The Essence of Islam – Volume II — Page 459
Heaven and Hell رفَعَ بَعْضُهُمْ دَرَجَتٍ 237 459 remain behind the martyrs in good fortune and the achievement of his purpose? It is a pity that through their lack of intelligence, these people have reversed the law. . They conceive that the first entrants into heaven will be the martyrs and that the turn of the Prophets and Siddiqs would arrive after countless years. These people are guilty of great disrespect and can derive no benefit from vain excuses. Everyone can understand that those who are foremost in faith and action should be the first to enter heaven and not that they should only have a window opened for them like those who are weak of faith, and that the martyrs should have access to all the fruits of heaven as soon as they die. If entry into heaven depends upon perfect faith, perfect sincerity and perfect devotion, then there is no one who is ahead of the Prophets and Şiddīgs, whose whole life is so devoted to God Almighty that they are like the dead and yearn that they should be martyred in the cause of Allāh, and be revived and be martyred again, and be revived and be martyred again. . It is thus clear that there is such great provision for entry into heaven that almost all believers will enter it completely before the Day of Judgement and that the Day of. Judgement will not expel them from heaven, but will bring it even nearer. From the illustration of the window, it should be realized how heaven is brought near to the grave. This does not mean that heaven is brought physically close to the grave. It is brought spiritually near. In this way, the dwellers of paradise will be spiritually present in the Day of Judgement and will also be in 237 'Some of them He exalted by degrees of rank. '-Al-Baqarah, 2:254 [Publisher]