THE HEAVENLY PERSONALITY

A heavenly personality is cultivated in someone free from all kinds of negative feelings. Such a person remains patient and refrains from complaining. He fulfils his obligations and seeks his rights only from God. These noble qualities make a person worthy of entry into Paradise.

According to a tradition of Prophet Muhammad, “Such people will gain entry into Paradise whose hearts are like the hearts of birds.” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 4840) A bird possesses an exceptional quality not found in any other animal: it is free from any feelings of hatred or revenge. While other animals tend to attack in self-defence, the bird is completely free from this instinct. Consider the bird; it appears as an emblem of innocence, which is why the pigeon is regarded as a symbol of peace.

According to the above tradition, it is this paradisiacal quality that is desirable for one who seeks Paradise. A heavenly personality is free from all kinds of negative feelings. The key difference is that while a bird possesses this positive quality by instinct, a heavenly person develops it through conscious choice.

A heavenly person trains himself so that his heart is completely free from hatred and revenge. He controls his anger and does not react negatively. He returns love for hatred and treats others well without any expectations. He lives among people as if they were his sisters and brothers, seeking the company of angels. He remains patient and refrains from complaining. He fulfils his obligations and seeks his rights only from God. These are the noble qualities that make a person worthy of entry into Paradise.