Is there a scope for betterment in Paradise?

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Though the answer to this question can easily be derived from the answer of the previous one but feel it imperative to answer it separately and the answer is:

Certainly, there is scope for improvement there also. The people there will not remain stagnant at one place but by the grace of God they will gradually inch closer to Him.

This does not mean that there will be the responsibilities of obedience and worship there because the causes of responsibility will not exist there. They will improve their conditions in response to the deeds that they have done in this world like the fruit bearing trees that a person once plants and then reaps their harvest continuously. The roots of the trees spread far and wide. It may be termed like the rockets that need a boost of energy to take them out of the orbit of this earth but once they are out they need it no more and continue their journey provided that there are now heavenly obstacles.

Some verses of the Qura’n like verse 62 of Surah Maryam speak about it:

“They shall have their sustenance therein in the morn and in the eve.”

The verses before this verse speak about the “Jannati Adn” and not the Paradise in purgatory. The question that arises here is that we have learnt that the dwellers of paradise will get whatever and whenever they demand so what sustenance is this that will be given to them just morn and eve?

This will certainly be a new and spiritual sustenance that will be given to them in these times and will in turn result in improving their status. There is a very meaningful hadith of the Holy Messenger in this regard which clarifies the issue. He said:

“Very beautiful and costly presents will be bestowed on them from God during the time that they say their prayers and the angels will sing their praises. (1) The question that arises from these explanations is “How will there be a morn and eve when there will be no day and night in Paradise?”

We can say that there will be a Noor (a non-starry light) in Paradise always but it will be moving and the people will assess the days and nights by its increase and decline like those who live in the polar regions where there is light and day for 6 months and they regulate their man hours by the increase and decrease of light.

Now these two questions about a new sustenance and day and night have not been solved by most commentators so they have given various explanations for this verse and most of them are not compatible e.g. this is the symbolism for the bounties being eternal, or because they considered a person free from anxiety who had food for the day and night, or this sustenance will be given to them in intervals of what can be construed as our days and nights.

None of these explanations are compatible. What better meaning can there be that we calculate a system of day and night by the increase and decline of light (Noor). So we can suppose about a new kind of sustenance that will be the herald of improvement. This meaning is compatible with the verse and at least there is less contradiction with the literal meaning of the verse.

There is a hadith of the Holy Messenger:

“By the God who has revealed the Qura’n to Mohammad the glory of the dwellers of Paradise will keep increasing as time passes just as their ugliness and decay increased as time passed in this world.” (2)

This hadith too speaks about the improvement and development of the dwellers in Paradise. Though this speaks about physical development it includes spiritual development as well.

 


 

1. Tafsir Ruhul Ma’ani vol.16 page 103; Tafsir Qartabi vol.6 page 4166 for this verse.
2. Ilmol Yaqeen page 103 (as per the philosophical discourse in “Ma’ad”)

 

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