The ḥadīth of Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
Jaʿfar al-Firyābī said: Saʿīd [ibn Ḥafṣ] narrated to us; Muḥammad ibn Salamah (1) narrated to us, from Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥīm, from Zayd ibn Abī Unaysah, from al-Minhāl ibn ʿAmr, from Abū Ṣāliḥ, from Abū Hurayrah, who said:
“In Paradise there is a river that runs the entire length of Paradise. Along its banks stand virgin maidens, facing one another, singing with voices that all created beings can hear, so that the people of Paradise experience no pleasure there equal to it.”
We asked, “O Abū Hurayrah, what is that singing?”
He replied, “If Allah wills, it is words of tasbīḥ (proclaiming His perfection), taḥmīd (praising Him with ‘al-ḥamdu lillāh’), and taqdīs (sanctifying Him)—praise of the Lord—Exalted is He— (2).”
Abū Nuʿaym also relates in Ṣifat al-Jannah, through Maslamah (3) ibn ʿAlī, from Zayd ibn Wāqid, from a man, from Abū Hurayrah, as a marfūʿ report:
“In Paradise there is a tree whose trunks are of gold and whose branches are of chrysolite and pearl. A breeze blows through it and it rustles, and no listeners have ever heard a sound more delightful than that.” (4)
It has already been reported from Ibn ʿAbbās that the winds set it in motion, producing every pleasurable sound that ever existed in the world (5).
The ḥadīth of Abū Saʿīd
Ibn Abī al-Dunyā said: Ibrāhīm ibn Saʿīd narrated to me; ʿAlī ibn ʿĀṣim narrated to us; Saʿīd ibn Abī Saʿīd al-Khudrī (6) narrated to us, from his father, who said:
“I was informed that in Paradise there are reed-beds (7) of golden cane, laden with pearls. Whenever the inhabitants of Paradise wish to hear a beautiful sound, Allah—Exalted is He—sends a breeze upon those reed-beds, and they bring them every sound they desire.” (8)
The ḥadīth of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him)
Ibn Abī al-Dunyā said: Abū Khaythamah narrated to us; Ismāʿīl ibn ʿUmar narrated to us; Ibn Abī Dhīb (9) narrated to us, from ʿAbd Allah ibn Rāfiʿ, from Anas (10), who said:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Indeed, the wide-eyed maidens will sing in …”