Editing Paradise

{{Short description|Place of exceptional happiness, delight, and bliss}}
{{ Other uses}}
{{Contain special characters|fix=Help:Multilingual_support#Avestan|characters=Avestan characters|image=AVESTAN LETTER A.svg|alt=Avestan letter A|special=Avestan characters}}
[[File:Angelico, giudizio universale 01.jpg|thumb|''The Last Judgment (detail),'' c.1431, by [[Fra Angelico]] depicting people in paradise]]
In [[religion]] and [[folklore]], '''paradise''' is a place of everlasting happiness, delight, and bliss.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Paradise {{!}} religion|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/paradise-religion|access-date=2021-01-14|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en}}</ref> Paradisiacal notions are often laden with [[pastoral]] imagery, and may be [[cosmogonical]], [[eschatological]], or both, often contrasted with the miseries of human civilization: in paradise there is only peace, prosperity, and happiness. Paradise is a place of contentment, a land of luxury and fulfillment containing ever-lasting bliss and delight. Paradise is often described as a "higher place", the holiest place, in contrast to [[World (theology)|this world]], or [[underworld]]s such as [[hell]].

In eschatological contexts, paradise is imagined as an [[Entering heaven alive|abode of the virtuous dead]]. In [[Islam]], [[Judaism]], and [[Christianity]], [[heaven]] is a paradisiacal belief. In [[Hinduism]] and [[Buddhism]], paradise and [[svarga|heaven]] are synonymous, with higher levels available to beings who have achieved special attainments of virtue and meditation. In old Egyptian beliefs, the underworld is [[Aaru]], the reed-fields of ideal hunting and fishing grounds where the dead lived after judgment. For the Celts, it was the [[Fortunate Isles|Fortunate Isle]] of [[Mag Mell]]. For the classical Greeks, the [[Elysium|Elysian fields]] was a paradisiacal land of plenty where adherents hoped the heroic and righteous dead would spend [[eternity]]. In the Zoroastrian [[Avesta]], the "Best Existence"<!-- vahišta.ahu- --> and the "House of Song"<!-- garō.dəmāma- --> are places of the righteous dead. On the other hand, in [[cosmogonical]] contexts 'paradise' describes the world before it was tainted by [[evil]].

The concept is a theme in art and literature, particularly of the pre-[[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]] era. [[John Milton]]'s ''[[Paradise Lost]]'' is an example of such usage.

