where we all wish to be ( PARADISE )

8/14/2019 where we all wish to be ( PARADISE )

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A PLACE

MOREBEAUTIFULL

THAN THIS

VIEW(WHERE IT

COULD BE)


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MORE BEAUTIFUL THANTHIS PLACE


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WHERE IT COULD BEBUT

PARADISE


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Paradise"And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it as he ought tostrive and he is a believer; (as for) these, their striving shall surelybe accepted." [17:19]

Recently I took a trip to see my Dad, who happens to be a non-Muslim, in order for him to meet the latest addition to our family,and in order for me to yet again try to convince him that he shouldaccept Islam. While I was there, however, I found out somethingabout him that I never knew before. My father is a workaholic. Thisman works seven days a week, sometimes 10-to-12 hours a day. Thesaddest part being, that his labor is all for nothing, for Allah says,

"(These are) they whose labor is lost in this world's life and theythink that they are well-versed in skill of the work of hands."[18:104]

Now, even though the situation with my Dad threw me for a loop, itreally got me thinking. How many of us, Muslims, are in the verysame predicament as my father? How many of us are working hardfor the life of this world, at the cost of the Hereafter? How many of

us are putting in 40-plus hours a week at our jobs, and otherrecreational activities, while putting in only the smallest amountsof time when it comes to our Deen? Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala,says that truly Man shall earn what he strives for. The questionnow is what are we truly striving and working for?

Maybe it's because at the end of the week, we are rewarded withsomething tangible for our efforts, a check we can see and touch.The Hereafter, although being equally as real, is at the same time,mystifying and ethereal in its nature. It's a delayed gratification,which makes it harder to earn. Our wages for our efforts in the

deen will not be paid in full until we exit the life of this world. ForAllah says, "Every soul shall have a taste of death: And only on theDay of Judgment shall you be paid your full recompense. Only hewho is saved far from the Fire and admitted to the Garden will haveattained the object (of Life). For the life of this world is but goodsand chattels of deception." [3:185]

Our final destination is the life of the Hereafter. Where we end up,Jannah (Paradise) or Jahannam (Hell-fire) depends on what weworked towards in this life. Paradise is the aim and the hope ofevery Muslim. But like trying to attain any goal, in order to achieve

success, one must have a well-defined plan, and it must beimplemented to be successful. Allah says,


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"O you who believe! Be careful of (your duty to) Allah and seekmeans of nearness to Him and strive hard in His way that you maybe successful." [5:35]

To prepare for our journey, we need to find out what ourdestination is like; who are its people, and most importantly, how

to get there.

The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, told us that withinParadise are things that no eyes have ever seen, nor ears have everheard, and that things in it are beyond our imagination andcomprehension, but we all have our own personal ideas of whateternal bliss would probably be like. I remember a few years ago, Ioverheard my niece and my nephew discussing the landscape, andthe privileges of living in Jannah. My nephew was telling my niecethat in Jannah, they would be able to eat all the candy that theywanted and that there would be streams of chocolate and trees of

ice cream. I always tell people, that Paradise for me, would bebeing able to eat all the cheesecake and chocolate that I wanted,without gaining a pound. But what Allah has in store for thebelievers is so much more than this. He, in His Book, and throughHis Messenger, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, has given us a clearpicture of our goal, so that we can keep it in front of us at all times.By keeping our eyes on the prize, no matter our hardships in thisworldly life, we can strive that much harder to attain it.

Allah says, "And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it ashe ought to strive and he is a believer; (as for) these, their striving

shall surely be accepted." [17:19]

Allah has also described Paradise in many places in the Qur'an, solet us now take a look at what He has in store for the believers.

