What Gains One the Eternal Life of Paradise?
The result of belief, religious life and love of God is the eternal life of Paradise and vision of God. The people of spiritual discovery and truth-seeking have all agreed that a thousand years of happy life in this world is not worth one hour of life in Paradise, and a thousand years of heavenly life is not worth one hour’s vision of the Majestic One in His absolute sacred Beauty and Perfection free of all kinds of defects. The seeing of Him is established by the Qur’an and authentic Prophetic traditions, one of which says: “That vision far excels all the other pleasures of Paradise, so much so that it causes them to be forgotten. After the vision of God the people of Paradise will have increased in beauty and loveliness to such a degree that the couples will be able to recognize each other with great difficulty.”
Everyone feels in the depths of his being a great longing to see one like the Prophet Solomon, upon him be peace, who is famous for his magnificent perfection, and a great yearning to behold one like the Prophet Joseph, upon him be peace, who is distinguished for his beauty. So, if you can, compare how deeply desired and yearned for, and with what degree of passion, is the seeing of Him, in one manifestation of Whose Beauty and Perfection consists all the beauties and perfections of Paradise, which are thousands of times more elevated than all the beauties and perfections of this world.
Glory be to You! We have no knowledge save what You have taught us. Surely You are the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
O Lord! Do not call us to account if we forget or fall into error. O God! Bestow blessings on Your beloved, who opened the doors of Paradise through being beloved by You and through his prayers, and whose community You enabled to open those doors through calling Your blessings on him, on him be blessings and peace.
O God! Enter us into Paradise among the pure, righteous ones, through the intercession of Your chosen beloved. Amen.
O God, provide us in this world with love of You and love of what will draw us near to You, and with the uprightness You command, and, in the Hereafter, with Your Mercy and the vision of You.
O God! Bestow blessings and peace upon him whom You raised as a mercy for all the worlds, and upon all his family and Companions, Amen.
This article has been adapted from Risale- i Nur Collection.