The stairway to Paradise 2

The stairway to Paradise:Part two

6/15/2004 7:09:00 PM GMT

Is reaching Paradise easy? Paradise is very high, and ascending to lofty places takes a great deal of effort. To reach Paradise you have to walk through a road full of difficulties; a way that is full of things that go against human wishes and inclinations. This needs strong determination and willpower. In a Hadith narrated by Bukhari and Muslim from Abu Hurayrah, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said: "Hell has been veiled with desires, and Paradise has been veiled with hardships." An-Nisa'i, Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud report from Abu Hurayrah that Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said: "When Allah created Paradise, He told Jibril, 'Go and look at it.' So he went and looked at it, then he came back and said: 'By Your Glory, no one will hear of it but he will enter it.' So He surrounded it with hardships and said, 'Go and look at it.' So he went and looked at it, then came back and said: 'By Your Glory, I fear that no one will enter it.'" An-Nawawi commented on the first Hadith: "This is an example of the beautiful, eloquent and concise speech of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), in which he gives a beautiful analogy. It means that nothing will help you to reach Paradise except going through hardships, and nothing will lead you to Hell but whims and desires. Both are veiled as described, and whoever tears down the veil will reach what was hidden behind it. The veil of Paradise is torn down by going through hardships, and the veil of Hell is torn down by giving in to whims and desires. Hardship includes striving consistently and patiently in worship, restraining one's anger, forgiving, being patient, giving in charity, being kind to those who mistreat you, resisting physical desires etc." Thus, Paradise is worth sacrificing wordly pleasure, so try to pull back your whims and desires, be strong, and remember the eternal pleasure you'll enjoy in Paradise. Put up with hardships for in Paradise there will be no place for grieve or sadness, it's a place for happiness and peacefulness.

Source

Has not the time yet come for those who believe

that their hearts should be humble for the remembrance of Allah and what has
come down of the truth?

[57:16]