Your Ticket to Paradise

Do you get upset standing in the security line before an airline trip or do you get excited about the destination? Ustadh Michael Wolfender uses this analogy to help prepare us for the best journey ever – the life Allah provides us and what to do to earn paradise.

Allah tells us in Surat At-Tur (52 The Mount): “Indeed, the righteous will be in Gardens and bliss, enjoying whatever their Lord will have granted them. And their Lord will have protected them from the torment of the Hellfire. ˹They will be told,˺ “Eat and drink happily for what you used to do.” They will be reclining on thrones, ˹neatly˺ lined up ˹facing each other˺. And We will pair them to maidens with gorgeous eyes. As for those who believe and whose descendants follow them in faith, We will elevate their descendants to their rank, never discounting anything ˹of the reward˺ of their deeds. Every person will reap only what they sowed.” (52: 17-21)

This starts with the five pillars of Islam: belief, prayer, fasting, charity and pilgrimage. Make sure you cover the basics of belief and worship, as every prayer is your conversation with Allah asking of and thanking Him. The more you remember Allah, the more He hears you. Work on improving character, as arrogance deflects entry to paradise. And level up your rank in heaven with Qur’an, fasting and hajj.

Ustadh Michael underscores the importance of prayer, reminding that when salah is good, all will be good on the Day of Judgment. The first thing Allah said to Moses when he spoke with Him was the command to worship One God and establish prayer to remember Allah. In Surah Maryam, Jesus says that Allah has ‘entrusted me to perform prayer and give charity throughout my life,’ as an example for us all. 

The Day of Judgment includes an accounting of each of our deeds, with the successful receiving their book of deeds as Allah describes in Surat Al-Inshiqaq (84 The Sundering): “As for those who are given their record in their right hand, they will have an easy reckoning, and will return to their people joyfully. And as for those who are given their record ˹in their left hand˺ from behind their backs, they will cry for ˹instant˺ destruction, and will burn in the blazing Fire. For they used to be prideful among their people, thinking they would never return ˹to Allah˺. (84: 7-14)

Focusing on the positive, when family members make it to paradise, just one’s piety and character can raise the entire family’s level in heaven. Such is the Might and Mercy of Our Lord.