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[7:204] When the Quran is recited, you shall listen to it and take heed, that you may attain mercy.
[28:86] You never expected this scripture to come your way; but this is a mercy from your Lord. …
Have a vision of the Hereafter
Wonka said, “What we’ll see will defy explanation. If you want to view Paradise, simply look around and view it.”
God has described Paradise to us many times in the Quran. Though it is beyond imagination, we can try to have a vision of it. Think of the beauty and perfect happiness that awaits you for your efforts. This will help you get back up stronger when Satan makes you slip up and fall down.
Heaven: Indescribably Beautiful
[32:17] You have no idea how much joy and happiness are waiting for you as a reward for your (righteous) works. [76:22] This is the reward that awaits you, for your efforts have been appreciated.
Don’t take God’s plans for granted
Wonka did not evict Charlie and his grandfather for disobeying some of his rules. Now think about how often God spares us for all the sins we commit, big and small. He does not always punish us or end our chance to redeem ourselves back to Heaven. He overlooks many of our sins and guides us to do better. So we must always work hard to please God and never take His plans for granted.
[35:45] If GOD punished the people for their sins, He would not leave a single creature on earth. But He respites them for a predetermined interim. …
When will I have Golden Luck?
This is not a logical question for a submitter. How can you ask about when you will have something when you already have it?
Your life on earth is your only chance to work your way back to Heaven. God did not need to give you this chance, nor did you expect it. Yet He gave you this chance and put the world in your service to make you succeed. He gave you the scripture, the experiences you need, and most of all, His guidance. If you obey Him, He will give you the reward of the Hereafter and many rewards of this life when you need them most.
The people you think are lucky are only lucky with things in this world that will not last. Those things are not golden tickets by any measure. They will not buy their holders entry into Heaven. They may even turn out bad for them on Earth. What happened to Qãroon (Pharaoh’s slave driver) is a direct example of this in the Quran (28:79-82).
So stop wondering when you will have golden luck. You already have it, way more than most people you have met or will ever meet. You came out of your mother’s womb holding the most powerful ticket to pass the test God created you for. The question is what you will do with this ticket. Will you use it to pass the test to get the grand prize God has reserved for you? How easy or hard it is to do that will depend on your approach to life. Focus on winning the grand prize of the Hereafter, and the smaller prizes of this world will follow.
[76:20] Wherever you look, you will see bliss, and a wonderful dominion. [76:21] On them will be clothes of green velvet, satin, and silver ornaments. Their Lord will provide them with pure drinks. [76:22] This is the reward that awaits you, for your efforts have been appreciated.
[Luke 12:29-31] It is not for you to be in search of what you are to eat or drink. Stop worrying. The unbelievers of this world are always running after these things. Your Father knows that you need such things. Seek out instead His kingship over you, and the rest will follow in turn.
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory © 1971 Wolper Pictures / Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Brief dialogue and song lyrics used under the Fair Use doctrine for non-commercial, illustrative purposes.
[Ed. note: in June’s issue Rizwan talked about letting go of the ego. Now he goes into how it can totally be dissolved]
Worshiping God alone is what allows us to have our egos dissolved. During worship, the soul dwells in tranquility and fulfills the purpose it was designed for.
God says in 51:56: “I did not create the jinns and the humans except to worship Me alone.”
One of the key words in this verse is alone — meaning that you make Him the most important factor in your life, and you judge yourself and everything around you according to the criterion He has revealed.
Whenever we deviate from that purpose, our hearts begin to feel lost, confused, and weighed down by pain or sin. One author gives a helpful example: a pen is designed to write. No matter how pretty or expensive it is, if it stops writing, it no longer fulfills its purpose. Humans would simply put it aside or throw it away. But God’s patience and mercy are far greater — He gives us our entire lifetime to return, fulfill our purpose, and earn entry into Paradise.
In the great feud, the angels suggested that the rebels be exiled from God’s kingdom, but the Most Merciful willed to give them a chance to repent and submit to His absolute authority. The vast majority of the rebels accepted God’s gracious offer. They agreed to kill their egos and come to this world in a submissive role. In return, they are redeemed back to God’s eternal kingdom.
[22:18] Do you not realize that to God prostrates everything in the heavens and the earth — the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the animals, as well as many people?
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