22. PARADISE AND ITS LEVELS
By Allah! I contemplate entering Paradise (jannab) and staying therein forever, without illness, bad manners, sleep or any deficiency! Always being healthy, not having cause for stress, in an ever renewing bliss… I feel ecstasy, and my nature almost refuses to believe it, yet it is confirmed by Shariah.
Acquiring such statuses depends on the level of hard work one puts in during his stay in this life, so I am surprised at those who waste time on earth. Instead say “Subhan Allah”once and a palm tree will be planted for you in Paradise with eternal shade and fruit.
O you who is afraid from missing out on this! Encourage your heart with hope (raja).
And O you who is annoyed with the mention of death! Contemplate the moment after your soul exits your body, not before.
This way you will look forward to the new location. Your soul (nafs) will be in the belly of a bird flying upon the trees of Paradise (asjar al- jannah).
After thinking about the consequences, read the biographies of hard working people as you will learn many virtues and merits. Then Allah will assist you, if He wills something for you, He will prepare you for it.
On the other hand, talking to those whose only preoccupation is with this life is one of the biggest reasons of intellectual illnesses.
Avoiding evil is beneficial and it is a cause for well-being (afiya).
(Source: al-Hafiz Abu’l-Faraj ibn al-jawzl [d. 597AH] “CAPTURED THOUGHTS being” a translation of his masterpiece ‘Sayd al-K hatir)
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