One of the most amazing things imaginable is that one could hear about Paradise and what Allaah has prepared in it and still fail to be moved to work for it in order to reach it. When the Companions and those who followed them from the righteous Salaf heard about it, they would mention it day and night and strive hard to achieve it. We hear about it and are certain of its existence; we believe in it and yet we ignore it! We have become heedless of it and do not think about it at all, and anything that one fails to keep in his mind will soon become forgotten. How do we wake up from our heedlessness? How can one become like that wonderful first generation and hear and see things from their perspective? How can we hear about it and not be eager and feel our hearts burning with the desire to enter it; this is how that generation would feel, how can we become as obsessed with it as they were? One of the reasons why people have shunned the constant mention of Paradise and endeavoring for it, is because they do not have a correct and comprehensive image of it in their minds; this is because we are in an era that is a very long time away from prophethood, and because our hearts have become corroded, overwhelmed with heedlessness, disturbed by disputes and distracted by others living in fancy houses and luxurious mansions; it is also because people have been exposed to 'paradise-like' places such as Malaysia, Germany, America, Hawaii and others, as well as the fact that the means that display and advertise them have entered into most people's homes. All the aforementioned, in addition to weak faith and people indulging in lusts and desires, means that people favor the fast current prize over the await one; they look at Paradise with eyes that have been saturated with all that they possess in this life, and favor eating and relaxing to striving. If one were to attempt to enthuse such people about the mansions of Paradise, they would say: "We have the same in this life"; if we were to tell them about the rivers and springs of Paradise, they would reply: "We have seen the same." If we were to describe for them the gardens of Paradise and their shade, they would answer by saying: "There are plenty of them." Even if we were to encourage them by describing the amazingly attractive women in Paradise, they would say: "We are fed up with them". How can one, who has gorged himself with different types of pleasures of this life, think about additional food, even if it is far better? How can who has fulfilled his desires think of anything else after that? If we add to this the fact that faith, the desire to meet Allaah and the longing to see Him weakens the more one indulges in his desires, then it fully explains why people are no longer striving to attain Paradise. Perhaps this explains the difference between our actions and those of the Companions, may Allaah be pleased with them, who would look forward to Paradise and exert great efforts to attain it. They would think of the position that they would occupy next to the King, the Almighty, The One and Only and the Great, glory be to Him; they would look forward to it whilst freeing their souls from all desires; they would look forward to it with eyes that refrained from seeing any of this life's desires and pleasures; they would look forward to it with hearts that were thirsty for the source of guidance. Those who favor current pleasures over the promised future ones have forgotten the precious value of the reward that is awaiting them; they seem to think that what they are promised is the same as what they already possess in this life. Such people have failed to truly comprehend what they are promised. Modern civilization and its beautification has deceived and amazed many people; its pleasures have deeply affected their hearts, to the extent that many of them have succumbed to it, despite the fact that its pleasure is in no way comparable to that of Paradise.