Description in the Qur'an of Paradise

"The description of Paradise which the Muttaqoon have beenpromised is that in it are rivers of water, the taste and smell ofwhich are never changed. Rivers of milk the taste of which willremain unchanged. Rivers of wine that will be delicious to those

who drink from it and rivers of clear, pure honey. For them will beevery kind of fruit and forgiveness form their Lord." [47:15]

"And their recompense shall be Paradise, and silken garments,because they were patient. Reclining on raised thrones, they willsee there neither the excessive heat of the sun, nor the excessivebitter cold, (as in Paradise there is no sun and no moon). The shadewill be close upon them, and bunches of fruit will hang low withintheir reach. Vessels of silver and cups of crystal will be passedaround amongst them, crystal-clear, made of silver. They willdetermine the measure of them according to their wishes. They will

be given a cup (of wine) mixed with Zanjabeel, and a fountaincalled Salsabeel. Around them will (serve) boys of perpetual youth.


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If you see them, you would think they are scattered pearls. Whenyou look there (in Paradise) you will see a delight (that cannot beimagined), and a Great Dominion. Their garments will be of finegreen silk and gold embroidery. They will be adorned withbracelets of silver, and their Lord will give them a pure drink."[76:12-21]

"And those foremost (In Tawheed and obedience to Allah and HisMessenger in this life) will be foremost (in Paradise). They will bethose nearest to Allah in the Gardens of Delight. A multitude ofthose (the foremost) will be from the first generation (whoembraced Islam) and a few of those (the foremost) will be from thelater (generations). They will be reclining, face to face, on throneswoven with gold and precious stones. They will be served byimmortal boys, with cups and jugs, and a glass from the flowingwine, from which they will have neither any headache, nor anyintoxication. They will have fruit from which they may choose, and

the flesh of fowls that they desire. There will be Houris with wide,lovely eyes (as wives for the pious), like preserved pearls, a rewardfor deeds that they used to do. They will hear no vain or sinfulspeech (like backbiting, etc.) but only the saying of: Salam, Salam,(greetings of peace). And those on the Right Hand, who will bethose on the Right Hand? They will be among thorn-less lote-treesamong Talh (banana trees) with fruits piled one above another, inlong-extended shade, by constantly flowing water, and fruit inplenty, whose season is not limited, and their supply will not be cutoff. They will be on couches or thrones raised high. Verily, We havecreated for them (maidens) of equal age, loving (their husbands

only). For those on the Right Hand." [56:10-38]

"Verily, the dwellers of Paradise that Day, will be busy in joyfulthings. They and their wives will be in pleasant shade, reclining onthrones. They will have therein fruits (of all kinds), and all thatthey will ask for. (It will be said to them): "Salamun" (Peace be onyou), a Word from the Lord, Most Merciful." [36:55-58]

Can you imagine?

Wearing the finest silk clothing and sitting on chairs made of gold

and precious stones? Those who disbelieve in the words of Allah,say that this is all a fairy-tale, made up by a would-be prophet. Butwe know, that Allah is the Truthful and that His Messenger,sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, spoke only what was revealed to fromthe Most Truthful. And even though Allah describes Paradise for usin the Qur'an, He still says, "So no soul knows the delights of theeyes which is hidden for them; a reward for what they did." [32:17]

Apart from the Qur'anic descriptions of Paradise, the ProphetMuhammad, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, would often describeParadise to his companions. His descriptions were often so vivid

and moving, that many-a-companion would hurriedly rushtowards it. This was the case, as Anas narrated that the Messenger


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of Allah, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, and his companionsproceeded towards Badr and arrived there before the disbelievers(of Makkah). When the disbelievers arrived, the Messenger ofAllah said, "None of you should step forward ahead of me to doanything."Then the disbelievers advanced (towards us), and theMessenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "Rise to

enter Paradise whose width is equal to the Heavens and theEarth."Umayr Ibnul Humam al-Ansari asked, "O Messenger ofAllah, is Paradise equal in width to the heavens and the earth?"He, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "Yes." Umayr said,"Bak'hin! Bak'hin!" (An Arabic word denoting excitement andastonishment) The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhe wasallam, asked him, "What made you say these words: Bak'hin,Bak'hin?" He said, "Messenger of Allah, nothing but the desire tobe amongst its residents." He, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said,"You are surely among its residents." He then took some datesform his bag and began to eat them. Then he said, "If I were to live

until I had eaten all of the dates, indeed this life would be toolong." Anas then said, "He threw away the remaining dates hehad with him. He then fought (the disbelievers) until he waskilled."(Muslim)

What words could have inspired Umair and others like him to longfor, and to pay the ultimate price for a place in Paradise? Let's nowtake a look at what the Messenger of Allah, had to say aboutParadise.

