Page 72 - Paradise: The Believers' Real Home

70 PARADISE

use the blessing and thank Allah for it feel that they have re-
ceived Allah's gift; that the Lord loves, protects, and looks

after them; and gives them a taste of His mercy. They take real
joy from this.
A blessing is not an end; rather, it is a means to an end. As
its purpose is to encourage men and women to offer greater
thanksgiving to Allah, all of Paradise's blessings have only one
goal: To lead believers to offer eternal thanksgiving to Allah.
This is what gives them their value. In short, the blessings of
Paradise are no more than a means whereby believers can ap-
proach Allah and attain the indescribable joy of winning His
eternal friendship, love, and approval. This is why Allah's good
pleasure is the greatest blessing of Paradise and far above all
other material pleasures.
Let us consider one of Paradise's most striking blessings,
one that is frequently mentioned in the Qur'an: beautiful
women, who represent the height of the aesthetic idea. Just to
be with them is a great blessing. The Qur'an describes the
beauty of their faces, their skin, and even their bosoms. With
these magnificent women, one of Allah's greatest material
blessings – sexuality – can be experienced eternally in the
most wonderful way. In the same manner, unmarried women
will be married to young palace servants. This also is a free gift

to them from Allah.
However, what makes these women so valuable is not
merely their beauty, but the fact that they are known to be a
gift from Allah. Indeed, the greatest pleasure that can be had is