names with a sincere heart, I will allow him to drink from these four rivers."

Dear readers! This is a brief explanation of the rivers in Heaven. Do you understand now? If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

I think that's enough for this article. May it be beneficial! Ameen!

See you in the next article!