The Prophet ﷺ suggested to a man named Hazn, “rough ground”, that he call himself Sahl; he refused to change the name his father had given him, and his grandson Saʿid ibn al-Musayyib used to say that the roughness stayed in the family (al-Bukhari 6190). Sahl ibn Saʿd al-Saʿidi, the last Companion to die in Medina, reported: “In Paradise there is a gate called al-Rayyan, through which those who fasted will enter” (al-Bukhari 1896).
Sahl first means flat, soft ground, the plain, as opposed to the mountain and to rough ground (ḥazn); hence the meanings “easy, gentle, smooth”: a man is said to be sahl al-khuluq, “easy-natured”. The Quran uses the plural suhul for the plains where the people of Thamud built palaces (7:74). The name expresses gentleness and ease; Suhayl and Sahla come from the same root s-h-l.
And remember when He made you successors after the ʿAad and settled you in the land, [and] you take for yourselves palaces from its plains and carve from the mountains, homes. Then remember the favors of Allāh and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption."
"There is a gate in Paradise called Ar-Rayyān through which those who fast will enter on the Day of Judgment. No one else will enter through it. It will be called out: Where are those who fast? They will stand up. No one else will enter through it. Once they have entered, it will be closed, and no…
