Is Jannah Hedonistic?

[TotalSubmission]

I guess this comes from me being an outsider but my view of Jannah is that it is very hedonistic for the most part. I am not saying this is bad since any idealized conception of heaven would be like this no doubt but I am curious about whether it is as 'carnal' as rumored to be by non-Muslims.
I am not sure if this is anti-Islamic rumors or something within Islam and shared by Muslims.

I ask this because in general most religious try avoiding things that resemble the physical world and the only religion that compares with this is actually paganism and polytheism in general due to the physicality of the afterlife. Jannah does not hold the description of a spiritual abode like Christianity or Hinduism.

Am I mistaken in this or am I in the right assumption? Please correct me.

 

[Futuwwa]

Jannah is a place of both spiritual and worldly bliss. We do not ascribe to the notion of the worldly, or carnal, being inherently profane.

 

[TotalSubmission]

Jannah is a place of both spiritual and worldly bliss. We do not ascribe to the notion of the worldly, or carnal, being inherently profane.

Well I know good and well Muslims don't make the assertion that the worldly baubles are profane. Although other religions do, Buddhism being a primary example. I am curious in whether or not Jannah is a place for pure pleasure or does it ennoble Allah somehow?

 

[Serinity]

What people take pleasure in is different from person to person.

But well. I'd like to read in Jannah... About all the new elements and stuff.

 

[greenhill]

It will be as Allah has promised.

The elements of the 'tests' He endowed us with through the whispers of temptations and then setting the 'rules' to make it a real test with great many falling by the wayside, (but we have to believe in His Mercy!) and remain hidden from 'sight' but only through reason. Incredible!

So jannah is something unimaginable to us. It is not really a place for the flesh-kind-of-thing.

I guess, then, we will be able to 'see' Him in His Fullest Mightiest Majesty, what needs there to 'ennoble'Him further?


eace:

 

[Khalid Saifullah]

Hedonism is a very ugly word to describe the reward for the believers in Paradise. In Paradise , there is pure fun and entertainment, not the dirty, Indecent and immoral type which the west is involved in.

If one can have fun with one's legitimate spouse in this world and visit beautiful places and eat good food, is it a sin to do the same in Paradise, but on a better scale?

 

[keiv]

I guess this comes from me being an outsider but my view of Jannah is that it is very hedonistic for the most part. I am not saying this is bad since any idealized conception of heaven would be like this no doubt but I am curious about whether it is as 'carnal' as rumored to be by non-Muslims.
I am not sure if this is anti-Islamic rumors or something within Islam and shared by Muslims.

I ask this because in general most religious try avoiding things that resemble the physical world and the only religion that compares with this is actually paganism and polytheism in general due to the physicality of the afterlife. Jannah does not hold the description of a spiritual abode like Christianity or Hinduism.

Am I mistaken in this or am I in the right assumption? Please correct me.

What exactly is it about Jannah which makes you view it as hedonistic?

 

[TotalSubmission]

What exactly is it about Jannah which makes you view it as hedonistic?

I don't mean it in a bad way, only the philosophical sense of the word which is different form how it is used in colloquial dialogue.
I always hear this talk about houri, sexual pleasure, consumption of fine food and so forth. Are such things true?

Because this would greatly contrast Christianity and its concept of spiritual glory and purity where the body is removed and only the spirit remains. Where worship is placed as the pinnacle of greatness.

It would also oppose reincarnation from Dharmic religions obviously along with unity.

And of course it has no resemblance to pagan concepts like eternal combat or eternal servitude to the gods. But paganism has its hedonistic conceptions of the afterlife more grand than what I think Islam has to offer (I am not making this a competition).

I am just trying to scale and compare where Islam stands on its a assertion of the afterlife. I am getting a lot of mixed messages and I am not sure if this has anything to do with madhabb or not.

 

[greenhill]

I suppose like the Book of the Dead for the Egyptians describing their journey into the after life?

The Quran does have quite a bit in it on Qiyamah, only not bundled together but scattered throughout the Book.

It does not give full details of the nature of life there, but describes the pleasures of what we know from our earthly experience as a basic reference.

We have to trust our Creator to know how to reward us and what would give us pleasure.

eace:

 

[Zafran]

I always hear this talk about houri, sexual pleasure, consumption of fine food and so forth. Are such things true?

They are true. I dont see how sex and food consumption are bad or hedonistic?? They are what makes us human are they not?

And of course it has no resemblance to pagan concepts like eternal combat or eternal servitude to the gods. But paganism has its hedonistic conceptions of the afterlife more grand than what I think Islam has to offer (I am not making this a competition).

The Norse mythology you speak of (possibly Valhalla) is only one pagan afterlife - there are many other the Greek land of Hades or the ancient Egyptians. Furthermore no Revelation came from these pagan Gods- No prophets or miracles, no signs what so ever. So why believe in them?

 

[TotalSubmission]

They are true. I dont see how sex and food consumption are bad or hedonistic?? They are what makes us human are they not?

They aren't, I never said they are bad. Hedonism only implies pure indulgence in physical pleasures. It is considered an appropriate life style by many philosophers.

The Norse mythology you speak of (possibly Valhalla) is only one pagan afterlife - there are many other the Greek land of Hades or the ancient Egyptians. Furthermore no Revelation came from these pagan Gods- No prophets or miracles, no signs what so ever. So why believe in them?

Pagans held little belief in them historically, besides the assertion of magic and ritual. Pagan mythologies functioned as creative tools for authorizing monarchies. Belief is really irrelevant in them to begin with. Why do you think Greek cults were so fundamentally loose and only focused on preserving monarchical institutions?