The 13 quantities of the people of the lofty chambers of Paradise
Allah says in Surat al-ʿAnkabut:
وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَنُبَوِّئَنَّهُم مِّنَ الْجَنَّةِ غُرَفًا تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا نِعْمَ أَجْرُ الْعَامِلِينَ • الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا وَعَلَى رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ
“And those who have attained faith and have done righteous deeds—We will settle them in the Garden of Paradise in chambers beneath which rivers flow, abiding therein; excellent is the reward of the workers. Those who endured patiently and in their Lord they place their trust.” (al-ʿAnkabut 29:58–59)
The promise of chambers in paradise
In this ayah, Allah is encouraging the believers to shift their focus away from the temporary struggles of this world and towards the ultimate goal of the hereafter. He speaks of granting the believers ghuraf – chambers or lofty dwellings.
The Qur’anic use of the word ghuraf is not like our everyday use of “room” or “bedroom.” These chambers are beyond human imagination, elevated places in Jannah, with rivers flowing beneath them. Jannah itself is vast, greater than the heavens and the earth combined, and within it there are many levels.
The nature of the chambers (ghuraf)
Allah makes a similar promise in another passage:
ٰكِنِ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا رَبَّهُمْ لَهُمْ غُرَفٌ مِّن فَوْقِهَا غُرَفٌ مَّبْنِيَّةٌ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ لَا يُخْلِفُ اللَّهُ الْمِيعَادَ
“But those who were mindful of their Lord—for them are chambers, above which are other chambers built high, with rivers flowing beneath them. This is the promise of Allah, and Allah never breaks His promise.” (az-Zumar 39:20)
The Prophet ﷺ further explained these chambers. He described them as so radiant and elevated that their inside can be seen from the outside and their outside from the inside, yet privacy is preserved. They will appear like stars in the sky, beyond human imagination.
The actions that earn the loft chambers
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave detailed descriptions of the people for whom these chambers are prepared:
- Good speech, feed others, and pray in the night
“In Paradise there are chambers whose inside can be seen from the outside and whose outside can be seen from the inside.” They asked: For whom are they, O Messenger of Allah? He said: “For those who speak kindly, feed others, and spend the night in prayer while people are asleep.” (Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Ibn Hibban) - Feed others, gentle in speech, fasting, and pray in the night
“For those who feed others, speak gently, fast regularly, and pray at night while people are asleep.” (Ahmad, Ṭabarani) - Feed, spread peace, and pray in the night
“Indeed, in Paradise there are chambers whose inside can be seen from the outside, which Allah has prepared for those who feed others, spread peace, and pray at night while people are asleep.” (Ṭabarani) - Love one another for Allah’s sake and give
“In Paradise there are chambers whose inside can be seen from the outside and whose outside can be seen from the inside. Allah has prepared them for those who love one another for His sake, visit each other for His sake, and give to one another for His sake.” (al-Bayhaqi, Shuʿab al-Iman)
The thirteen qualities of the people of the lofty chambers
Drawing from the Qur’an and Sunnah, scholars have summarised thirteen key qualities that lead to these elevated rewards:
- Faith (iman)
- Righteous deeds
- Patience (ṣabr)
- Reliance upon Allah (tawakkul)
- God-consciousness (taqwa)
- Good speech
- Feeding others
- Night prayer (qiyam al-layl)
- Spreading peace (salam)
- Fasting
- Loving one another for the sake of Allah
- Giving generously for the sake of Allah
- Visiting one another for the sake of Allah
How many levels are there in Paradise?
The Prophet ﷺ said Jannah has one hundred levels, the distance between each as great as the heavens and the earth.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«إِنَّ فِي الْجَنَّةِ مِائَةَ دَرَجَةٍ، مَا بَيْنَ كُلِّ دَرَجَتَيْنِ كَمَا بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ، أَعَدَّهَا اللَّهُ لِلْمُجَاهِدِينَ فِي سَبِيلِهِ»
“Indeed, in Paradise there are one hundred levels, the distance between each two levels is like the distance between the heaven and the earth. Allah has prepared them for those who strive in His cause.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
In other hadiths, we are told that a reciter of Qur’an will be elevated one level for each verse recited, amounting to over six thousand levels. The scholars reconciled these reports by explaining that there are one hundred major levels, but within them countless sub-levels.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«يُقَالُ لِصَاحِبِ الْقُرْآنِ اقْرَأْ وَارْتَقِ وَرَتِّلْ كَمَا كُنْتَ تُرَتِّلُ فِي الدُّنْيَا، فَإِنَّ مَنْزِلَتَكَ عِنْدَ آخِرِ آيَةٍ تَقْرَؤُهَا»
“It will be said to the companion of the Qur’an (on the Day of Judgement): ‘Recite and ascend, and recite with deliberation as you used to recite in the world. Your rank will be at the last verse you recite.’” (Abu Dawoud)
At the highest is al-Firdaws, directly beneath the Throne of Allah. Underneath it are the ghuraf, and beneath those are further levels where the rest of the people of Paradise dwell.
Patience, reliance, and provision
The link between this ayah and migration (hijrah) is clear. The early believers were commanded to leave behind homes, wealth, and businesses. This raised fears about provision. Allah reassured them that just as He provides for the birds, who leave their nests hungry in the morning and return full in the evening, He would provide for them. True tawakkul is not passive; it combines effort with trust.
Thus, the chambers are promised to those who show patience in trials, who rely on Allah while striving in obedience, and who continue to work for His sake.
These ayat and hadiths show that while all of Jannah is a mercy beyond imagination, the loftiest chambers are reserved for those who go beyond the minimum.
The people of the ghuraf are distinguished by their selflessness: feeding others, spreading peace, praying at night, speaking with kindness, giving for Allah’s sake, and loving one another purely for Him. Such qualities lift their imaan from passive to active reality, earning not just Paradise, but its highest abodes.