KİTABIN MUKADDİMESİ · Birinci Madde
**Article One**
It describes the names of the gardens, their attributes, their numbers, and the rivers that flow within them, the fruit trees, lofty palaces, and dazzling garments.
Know, esteemed one, that the scholars of interpretation (tafsir) and hadith are in agreement on this matter:
The Exalted God, through His power, has created eight paradises beneath the Throne and the Footstool, above the seven heavens, from the light of the Throne and water. They are superior to each other. The most elevated of these is “Adn Paradise,” the station where the Most High manifests Himself. The name of the first paradise is "Dār al-Jalāl" (the abode of majesty), created from white mother-of-pearl. The name of the second paradise is "Dār as-Salām" (the abode of peace), created from red ruby. The name of the third paradise is “Jannat al-Mawa” (the realm of resorts), created from green zaffre. The name of the fourth paradise is “Jannat al-Khuld” (the garden of eternity), made of yellow jasper. Fifth paradise is called "Jannat an-Na'im" (the garden of bliss), fashioned from white silver. Sixth paradise is named "Jannat al-Firdaus" (the highest garden), created from red gold. Seventh paradise is “Jannat al-Qarar” (the abode of rest), made from incomparable, fragrant musk. The eighth paradise is called “Jannat al-Adn” (the gardens of eternity), fashioned from fresh mother-of-pearl.
Adn Paradise is located in the midst of all the paradises, within a city surrounded by walls, like an inner citadel upon a lofty mountain. It is adjacent to all and a high place. Most of the rivers originate there. Adn Paradise is the abode of the Siddiqs (those who make truthfulness their principle) and those who memorize the Qur’an. It is the place where the attributes of the All-Merciful, Allah, manifest. Each paradise has a gate, its length and width being a distance of one hundred years. Each gate has two wings made of solid yellow gold, embellished with various colored jewels and adorned with thousands of patterns.
Upon the gate of the first paradise is written: “There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is His Messenger.” Upon the gates of the other paradises is written: "It does not behoove My majesty to punish one who says, ‘There is no god but Allah.’”
The soil of these paradises described above is musk, and their stones are jewels. Their plants are colorful flowers and red saffron. The bricks of their buildings are alternately gold and silver; the mortar is amber. Their palaces are of shining mother-of-pearl, their pavilions of yellow jasper. All the doors of the pavilions are made of jewels. Before each pavilion flow four rivers: one is the River of Life, another is a river of pure milk. One is a wine of paradise, and the other is clarified honey nectar. The banks of these rivers are adorned with fresh fruit trees. The branches of the trees in paradise do not wither, their leaves do not fall or decay; their fruits never diminish, they remain eternally fresh. There are countless beautiful rivers flowing within the eight paradises, each surpassing the others. One of them is the River of Mercy, which traverses all the garden paradises. Its water is superior to the water of all the rivers in paradise and sweeter than honey nectar. Its color is whiter than snow, and its sands are more precious than pearls.
One of the rivers in paradise is the River al-Kawsar, which Allah has given to His Beloved (Peace and Blessings be upon him). Indeed, Allah says to him: “(O Prophet!) Surely We have given you abundance.” (Al-Kawthar 108:1)
The width of al-Kawsar is three hundred farsakhs. Its source is beneath the Throne of Majesty, from which it flows to Sidrah, and then to Firdaus Paradise. It flows with such speed that it resembles an arrow released from a bow, traversing Firdaus al-A’la and the paradises below it. Its color is as white as milk, its taste as sweet as honey, and its fragrance as beautiful as amber. Whoever drinks from it once will never thirst again and will not be afflicted by any illness or ailment. Its sweetness does not leave the eternal palate.
Beside the gate of the first paradise, on the bank of the River al-Kawsar, are countless cups adorned with various jewels, more than the number of stars. After the nations are resurrected and pass over Sirat (the bridge to Paradise) and Hellfire, the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) and his community will drink from it before he enters paradise. Around the River al-Kawsar are rows of lofty trees made of shining mother-of-pearl and red ruby, many branches of which chant in various melodies. The birds on the branches praise Allah in diverse languages.
Another river in paradise is the River Kafur. Another is the River Tasnim. Another is the River Salsabil. Another is the Sealed River (Rahik al-Makhtum). There are thousands of other rivers flowing within the paradises, along with hundreds of thousands of lofty trees bearing abundant fruit.
For the inhabitants of paradise, there are countless dazzling kaftans and precious garments made of valuable fabrics. There are various delicious foods and pure drinks, the number of which only Allah knows. As for the expanse of paradise, it is surrounded by eight walls, and the distance between each two walls is estimated to be equal to the width between earth and heaven. The length of paradise is considered limitless and boundless. The total degrees within all the paradises are accepted as six thousand six hundred sixty-six. This result has been reached by counting the number of verses in the Holy Qur’an. The distance between each degree is calculated as a distance of five hundred years. For the inhabitants of paradise have attained degrees according to the number of verses of the Qur’an they memorize. Thus, those who memorize the entire Qur’an from beginning to end have attained the highest degree in paradise—they have reached the center of Adn Paradise.