ELIGIBILITY FOR PARADISE
Towards a Life of Restraint
THE Quran is a divine book revealed specifically for the purpose of conveying 'good news' to the righteous. The good news is that if man treads the path of good and right action in the limited life of this world, he will find a place in eternal Paradise in the life Hereafter. The Quran makes it clear that these glad tidings of Paradise are meant only for the righteous.
That is, this good news is for those who adopt a God-oriented or righteous life in this world. Paradise is not to be the destiny of all and sundry, for Paradise is only for the Godfearing (3: 133). It is to be given on a selective basis only to those who are deserving of it. To find a place in the ideal world of Paradise, there is only one condition, and that is being God-fearing, or righteous.
Taqwa means leading a life of restraint or guarding oneself against evil. It is, in actual fact, a phenomenon of sensitiveness.
Taqwa means leading a life of restraint or guarding oneself against evil. It is, in actual fact, a phenomenon of sensitiveness. When one becomes highly aware of something, then, naturally one becomes very sensitive about it. Sensitiveness plays the greatest role in human life. One who is not sensitive about something will ignore it, whereas if one is sensitive it will become one's concern towards which the greatest attention will be payed. The message of the Quran for man kind is that one should save oneself from distraction. We should awaken our consciousness to the extent that obedience to God becomes our sole concern. No other thing should become the object or centre of our sensitiveness.
There is a verse in the Quran in which it is stated:
Do not follow what you do not know; for the ear and the eye and
the heart shall be called to account. (17: 36)
This verse of the Quran commands us to adopt right thinking. For the soundness of human life depends upon this. In both words and actions, the righteous person fully conforms to the divine laws.
According to the Quran, this is in conformity to the creation plan for which man has been created and settled on earth. The earth is no luxury resort; in fact it serves as a testing ground for the purpose of selecting those individuals who—thanks to their superior qualities— are worthy of being lodged in an ideal place like Paradise. This is what is referred to when the Quran says:
He created death and life so that He might test you, and find out which of you is best in conduct. (67: 2)
All the things God has created can be broadly divided into two categories; the material world and the human world. The material world means the entire universe known as nature. The material world is totally governed by the divine laws laid down by God. It does not deviate to even the slightest degree from this law. But man’s case is different. In this universe, man enjoys an exceptional position. That is, man has been granted freedom of choice. Man has full freedom to speak and act as he pleases. This finds expression in different verses of the Quran, two of which are given below:
An important principle of human life is avoidance of arrogance. Arrogance is the source of all evil. By contrast, modesty is the greatest source of all good.
“Do they seek a religion other than the religion of God? When everything in the heavens and the earth has submitted to Him, willingly or unwillingly? To Him they shall all return.”(3: 83)
“If anyone seeks a religion other than Islam [submission to God], it will not be accepted from him; he will be among the losers in the Hereafter.”(3: 85)
In the above verses of the Quran, the word Islam, that is, submission, has been used with the implication that while obedience to the Creator is required by the rest of the universe compulsorily, the same obedience is required of man voluntarily. Man has been granted the power of hearing, seeing and thinking, so that by using these faculties, he may discover the right path for himself—what is referred to in the Quran as ‘the straight path’ (sirat-emustaqim). Deviation from the straight path is a proof of the fact that he did not make proper use of the capabilities granted to him by God. Such a man will be held accountable by God. No excuse whatsoever will be accepted by Him. (30: 57)
Moreover, an important principle of human life is avoidance of arrogance. In this regard the Quran says: “Do not walk with pride on the earth; for behold, God does not love arrogant and boastful people.” (31: 18)
This verse of the Quran gives us to understand that arrogance is the source of all evil. By contrast, modesty is the greatest source of all good. According to the Quran, the kind of man desired by God is one who is totally free of arrogance and is a modest person in the full sense. In the chapter al-Fajr of the Quran, we are told that all the pleasant or unpleasant experiences faced by man occur solely as a means of putting him to the test, but man takes such incidents in a negative manner. Having pleasant experiences causes him to suffer from a superiority complex (akraman), whereas unpleasant experiences give him an inferiority complex (ahanan). (89: 15-16)
According to the Quran, both the above mentioned complexes affect man in an extremely adverse way. The right thing for him to do is that in both sets of circumstances, pleasant or unpleasant, he should consistently tread the path of moderation. Those who prove to be moderate in personality and conduct are described in the Quran as souls at peace (nafs al-muthmainnah) (89: 27), that is, complex-free souls.
The Quran tells us that the greatest success for man is his gaining entry into Paradise in the eternal life after death. “Truly, this is a great victory! It is for the like of this that all should strive.”(37: 60-61). This is a clear indication that, according to the Quran, man’s goal should be one and only one, and that is, Paradise. The greatest feature of Paradise is that it is the realm of the Lord of the universe. And without doubt, there can be no success greater than finding oneself in close proximity to one’s Lord in the eternal life after death. This unique desirability of Paradise is expressed in this verse of the Quran which gives voice to a sincere and heartfelt human longing:
“My Lord, build me a house in nearness to You in Paradise.”
Conscience
One who chooses to be insincere
first kills his conscience.