Description of Paradise in the Hadeeth

Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri narrated that the Messenger of Allah,sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "The people of Paradise will lookat the dwellers of lofty mansions (i.e. a superior place inParadise) in the same way as one looks at a brilliant star, faraway in the East or in the West of the horizon. This is because oftheir superiority over one another (in reward)." One of the peopleasked, "O Allah's Messenger, are these lofty mansions for theProphets which no one else can reach?"

The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, replied, "No! By Allah,

in whose Hands is my life, these are for men who believe in Allahand also believe in the Messenger."(Bukhari and Muslim)

Abu Musa al-Ash'ari narrated that the Prophet, sallallahu alayhewa sallam, said, "Verily, for the believers in Paradise, are tentsmade of a single hollow pear. The length of which would be sixtymiles long from all sides, their wives being therein. The believerwill go around them (i.e., visit them) and they will not be able tosee each other."(Sahih al-Jami)

Abu Hurairah said that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhe

wa sallam, said, "There is not a tree in Paradise, except that itstrunk is made of gold."(Sahih al-Jami)


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Anas ibn Malik narrated that the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wasallam, said, "Verily in Paradise there is a market in which (theinhabitants of Paradise) will come to every Friday. The Northwind will blow and scatter fragrances on their faces and on theirclothes. This will add to their beauty and their attractiveness.They will then go back to their families after having an added

luster to their beauty and their attractiveness. Their families willsay to them, 'By Allah you have been increased in beauty andloveliness after leaving us,' and they will say, 'By Allah you toohave increased in beauty and attractiveness after us.'"(Muslim)

Jabir ibn Abdullah narrated that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahualayhe wa sallam, said, "(I saw in a dream that) I enteredParadise, and behold, there was a palace built of gold. I asked,'Whose is this palace?' They (the angels) replied, 'For a man fromthe Quraysh.' So I thought it might be I, so I asked, 'And who ishe?' They said, 'Umar Ibnul Khattab.' Nothing stopped me form

entering it except your Ghirah (sense of honor)." Umar said, "MyGhirah would never be offended by you, O Messenger of Allah."(Bukhari and Muslim)

Anas ibn Malik said that Allah's Apostle sallallahu alayhe wasallam, said, "I entered Paradise and found myself by a river, byits edges were tents of pearls. Then I tapped with my hands wherethe water was running, and there was then a beautiful smell ofMusk. I asked, 'What is this O Gabriel?' He said, 'This is Kawthar(river in Paradise) which Allah has given to you.'"(Sahih al-Jami)

Who Are the People of Paradise?

We could go on and on, for the ahadeeth are vast in numbers,about the Prophet's descriptions of Paradise. But a place that hashouses built with gold and silver bricks: where its dirt is made ofrubies and sapphires and its inhabitants wear only the finest silkgarments, sounds like a pretty exclusive neighborhood to me. Whoare these people who will be allowed to live in this enchantingplace? The Jews say the Jews. The Christians say the Christians.But Allah says, "And they say: 'None shall enter Paradise unless hebe a Jew or a Christian.' Those are their (vain) desires. Say,

'Produce your proof if you are truthful.' " [2:111]

He also says, "(Namely) those whose lives the angels take in a stateof purity, saying (to them), 'Peace be on you, enter you the Garden,because of (the good) which you did (in the world).' " [16:32]

