Speaking Tree Blog | December 18, 2023
God Almighty created billions and billions of things, some living and some non-living. Out of all of these, man is the only creature who was created with a sense of pleasure. This uniquely human sense is what makes life agreeable and enjoyable for him. Without this sense of pleasure, he would go through life like a stone or a robot. Moreover, every person feels that he can fulfill all his desires in this life. But everywhere in this world there are limitations and disadvantages. So human beings, whether rich or poor, are unlikely to find fulfillment.
But, here God Almighty has given man another unique blessing. He has created Paradise, a perfect world with ideal situations. Then, God Almighty has ordained that all those who prove themselves deserving of it should live in this perfect world for all eternity. A Quranic verse that mentions this special blessing is quoted here:
Therein you shall have all that your soul’s desire, and therein you shall have all that you ask for. (41:31)
God Almighty decided that those men and women who passed the divine test would be selected for settlement in this eternal Paradise, where there is no fear, no shortcomings, no limitations, and no disadvantages. The criterion for deserving candidates for Paradise is basically one, and that is, that they should not have misused the freedom given to them by God Almighty.
There are some dos and don’ts about the uses of freedom, and these are clearly mentioned in the Quran: it is only those who measure up to these criteria who will be selected for entry into Paradise in the post-death period of life.
God has divided human life into two parts—the pre-death period and the post-death period. The pre-death period is one of trial. During the trial period, human beings are put to the test so that they may be judged, while the post-death period is one of reward or punishment. Every person has been given freedom and the crucial test is whether he misuses his freedom or uses it properly. Through an unseen system, life is being recorded day and night. At the end, this record will be produced before God, and, on the basis of this, God Almighty will decide the fate of every man and woman. Those who fail to pass the test will be thrown into the universal litterbin, while those who pass the test will be admitted into Paradise.
Man was created for this purpose. Man was created to enjoy the greatest blessing of God, that is, Paradise. But only such people will experience this enjoyment who prove that they are deserving candidates. This is the greatest blessing of God to man. This blessing is so great that it is enough to justify all life’s hardships.
The concept of Paradise has been ridiculed as being a beautiful idealization of human wishes. But it would be more appropriate to say that Paradise is a beautiful realization of human wishes. Given the reality of desires, it is but natural that their fulfillment should also be a reality. It is quite rational to believe that fulfillment is possible—although far off in the future.
