HOW COULD PARADISE BE HEAVEN?

 

What really is Paradise?

What truly is Heaven?

 

Is it actually what they say?

A beautiful place with waterfalls and greenery

 

Red, blue, yellow and lavender

Pink, peach, orange and purple?

 

Gorgeous women and endless comfort

Enjoyment and luxury of all sorts?

 

No freezing temperature nor heat

But rather lukewarm weather?

 

Foods of all kinds that eyes have never seen before

And no any complications of health or stress ever?

 

Access to everything the heart desires

No evil exists but only good prevails

 

Is that everything that Paradise can offer?

Is that all what we strive and work for?

 

To satisfy the needs of our bodies and remove any pain

And to live a routine life with no problems ever?

 

Could that be the peak of bliss and everything that life can offer?

That is a question to think about and ponder!

 

My heart tells me all that is just a side fruit

Of the Real reward and true benefit

 

For Paradise is certainly NOT Heaven

If one is not accompanied by the Twelve Infallibles!

 

The Holy Prophet and his descendents

From Ali and Fatima to the last Imam!

 

Paradise is NOT Heaven

If there is no remembrance of the One Lord

 

Paradise is NOT Heaven

Without continuous thanksgiving for the mercy of the Creator

 

Paradise is NOT heaven without submitting oneself to the Great Almighty

Paradise is not heaven if you only fill your stomach and sit alone

 

Paradise is NOT heaven if you have to practice Taqiyya and conceal your faith

And not be able to practice your love and obedience to the Holy Imams

 

Paradise is NOT heaven if you fear the people including your neighbor

And bear hard feelings to the inhabitants of heaven even if minor

 

Paradise is NOT heaven if there is backbiting and tale-bearing

And if prejudice and discrimination still exists

 

Paradise is NOT heaven if everyone goes to it

And escapes the punishment of Hell-Fire

 

Paradise is NOT heaven if it allows the evil to enter

And make their way to the kingdom of good

 

Paradise is NOT heaven without compensation of your sins

By the Wilayah and love of the Itrah and Holy Quran

 

Paradise is NOT heaven without tasting the beauty of intercession

As Lady Fatima (AS) picks you up and drops you in heaven!

 

Paradise is NOT heaven without realizing how lucky you are

To attain salvation by paying allegiance to the Prophet (SA) and His successors

 

Paradise is NOT heaven without attaining knowledge and enriching the mind

By learning from the Gate of Knowledge and his descendents

 

Paradise is NOT heaven without enjoying the company of your fellow believers

Those who supported Ali and suffered because of their love to him

 

Paradise is NOT heaven without seeing the absolute evil suffer

Due to what their hands committed by the Great Slaughter!

 

How could Paradise be Heaven?

Without meeting the Prophet and seeing the Imams?

 

Surely Paradise is NOT Heaven

Without serving the Imams and become their slaves

 

Paradise is not Heaven

Without attaining martyrdom and shedding your blood

And sacrificing your existence for the love of Husain!

 

Paradise is NOT heaven without attaining vengeance for Husain

During the time of Return and also in the Hereafter!

 

Paradise is NOT Heaven

If there are no gatherings there to shed tears over Husain

 

Paradise is NOT Heaven

Without bearing a piece of the holy land of Karbala

 

Yet how could Paradise be Heaven?

When a piece of it brings tears to its eyes!

 

How could Paradise be happy?

When its land has been soaked with the blood of Husain!

 

How could Paradise feel jolly?

When its constantly reminded about the tragedy of Karbala!

 

How could Paradise be cheerful?

When the dust of Karbala is shedding tears of blood!

 

How could Paradise feel pleased?

When all those who visit Karbala are teary-eyed!

 

They say Paradise should make you happy

Yet how could it make you happy when Paradise itself is not happy?!

After all ‘a thing cannot give what it does not have’!

 

We know that Paradise is NOT Heaven

If it does not have peace and tranquility

 

But the real question to ask and ponder over is

Could Paradise ever have peace and give us tranquility?

 

When the fire inside us will never subside

Due to the killing of Husain and his family!

 

Could Paradise ever have peace?

When peace itself is forever disturbed and in deep shock

Due to what happened after the Prophet to his purified progeny

 

Could peace ever come to terms and accept reality?

When reality itself is too bitter for any tongue to narrate!

 

Could peace make a compromise with reality?

By forgetting what happened in Karbala even in the Hereafter!

 

Could peace ever find peace?

When it lost all meaning of peace after Husain’s decease!

 

Could peace ever shake hands with tranquility?

When tranquility itself is looking for serenity!

 

Could true happiness ever be achieved?

When Happiness itself doesn’t know how to attain true happiness!

 

Could true happiness ever be achieved?

When every time you think about the reason of your presence in Paradise

You realize the price that the Infallibles had to pay for your sake!

 

Could true happiness ever be achieved?

If you keep on wondering if the rib of Fatima will ever be healed

Or will she ever stop crying over her son Husain even in Heaven!

 

Could true happiness ever be achieved?

When you keep on wondering how the Holy Prophet feels

And his reaction to what happened to his progeny after him!

 

Could true happiness ever be achieved?

When you realize the injustice that Imam Hasan (AS) faced

By not being appreciated even by some of his so-called supporters!

 

Could true happiness ever be achieved when even after the time of Raja’a

It will end with the killing of the 12th Imam (AFS) in the hands of a Jewish woman?!

 

Could we ever be satisfied when we can’t help but wonder how much light was concealed

By the abortion of Mohsin as well as the killing of Abdullah the infant?!

 

Could the hearts of the Infallibles ever feel happiness and content?

Although their Shia are saved and the good ones rewarded

 

After all Paradise is NOT heaven unless they achieve justice and vengeance

And perhaps heal the wounds that has no medicine but tears

Tears from their Shia and lovers on the Day of Judgment!

 

What is the Paradise that I’m looking for??

 

A Paradise that gives rise to Heaven EVEN if its location is in Hell

The Paradise of the Prophet and the Heaven of Husain

That is the Heaven that I aim for

Which contains the ‘Good tree’ that will never be forbidden

One which carries the Apple of the Prophet’s Heart who is none other than Fatima

That which contains rivers and streams filled by the tears of the Shia

Which are shed on Husain and his tragedy continuously

 

I can’t help but wonder if true happiness can ever be achieved

Knowing well that the blood of Al-Mahdi (AFS) will forever boil in mourning for his grandfather Husain

Could vengeance ever be achieved at the time of Raja’a and in the Hereafter

Over the blood of Husain and his successors?

Could Vengeance work together with Tranquility

To achieve Peace and Serenity?

 

I am forced to conclude that only Allah (SWT) has the answer to my question

For He is the Most Wise and Most Knowledgeable

 

I rest my case and surrender my thoughts to the Almighty God

Who is the only One who can give me the answer to my little DILEMMA!

 

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