Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | The Sunday Guardian | June 19, 2016, p. 12

What is Paradise? Paradise is the supreme reward, which God gives to His special servants for their deserving actions. Paradise is a world of unique blessings, admission to which is reserved for the chosen few in the second stage of life, the Hereafter.

These special people are those who have demonstrated in ample measure their ability to live on the plane of realities in this present stage of life - the stage of trial. They are the ones who have discovered God's existence from His signs.

These are unique human beings who, having been given, complete freedom of word and deed, have voluntarily placed constraints upon themselves; who, having apparently achieved everything by dint of hard labour, have nonetheless given complete credit for all of their achievements to God.

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These are unique souls who, living amongst human beings, are constantly remembering God. They are the ones who have had power over all others, but who now exercise the utmost restraint over their hands and tongues out of fear of God.

These are the worthy individuals who relish taking the back seats while others scramble for the front rows. These are the people who give their lives to lay solid foundations while others rush to find places right on tops of the domes.

These are the people of great spiritual refinement, who rise above personal prejudices before sitting in judgement; who, in order to deal with others purely on the basis of principles, eliminate their own selves; who budge not one inch from the path of justice even at the most crucial of moments, when complaints and differences seem insurmountable.

Paradise is God's garden. Only those human beings deserve it who can live in this world with the blameless innocence of flowers.