==Etymology and concept history==
[[File:Gardens of Ashurbanipal.jpg|thumb|upright=2|The luxurious palace and gardens of [[Neo-Assyrian]] king [[Ashurbanipal]] (ruled 668–631 BCE) at [[Nineveh]], with original color reconstitution. Irrigation canals radiate from an aqueduct. The king appears under the porch. [[British Museum]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Wall panel; relief British Museum |url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/W_1856-0909-36_1 |website=The British Museum |language=en}}</ref><ref>[https://www.flickr.com/photos/anthonyhuan/44903962095/in/album-72157701931445831/ British Museum notice] in 2018 temporary exhibit "[[Commons:Category:I am Ashurbanipal king of the world, king of Assyria|I am Ashurbanipal king of the world, king of Assyria]]"</ref>]]
[[File:Incense burner, sometimes called a "hill censer" because of its shape (Mountains of Paradise). Bronze. Eastern Han Dynasty, 25-220 CE. From China. Victoria and Albert Museum.jpg|thumb|left|Incense burner, sometimes called a "hill censer" because of its shape (Mountains of Paradise, Bo Mountain, a paradise inhabited by immortals and mythical animals). Eastern Han dynasty, 25–220 CE. From China. Victoria and Albert Museum]]
The word "paradise" entered English from the [[French language|French]] ''paradis'', inherited from the [[Latin language|Latin]] ''paradisus'', from [[Greek language|Greek]] ''parádeisos'' (παράδεισος), from an [[Old Iranian]] form, from [[Proto-Iranian]]''*parādaiĵah-'' "walled enclosure", whence [[Old Persian]] 𐎱𐎼𐎭𐎹𐎭𐎠𐎶 ''p-r-d-y-d-a-m /paridaidam/'', [[Avestan language|Avestan]] [[wiktionary:𐬞𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌⸱𐬛𐬀𐬉𐬰𐬀|𐬞𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌⸱𐬛𐬀𐬉𐬰𐬀]] ''pairi-daêza-''.<ref name="RSC">{{cite book |last1=Charnock |first1=Richard Stephen |title=Local Etymology: A Derivative Dictionary of Geographical Names |year=1859 |publisher=Houlston and Wright |page=201 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s1OpF1IdcgQC&pg=PA201 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="etymonline.com">{{cite web |title=Paradise: Origin and meaning of paradise by Online Etymology Dictionary |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/paradise |website=www.etymonline.com |language=en}}</ref> The literal meaning of this Eastern Old Iranian language word is "walled (enclosure)",<ref name="New Oxford"/> from ''pairi-'' 'around' (cognate with Greek [[wiktionary:περί|περί]] of identical meaning) and ''-diz'' "to make, form (a wall), build" (cognate with Greek [[wiktionary:τεῖχος|τεῖχος]] 'wall').<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=paradise |title= Online Etymology Dictionary |access-date=2 October 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141006065930/http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=paradise |archive-date=6 October 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://dictionary.obspm.fr/index.php?showAll=1&&search=&&formSearchTextfield=form&&page=1 |title=An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics |access-date=15 January 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150115095513/http://dictionary.obspm.fr/index.php?showAll=1&&search=&&formSearchTextfield=form&&page=1 |archive-date=2015-01-15}}</ref> The word's etymology is ultimately derived from a [[PIE root]] ''*dheigʷ'' "to stick and set up (a wall)", and ''*per'' "around".<ref name="etymonline.com"/><ref name="New Oxford">''[[New Oxford American Dictionary]]''</ref><ref>[[Robert S. P. Beekes|R. S. P. Beekes]], ''Etymological Dictionary of Greek'', Brill, 2009, p. 1151.</ref>
[[File:Jan Bruegel d. Ä. 003.jpg|thumb|''Paradise'' by [[Jan Bruegel]], circa 1620]]
By the 6th/5th century BCE, the Old Iranian word had been borrowed into [[Akkadian language|Assyrian]] ''pardesu'' "domain". It subsequently came to indicate the expansive [[Paradise garden|walled gardens]] of the [[First Persian Empire]], and was subsequently borrowed into Greek as παράδεισος ''parádeisos'' "park for animals" in the ''[[Anabasis (Xenophon)|Anabasis]]'' of the early 4th century BCE Athenian [[Xenophon]], [[Aramaic language|Aramaic]] as ''pardaysa'' "royal park", and [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] as [[Pardes (Jewish exegesis)#Association with paradise|פַּרְדֵּס ''pardes'']], "orchard" (appearing thrice in the [[Tanakh]]; in the [[Song of Solomon]] ({{bibleverse|Song|of Songs 4:13}}), [[Ecclesiastes]] ({{bibleverse|Ecclesiastes|2:5}}) and [[Book of Nehemiah|Nehemiah]] ({{bibleverse|Nehemiah|2:8}})). In the [[Septuagint]] (3rd–1st centuries BCE), Greek παράδεισος ''parádeisos'' was used to translate both Hebrew פרדס ''pardes'' and Hebrew גן ''{{lang|he-Latn|gan}}'', "garden" (e.g. ({{bibleverse|Genesis|2:8}}, {{bibleverse|Ezekiel|28:13}}): it is from this usage that the use of "paradise" to refer to the [[Garden of Eden]] derives. The same usage also appears in [[Arabic language|Arabic]] and in the [[Quran]] as ''[[firdaws]]'' فردوس.<ref name="RSC"/>

The idea of a walled enclosure was not preserved in most Iranian usage, and generally came to refer to a plantation or other cultivated area, not necessarily walled. For example, the Old Iranian word survives as ''Pardis'' in New Persian as well as its derivative ''pālīz'' (or "jālīz"), which denotes a vegetable patch.