Always in the Qur'an when Allah mentions those who will attainParadise, He mentions the believers, not the Muslims. He,subhanahu wa ta'ala, says,

"Indeed the Muttaqoon will be amongst the Gardens and water-

springs." [15:45]


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He also says,

"Verily, the Muttaqoon will be in a place of security, amongGardens and Springs, dressed in fine silk and (also) in thick silk,facing each other. This is how it shall be, and We shall marry themto Houris with wide, lovely eyes. They will request therein for every

kind of fruit in peace and security." [44:51-55]

So who are the believers and how do we become one of them? Allahsays, "They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and they enjoin whatis right and forbid the wrong and they strive with one another inhastening to good deeds, and those are among the good." [3:114]

He, subhanahu wa ta'ala, also says of the believers, "But theApostle and those who believe with him strive hard with theirproperty and their persons; and these it is who shall have the goodthings and these it is who shall be successful." [9:88]

He goes on to say, "Allah has purchased of the believers theirpersons and their goods; for theirs (in return) is the Garden (ofParadise): they fight in His cause, and slay and are slain: a promisebinding on Him in truth, through the Law, the Gospel, and theQur'an: and who is more faithful to his covenant than Allah? Thenrejoice in the bargain, which you have concluded: that is theachievement supreme." [9:111]

Of the believers, He also says, "But those who have faith and workrighteousness, they are companions of the Garden: Therein shall

they abide (forever)." [2:82]

O slaves of Allah know that being among this illustrious group ofpeople who will live in this place of tranquillity and bliss is notsomething easily attained. Allah says,

"Or do you think that you shall enter the Garden (of bliss) withoutsuch (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? Theyencountered suffering and adversity, and were so shaken in spiritthat even the Apostle and those of faith who were with him cried,'When (will come) the help of Allah?' Ah! Verily, the help of Allah is

(always) near!" [2:214]

What Allah and His Messenger, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, conveyto us is that the people of Paradise are the God-conscious, and theGod-fearing. Not everyone, who says, Lord, Lord, will enter theKingdom of Heaven, just as not everyone who professes theShahadah, will enter Paradise.

Only those who fear Allah as He ought to be feared, and aremotivated by that fear to do acts of righteousness will attainsuccess. The one who is conscious of His Lord, in every aspect of

his life, and turns to Him in true submission, will have purchasedfor himself safety and security on a day, when there will be none,


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except with Allah. He does not cause a soul to suffer fear twice, thefear of Him in this world, and the fear on The Day of Judgment.About this, the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam,said, "Allah says, 'I do not combine for my servants two states offear, or two states of safety. So if he feels safe from Me in this worldI will cause him to fear on The Day of Judgment, and if he fears Me

in the world, I will cause him to be safe on The Day of Judgment.'"(Sahih al-Jami)

It is important, therefore, that Muslims know the characters ofthose who will be the inheritors of Paradise. But it is unfortunatethat many of today's Muslims understand that it is enough for oneto pronounce the Shahadah by his tongue for him to be entitled toenter Paradise regardless of whether he lived according to Islam ornot! But the Shahadah means and requires more than the mereutterance of it. Actually this fact is one of the most mentionedaspects of Islam in the Qur'an and Sunnah. The essence of Eman is

deed. Deeds of the heart and deeds of the tongue and other bodyparts. Deeds that are to be continued till one leaves this world. Thatwas the reason why the Arabs of Makkah refused to pronounce it.They fully appreciated its implication. They knew it concernedauthority and understood that they had to govern their deeds andlives with it. Yet many of those who repeat it today lead life stylesthat do not resemble those described in the Qur'an and practicedby the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, and his companions.The Qur'an warns us that deeds are the basis on which we are to bejudged, not only the utterance of the Shahadah, "It is not by yourwishes nor the wishes of the People of the Book: whoever does

wrong shall be punished for it, and he will find none other thanAllah as a protector or helper." [4:123]

