THE REALITY OF PARADISE

Paradise is the name of God’s neighbourhood. Only those will find a place in Paradise who discover God while He is unseen and start living in the vicinity of God in this world itself.

Paradise is a unique world created by God. All forms of comfort and happiness of the highest standard exist in Paradise to the fullest extent. It is the place where one will attain every kind of everlasting fulfilment. (Quran, 41:31)

Who will gain entry into this unique world of Paradise? This eternal world after death is for those men and women who will pay the price for it. It is for those who become truly God-oriented. Man, who appears distant from God, becomes closer to Him at the level of realization.

Paradise is the name of God’s neighbourhood. Only those who begin living in the vicinity of God in this world before the Hereafter will gain entry into His neighbourhood.

Man sees himself as a created being, but he must discover God as a Being, not as a being created by anyone. In this world, people believe in things by seeing them, but they must believe in God without seeing Him. Human beings have immense love for wealth and children, but they must come to fear and love God the most, establishing a relationship with Him on that basis.

Human beings live for the things of this world and attach importance to them, but Paradise is for those who can rise above worldly attachments and develop supreme concern for God alone. If one’s interest is focused on his family and his people, with a relationship with God limited to formal rituals, he will not find a place in Paradise. Only those who are focused on God, with all their interests being God-oriented, will find a place in Paradise. Their relationships with everything and everyone else are purely duty or need-based, such as caring for the family. Essentially, they love God and God alone.