GOOD PEOPLE WILL INHERIT PARADISE BY THE MERCY OF GOD
In the present world, good and evil people exist side by side. In the world Hereafter, the angels will separate the evil from the righteous, and only the good will enter the eternal world of Paradise.
Paradise is man’s natural habitat, just as water is the habitat of a fish. The fish, while being a living creature with a complete existence, requires a specific environment to survive. If the fish is taken out of the water and placed in a desert, it will remain the same fish, but it will only wriggle for a short time. In the desert environment, unable to find the sustenance needed for life, it will soon perish. This analogy applies to human beings as well. Man possesses life in the fullest sense but requires an appropriate habitat in which to thrive. The present world provides such a habitat, allowing man to survive and develop on Earth. If he were taken off the planet and placed on another celestial body, such as the moon, he would be like a fish out of water. He might struggle, making desperate movements with his arms and legs, but without the right environment, he would soon breathe his last.
The features of the present world are well known to man, and, in light of this knowledge, he can fully comprehend what heaven and Hell might be like. If we study the matter, we find that Earth contains elements that reflect what man will experience in Paradise. For instance, the natural beauty we witness here provides a glimpse of Paradise from a distance. However, in the present world, good and evil coexist. Evil people fill the world with corruption. If it were possible to expel all evil from the earth, leaving only the good, the earth would become a model of Paradise. A Hebrew prophet expressed this concept as follows: “So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:49-50). This is similarly expressed in the Psalms of David: “The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell therein forever” (Psalms 37:29).
It is important to remember that no human action alone is the key to Paradise. Human actions are meant only to attract the mercy of God. This is why the greatest of human actions is the realization of God. One who fulfils the criterion of realizing God will find that God turns to him and, by His special grace, decides on his entry into Paradise. Entry into Paradise is only by the grace of God. Paradise is not a reward for one’s actions alone. The truth is that human deeds performed over a few years can never equate to what is required for entry into Paradise. Anyone who believes that their actions alone will gain them entry into Paradise will find in the Hereafter that they are like someone who has just one rupee and wants to buy an aeroplane.
