Muhammad gave the believing Arabs a view of heaven as a Garden with flowing rivers. This image was very appealing to people living in a semi-desert area of the world where green trees were scarce and water was precious for life. This Garden is a springtime place of rest, peace and joy with plenty of food and drink. There are chaste virgins and girls with lustrous eyes as Companions. We read "We shall join them to Companions, with beautiful, big and lustrous eyes." (Surah 52:29) This indicates that there would be marriages in heaven. The Garden is a place where all our sense desires will be fully satisfied.

Although the sensuous view of Paradise predominates in many passages of the Koran, Muhammad himself in Surah 13:35 calls the above a parable or a likeness of the Heavenly reality. He indicates the transcendent nature of Heaven in other passages thus:

"For the righteous are gardens in nearness to their Lord, with rivers flowing beneath therein is their eternal home, with companions pure (and holy); and the good pleasure of Allah." (Surah 3:15)

"All that is on earth will perish:

But will abide (for ever) in the Face of your Lord, full Majesty, Bounty and Honor." (Surah 55:26-27)

"From changing your Forms and creating you (again) in (Forms) you do not know." (Surah 56:61)

St. Paul limits himself to say that "Eye has not seen, and ear heard …what God has prepared for those who love Him." (I Co 2:9) Christian understand that the Vision of God means the immediate knowledge of God which will bring such joy to the soul so that creatures can only play a secondary role in the happiness of heaven. In this world we walk in God's presence by faith, hope and love but in the end we will be caught up in the unending love of God's glory because faith and hope will be no more.

Will there be marriages in Heaven?

One day Jesus was questioned by the Jews concerning marriage at the Resurrection. They said that there was a woman who married seven brothers, one after another, they died. Which, they asked, would be her husband in heaven? Jesus replied, "At the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels in heaven." (Mt 22:30)

The kingdom of Allah (God)