Man’s Search for Truth

ELIGIBILITY FOR PARADISE before death. Salvation in the life Hereafter is only for those who prove themselves deserving. We should understand that Paradise will not be given to anyone purely based on the quantum of his good deeds. It will be provided, instead, by the mercy of God Almighty. The preferred ones are those unique people who, despite having done every kind of good deed, have attached no value to their actions. They realize that they will gain entry into Paradise only when God’s mercy envelopes them. ELIGIBILITY FOR PARADISE Entry into Paradise is neither based on any recommendation nor a connection to any revered personality. Instead, admission into Paradise in the Hereafter is only for a person who, in the present world, becomes and lives like a paradisiacal person. Paradise is a blessing without limits. One will find it only by paying a high price for it. Very few fortunate people will be declared eligible to be settled in the world of Paradise. The first test for admission into Paradise is that man attains the discovery of His Creator at the level of maarifah—the high realization of God. He should discover the Truth amidst a jungle of thoughts, views, beliefs, and ideologies. He should develop the insight to see those not visible to the physical eye. He should feel those things that cannot be felt at the physical level. Passing by the tumult of the external world, he should become a traveler of the inner world. Likewise, a condition for admission to Paradise is that man bows down before God while retaining the freedom to disobey.