PARADISE: GOD’S NEIGHBOURHOOD
Paradise is another name for eternal life in the neighbourhood of God (Quran, 66:11). In the world before death, man lives in the neighbourhood of God at the level of mind and feeling. After death, his living in the world of God will be a reality.
Man is regarded as a pleasure-seeking animal. Pleasure is a unique phenomenon experienced exclusively by human beings. The desire in humans for all kinds of pleasures is limitless. But in the present world, these desires of men and women are rarely fulfilled. Almost without exception, every one of us leaves the world without having attained total fulfilment, be he rich or poor, illiterate or educated, a commoner or a king.
There is a long list of pleasures man seeks to enjoy: intellectual pleasure, the pleasure of sight, hearing, taste, touch, speech, companionship, study, discovery, happiness, etc. The pleasure derived from all these things by man is limitless. However, man is not able to experience these limitless pleasures in the present world. He is in search of them, but very soon, his time to leave the world approaches. While man may experience moments of pleasure, he is unable to satisfy his desires fully. This world only gives him a glimpse of eternal Paradise. The limitless pleasure that man seeks lies in the eternal world of Paradise in the Hereafter.
The good fortune of finding a place in God’s neighbourhood in the eternal life of the Hereafter will be based entirely on merit. God’s neighbourhood is like a universal garden. In this universal garden, only those who meet the divine criterion will find a place. Anything short of this will not be sufficient to guarantee a place in this universal garden.
Who will be eligible for entry into God’s Paradise? God will allow only those who adhere to divine ethics at two levels: one related to man versus man and the other related to man versus God. These two codes of ethics differ in their dimensions. In relation to man, moral behaviour is, in fact, social behaviour governed by social ethics. Adherence to the social moral code causes man to lead a harmless life in society. When people see that he is good to others, they regard him as a good member of society.
However, no one can be considered deserving of entering Paradise merely by adhering to social ethics. To be deserving of entry into the neighbourhood of God, man must also live up to the moral code related to God—this is the realization of God. When an individual discovers his Creator, his mind is transformed. His divine nature is awakened, and, as a result, he develops all those qualities that meet the standard of elevated human ethics.
Divine ethics is, in fact, a phenomenon that arises after the realization of God. God, being the Creator, loves His servants. Therefore, man also begins to love other human beings. The belief that God is the judge on the Day of Judgement produces in man a strong sense of accountability. He refrains from using words and committing deeds that would cause God to hold him to account and punish him severely. Such a person believes that God is both the Giver and the Taker—one who can take away what He has given. This feeling puts a complete end to human arrogance. Viewing someone as inferior becomes an attitude he cannot afford.
Where the social code of ethics permits certain freedoms, the divine code of ethics—the result of the believer’s relationship of servitude to God—sets boundaries. In short, the former code of ethics is worldly, whereas the latter is heavenly. Social ethics is narrower in scope, unlike divine ethics, which encompasses everything.
Everything has a price, and the price of Paradise is the realization of God. Nothing less can open the gates of Paradise. The truth is that if anything less than the realization of God is regarded as the price of Paradise, it constitutes a belittling of Paradise.
Those selected for Paradise are the ones who have made God their supreme concern in this life. Their thoughts and feelings have been devoted to God. Their mornings and evenings have been filled with the remembrance of God. These are the fortunate souls who will be chosen to live in the neighbourhood of God for all eternity.