So entering Paradise requires that we live as believers and die asMuslims. That takes knowledge, dedication and determination tosee it through to its completion. The fist step is belief in Allah andHis Messenger, and the flip side to that is leaving all acts of shirk;this means directing all acts of ibadah to none but Allah,subhanahu wa ta'ala, whether it be wearing talismans, supplicatingto others than Allah or simply showing off. The next step is obeyingAllah and His Messenger, avoiding bid'ah and innovations, and

carrying out all compulsory acts of worship that He has prescribed.Once we are steadfast and regular in what we must do, we can thenproceed to the next level of eman and worship, by doing the thingsthat we have been encouraged to do. By increasing out acts ofworship, and remembrance of Allah we will leave off sin and helpsafeguard ourselves from a Fire, the fuel of which is men andstones.

We Should Also Strive to:


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Protect our minds from thoughts, which are evil, because evilactions begin with evil thoughts.

Protect our eyes by lowering our gazes and not looking atforbidden things.

Protect our ears from lewd or evil speech where there is sin. Weshould also avoid listening to lies, gossip, music, slander, orblasphemy.

Protect our tongues by saying always what is correct and true, andkeeping it moist with the remembrance of Allah, and keeping awayfrom backbiting and other evil speech.

Protect our stomachs by eating the halal and keeping away fromthe haram. We should beware of eating usury, carrion, and swineor drinking intoxicants or taking drugs.

Protect our hands from taking what does not belong to us, or fromdoing harm to another Muslim.

Protect our legs from taking us to evil and corruption and anultimate doom.

Protect our private parts from unlawful sexual intercourse.

Protect our wealth by not squandering it or holding on to it tootightly.

Protect our oaths, witnesses and trusts by not breaching orbreaking a contract or pledge knowingly. We should not exceed ouragreements, testify to falsehood or break our trusts.

Protect our families and children by keeping them away from thethings that may be harmful and that may corrupt their minds andtheir souls.

Now, it is true that only Allah knows who the believers are, but thatshould not stop us from striving to be among their numbers. For

the believers will have eternal bliss and complete success, becauseof the things that they did in this life. Allah says,

"So no soul knows the delight of the eyes which is hidden for them;a reward for what they did." [32:17]

We now stand at the start of the race, so let us run forward quicklyto the finish line, where the gates of Paradise will be open for thosewho strive as they should. The Messenger of Allah, sallallahualayhe wa sallam, who said, "Paradise is surrounded by hardshipand the Hellfire is surround by wishes and desires," has describedthe road to eternal bliss."(Sahih al-Jami)


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Despite this, Allah and His Messenger have left breadcrumbs alongthe path, for us to follow to make our journey easier. All roads maylead to Rome, but not all paths lead to Allah and His Paradise. Wemust plan our journey by using only the road map given to us byAllah and His Messenger, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam.

Ways That Lead To Paradise:

Belief and Righteous Deeds are two of the best routes to Jannah(Paradise). The door of righteous deeds is wide and the ways ofobtaining rewards are vast, as Allah says, "And those who believeand do good deeds they are the inhabitants of Paradise, in it theyshall abide." [2:82]

Taqwa is the fear of the Most Merciful, and acting in accordancewith the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah,sallallahu alayhe wa sallam. That is, hoping for the reward of Allah

and avoiding disobedience of His Guidance and fearing HisPunishment. For Allah says, "Surely those of taqwa shall be in themidst of Gardens and fountains." [15:45]

The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, also said, "The mostcommon thing which leads people to Paradise is taqwa of Allahand good conduct, and the most common thing which leadspeople to the Hell Fire is the mouth and the private parts."(Tirmithi)

Obedience of Allah and His Messenger is a sure way to Paradise.

Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, says, "And whoever obeys Allah andHis Messenger, He will cause him to enter Gardens beneath whichrivers flow, and whoever turns back, He will chastise him with apainful chastisement." [48:17]

Allah's Messenger, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, also said, "All ofmy followers will enter Paradise except those who refuse." It wasasked, "O Messenger of Allah, who would refuse?" He said, "Hewho obeys me enters Paradise and he who disobeys me hasrefused."(Bukhari)

Fighting in the Path of Allah with one's goods and soul. For Allahsays, "O you who believe, shall I lead you to a merchandise whichmay deliver you from a painful chastisement? You shall believe inAllah and His Messenger, and struggle hard in Allah's Cause withyour property and your lives; that is better for you, if you but knew!He will forgive you your sins and cause you to enter Gardensbeneath which rivers flow, and goodly dwellings in Gardens ofperpetuity; that is the mighty achievement." [61:10-12]

Repentance erases what came before it as the Prophet, sallallahualayhe wa sallam, said, "The one who repents form sin is like the

one who never sinned."(Sahih Al-Jami) And Allah says, "Exceptsuch as repent and believe and do good, these shall enter the


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Garden, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly in any way."[19:60]

There are countless other means, from building a mosque toseeking Islamic knowledge to obeying our husbands and raisingrighteous children. All it takes is our time and sincere efforts. With

all that Allah has described, it may seem daunting to us at times,that we will ever make it. Eman rises and falls, and with it our gooddeeds. But we should never lose hope in Allah, for the only one wholoses hope in Allah is the one who disbelieves. So even though wemay feel that we are at the bottom of the pile, the Prophet,sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, gives us hope. He said, "Mousa,alayhes salam, asked his Lord, 'Who amongst the inhabitants ofParadise will be the lowest in rank?' He, subhanahu wa ta'ala,said, 'He is a man who will come after the people have enteredParadise and it will be said to him: Enter Paradise.' He will say,'How my Lord? Indeed, the people have settled in their

apartments and taken their shares.' It will be asked of him,'Would you be pleased if there was a kingdom for you like thekingdoms of the earth?' He will say, 'I would be pleased, my Lord.'He will say, 'And for you is the like of that,and the like of it, andthe like of it.' He will say at the fifth time, 'I am pleased, my Lord.'He will say, 'This is for you and ten times like it, and for you iswhat you desire for yourself and what is pleasurable to your eye.'He will say, "I am pleased my Lord."(Muslim)

This is what Allah has for the least among us. But despite all theglorious castles, the beautiful clothes and mates we will posses,

inshaAllah, He still has in store for the believers the greatest honorawaiting them in Paradise. Suhaib ibn Sinan narrated that theProphet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "When the inmates ofParadise enter Paradise and the inmates of Hellfire will enterHell, the announcer will say, 'O people of Paradise, verily youhave a promise with Allah and He wishes to fulfill His promise toyou.' They will ask, 'What is His promise? Has He not made ourbalances heavy (with good deed), whitened our faces, admitted usinto Paradise, and delivered us from the Hellfire?' Then the screenwill be removed and they will look towards Him. By Allah He willnot give them a thing more beloved to them and more comforting

to their eyes, than the gaze of Himself."(Sahih al-Jami)

We were created in Paradise, we came out of it and we willinshaAllah go back to it. It is our destination and we shall reach it.But we have to do what Allah has asked us to do, for Paradise is notcheap. The price is true eman that is shown in obedience to Allahaccording to the sunnah of his Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wasallam. The companions understood that. Their efforts were all forthe life of the Hereafter and they gave only what was necessary tothis worldly life. As Muslims, everything we do, can be, and shouldbe worship of Allah. Whether we're working at the office to provide

for our families; cooking a meal; raising our children, or simplyresting, through remembrance of Allah and supplication, we can


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transform these earthly necessities into fruits that will bear for usin the life of the Hereafter. So let us keep our eyes on the prize, andstrive hard for it, for Allah says, "And (as for) those who strivehard for Us, We will most certainly guide them in Our ways; andAllah is most surely with the doers of good." [29:69]

where we all wish to be ( PARADISE )

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