Spirit of Islam, Nov 2015

Paradise is the natural culmination of creation which at a certain point of time had a definite beginning. ON THE THRESHOLD OF PARADISE Towards a Spiritual Civilization P ARADISE is no mystery. As we know, the earth was initially an inchoate, molten mass. 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. Likewise, in future, a conversion shall take place on a far grander scale, changing this far from ideal world into an ideal one. This in religious terms would be Paradise. This instance of conversion is referred to, in the Quran in the following verse: When the earth is changed 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 not just a matter of religious belief or dogma. According to the eternal laws of nature, Paradise is a state that is bound to come into existence. A study of the laws governing earthly systems shows that the present world is under a continuous evolutionary process, of which Paradise, is the ultimate phase. Paradise is the natural culmination of a creation which at a certain point in time had a definite beginning. Astronomical studies show that the universe is incredibly vast. It is