==Biblical==

===Hebrew Bible===
[[Image:Nicolas Poussin - Le Printemps.jpg|thumb|[[Nicolas Poussin]], ''Four seasons of paradise'', 1660–1664]]
The Hebrew word ''pardes'' appears only in the post-Exilic period (after 538 BCE); it occurs in the [[Song of Songs]] 4:13, [[Ecclesiastes]] 2:5, and [[Ezra–Nehemiah|Nehemiah]] 2:8, in each case meaning "park" or "garden", the original Persian meaning of the word, where it describes the royal parks of [[Cyrus the Great]] by [[Xenophon]] in [[Anabasis (Xenophon)|Anabasis]].

In [[Second Temple]] era Judaism, "paradise" came to be associated with the [[Garden of Eden]] and [[World to Come|prophecies of restoration of Eden]], and transferred to [[heaven]].

In the apocryphal [[Apocalypse of Moses]], [[Adam and Eve]] are expelled from paradise (rather than Eden) after the [[Fall of man]], having been tricked by the [[Serpents in the Bible#Eden|serpent]]. After the death of Adam, the [[Archangel Michael]] carries Adam's body to be buried in Paradise, in the [[Third Heaven]].

===New Testament===

The Greek word ''παράδεισος'' appears three times in the [[New Testament]]:
* Luke 23:43 – by Jesus on the [[Crucifixion of Jesus|cross]], in response to the thief's request that Jesus remember him when he came into his kingdom.
* 2 Cor. 12:4 – in Paul's description of a [[Third Heaven#The New Testament|third heaven]] paradise.
* Rev. 2:7 – alluding to the [[Tree of life (biblical)|tree of life]] mentioned at Gen.2:8.

==Judaism==
{{See also|Paradise in Judaism}}
According to [[Jewish eschatology]],<ref name="Eshatology">[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=460&letter=E#1239 Eshatology] – JewishEncyclopedia; 02-22-2010.</ref> the higher [[Gan Eden]] is called the "Garden of Righteousness". It has been created since the beginning of the world, and will appear gloriously at the end of time. The righteous dwelling there will enjoy the sight of the heavenly ''[[chayot]]'' carrying the throne of God. Each of the righteous will walk with God, who will lead them in a dance. Its Jewish and non-Jewish inhabitants are "clothed with garments of light and eternal life, and eat of the tree of life" (Enoch 58,3) near to God and His anointed ones.<ref name="Eshatology"/> This Jewish rabbinical concept of a higher Gan Eden is opposed by the Hebrew terms ''[[gehinnom]]'' (the source, via [[Yiddish]], of the English "Gehenna")<ref>[[Leo Rosten]], ''[[The Joys of Yiddish]]'', © 1968; [[Pocket Books]] edition, 1970, p. 127:<br/>"Gehenna... Hebrew: ''Gehinom'': 'Hell.' Literally: the Valley (''gay'') of Hinnom"</ref> and ''[[sheol]]'', figurative names for the place of spiritual purification for the wicked dead in Judaism, a place envisioned as being at the greatest possible distance from [[heaven]].

===Rabbinic Judaism===
In modern Jewish eschatology it is believed that history will complete itself and the ultimate destination will be when all mankind returns to the Garden of Eden.<ref>{{cite web|title=End of Days|date=11 January 2000|url=http://www.aish.com/ci/a/48925077.html|publisher=Aish|access-date=1 May 2012}}</ref>

In the [[Talmud]] and the Jewish [[Kabbalah]],<ref name="Gan Eden">[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=39&letter=E Gan Eden] – JewishEncyclopedia; 02-22-2010.</ref> the scholars agree that there are two types of spiritual places called "Garden in Eden". The first is rather terrestrial, of abundant fertility and luxuriant vegetation, known as the "lower Gan Eden". The second is envisioned as being celestial, the habitation of righteous, Jewish and non-Jewish, immortal souls, known as the "higher Gan Eden". The [[rabbi]]s differentiate between ''Gan'' and Eden. Adam is said to have dwelt only in the ''Gan'', whereas Eden is said never to be witnessed by any mortal eye.<ref name="Gan Eden"/> In [[Rabbinic Judaism]], the word 'Pardes' recurs, but less often in the Second Temple context of Eden or restored Eden. A well-known reference is in the [[Pardes (legend)|Pardes story]], where the word may allude to mystic philosophy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=65&letter=P#ixzz0ZWg2S0OP|title=JewishEncyclopedia.com|access-date=2 October 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111013054031/http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=65&letter=P#ixzz0ZWg2S0OP|archive-date=13 October 2011}}</ref>

