Ibn ‘Abbās said: “It is mixed for the people of the right hand, while those brought near to Allah drink it pure.”

It is established in an authentic hadith that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

“When you hear the caller to prayer, repeat what he says, then invoke blessings upon me, for whoever invokes blessings upon me once, Allah will bless him ten times. Then ask Allah to grant me al-Wasīlah, for it is a rank in Paradise that can belong to only one of Allah’s servants, and I hope to be that servant. Whoever asks Allah to grant me al-Wasīlah will be entitled to my intercession on the Day of Resurrection.”

He thus stated that al-Wasīlah—which can belong to only one of Allah’s servants, and which he hoped would be his—is a rank in Paradise. Beyond al-Wasīlah, then, is there any higher rank outside Paradise that created beings could attain?