The greatest desire that every man has is to be entered into the everlasting gardens of Jannah. Now to achieve this we know that the first and most important requisite is to believe in One Allah or simply understood as to have Imaan. But it doesn’t stop there, after Imaan, a person has to endeavour to do righteous deeds. So Imaan coupled with Good Deeds will earn a person his abode in Jannah.

وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ سَنُدْخِلُهُمْ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَدًا ۖ لَّهُمْ فِيهَآ أَزْوَٰجٌ مُّطَهَّرَةٌ ۖ وَنُدْخِلُهُمْ ظِلًّا ظَلِيلًا

As for those who believe and do righteous deeds, We shall admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow wherein they will live for ever. Therein they will have chaste spouses, and We shall provide them with cool thick shade. [An Nisaa 4: 57]

Our intention is not to have a detailed discussion on the women of Jannah but suffice to say that according to Imam Hakim R, Sayyidina Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri RA narrated that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: The women of Jannah will be pure, that is, pure from menstruation, defecation, urination and nasal mucus. Mujahid R adds to the above by saying: ‘They shall also be pure and free from procreation and seminal impurity.’ (Mazhari)

Let us now look at the last two words: ظِلًّا ظَلِيلًا

Here, by mentioning ظَلِيلًا after ظِلًّا it has been mentioned that the shade in Jannah will be dense and ever-present. This is like saying شمس شامس which indicates that the blessings of Paradise will last forever.

Sayyidina Abu Hurairah RA narrates that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said:

“There is a tree in Paradise. If a rider were to ride under its shade for a hundred years, he will still not cross it.

Explaining it, Rabi’ ibn Anas R said: “That is the shade of the Throne (al-‘arsh) which will never decline.”

Respect for Islamic Ways and Customs

All those things which symbolize Islam and Muslims, e.g., Qur’an, Kaaba, Mosque, Holy Places, Prayers, Adhan, etc. should be respected, this too is an act of high merit, as the Qur’an says:

وَمَن يُعَظِّمْ شَعَـٰٓئِرَ ٱللَّهِ فَإِنَّهَا مِن تَقْوَى ٱلْقُلُوبِ

and he who respects the Symbols of Allah, surely shows the piety of his heart. [Al Hajj 22: 32]

The word شعائر is the plural of شعيره which means a ‘symbol’, ‘a distinctive sign’, and refers to those things which are considered as the specific emblems of certain groups of people or certain faiths. شعائر are those special laws which are generally taken to be the identifying features of a Muslim.

Then such things emanate from the piety of the hearts – it means that respect for the Symbols of Allah is evidence of the piety of heart, which indicates that the symbols of Allah are respected by the one who has taqwa (fear of Allah) in his heart and that taqwa is a quality which rests in one’s heart. When the heart is equipped with this quality, it is reflected in all his actions.

The Adhan is one of the Symbols of Islam and it is indeed sad to see the disrespect that is shown to this Symbol of Islam.