God and His Creation Plan

incentive to start my own magazine Al-Risala. This became a huge success and enjoyed great popularity among readers both in the Indian subcontinent and abroad. So, I did not consider my experience with the secretary of Al-Jamiat as an occasion of evil, rather I took whatever happened as a challenge. My response to this challenge has brought me where I am today. I learnt the lesson that when others do not give you a chance, this becomes an opportunity for you to create a chance for yourself. What should be my attitude so that I can enter heaven? B efore the advent of Islam, there lived a person in Arabia who was very generous. The Prophet of Islam was once asked if this person would go to Paradise? The Prophet replied saying: No, he would not because he never asked for it. (Sahih Muslim, hadith no. 214) It must be clarified that the Creator is not doing mass distribution of the ticket to Paradise. A person will not be settled in Paradise irrespective of whether or not he desired so. This is sheer underestimation of the Creator and His neighbourhood. One needs to first become extremely desirous of Paradise to gain entry to the list of those who can be considered deserving candidate for the eternal heavenly abode. This is the attitude one needs to develop in the first place. Those who want to enter Paradise need to develop the kind of personality which yearns and aims for Paradise in the true sense of word and all their efforts should thus be directed toward the achievement of this one goal. What should be the right prayer that we should make to God? I n this world, every person is born to lead a different life, each with its own set of opportunities and challenges. Hence, one cannot follow a ‘one-prayer-fits-all’ policy in life. A believer may pray to his Creator regarding anything, without any constraints. However, the manner in which the prayer is answered shall be governed by divine will. At times, prayer is answered instantly and at other times, there passes a long time before one’s request is fulfilled. A verse in the Quran gives us the prayer of the virtuous in these words: Our Lord, grant us good in this world as well as good in the world to come, and protect us from the torment of the Fire. (Quran 2:201)