THE PRIVILEGE OF PARADISE
Follow God’s Creation Plan

HERE is a verse from the Quran: God has a reward in store for them: Gardens of eternity, through which rivers flow; they will dwell therein forever. God is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him. Thus shall the God-fearing be rewarded. (98: 8)

What is the meaning of the mutual contentment mentioned in this verse? In this verse, the story of the people of Paradise is told in such words that they are the ones who are pleased with God. God’s servant being pleased with God means he lived his life according to the creation plan of God. The servant was content and pleased with the creation plan of God. Then God was also pleased to open the gates of Paradise for such a servant as He had promised.

For human beings, Paradise is not a commodity of purchase, but it is a reward for being pleased and content with God’s plan. It is God’s great mercy that He declares Paradise to be a matter of mutual contentment. In reality, granting someone Paradise is a reward from God, but in order to increase man’s status, God has made it a matter of mutual contentment. This is the meaning of God and His servants being pleased with one another.

A person, who is satisfied with the creation plan of God, will start following the pattern of life laid down by God with complete contentment. This way of life is possible only for those who fear God alone. The only incentive to adopt this way of life is fear of the Lord. A person who is devoid of fear of the Lord will not adopt such a way of life. Therefore, such people are destined to be deprived of eternal Paradise as the final destination of their journey.