Paradise as a Garden, the Garden as Garden

The image of the earthly garden as a foretaste of paradise is one of the strongest and most enduring in the study of Islamic culture. Over the years countless authors have evoked the idea of the verdant garden, with its sensual pleasures of beautiful design, fragrant flowers, luscious fruits, playing fountains and cooling shade, as a counterpart to the delights the believer will encounter in the hereafter. In the last few decades, several books have been written on the subject. There is no reason to believe that the flood of books and exhibitions on this popular theme will cease, but it is worthwhile reexamining the basis for this interpretation of the earthly garden as a metaphor for paradise in Islamic culture.