World cup vs. Jannah cup
There is one thing about paradise that really fascinates me. I mean there are so many descriptions of Jannah in the Quran, right? Rivers flowing and cups being offered. I used to wonder why are cups being offered and Allah (swt) says “cups that are placed”- what’s the point in that? You ever throw a BBQ, you ever go to somebody’s backyard and they are throwing a BBQ party; and they buy those cups from like Walmart and Costco, serving drinks and whatever. Right? That’s a little homely party. You have to go, pour your own drinks. Have you ever gone to an expensive restaurant? Like at a really elite restaurant, you got to pay 50-fifty bucks just to sit down. What do you see on the table before even you get there? Cups. Those 1400 years ago, Allah (swt) knows how we think. Allah (swt) says water flowing, rivers flowing. Have you ever been to a lobby of a very expensive hotel? What do they have? Have you ever been to the CEO’s office of a corporate executive at the top floor of New York City? What do they have? Artificial water fall.
Do you dream of a heavenly vacation?
Same thing Allah (swt) has described. You must have seen a commercial where they tell you to go take a vacation in the Bahamas; or take a vacation in you know Hawaii or something- escape to paradise, it says. What do they show you? A Palm tree, water, drinks, relaxation; these are the pictures they show you on TV commercials. What is Allah (swt) describing? He talks about waterfalls, trees, fruits, drinks, people reclining and relaxing, enjoying each other’s company. And, you are looking at that and going, wow. These guys made a commercial about escape to paradise, and it’s like they read the Quran and made that. Allah (swt) knows who He is talking to, He knows what we want. Now look at this, I don’t even care about what religion you are, everyone has to get, especially men and even women, older and older. There is one thing in our head.
It’s programmed, we can’t even get rid of it; it’s the love of a beautiful house. You go through a nice neighbourhood, what are you going to do? Wow, that’s nice. Look at that yard, oh my God, did you see that one? People can’t help themselves, I don’t care what religion, what background you are from- everybody has desires to save up and have a stable place to live. They don’t want to live on rent, they want to own a place, want to have a nice house, want to have it just the way they like it.
Allah (swt) offers an eternal beach fund property
It’s incredible. He says I will give you a house. And it will have, what’s the most expensive real estate in the world? Beach Fund Property, Manhattan is one of the most expensive cities in the world. What’s the most expensive part of Manhattan? It is anything that looks over to that water- the higher up, the more expensive. And Allah (swt) puts houses on top of mountains, mansions; they overlook the entire garden, they overlook the water fall; these are the things that Allah (swt) has put inside our psyche. He wants us to desire these things in this world. So that when he talks about these in a much superior version in the next world, then we truly want them there. We say, if this mansion can exist here, oh my God! What does Allah (swt) have for me there? If these beautiful vacation spots like the beaches in California, the Canyons in Arizona, you know, the water falls in Niagara. If that can exist here, what does Allah (swt) have for me in the Akhirah? What amazing things is He going to give me?
The price for paradise
In order to get Jannah, to get paradise, what are the simple things we have to? Is it something very complicated? What should we do to achieve eternity, bliss, and perpetual happiness? Do you ever get tired or bored in Jannah?
No, you would never get bored in Jannah- that’s one of the joys of Jannah. You have beautiful company in Jannah. You know, when in this world, we take a vacation- especially we take a vacation with the family, kids might love it, it’s a nightmare for parents, because they take care of everything and this and that; when people get together for a break, like you know Christians get together for Christmas break.
World is not a wish-granting factory- Jannah is!
Maybe families get together for Eid break or something, fights break out, arguments happen; this is supposed to be a time for celebration, but at the best celebrations when you are with others, what happens? Arguments, right? Oh God, this is supposed to be a happy time, what happened here? People are crying at weddings and things like that. Then, here Allah (swt) says, in Jannah, one of the great joys of it first of all, boredom is taken away; second of all, you get whatever you want; third of all, Gil, this ill feeling towards each other is eliminated, we are not even capable of it in Jannah. You can’t even say something that hurts somebody else’s feelings. It’s gone.
So, you only have this beautiful relationship, you know how sometimes husband and wife get into arguments, and they don’t even know where it came from. Like, they are both confused; like how did we end up here, how did this conversation even start, why did it get so nasty? Allah (swt) will take that ability away from us in Jannah. We can only have wonderful conversation, I have something I am looking forward to like being at peace all the time. You know when people are happy, they sit and say: “Man, I wish life could be like this all the time, and they know it’s not going to be; they know round the corner, a problem is awaiting them; something’s coming- whether its physical, emotional- something is coming, just to know that there is nothing problematic coming.
Transcribed for hiba by Sana Mohsin
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