Ages of children who die in childhood when they enter Paradise
Question

                My wife was pregnant with twins and on the day the babies were due, her waters broke, so she went to the doctor who told her that one of the twins had died shortly before because he had drunk some of the water in which he was swimming in the uterus. She went to the hospital and had a Caesarean in order to save the other twin, who was born alive, praise be to Allah. 

I want to ask about the twin who died. How will he be raised on the Day of Resurrection? Will he be raised like us as a young man or what?.
Praise be to Allah.
      The scholars are unanimously agreed that the fate of Muslim 
      children -- if they die after the soul has been breathed in and before 
      reaching puberty -- is Paradise, as an honour from Allah, may He be 
      exalted, to them and their parents and as a mercy from Him, Whose mercy 
      encompasses all things. 

    The texts of the scholars concerning this matter have been 
    quoted in the answer to question number
    6496. 

    By studying the texts which speak of the situation of Muslim 
    children in al-Barzakh and at the time of resurrection and reckoning on the 
    Day of Resurrection, then when entering Paradise, we can divide their 
    journey into the following stages: 

    1.

    Their situation in al-Barzakh. It is proven that as soon as 
    they die they are transferred to Paradise and that their souls are blessed 
    there under the care of our father Ibraaheem (peace be upon him). 

    This was narrated in the hadeeth of Samurah ibn Jundub (may 
    Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and 
    blessings of Allaah be upon him) often used to say to his companions: “Has 
    anyone among you seen a dream?” and whoever Allaah willed would tell him 
    what he had seen. One day he said: “Last night two people came to me and 
    made me get up, and they said to me: ‘Let’s go.’ So I set off with them…” He 
    mentioned things that he had seen, then he said:  

    “We set off, and we came to a verdant garden, in which were 
    all the colours of spring, where there was a man who was so tall that I 
    could hardly see his head in the sky. Around the man was the largest number 
    of children I had ever seen…” Then among things that the two angels 
    explained to him was: “As for the tall man who was in the garden, that was 
    Ibraaheem. As for the children who were around him, these are all the 
    children who died in a state of fitrah.” One of the Muslims said: “O 
    Messenger of Allaah, what about the children of the mushrikeen?” He said: 
    “And the children of the mushrikeen.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (7047).

    And it was narrated that Ibn Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased 
    with him) said: 

    The souls of the children of the believers are in the crops 
    of birds which go wherever they want in Paradise and return to lamps hanging 
    from the Throne. End quote. 

    Narrated by Ibn Abi Haatim with his isnaad. See Tafseer 
    al-Qur’aan al-‘Azeem, 7/148 

    For some of the details concerning that on our site, please 
    see the answer to question number 
    71175. 

    2.

    On the Day of Resurrection, people will be raised from their 
    graves and the children will also be raised in the state of childhood and 
    youth in which they died, and they will intercede for their parents and 
    admit them to Paradise by Allah’s mercy towards them: 

    It was narrated that Abu Hassaan said: I said to Abu Hurayrah: 
    Two of my sons have died. Can you narrate to me any hadeeth from the 
    Messenger of Allaah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) which will 
    console us for our loss? He said: Yes: “Their little ones are the little 
    ones (da’aamees) of Paradise. When one of them meets his father – or his 
    parents – he takes hold of his garment – or his hand – as I am taking told 
    of the hem of your garment, and he does not let go until Allaah admits him 
    and his father to Paradise.”

    Narrated by Muslim, 2635 

    Ibn al-Atheer said: Da’aamees is the plural of da’moos, which 
    refers to a small creature that lives in ponds. Da’moos also refers to the 
    one who wanders about, i.e., they go everywhere in Jannah, entering all 
    places, and they will not be barred from any place, as children in this 
    world are not barred from entering upon women and no one hides away from 
    them. End quote. Al-Nihaayah, 2/279 

    This hadeeth clearly indicates that the children will remain 
    as children at the time of resurrection, recompense and reckoning, and even 
    the miscarried foetus into whom the soul had been breathed will remain as he 
    was on the day he was miscarried from his mother's womb. 

