Meaning of 'world' in hadeeth: The lowest person in Paradise...

23-2-2017 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalaamu alaykum. The lowest person in paradise will be given ten times the like of the world. What does this world mean; our planet Earth?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood reported that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:

"I know the last of the people of Hellfire who will be brought forth from it and the last of the people of Paradise to be admitted to Paradise. (It is) a man who will emerge from Hellfire crawling, and Allah Almighty will say to him, 'Go and enter Paradise.' He will come to it and it will be made to appear to him as if it is full. So he will say, 'O Lord, I found it full.' Allah will say to him, 'Go and enter Paradise.' He will come to it, and it will appear to him as if it is full. So he will say, 'O Lord, I found it full.' Allah will say to him, 'Go and enter Paradise, for you will have the like of the world and ten times more - or: You will have ten times the like of the world.' - He will say, 'Are You mocking me - or: Are You laughing at me - while You are the Sovereign?'" He (the narrator) said, "I saw the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, smiling so broadly that his molar teeth could be seen." He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said, "This is the lowest of the people of Paradise in status." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Another hadeeth reads:

"Moosa (Moses) asked his Lord, 'Who amongst the inhabitants of Paradise is the lowest in rank?' He (Allah) said, 'The person who will be admitted into Paradise after all those who deserved it have been admitted to it.' It will be said to him, 'Enter Paradise.' He will say, 'O my Lord! How (could I enter) while the people have settled in their abodes and taken their shares?' It will be said to him, 'Would you be pleased if there be for you like the kingdom of a king from the kings of the world?' He will say, 'I am pleased my Lord.' Allah will say, 'For you is that, and like that, and like that, and like that, and like that.' He will say at the fifth, 'I am pleased, my Lord!' Allah will say, 'It is for you and ten times like it, and for you is what your soul desires and what your eye enjoys.' He will say, 'I am pleased, my Lord.'" [Muslim]

The 'world' mentioned in the hadeeth is the fleeting worldly life in which we live on earth. Imam An-Nawawi wrote, "What it means is that the kingdom of any king in this worldly life does not extend over the whole earth; rather, his kingdom extends over certain lands, and the kingdom of some kings may be greater than others. The man who shall be in the lowest rank among the people of Paradise will be given five times the kingdom of one of the kings in this worldly life, and then it will be said to him that he will have ten times that amount." [Sharh Muslim]

Allah knows best.