ON THE THRESHOLD OF PARADISE

In comparison to the universe our earth is infinitesimally smaller than a grain of sand. expanding at an accelerating rate, that even with the use of the most powerful telescopes its total dimensions have yet to be accurately estimated. In this immeasurably vast universe, the earth is an extremely tiny planet, a grain of sand. Across the universe, our earth is a very rare exception, the only place where exceptional things such as water, vegetation, an atmosphere of air and oxygen are present. If life on earth prevails, it is because of these impeccable life support systems that are functioning on it. On earth, there exist all those valuable elements using which man can, if he wills, build a civilization. It is, and has been, the task of humanity to convert this potential into reality. It is quite evident that civilization, passing continuously from one stage to another, is moving from its initial state of development to progressive higher levels altogether. Many studies of human history and civilization will confirm this fact. As the Quran puts it: You will surely move from one stage to another stage. (THE QURAN 84: 19-21) The evolution of history shows that human civilization is continuously advancing along the path of progress and development. The final result of such focused progress and sustainable development could be called a ‘Spiritual Civilization’, or Paradise. The history of civilization shows that it has passed through three major phases, and now all the indications suggest that it is in the fourth and final stage of its journey. The three major phases of civilization are: the Stone Age; the Agricultural Age; and the Industrial Age. It is a matter of common knowledge that these phases of civilization have already taken place. In his bestseller Future Shock (published in 1970), Alvin Toffler says that the fourth phase, probably the last period of civilization, will take place in the near future. He calls this fourth phase the Super-Industrial Age, a much more advanced civilisation. In religious terms, it would be appropriate to consider this fourth phase as a spiritual civilization.