Life after Death

Man is born with total freedom. The only requirement for finding entry into Paradise is that he should use his freedom properly and avoid all kind of misuse of freedom. It is the divine criterion that will decide whose case was one of proper use of freedom and whose was that of misuse of freedom.

Here, the chapter Al-Tin (The Fig) of the Quran is worth quoting.

It means that while man is born as a complete personality, his present abode – the planet earth – is incomplete. Because of this disparity, man’s condition on earth becomes like that of a fish out of water. The present world has highly intelligent design. But the disparity between man’s nature and the limitations of the present-world to fulfil all his desires indicates the need for man to have a real habitat. This habitat is Paradise. Only those men and women will find entry into Paradise who qualify themselves as deserving candidates for it. The planet earth is a selection ground for this purpose.

The Quran mentions all aspects of Paradise in detail and then guides man in these words:

For the like of this, then, let the workers work. (37:61)

It was December 6, 2013. I switched on my radio to listen to the morning news. Suddenly appeared the breaking news that Nelson Mandela had passed away. Then after a moment, that speech was broadcast which Mandela had delivered as President in the South African parliament on May 10, 1994. The speaker was physically no more, but his voice could be heard by all without the slightest alteration.