ON THE THRESHOLD OF PARADISE

ON THE THRESHOLD OF PARADISE W HAT is Paradise? There is no mystery about Paradise. It is a scientific fact just like any other accepted fact. In reality, Paradise is a transformation of the earth. As we know, the earth was initially an inchoate, molten mass, and then over time the surface of the earth cooled and became the crust, eventually taking the form of our world as we know it today. In a similar way, another transformation will take place in the future — but to a far greater extent — at that time, our earth will be turned into Paradise. In this world, many things are brought into existence as a result of conversion. For example, rain results from the conversion of water vapour in the atmosphere into liquid water. A tree represents the conversion of a seed using the soil’s nutrients. Machines are a conversion of raw materials such as iron and steel into complex mechanisms. The industrial world ensures the conversion of inert materials into socially useful commodities. In the same way, in future, conversion shall take place on a far grander scale. At that time, this far from ideal world will change into an ideal world. This in religious terms would be known as Paradise. This instance of conversion is referred to, in the Quran in the following verse: “When the earth is turned into another earth.” THE QURAN, 14: 48 On our earth, conversion from one form or state into another is a repeated, continuous, known natural process — a normal everyday occurrence. This being so, believing in Paradise is the same as believing in the continuance of a predictable series of events. It is just like saying that the thousandth product is being delivered from a manufacturing plant that has already produced nine hundred and ninety nine of the same. Paradise is the natural culmination of creation which at a certain point of time had a definite beginning.