Describing the size of Paradise as being “as wide as the heavens and the earth”

Allah, may He be
exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And
march forth in the way (which leads to) forgiveness from your Lord, and for
Paradise as wide as are the heavens and the earth, prepared for Al-Muttaqoon
(the pious)”

[Aal ‘Imraan
3:133]

“Race
with one another in hastening towards forgiveness from your Lord (Allah),
and Paradise the width whereof is as the width of the heaven and the earth,
prepared for those who believe in Allah and His Messengers”

[al-Hadeed
57:21].

Al-Qurtubi (may
Allah have mercy on him) said:

The scholars
differed concerning the interpretation of that. Ibn ‘Abbaas said: It is as
if the heavens and the earth are put together and joined together, like
garments spread out and attached to one another. That is the width of
Paradise, and no one knows its length except Allah. This is the view of the
majority, and it is nothing strange.

Some scholars
said: This is a metaphor that may be used by the Arabs. As Paradise is so
big and vast, in the utmost sense, it is appropriate to refer to its size by
mentioning the width of the heavens and the earth. By the same token, one
may describe a man (in Arabic) as being a “sea” (bahr – referring to the
vastness of his knowledge, for example), and one may describe a huge animal
as being a “mountain.” The verse is not intended to specify its precise
width; rather what is meant is that it is like the biggest size you have
ever seen.

End quote from
Tafseer al-Qurtubi (4/204-205).

Ibn ‘Aashoor
(may Allah have mercy on him) said:

The heavens and
the earth are mentioned by way of metaphor, in the Arabic manner of
describing how vast something is. It does not mean precisely how wide the
heavens and the earth are. And it was said that it refers to the actual
width of paradise; it is created now, but it is bigger than the heavens, and
it is above the heavens, beneath the Throne. End quote.

Ash-Shawkaani
(may Allah have mercy on him) said:

There was a
difference of opinion concerning the meaning of that. The majority of
scholars are of the view that it as if the heavens and the earth are put
together and joined together, like garments spread out and attached to one
another, and that is the width of Paradise. The width is mentioned, but not
the length, because usually the length is greater than the width.

It was said that
this is a metaphor that the Arabs use, and it is not talking about the exact
size. As Paradise is so vast and huge, in the utmost sense, it is
appropriate to compare it to the width of the heavens and the earth by way
of emphasis, because they are the vastest of Allah’s creation that people
know. It is not meant literally.

End quote from
Fath al-Qadeer (1/437). See also: at-Tahreer wa’t-Tanweer
(4/89).

Thus we see that
the scholars have two views concerning the interpretation of the verse: the
view of the majority, which is that what is meant is the actual width, and
its length is implied by that; and the second view, which is that what is
meant is to highlight the vastness of Paradise, but it does not refer to its
exact length and width – rather it is expressed in accordance with Arabic
usage concerning such matters.

Whatever the
case, the example given in the question regarding area and size is
irrelevant. All the examples given in the question a far removed from the
way in which the verse expressed the meaning. You mentioned Riyadh as an
example, but it is a part of Saudi, whereas the heavens and the earth are
two completely independent entities.

Usually
religious texts in such cases describe matters of the unseen in a way that
is easy for people to understand and is in accordance with their usual
speech and way of expression. Undoubtedly mentioning the earth that they
know and see how vast it is, and how far it extends, makes it easier for
them to grasp the intended meaning than if it were to be ignored completely.
What you must do is realise that the superiority of the words of Allah, may
He be glorified and exalted, to the words of human beings is like the
superiority of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, to His creation. The
words of Allah are far above any contradictions, faults or falling short of
the utmost beauty, majesty and eloquence, which befits the noblest of
speech. If a person fails and is unable to understand anything of that, then
what he must do is doubt his understanding, his reasoning, his knowledge and
his taste, and whatever he does not understand (of the words of Allah), let
him refer it to those who know it and trust that there are scholars who have
knowledge of that.

See also the
answer to question no. 127816.

And Allah knows
best.