God and His Creation Plan

not within a person’s control to remove the cloud between him and the sun, but he would be held accountable for the choices he made in life, something entirely in his control. The Quran says that those who dwell in Paradise would say that in Paradise what we got was similar to what we received in the world. (Quran 2:25) What does this mean? W e should be a seeker of Paradise in this world and we should be able to discover Paradise in everything we have here. We are sitting here – around us is pleasant weather, green meadows, nice people – a small sample of Paradise can be seen by us here in this world itself. When you have this realization in the present world, it would make you a deserving candidate for Paradise. If you live in this world with complaints, you will risk your entry to Paradise. Everything in this world gives you a glimpse of Paradise. A person must understand that he has to discover Paradise before he can be settled in Paradise. Complaining, stooping to negative thinking and developing hatred are not simple matters. By doing all of this, you are risking Paradise in the world Hereafter. The Quran says about those who will find a place in Paradise: He will admit them into the Garden He has already made known to them. (Quran 47:6) If in this world you discover only negativity, then you are risking Paradise. I want to develop strong conviction in God, but find myself lacking in it. How can I develop it? T here is just one formula – save yourself from distraction. People remain engaged in and distracted by other-than-God and at the same time desire to attain conviction in God. Till the time you do not steer yourself away from distractions, you will not be able to focus on God. After doing wrong, the power of repentance becomes low. How should we repent? T his is against the nature of a human being. It is interwoven in human nature that when a person does a wrong, his conscience calls out to him. The power of repentance only becomes stronger in such cases.