Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | The Sunday Guardian | Oct 22, 2017

God, according to His will, created a perfect world called Paradise. A world in accordance with all of our desires as human beings, in that it is free of all limitations and disadvantages, free of fear and pain; free of all imperfections. An eternal world where there is no death or old age. An ideal world where we could achieve complete fulfilment.

A perfect Paradise cannot be inhabited by less-than-perfect beings. So, God created perfection-seeking beings-us. He intended us to spend a period of trial on this present and imperfect world and after this, according to our deeds, we will earn the right to inhabit the perfect and eternal world.

As part of this test, Paradise is hidden from us. This world, therefore, has all the components necessary for a test. It has perfection-seeking beings in a less-than-perfect world. Beings who have been given complete freedom to choose their actions. We thus have a choice-we can misuse our freedom to do evil, or we can use our freedom wisely, submit to God and qualify for Paradise.

Who will qualify for paradise? Those pure souls who, in their life on this world, come up to the standard of citizenship of Paradise-a perfect world of eternal comfort and pleasure, a world which holds far greater meaning than this one.

The test rests on our discovery of God, who is unseen. Before we can see Him, we should voluntarily surrender ourselves to Him.

Our desire for Paradise should make us willingly adopt divine ethics. We should develop intellectually and spiritually until we are fit to inhabit the refined world of Paradise.

Only those of us who succeed in maintaining a high moral character will find a place in a world of peace, love, and understanding.