The [[Zohar]] gives the word a mystical interpretation, and associates it with the four kinds of Biblical exegesis: ''peshat'' (literal meaning), ''remez'' (allusion), ''derash'' (anagogical), and ''sod'' (mystic). The initial letters of those four words then form {{lang|he|פַּרְדֵּס}} – ''[[Pardes (Jewish exegesis)|p(a)rd(e)s]]'', which was in turn felt to represent the fourfold interpretation of the [[Torah]] (in which ''sod'' – the mystical interpretation – ranks highest).

==Christianity==
{{See also|World to Come|Kingship and kingdom of God|Hades in Christianity}}

[[File:Mead Bradock, Paradise According to Three Different Hypotheses, 1747 Cornell CUL PJM 1023.01.jpg|thumbnail|Braddock Mead, Paradise According to Three Different Hypotheses, 1747]]
[[File:Праведни Авраам и прaведни (покајани) разбојник у рају, живопис у светој обитељи Грачаница, Србија.jpg|thumb|[[Abraham]] in paradise, [[Gračanica Monastery]], Serbia]]
In the 2nd century AD, [[Irenaeus]] distinguished paradise from [[Heaven (Christianity)|heaven]]. In ''[[On the Detection and Overthrow of the So-Called Gnosis|Against Heresies]]'', he wrote that only those deemed worthy would inherit a home in heaven, while others would enjoy paradise, and the rest live in the [[New Jerusalem|restored Jerusalem]] (which was mostly a ruin after the [[Jewish–Roman wars]] but was rebuilt beginning with [[Constantine I and Christianity|Constantine the Great]] in the 4th century). [[Origen]] likewise distinguished paradise from heaven, describing paradise as the earthly "school" for souls of the righteous dead, preparing them for their ascent through the celestial spheres to heaven.<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/04122.htm Church fathers: De Principiis (Book II) Origen] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720032710/http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/04122.htm |date=2008-07-20 }}, newadvent.org</ref>

Many early Christians identified [[Abraham's bosom]] with paradise, where the souls of the righteous go until the [[resurrection of the dead]]; others were inconsistent in their identification of paradise, such as St. Augustine, whose views varied.<ref name="Delumeau1995">{{cite book|author=Jean Delumeau|title=History of paradise|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ubJDLvEV0vEC&pg=PA29|access-date=3 April 2013|year=1995|publisher=University of Illinois Press|isbn=978-0-252-06880-5|pages=29–}}</ref>

In Luke 23:43, Jesus has a conversation with one of those crucified with him, who asks, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom". Jesus answers him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+23&version=NIV|title=Luke 23|work=Bible Gateway|access-date=2 October 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170719035039/https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+23&version=NIV|archive-date=19 July 2017}}</ref> This has often been interpreted to mean that on that same day the thief and Jesus would enter the intermediate resting place of the dead who were waiting for the Resurrection.<ref name="Zwiep1997">{{cite book|author=A. W. Zwiep|title=The Ascension of the Messiah in Lukan Christology /|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QIW7JywiBhIC&pg=PA150|access-date=3 April 2013|year=1997|publisher=BRILL|isbn=978-90-04-10897-4|pages=150–}}</ref> Divergent views on paradise, and when one enters it, may have been responsible for a punctuation difference in Luke; for example, the two early [[Syriac language|Syriac]] versions translate Luke 23:43 differently. The [[Curetonian Gospels]] read "Today I tell you that you will be with me in paradise", whereas the [[Sinaitic Palimpsest]] reads "I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise". Likewise the two earliest Greek codices with punctuation disagree: [[Codex Vaticanus]] has a pause mark (a single dot on the baseline) in the original ink equidistant between 'today' and the following word (with no later corrections and no dot before "today"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/2013/06/the-significance-of-a-comma:-an-analysis-of-luke-23:43|title=The Significance of a Comma: An Analysis of Luke 23:43 – Ministry Magazine|website=Ministry Magazine|access-date=8 May 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170417154457/https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/2013/06/the-significance-of-a-comma:-an-analysis-of-luke-23:43|archive-date=17 April 2017}}</ref>), whereas [[Codex Alexandrinus]] has the "today in paradise" reading. In addition, an adverb of time is never used in the nearly 100 other places in the Gospels where Jesus uses the phrase, "Truly I say to you".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.forananswer.org/Luke/Luke23_43.htm|title=For an Answer: Christian Apologetics – Luke 23:43|website=www.forananswer.org|access-date=8 May 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170418182314/http://www.forananswer.org/Luke/Luke23_43.htm|archive-date=18 April 2017}}</ref>

