Ibn an-Nahhas mentioned in ‘Mashari’ al-Ashwaq’ (2/143) that adh-Dhahabi said in ‘Tarikh al-Islam’:

“…In the year 98, Amir al-Mu’minin Sulayman bin ‘Abd al-Malik sought to move to Jerusalem, and he moved people and wealth there. During this time, he received the news that the Romans had attacked the coast of Homs and took a number of Muslims prisoner including a woman and her son. So, he became extremely angry and said: “There is no option but for us to fight them and for them to fight us. By Allah, I will fight them until I conquer Constantinople or die trying!”

So, he gathered 120,000 soldiers from Sham and the Arabian Peninsula to launch a ground attack, and a thousand ships from Egypt and Africa to launch a naval attack. He began personally distributing provisions to them, reminding them that this was Constantinople they were seeking to conquer, and that they should take this expedition seriously.”

Ibn Kathir continued in ‘al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah’ (9/177-178):

“Amir al-Mu’minin Sulayman bin ‘Abd al-Malik prepared his brother Maslamah bin ‘Abd al-Malik to invade Constantinople and go after the army that he was following. So, he ended up with a mighty army, and he ordered each man to carry a small bit of food on his horse. When they finally got to the land of the enemy, they piled all of their collected food together until it was the size of a hill. So, Maslamah said: “Leave this food and eat from whatever you find in their lands. Plant what you can in the fertile areas and pick these plants, and build yourselves houses of wood, since we will not leave this land until we conquer it by the Will of Allah!”

Maslamah then brought a Christian man named Ilyun who had confided to him that he wanted to help him conquer the lands of the Romans. At first, he was cooperative and gave good advice. When the king of Constantinople died, Ilyun went there with a message from Maslamah while the Romans were extremely scared of him. So, when Ilyun went to them, they said: “Get Maslamah away from us and we will make you our king!” So, he went back to Maslamah and proceeded to deceive and betray him. He continued doing this to the point that he burned up the food supply of the Muslims after he said to Maslamah: “As long as they see you with all of this food, they will think that you are sitting back from a fight. So, if you burn it all up, they will see that you are eager to fight and will immediately surrender the lands to you.” So, Maslamah ordered all of the food to be burned, and Ilyun waited until nighttime to go through the Muslims’ ships and escape with as much of their supplies as he could, and he ended up fighting with the Romans against the Muslims and manifesting his enmity and treachery.

The land was surrounded and besieged by the Romans, and conditions became so difficult for the Muslims that they were forced to eat everything except the dirt under their feet! They continued in this state until they received news that Sulayman bin ‘Abd al-Malik had died and been succeeded by ‘Umar bin ‘Abd al-’Aziz. So, they retreated and returned to Sham after putting up intense struggle and effort.

However, Maslamah refused to return, and he eventually built a mighty mosque in Constantinople that had a vast courtyard and stood tall in the sky…”

Ibn al-Qayyim said, in regards to the description of the Paradise and the delights that it contains:“And if you ask about its ground and its soil, then it is of musk and saffron.And if you ask about its roof, then it is the Throne of the Most Merciful.And if you ask about its rocks, then they are pearls and jewels.

And if you ask about its buildings, then they are made of bricks of gold and silver.

And if you ask about its trees, then it does not contain a single tree except that its trunk is made of gold and silver.

And if you ask about its fruits, then they are softer than butter and sweeter than honey.

And if you ask about its leaves, then they are softer than the softest cloth.

And if you ask about its rivers, then there are rivers of milk who’s taste does not change, and rivers of wine that is delicious to those who drink it, and rivers of honey that is pure, and rivers of water that is fresh.

And if you ask about their food, then it is fruits from whatever they will choose, and the meat of whatever birds they desire.

And if you ask about their drink, then it is Tasneem, ginger, and Kaafoor.

And if you ask about their drinking cups, then they are crystal-clear and made of gold and silver.

And if you ask about its shade, then a fast rider would ride in the shade of one of its trees for a hundred years and not escape it.

And if you ask about its vastness, then the lowest of its people would have within his kingdom and walls and palaces and gardens the distance that would be travelled in a thousand years.

And if you ask about its tents and encampments, then one tent is like a concealed pearl that is sixty miles long.

And if you ask about its towers, then they are rooms above rooms in buildings that have rivers running underneath them.

And if you ask about how far it reaches into the sky, then look at the shining star that is visible, as well as those that are far in the heavens that the eyesight cannot possibly reach.

And if you ask about the clothing of its inhabitants, then they are of silk and gold.

And if you ask about its beds, then its blankets are of the finest silk laid out in the highest of its levels.

