--
as weread in Surat al-A'raf, 32:
Say: "Who has forbidden the fine clothing that Allah has produced for
Hisservants and the good kinds of provision?" Say:"On the Day of
Rising, such things will be exclusively for those who had faith during
their life in the hereafter�"
The Qur'an gives the example of Prophet Sulayman (as), to whom Allah
gave great wealth. In fact, it describes these possessions, as well as
his opulent palace and works of art, in Surah Saba', 12-13 and Surat
an-Naml, 44.
The important thing here is that Sulayman (as) gavethanks to Allah
amid all ofthese magnificent possessions, for he knew that they were a
mercy from our Lord. By relating his words: "Truly do I lovethe love
of good with a view to the glory of my Lord" (Surah Sad, 32), the
Qur'an draws our attention to his deep understanding.
This example shows us that the love of possessions, defined here as
"the love of good," is legitimate as long as it is a means to praise
Allah. No doubt, believers who have this kind of love will not
hesitate to use their possessions as Allah directs. Possessions are a
blessing belonging to Allah, and so those who have them will use them
as Allah commands.
But if possessions are not seen as a blessing, dissolution sets in.
The Qur'an gives many examples of how deviators understand the meaning
of riches. One of the clearest examples is that of Qarun, a rich man
who "gloated" (Surat al-Qasas, 76) and said: "I have only been given
it because of the knowledgeI have" (Surat al-Qasas, 78). Such a love
of possessions cannot bring people close to Allah; rather, it diverts
them from His way and alienates them from faith.The Qur'an describes
this type of love as:
Truly man is ungrateful tohis Lord, and indeed he bears witness to
that. Truly he is fierce in his love of wealth. (Surat al-'Adiyat,
6-8)
So, for this reason Muslimsmust view wealth according to the Qur'an's
criteria and pursue it only to please Allah and serve Islam. They must
desire all of Allah's blessings, because all blessings of this earthly
life have beencreated for those faithful and sincere servants who
exert every effort to please and serve Allah. We have to be
continuallythankful for these blessings and follow Sulayman's (as)
example:"What an excellent servant! He truly turned to his Lord"
(Surah Sad, 30).
Those who live according to the real spirit of the Qur'an's moral
teachings and adopt the point of view described above willbe deemed
"worthy and qualified" to enter Paradise, which possesses,as one of
its most salient characteristics, eternal splendor and dazzling wealth
and beauty. People who think and feellike Sulayman (as), who said:
"Truly do I love the love of good with a view to the glory of my Lord"
(Surah Sad, 32) amid all ofthis beauty, are believers.
Since this is how believerswill think in Paradise, their true home,
they must establish this point of view in this world, which is no more
than a preparation for the world to come. Far from regarding wealth,
beauty, and splendor as dissolution, believers must know that every
blessing is a mercy from our Lord, recognize its value, learn to enjoy
it, and be thankful.
The blessings of Paradise that we will look at in thefollowing pages
must be examined from this point of view.
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m-najimudeen-bsc-india-
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