In Christian art, [[Fra Angelico]]'s ''[[Last Judgement]]'' painting shows Paradise on its left side. There is a [[tree of life]] (and another tree) and a [[circle dance]] of liberated [[Soul (spirit)|souls]]. In the middle is a hole. In Muslim art it similarly indicates the presence of the Prophet or divine beings. It visually says, "Those here cannot be depicted".

===Jehovah's Witnesses===
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses and salvation}}
[[Jehovah's Witnesses]] believe, from their interpretation of the [[Book of Genesis]], that God's original purpose was, and is, to have the earth filled with the offspring of [[Adam and Eve]] as caretakers of a global paradise. However, Adam and [[Eve]] rebelled against God's sovereignty and were banished from the Garden of Eden, driven out of paradise into toil and misery.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that disobedient and wicked people will be destroyed by Christ at [[Armageddon]] and those obedient to Christ will live eternally in a restored earthly paradise. Joining the survivors will be the resurrected righteous and unrighteous people who died prior to Armageddon. The latter are brought back because they paid for their sins by their death and/or because they lacked opportunity to learn of Jehovah's requirements before dying. These will be judged on the basis of their post-resurrection obedience to instructions revealed in new "scrolls". They believe that resurrection of the dead to paradise earth is made possible by [[Blood of Christ|Christ's blood]] and the [[ransom sacrifice]]. This provision does not apply to those whom Christ as Judge deems to have sinned against God's holy spirit.<ref>''What Does the Bible Really Teach?'' (Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, 2005), Chapter 7</ref><ref>''Insight on the Scriptures'' (Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, 1988), 783–92</ref>

One of [[Sayings of Jesus on the cross#2. To day shalt thou be with me in paradise|Jesus' statements before he died]] were the words to a man hanging alongside him, "you will be with me in Paradise."<ref>{{bibleverse|Luke|23:43}}</ref> The [[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures|New World Translation]] places a comma after the word 'today', dividing it into two separate phrases, "I tell you today" and "you will be with me in Paradise". This differs from standard translations of this verse as "I tell you today you will be with me in Paradise".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://biblehub.com/luke/23-43.htm|title=Luke 23:43|access-date=2 October 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20141003144036/http://biblehub.com/luke/23-43.htm|archive-date=3 October 2014}}</ref> Based on scriptures such as [http://bible.cc/matthew/12-40.htm Matthew 12:40], [http://bible.cc/matthew/27-63.htm 27:63], [http://bible.cc/mark/8-31.htm Mark 8:31] and [http://bible.cc/mark/9-31.htm 9:31], Witnesses believe Jesus' expectation that he would be bodily resurrected after three days precluded his being in paradise on the same day that he died.<ref>"Meeting the Challenge of Bible Translation", ''The Watchtower'', June 15, 1974, page 362–363</ref>

