FROM MAULANA’S DESK

earthquake and storm, every natural disaster, every accident, old age, disease and death are all a first ‘warning trumpet’. This ‘first warning trumpet’ is a reminder of the Day of Reckoning to follow soon, but when the ‘final trumpet’ is sounded it will signal the end of time for mankind on earth and usher in a new period of eternal life in the Hereafter. The most crucial aspect of this matter is that every man has dedicated himself to the immediate acquisition of material gain and has no concern for his eternal life to come. He cares only about obtaining immediate wealth, money, health, fame and position and makes no effort towards preparing for his everlasting life in the Hereafter. The Prime Minister’s declaration of 8th November 2016 was sudden and unexpected. Similarly, death and the Day of Judgement will also appear suddenly. The time has come for man to think about his eternal life. Instead of adorning his present home, which can be seized from him at any moment, he must work towards preparing an eternal home for life in the Hereafter. And what is this eternal home for man? It is Paradise. We do not need to travel into space to understand where or what is Paradise. To get a live understanding of Paradise, consider this saying of the Prophet of Islam: Paradise has been veiled with unpleasantness. If you can develop your minds so that you are able to lift the veils of evil and of things that are prohibited or to be avoided, then Paradise will become apparent to you. In this present and temporary world we face many unpleasant experiences. Paradise will be a place free of all such experiences, it will be a place of eternal joy, whose inhabitants ‘shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve.’ (2: 62) That is why the people of Paradise will live in eternal happiness and praise God saying: Praise be to God who has taken away all sorrow from us. (THE QURAN 35: 34) Maulana Wahiduddin Khan editor@thespiritofislam.org If all such things come to naught in the world of the Hereafter, then what is it, which will be of use in the Hereafter? There it is only a ‘purified heart’ that will be of any value.