PLACE FOR ACTION,
PLACE FOR RESULTS
Those who build a divine personality in this world can be truly successful in the world to come by obtaining a place in Paradise in the period of life after death.
This world is where an individual engages in actions, and the Hereafter is where he will receive the fruits of his actions. A brief portion of a person’s life is spent in this world, after which he is taken to the next world, where, according to his actions, he will either gain entry into Paradise or face eternal deprivation.
In this scheme of things, the present world is a place of testing. An examination hall is always meant for tests, not for enjoying the results. A student who seeks to build an ideal world for himself in the examination hall will fail to do so. Similarly, the person who wishes to create an eternal palace of joy in this world will not achieve his goal—because the present world has not been designed for this purpose.
Wise is the one who understands this distinction and performs righteous actions in this world, hoping for God’s blessings in the Hereafter.
In this context, an intelligent person adopts the same approach as a student. When a student sits in an examination hall, he focuses all his attention on answering his test paper correctly. He does not attempt to build the palace of his dreams there.
Man’s relation to this world and the Hereafter should be governed by an understanding of God’s creation plan. According to this plan, man must spend a brief life before death preparing for the Hereafter in order to secure a world of eternal joy in the life after death. The one who discovers God and builds a divine personality while living in this world of tests will find himself in eternal Paradise. However, when a heedless person enters the next world, he will realize that his negligence cannot be rectified. He will face eternal deprivation, as he will not be given a chance to return to the present world and live again.
This world is a training ground where people develop a divine personality to obtain a place in Paradise in the life after death. A heavenly personality is free of all kinds of negative feelings. A heavenly personality trains himself in such a way that his heart is entirely free of things like hatred and revenge. He controls his anger and does not react negatively. He returns love for hatred. He conducts himself well with others without any expectations. He lives among people as if they were his sisters and brothers. He remains patient instead of complaining. He fulfils his obligations and asks for his rights only from God. These are the noble qualities that will make one deserving of entry into Paradise.
