Zeal and Enthusiasm Described in the Qur'an: The Thought of Paradise

One of the subjects about which believers feel excitement most is that of paradise and the blessings they will attain there. Paradise presents to man an existence unprecedented in the life of this world; none of the defects or flaws present in this life exist there.

Paradise is created not for test, as is life on this earth, but as a place of compensation. Furthermore, Allah purposely created this world as an imperfect place so that people can long for paradise and strive hard to attain it. One who strives to attain perfection throughout his life desires paradise with an even greater enthusiasm. In the hereafter believers will rejoice at being saved from the torment of hell, which is what they strove to avoid during their lives. On the other hand, those who fought against Allah’s religion, against people’s adherence to Qur’anic morality, and those who opposed believers and attempted to suppress them will fully receive whatever they deserve as a manifestation of Allah’s absolute justice. How those people will be repaid and the joy believers feel upon witnessing it is stated in the Qur’an: "Indeed, those who committed crimes used to laugh at those who believed. And when they passed by them, they would exchange derisive glances. And when they returned to their people, they would return jesting. And when they saw them, they would say, ‘Indeed, those are truly lost.’ But they had not been sent as guardians over them. So today those who believed are laughing at the disbelievers, on adorned couches, observing. Have the disbelievers [not] been rewarded for what they used to do?"

The fact that unbeliever’s will be repaid with Allah’s justice heals the hearts of believers. Indeed, the mere thought of Allah’s promise stirs a deep excitement in the hearts of believers. In addition, remembering the angels’ greetings and salutations in paradise and the way believers will be hosted therein is a major source of pleasure. They will meet the angels of Allah who will lead them to paradise, their eternal abode. While those who avoided serving Allah in the life of this world will be in pain and fear at being seized by angels of punishment, believers will be accompanied by angels of mercy in peace and security. This expectation enables believers to feel great joy. How they will be met in paradise is described in the Qur’an as follows: "Gardens of perpetual residence; they will enter them with whoever were righteous among their fathers, their spouses and their descendants. And the angels will enter upon them from every gate, [saying], ‘Peace be upon you for what you patiently endured. And excellent is the final home.’"89 "The ones whom the angels take in death, [being] good and pure – [the angels] will say, ‘Peace be upon you. Enter paradise for what you used to do." Another reason why the thought of paradise excites believers is undoubtedly the unprecedented nature of the blessings promised to them. But what is more exciting than that is their attainment of Allah’s approval, the result they had desired and worked for all through their lives: "And the first forerunners [in the faith] among the Muhajireen and the Ansar and those who followed them with good conduct – Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That is the great attainment."

In the above verse Allah gives glad tidings that He will be pleased with the people He accepts into paradise. Likewise, it is stressed in the Qur’an that the greatest among blessings in paradise is Allah’s approval: "Allah has promised the believing men and believing women gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally, and pleasant dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence; but approval from Allah is greater. It is that which is the great attainment."

In addition, Allah gives more good news to believers regarding the favors of paradise: "Peace,’ a word from a Merciful Lord."

And this is the best compensation for the sincere struggle believers put forth in the course of their lives. Believers also feel the excitement of contemplating the beauty of paradise, which is beyond present human comprehension despite many detailed descriptions in the Qur’an. Allah has revealed that there are as many beauties and blessings there as man’s soul could ever desire or his mind could ever imagine. Man’s horizons in this world are too limited to give a full grasp of the variety of those eternal blessings. Indeed, paradise is replete with endless surprises for believers. Thinking about these surprises and knowing that they shall continue by the will of Allah for all eternity brings great pleasure.

Believers have some knowledge even now about certain of the blessings in paradise, by means of the Qur’anic descriptions. For instance, believers know that they will be together with their loved ones and friends. They will be companions of all the prophets, martyrs, truthful, devoted and sincere believers of the past and will have the honor of being in the company of these noble souls with whom Allah is pleased. They will experience true love and friendship there and will never get bored. Satan will never be able to approach the people of paradise; he will be subjected to eternal torment in the hellfire, so in paradise everyone will be trustworthy, good tempered and faithful to their Lord. No unfavorable morals peculiar to ignorant societies (such as hatred, rage or jealousy) will exist there; they will perish once and for all.

In paradise no difficulties particular to the life of this world will persist. There will be no need to thwart the plans of those who devise plots or to be alert against the strategies of hypocrites. Believers will be hosted there for all eternity, residing in peace and joy among whatever favors their soul desire. All people will be created in the best form and will be purified of human imperfections. They will be good-natured, beautiful, loving and equal in age. The natural laws of the life of this world will no longer apply; a new life with new kinds of blessings has been prepared for those whose faith was assured. Paradise is additionally a place of physical magnificence with splendid mansions, perpetual fruit trees within easy reach, rivers of honey, and many other appealing aesthetic aspects. Above and beyond all that, "eternity," a concept the human mind finds difficult to grasp, permeates paradise. Life in paradise is not limited to hundreds, thousands, billions or trillions of years... it is an endless and eternal life. Man will not feel boredom or weariness therein, and he will forever derive great pleasure from every moment he spends in it.

Thinking about these blessings while still in the world and the hope of attaining paradise becomes a major source of zeal and desire for believers. With the incentive of obtaining such blessings, they become more zealous and put forth more effort to be servants of Allah who are worthy of paradise. As Allah describes in the Qur’an, they compete with each other in good works and strive to be foremost in winning "a garden as wide as the heavens and earth."

THE BENEFITS OF ZEAL AND EXCITEMENT FOR BELIEVERS