English book · Man and Paradise

Flowers and Thorns

English book, p. 32

By Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

This division of people into two groups is a continuous process in this world. Through the record of their life (or, in other words, based on the character they are building in this world), each person is declaring, as it were, which of the two groups they are eligible to join after death—the group destined for the thorns or the group destined for the flowers. The conditions of this present world serve as the means for this personality development. Every person is undergoing this process. Some cultivate a thorny personality, while others develop a flower-like character. These two groups of people may not appear distinct in today’s world, but in the world of tomorrow, they will be separated. One group will be admitted into eternal Paradise, and the other will be consigned to eternal Hell. In the present world, every person faces negative experiences. If someone habitually interprets an unpleasant experience as something negative, they will develop a negative personality. In contrast, if someone can transform a negative experience into a positive one, it is the best way to create a positive character. For example, someone is rude to you, oppresses you, gets angry with you, or causes you harm. Now, you have two options to respond to this. First, you can choose to react in the same way. If he abuses you, you can abuse him back. If he troubles you, you can trouble him in return. If he harms you, you can choose to hurt him. If he shouts at you, you can shout back. A person who reacts in this way will develop a negative personality. He has sown the seeds of thorns in his heart, so his personality will become thorny. After death, in the next world, he will be resurrected with this thorny personality and placed

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