Paradise…

“And He will admit them to Paradise, which He has made known to them.” [Muhammad 47: 6]
One of the things about Jannah that we don’t realise is the striking familiarity that it will carry. You have never seen Jannah and it will be nothing like the earth but somehow you will know it, and it will feel so comfortable and familiar, like it’s a part of you and your existence – it’s your Home that you’re coming back to. This why Allah calls it Dar al-Salam; the Home of Peace, because a Dar (home) is a place you always return to after some absence. 
Some of the scholars said that the verse also has another meaning… the word ‘arrafa which is translated as being ‘known’ can also mean ‘to be fragranced’. Now imagine Paradise… wherever you go there’ll be beautiful scents – not the type that annoys you or gives you a headache or sets off your allergies, but the type that hits the right senses and lifts you off your feet. Paradise – it doesn’t just look good, cozy, and familiar, but it smells good too.
The juz then ends by describing the people of Paradise, and Allah says that before entering it, they were Muhsinin – people who made effort to reach a level of righteousness in their faith. But what is that? Well, what unfolds next is a description:
– They used to sleep a little by night, i.e. they devoted some of the night to worship
– In the early morning they were found seeking forgiveness, i.e they weren’t perfect and they recognised that through humble worship
– They dedicated a portion of their wealth to the beggar and the deprived, i.e. they sacrificed and they realised that life was not just about them
– They were attentive to the Signs of Allah on earth, and the Signs within themselves.
And whatever is described in the Qur’an has a purpose. It is our hope to live up to these descriptions insha’Allah! May Allah bless everyone reading this with a beautiful home in Paradise, and may we all meet there, ameen.

~Fajr Blog