===Mormonism===
In [[Latter Day Saint]] theology, paradise usually refers to the [[Spirit world (Latter Day Saints)|spirit world]], the place where spirits dwell following death and awaiting the resurrection. In that context, "paradise" is the state of the righteous after death.<ref>Duane S. Crowther – [https://books.google.com/books?id=ku4t9ONW7L4C&dq=In+Latter+Day+Saint+theology%2C+paradise+usually+refers+to+the+spirit+world%2C&pg=PT71 Life Everlasting] Chapter 5 – Paradise of the Wicked – Retrieved 8 July 2014.</ref> In contrast, the wicked and those who have not yet learned the gospel of Jesus Christ await the resurrection in [[Spirit world (Latter Day Saints)#Spirit prison|spirit prison]]. After the universal resurrection, all persons will be assigned to a particular [[degrees of glory|kingdom or degree of glory]]. This may also be termed "paradise".

==Islam==
{{Main|Jannah}}
[[File:Mohammed visiting Paradise.jpg|thumb|15th century illustration of [[Muhammad|Mohammed]] (upper right) visiting Paradise while riding [[Buraq]], accompanied by the angel [[Gabriel]] (upper left)]]
In the [[Quran]], Heaven is denoted as ''Jannah'' (garden), with the highest level being called ''Firdaus'', i.e. Paradise. It is used instead of Heaven to describe the ultimate pleasurable place after death, accessible by those who pray, donate to charity, and believe in: [[God in Islam|Allah]], the [[Angels in Islam|angels]], his [[Islamic holy books|revealed books]], his [[Prophets and messengers in Islam|prophets and messengers]], the [[Judgement Day in Islam|Day of Judgement]] and divine decree ([[Qadr (doctrine)|Qadr]]), and follow God's will in their life. Heaven in Islam is used to describe skies in the literal sense and metaphorically to refer to the [[universe]]. In Islam, the bounties and beauty of Heaven are immense, so much so that they are beyond the abilities of mankind's worldly mind to comprehend.
There are eight doors of Jannah. These are eight grades of Jannah: 
* 1. Jannah al-Mawa
* 2. Dar al-Maqam
* 3. Dar al-Salam
* 4. Dar al-Khuld
* 5. Jannah al-Adn
* 6. Jannah al-Na'im
* 7. Jannah al-Kasif
* 8. Jannah al-Firdaus
Jannah al-Mawa is in the lowest, Jannah al-Adn is the middle and Jannah al-Firdaus is the highest.

Imam Bukhari has also recorded the tradition in which the Prophet said,

{{Blockquote|'When you ask from [[Allah]], ask Him for Al-Firdaus, for it is the middle of Paradise and it is the highest place and from it the [[rivers of Paradise]] flow.' (Bukhari, Ahmad, Baihaqi)}}

In this tradition, it is evident that Al-Firdaus is the highest place in Paradise, yet, it is stated that it is in the middle. While giving an explanation of this description of Al-Firdaus, the great scholar, Ibn Hibban states,

{{Blockquote|'Al-Firdaus being in the middle of Paradise means that with respect to the width and breadth of Paradise, Al-Firdaus is in the middle. And with respect to being 'the highest place in Paradise', it refers to it being on a height.'}}

This explanation is in agreement to the explanation which has been given by Abu Hurairah (r.a.) who said that

{{Blockquote|'Al Firdaus is a mountain in Paradise from which the rivers flow.' (Tafseer Al Qurtubi Vol. 12 pg. 100)}}

The Quran also gave a warning that not all Muslims or even the believers will assuredly be permitted to enter Jannah except those who had struggled in the name of God and tested from God's trials as faced by the messengers of God or ancient prophets:

<blockquote>''Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said,"When is the help of Allah ?" Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near.'' <br/>— [https://en.quranacademy.org/quran/2:214 Qur'an 2:214 (Al-Baqarah) (''Saheeh International'')]</blockquote>Other instances where paradise is mentioned in the Qur'an includes descriptions of springs, silk garments, embellished carpets and women with beautiful eyes.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Fairchild |first=Ruggles |title=Islamic Gardens and Landscapes |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |year=2008 |location=Pennsylvania |pages=89 |language=English}}</ref> These elements can also be seen as depicted within Islamic art and architecture. <blockquote>"''The semblance of Paradise (Jannah) promised the pious and devout (is that of a garden) with streams of water that will not go rank, and rivers of milk whose taste will not undergo a change, and rivers of wine delectable to drinkers, and streams of purified honey, and fruits of every kind in them, and forgiveness from their Lord."'' (47:15).<ref name=":0" /></blockquote>

