Page 125 - The Truth of the Life of This World

"Whenever they shall be given a portion of the fruit thereof, they shall say:

'This is what was given to us before,'" (Surat al-Baqarah: 25) Allah states
that the favours in paradise will be fundamentally similar to those in this
world. In accordance with the description of the verse "And admit them to
the Paradise which He has announced for them," (Surah Muhammad: 6),
we can arrive at the conclusion that Allah will let believers reside in a
Paradise with which they were familiar before.
Nevertheless, any information that we may gather about paradise in this
world must necessarily be inadequate; it can only give some hints with
which to paint a general picture. "Here is a parable of the Paradise which
the righteous are promised: in it are rivers of water incorruptible; rivers of
milk of which the taste never changes; rivers of wine, a joy to those who
drink; and rivers of honey pure and clear." (Surah Muhammad: 15). This
verse makes it clear that paradise is a place beyond our imagination. In the
human soul, this verse evokes the feeling that it is a place of unexpected
sights.
On the other hand, Allah describes paradise as "an entertainment" or a
"feast":

But as to those who are careful of (their duty to) their Lord, they shall have
gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding in them; an entertainment from
their Lord, and that which is with Allah is best for the righteous. (Surat Ali-
'Imran: 198)
In this verse, Allah introduces paradise as a place of entertainment and
joy. The "end" of this life, the joy of passing the "test" and attaining the best
of places to reside for all eternity, are surely causes for believers to rejoice.

This celebration will be a splendid one: one that bears no similarity what-
soever to any kind of feast or joy in this world.
In the eternal life, the fact that believers will enjoy various kinds of
unceasing entertainment brings to mind another significant characteristic of
believers in paradise: never feeling weariness. In the Qur'an, this condition
is expressed as follows in words spoken by believers: "...Who has, out of
His Bounty, settled us in a Home that will last: neither toil nor sense of
weariness shall touch us therein." (Surat al-Fatir: 35).

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