And if you ask about the faces of its inhabitants and their beauty, then they are like the image of the Moon.

And if you ask about their age, then they are young ones of 33 years in the image of Adam, the father of humanity.

And if you ask about what they will be hearing, then it is the singing of their wives from among the Hoor al-’Ayn, and better than that are the voices of the Angels and the Prophets, and better than that is the Speech of the Lord of the Worlds.

And if you ask about their servants, then they are young boys of everlasting youth who resemble scattered pearls.

And if you ask about their brides and wives, then they are young and full-breasted and have had the liquid of youth flow through their limbs; the Sun runs along the beauty of her face if she shows it, light shines from between her teeth if she smiles; if you meet her love, then say whatever you want regarding the joining of two lights; he sees his face in the roundness of her cheek as if he is looking into a polished mirror, and he sees the brightness from behind her muscles and bones; if she were to be unleashed upon the World, she would fill what is between the Heavens and the Earth with a beautiful wind, and the mouths of the creation would glorifiy, praise, and exclaim greatness, and everything between the East and the West would be adorned for her, and every eye would be shut from everthing but her, and the light of the Sun would be outshone just as the light of the Sun outshines the light of the stars, and everyone on the face of the Earth would believe in the Ever-Living, the One who Sustains and Protects all the exists.

And the covering on her head is better than the World and all that is in it, and she does not increase with age except in beauty; free from an umbilical cord, childbirth and menses, and pure of mucous, saliva, urine and other filthy things; her youth never fades, her clothing is never worn out, no garment can be created that matches her beauty, and no one who is with her can ever become bored; her attention is restricted to her husband, so she desires none but him, just as his attention is restricted to her so she is the sole object of his desire, and he is with her in utmost safety and security, as none has touched her before of either humans or Jinn.

And if you ask about the Day of Increase (in reward) and the visit of the all-Mighty, all-Wise, and the sight of His Face – free from any resemblance or likeness to anything – as you see the Sun in the middle of the day and the full Moon on a cloudless night, then listen on the day that the caller will call: ‘O People of Paradise! Your Lord – Blessed and Exalted – requests you to visit Him, so come to visit Him!’ So they will say: ‘We hear and obey!’

Until, when they finally reach the wide valley where they will all meet – and none of them will turn down the request of the caller – the Lord – Blessed and Exalted – will order His Chair to be brought there. Then, pulpits of light will emerge, as well as pulpits of pearls, gemstone, gold, and silver. The lowest of them in rank will sit on sheets of musk, and will not see what those who are on the chairs above them are given. When they are comfortable where they are sitting and are secure in their places, and the caller calls: ‘O People of Paradise! You have an appointment with Allaah in which He wishes to reward you!’ So they will say: ‘And what is that reward? Has He not already made our faces bright, made our scales heavy, entered us into Paradise, and pushed us away from the Fire?’

And when they are like that, all of a sudden a light shines that encompasses all of Paradise. So, they raise their heads, and, behold: the Compeller – Exalted is He, and Holy are His Names – has come to them from above them and majestified them and said: ‘O People of Paradise! Peace be upon you!’ So, this greeting will not be responded to with anything better than: ‘O Allaah! You are Peace, and from You is Peace! Blessed are You, O possessor of Majesty and Honor!’ So the Lord – Blessed and Exalted – will laugh to them and say: ‘O People of Paradise! Where are those who used to obey Me without having ever seen Me? This is the Day of Increase!’

So, they will all give the same response: ‘We are pleased, so be pleased with us!’ So, He will say: ‘O People of Paradise! If I were not pleased with you, I would not have made you inhabitants of My Paradise! So, ask of Me!’ So, they will all give the same response: ‘Show us your Face so that we may look at it!’ So, the Lord – Mighty and Majestic – will remove his covering and will majestify them and will cover them with His Light, which, if Allaah – the Exalted – had not Willed not to burn them, would have burned them.

And there will not remain a single person in this gathering except that his Lord – the Exalted – will speak to him and say: ‘Do you remember the day that you did this and that?’ and He will remind him of some of his bad deeds in the Worldy life, so he will say: ‘O Lord! Will you not forgive me?’ So, He will say: ‘Of course! You have not reached this position of yours (in Paradise) except by my forgiveness.’

So, how sweet is this speech to the ears, and how cooled are the righteous eyes by the glance at His Noble Face in the Afterlife…

{Some faces that Day will be shining and radiant, looking at their Lord…} (al-Qiyaamah:22-3)

[from  Haadi al-Arwaah ilaa Bilaad il-Afraah by Ibn al-Qayyim, pg. 193]