What does it mean to be a Muslim?

God the Almighty has provided us with many commandments, many dos and don’ts but there must be a reason. Paradise for some is a goal, but there has got to be more than that. If you wanted more hurs in paradise than do so and so act and in Paradise you will be given them. But, you sacrifice pleasure in this world, for pleasure in the next. To me that seems strange. You could easily get pleasure in this world, and receive pleasure in that world, but then what difference is there between the two worlds? In one world you have to digest, and in the other world you don’t. In the other world you are free from the physical constraints of the human body. So, we could do what we want in paradise as a reward for not being able to do what we want here.

Let’s take some case studies of the things we can’t do in this world as Muslims: drink alcohol, eat pork, become intoxicated on drugs, go clubbing, gaze at the opposite sex, commit adultery, committing murder; then you have the immoral acts, such as; pride, arrogance, lying, overselling of products, stealing, injustice, swearing, bribery and showing off. There’s many more things Muslims are not allowed to do, but each of the above will be dealt with as briefly as possible.

Drinking alcohol for a Muslims is a cardinal sin, yet in the Holy Qur’an, God Almighty has stated:

A feature of the Paradise which is promised to the Godfearing is that therein are streams of (such) water as will never putrefy (in smell or colour), and (in it) will be streams of milk whose taste and flavour will never change, and streams of (such a pure) wine that is an absolute delight for all who drink it and streams of purified honey; and (in it) will be fruits of every kind (for them) and forgiveness (of every sort) from their Lord. Can this (pious man) be like those who are permanent residents of Hell and who will be given scalding water to drink which will cut their gut into pieces? [47:15]

So, in Paradise it is possible to drink “pure wine”, my question here is – will that wine make us intoxicated, or will it not? If it does, than the difference is that God, wanted us to not drink in this world which is a “short stay”, but would allow us to drink wine for eternity.

Next, eating pork. Muslims are not allowed to eat the meat of haram animals. It’s revolting to even think about eating pig, just because of the fact the animal is completely impure. So, eating it won’t lead you to paradise, rather to the Hospital for all the many diseases linked to eating such meat.

Committing murder, is an immoral act, because the one committing murder believes that he/she has the right to take someone’s life, whereas this right is only the right of God. This thinking itself is actually sacrilegious. This act will definitely not lead anyone to paradise and causes too much hurt and grief for the recipients of that act.

Lying is a waste of time, and it does not help anyone. The more you lie, the deeper the lie begins to tangle, and finally when you are caught out, and your world comes tumbling down. I don’t understand why people lie, or find the need to lie, except the principle Sharia has given, and that is to save your life. Other than that, what would you need to lie about? Don’t do something that you’re not meant to do, so you don’t have to lie about doing it. This will also hinder a Muslims chances of entering paradise.

Showing off, pride and arrogance are not very good traits in human beings. It means you think you are better than everyone else. Frankly, anyone with that thought is not even better than the animals, because they humbly praise God the Almighty constantly. Have you never heard the winds, or the rustling of the trees, or the crashing of the waves; all saying God’s praise? Only He has the right to be proud because He created all. If you think you have something and you’re proud about it, someone else will have something better and then where will your pride lie? These acts will also not help you achieve Paradise.

If you ask for forgiveness of any of the above sins, with sincerity you are forgiven, unless that act is against another human being, their forgiveness of your transgression against them would allow you to be forgiven. So, it means if after committing all these things, if God has called you back to Him, then there is a chance that when you ask for sincere forgiveness it will be accepted. But, this is if you get the chance of forgiveness, because if you think tomorrow will come, then you’re lying to yourself because tomorrow has never come for anyone. So, it’s better never to do the above.

But, the question is there’s got to be something more than this, right? A reason for all of the suffering, all the commitments to the commandments in this life, is only for Paradise. Live eternally in pleasure, when in the life you completely renounce yourself from pleasure. It just doesn’t seem to fit. It doesn’t make sense.

And this is not the end of the story.

God the Almighty has stated in the Holy Qur’an:

O contented (pleased) self! Return to your lord in such a state that you are both the aspirant to, and the aspired of, his pleasure (i.e., you seek his pleasure and he seeks yours).  So join my (perfect) servants. And enter my paradise (of nearness and sight). [89:27-30]

So, there are two types of Paradise, one for the ordinary servant, and one for the Prominent/Special servant.

The ordinary servant of God is that person who transcends in the hardships of life for the goal of the ordinary Paradise. A Paradise filled with delights and pleasures which they had stopped themselves experiencing in this life. This is the Paradise and objective that does not make sense to me.

After all that sacrifice, all that renunciation of pleasure, of not over eating, of following the Qur’an and Sunnah by letter and spirit, all those times spent in mosques praying in congregation, all those times praying long supererogatory prayers, all those times never doing a single immoral act against yourself, others and God; but the goal the whole time was eternal ultimate pleasure and satisfaction.

This is why God the Almighty had mentioned the second type of Paradise, where He states, all those who made such sacrifces in their lives, not for Paradise, but for Me, then the reward is Me. That is why in the above Chapter the words “My Paradise” was used, whereas, in the other places in the Qur’an only Paradise on its own was mentioned.

Some may ask, how did the above conclusion be reached from just the word “My Paradise”, it is due to the previous verse which state “contented soul”, this is the person’s soul who has put all its efforts in this world to turn towards God in every step of the way. Maybe he/she may have strayed from the goal, but the goal was so strong that the will of that person became the goal, and when that happens, that person does not remain ordinary, rather Prominent/Special. And for this person the only reward can be God Himself. Truly, that is the real Paradise.