=== References to Paradise (Jannah) in the Qur'an as reflected in Islamic art ===
The Qur'an contains multiple passages in which paradise, or 'Jannah', is referred to. The Holy Book contains 166 references to gardens, of which nineteen mention 'Jannah', connoting both images of paradise through gardens, water features, and fruit-bearing trees.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mehdi |first=Aqsa |date=2021 |title=A Comparative Study Between the Qur'an's Vision of Paradise and the Mughal Islamic Gardens of Lahore |url=http://www.adjournal.net/articles/93/931.pdf |journal=Online Journal of Art and Design |volume=9 |issue=3 |pages=7 |via=Adjournal}}</ref> Scholars are unable to confirm that certain artistic choices were solely intended to reflect the Qur'an's description of paradise, since there are not extensive historical records to reference to. However, many elements of Islamic art and architecture can certainly be interpreted as being intended to reflect paradise as described in the Qur'an, and there are particular historical records which support a number of case studies in this claim.

Historical evidence does support the claim that certain Islamic garden structures and mosaics, particularly those of Spanish, Persian and Indian origins, were intended to mirror a scene of paradise as described in the Qur'an.

=== Water features in Islamic gardens ===
'''The Alhambra, Court of the Lions, Grenada, Spain'''

The structural layout of the gardens of the Alhambra in Grenada, embodies the idea of water as a symbol of representing paradise within Islamic gardens. In particular, the Courtyard of the Lions, which follows the Quarter Garden, or the 'Chahar-Bagh' layout, typical to Islamic gardens, features a serene water fountain at its centre.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Fang |first=Chenyu |date=2020 |title=Analysis on the Water-Making Art of Islamic Gardens |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2345535132 |journal=Journal of Landscape Research |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=86 |id={{ProQuest|2345535132}} |via=ProQuest}}</ref> The fountain is carved with stone lions, with the water emerging from the mouths of these lions. The static nature of the locally sourced water features within the Courtyard of the Lions at the Alhambra, adds to the atmosphere of serenity and stillness which is typical of Islamic gardens that utilise water features, resembling the image of paradise as found in the Qur'an.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Fang |first=Chenyu |date=2020 |title=Analysis on the Water-Making Art of Islamic Gardens |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2345535132 |journal=Journal of Landscape Research |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=87 |id={{ProQuest|2345535132}} |via=ProQuest}}</ref>
[[File:Patio de los Leones. Alhambra de Granada. Spain..JPG|thumb|Central water fountain feature within the Courtyard of the Lions, [[Alhambra]], Grenada]]

=== Tomb Gardens as representing Paradise ===
There is not yet concrete evidence that Islamic gardens were solely intended to represent images of paradise. However, it can be deduced from certain inscriptions and intentions of structures, that creating an atmosphere of divinity and serenity were part of the artists' intentions.

Tombs became the metaphorical 'paradise on Earth' for Islamic architecture and gardens; they were a place of eternal peace were devout followers of God could rest.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Fairchild |first=Ruggles |title=Islamic Gardens and Landscapes |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |year=2008 |location=Pennsylvania |pages=103 |language=English}}</ref>

'''The Taj Mahal'''

Upon the exterior of the tomb mausoleum of the Taj Mahal, inscriptions of passages from the Qur'an adorn the exterior facades, encasing the iwans. These inscriptions rehearse passages of an eschatological nature, referencing the Day of Judgement and themes of paradise.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Fairchild |first=Ruggles |title=Islamic Gardens and Landscapes |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |year=2008 |location=Pennsylvania |pages=113 |language=English}}</ref> Similarly, the placement of the tomb structure within the waterscape garden environment heightens the conceptual relationship between tomb gardens and a place of paradise as discussed in the Qur'an.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Fairchild |first=Ruggles |title=Islamic Gardens and Landscapes |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |year=2008 |location=Pennsylvania |pages=115 |language=English}}</ref> Similarly, the white marble used for the construction of the tomb mausoleum, furthers the relationship between the purity and divinity of the tomb, elevating the status of the tomb to that of paradise. 
[[File:Taj Mahal, Agra, India edit2.jpg|thumb|Tomb mausoleum at the [[Taj Mahal]]]]

