On the Threshold of Paradise

For instance, verse three of the 84th chapter of the Quran speaks of the Earth expanding, while another verse (39:74) says: “Praise be to God Who has fulfilled His promise to us and made us the inheritors of this land, letting us settle in the Garden wherever we want.” Furthermore, verse 21 of the 57th chapter of the Quran describes Paradise as “…vast as heaven and earth, which has been made ready for those who believe in God and His messengers.” According to the Islamic tradition, the Earth was in charge of the Jinns in its beginning. Then it was handed over to human beings. Later, a period will ensue when the Earth will be entirely under the domination of the Angels. At that time, tremendous changes will be made to the planet, an ideal and perfect world in the most total sense of expression. This evolutionary period of the Earth has been referred to in the Quran: “The earth will shine with the light of its Lord.” (39:69) Today our world is potentially a Paradise. Tomorrow this potential will become a reality, and then the Earth will become a place of eternal happiness and joy. Events have shown that the present state of the Earth is not ideal, even though Nature’s life support system exists in its perfect form on the planet earth. This system may be at its best on the planet, but one thing is far from ideal. Here, good and bad people exist alongside each other. The presence of seriously flawed individuals everywhere is the source of evil. However, when the final phase of civilisation