    3.

    When the people of Paradise enter Paradise and take their 
    places there. 

    Some scholars are of the opinion that they will all -- old 
    and young alike -- enter Paradise aged thirty-three, and they will not grow 
    old; they will enjoy their youth for ever and ever. Allah will make children 
    grow older and old men grow younger, until they are all the same age, the 
    age that is the prime of youth, thirty-three years. 

    It was narrated from Mu’aadh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased 
    with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:

    “The people of Paradise will enter Paradise hairless, 
    beardless with their eyes anointed with kohl, aged thirty or thirty-three 
    years.” 

    Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2545; he said it is hasan ghareeb. 
    It was also narrated by Imam Ahmad in al-Musnad, 2/315, from Abu 
    Hurayrah, and classed as hasan by the commentators. Also narrated by al-Haythami 
    in Majma’ al-Zawaa’id, 10/402; classed as saheeh by Abu Haatim in 
    al-‘Ilal, 3.272 and by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 
    6/1224. 

    This was stated clearly in the report of Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri 
    (may Allah be pleased with him) – although its isnaad is subject to some 
    discussion -- according to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah 
    be upon him) said: “Whoever of the people of Paradise dies, young or old, 
    will be aged thirty-three in Paradise and will never grow older, and the 
    same applies to the people of Hell.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2562) who 
    classed it as da’eef, as he said: This is a ghareeb hadeeth which we know 
    only from the hadeeth of Rashdeen – namely Ibn Sa’d. Ibn Ma’een said: He is 
    not trustworthy. Al-Nasaa’i said: He is matrook (i.e., his hadeeth is to be 
    rejected).  

    Other scholars among the Sahaabah and Taabi’een were of the 
    view that Muslim children who die before reaching the age of puberty will be 
    the servants of the people of Paradise, who will go around among them with 
    drinks and food and other delights; these are the ones who are mentioned in 
    the verses in which Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

    “Immortal boys will go around them (serving),

    18. With cups, and jugs, and a glass of flowing wine”

    [al-Waaqi’ah 56:17-18] 

    “And there will go round boy‑servants of theirs, to serve 
    them as if they were preserved pearls”

    [al-Toor 53:24] 

    “And round about them will (serve) boys of everlasting 
    youth. If you see them, you would think them scattered pearls”

    [al-Insaan 76:19].

    That was narrated by al-‘Allaamah Ibn al-Qayyim from ‘Ali ibn 
    Abi Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) and from al-Hasan al-Basri (may 
    Allah have mercy on him), but he favoured the view that these children who 
    will serve the people of Paradise are slaves who are created especially for 
    Paradise, like al-hoor al-‘iyn, and that they are something other then the 
    children of Muslims who die in this world. He said: As for the children of 
    people in this world, on the Day of Resurrection they will be 33 years old. 
    End quote. 

    See: Haadi al-Arwaah ila Bilaad al-Ifraah, p. 309-311 

    Perhaps the second opinion is the more correct view 
    concerning this matter, because of the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah quoted above, 
    in which it says: “Their little ones are the little ones of Paradise.” This 
    is more sound and more correct than the view of the other scholars. 

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

    Meaning: they wander around in Paradise and enter its houses, 
    and they are not prevented from doing so just as children in this world are 
    not prevented from entering even private places.  

    And it was said that al-da’moos refers to the man who 
    frequently visits kings, because such people frequently come in and go out, 
    and they do not wait for permission and do not care where they go in their 
    houses. The child of Paradise is likened to him because he goes wherever he 
    wants in Paradise and is not kept out of any part of it. End quote. Fayd 
    al-Qadeer, 4/194; something similar was stated in Mirqaat al-Mafaateeh 
    by Mulla ‘Ali al-Qaari 4/16. 

    See also the answer to question number
    20469 

    And Allah knows best.