=== Mosaic representations of paradise within Islamic Architecture ===
Preserved historical writings from an interview with the artisan of the Prophet's Mosque at Medina between 705 and 715, revealed how the mosaic depictions of gardens within this mosque were in fact created ''"according to the picture of the Tree of Paradise and its palaces"''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Fairchild |first=Ruggles |title=Islamic Gardens and Landscapes |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |year=2008 |location=Pennsylvania |pages=95 |language=English}}</ref> Structures that are similarly adorned with naturalistic mosaics, and were created during the same period as the Prophet's Mosque at Medina, can be said to have had the same intended effect.

'''The mosaic of the Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem'''

Constructed between 690 and 692, the Dome of the Rock at Jerusalem features a large-scale mosaic on the interior of the domed structure. It is likely that this richly embellished and detailed mosaic was intended to replicate an image of paradise, featuring fruit-bearing trees, vegetal motifs and flowing rivers. Accompanied by a calligraphic frieze, the mosaic depicts symmetrical and vegetal vine scrolls, surrounded by trees of blue, green and turquoise mosaics. Jewel-like embellishments as well as gold pigment complete the mosaic. Not only did mosaics of this kind seek to reflect paradise as described in the Qur'an, but they were also thought to represent and proclaim Muslim victories.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kaptan |first=Kubilay |date=2013 |title=Early Islamic Architecture and Structural Configurations |url=https://tarjomefa.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/6356-English-TarjomeFa.pdf |journal=International Journal of Architecture and Urban Development |volume=3 |issue=2 |pages=7–8 }}</ref>

'''The mosaic of The Great Mosque of Damascus, Syria'''

In a similar instance, the mosaic within the Great Mosque of Damascus, constructed within a similar timeframe to the Dome of the Rock, features the most noticeable elements of a paradisiacal garden as described in the Qur'an. Therefore, it would not be unreasonable to suggest that the mosaic on the exterior facade of the Great Mosque of Damascus, was similarly intended to replicate an image of paradise in the viewer's mind.

==Gnosticism==
[[On the Origin of the World]], a text from the [[Nag Hammadi library]] held in ancient [[Gnosticism]], describes Paradise as being located outside the circuit of the Sun and Moon in the luxuriant Earth east in the midst of stones. The Tree of Life, which will provide for the souls of saints after they come out of their corrupted bodies, is located in the north of Paradise besides the [[Tree of the knowledge of good and evil|Tree of Knowledge]] that contains the power of God.<ref>{{cite book|author1=[[Marvin Meyer]]|author2=[[Willis Barnstone]]|title=The Gnostic Bible|publisher=[[Shambhala Publications|Shambhala]]|chapter=On the Origin of the World|url=http://gnosis.org/naghamm/origin-Barnstone.html|date=2009|access-date=2021-10-20}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Deylaman]]
* [[Dilmun]]
* [[Eridu]]
* [[El Dorado]]
* [[Fiddler's Green]]
* [[Golden Age]]
* [[Goloka]]
* [[Heaven]]
* [[Nirvana]]
* [[Paradise garden]]
* [[Shangri-La]]
* [[Tír na nÓg]]
* [[Valhalla]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote|Paradise}}
{{Wikibooks|God and Religious Toleration/Paradise Meditation}}
* [http://www.balashon.com/2007/12/pardes-and-paradise.html Etymology of "paradise"], Balashon.com
* [http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=paradise&searchmode=none Etymology OnLine], etymonline.com
* {{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Paradise |volume=20 |pages=751–752 |short=1 |first=Thomas Kelly |last=Cheyne}}

{{Heaven}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Conceptions of heaven]]
[[Category:Garden of Eden]]
[[Category:Latter Day Saint concepts of the afterlife]]