Period of the Righteous
The Righteous shall inherit Paradise, free from all kinds of fear and sorrow. In Paradise, they will have unlimited pleasure, where they will unfold the wonders of God for all eternity.
In Chapter 21 of the Quran, a prediction is thus expressed: “We have already written in the Psalms the following reminder, ‘My righteous servants shall inherit the earth’” (21:105). This prediction is thus expressed in the Bible:
“But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell in it forever.” (Psalms, 37:28-29)
In this verse of the Quran, ‘the righteous’ means the selected believers from the entire human history. This event will take place in the next world. After Doomsday, all the humans born on the earth will be gathered together on the Day of Gathering. Almighty God, accompanied by the angels, will then make His appearance.
The verdict on the eternal future of man will be given according to the record of his deeds before death. Some will stand rejected; others will be selected for their good deeds. The selected will gain entry to eternal Paradise, which will be a perfect world in all respects. This heavenly world will be made eternally free from all fear and sorrow. All the righteous men and women who can enter this world will experience complete fulfillment.
This heavenly phase will be an ideal one. This will be the final destination of man for which the world was created. Therefore, the building of the present world and the settling of human beings here was meant to test them in practical life and select those unique individuals who can live at the highest level of realization: that is to say, those who possess a positive personality in the total sense of the expression; those who adhere entirely to divine discipline, despite having the freedom and power to disobey; those who, because of their noble qualities, can live in the vicinity of God; those who in respect of their creation, are humans, but in respect of their qualities, are like angels; those who are the essence of the entire universe, just as the rose is the essence of the whole bush.
These fortunate souls will remain eternally in Paradise. Paradise is a place of comfort and luxury and of the most refined activities. Therefore, the good people will enjoy Paradise’s pleasant life as a matter of divine hospitality.
The light of God will become known through the activities of the people of Paradise: this will take the form of an eternal process. In Paradise, the culture of Alhamdullilah (praise be to God) will materialize in the perfect form. For the people of Paradise, all the activities will be so enjoyable that they will never feel any tedium or fatigue.
This world of Paradise may be described as spiritual or divine—a superior form of civilization. This phase has been initiated in the present world. But the present world is limited; the divine civilization can flourish here only on a limited scale. In the unlimited world of the Hereafter, the divine civilization will flourish in its ultimate form. The believers will continue to unfold the wonders of God for all eternity. In Paradise, every day will be a day of discoveries, bringing unlimited pleasure. This will never come to an end. It will continue for all eternity.
