Going To Paradise With Your Family

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

We all know that patience is tremendously important for our well-being. We can't have peace and success if we are not patient. And it takes a lot to be patient. Our patience is being tested at every moment.

But how well will be those who have patience.

ٱلَّذِينَ يُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا يَنقُضُونَ ٱلْمِيثَـٰقَ ﴿٢٠﴾ وَٱلَّذِينَ يَصِلُونَ مَآ أَمَرَ‌ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦٓ أَن يُوصَلَ وَيَخْشَوْنَ رَ‌بَّهُمْ وَيَخَافُونَ سُوٓءَ ٱلْحِسَابِ ﴿٢١﴾ وَٱلَّذِينَ صَبَرُ‌وا۟ ٱبْتِغَآءَ وَجْهِ رَ‌بِّهِمْ وَأَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَو‌ٰةَ وَأَنفَقُوا۟ مِمَّا رَ‌زَقْنَـٰهُمْ سِرًّ‌ۭا وَعَلَانِيَةً وَيَدْرَ‌ءُونَ بِٱلْحَسَنَةِ ٱلسَّيِّئَةَ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ عُقْبَى ٱلدَّارِ‌ ﴿٢٢
جَنَّـٰتُ عَدْنٍ يَدْخُلُونَهَا وَمَن صَلَحَ مِنْ ءَابَآئِهِمْ وَأَزْوَ‌ٰجِهِمْ وَذُرِّ‌يَّـٰتِهِمْ ۖ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ يَدْخُلُونَ عَلَيْهِم مِّن كُلِّ بَابٍ ﴿٢٣﴾ سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيْكُم بِمَا صَبَرْ‌تُمْ ۚ فَنِعْمَ عُقْبَى ٱلدَّارِ‌ ﴿٢٤

Those who fulfill the covenant of Allah and do not break the contract, (20) And those who join that which Allah has ordered to be joined and fear their Lord and are afraid of the evil of [their] account, (21) And those who are patient, seeking the countenance of their Lord, and establish prayer and spend from what We have provided for them secretly and publicly and prevent evil with good - those will have the good consequence of [this] home - (22) Gardens of perpetual residence; they will enter them with whoever were righteous among their ancestors, their spouses and their descendants. And the angels will enter upon them from every gate, [saying], (23) "Peace be upon you for what you patiently endured. And excellent is the final home." (24)

[Qur'an, Ar-Ra'd 13:20-25]

Who wouldn't dream of Paradise with his/her family? Already we work so hard, spend everything -- time, money, effort -- for our families so they can have fun and the best in this life. But are we putting even a small fraction of that so they can have fun and the best in the next life? Our children have become people of ingratitude and they grow as adults that way too. It's not uncommon to see children being rude to their parents, even in public, children mistreating their parents, and many more are estranged from their parents. You don't have to look far -- if it is not in your own family, it is in your friend's family or your neighbor's family or your community. Why so?

The answer is simple. When you violate the teachings of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam), preferring this worldly life over the Hereafter, you are not just harming yourself, you are also harming others, the first people being your own children. When you separate that which Allah has commanded to be joined, then there is always bad consequences.

وَٱلَّذِينَ يَنقُضُونَ عَهْدَ ٱللَّهِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مِيثَـٰقِهِۦ وَيَقْطَعُونَ مَآ أَمَرَ‌ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦٓ أَن يُوصَلَ وَيُفْسِدُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْ‌ضِ ۙ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمُ ٱللَّعْنَةُ وَلَهُمْ سُوٓءُ ٱلدَّارِ‌ ﴿٢٥

But those who break the covenant of Allah after contracting it and sever that which Allah has ordered to be joined and spread corruption on earth - for them is the curse, and they will have the worst home. (25)

[Qur'an, Ar-Ra'd 13:25]

ٱللَّهُ يَبْسُطُ ٱلرِّ‌زْقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَقْدِرُ‌ ۚ وَفَرِ‌حُوا۟ بِٱلْحَيَو‌ٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَمَا ٱلْحَيَو‌ٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَ‌ةِ إِلَّا مَتَـٰعٌ ﴿٢٦

Allah extends provision for whom He wills and restricts [it]. And they rejoice in the worldly life, while the worldly life is not, compared to the Hereafter, except [brief] enjoyment.

[Qur'an, Ar-Ra'd 13:26]

Start bringing the Sunnah to your homes and strive to develop patience within yourselves in all of its aspects (patience in worshiping Allah and adhering to His commands, patience in avoiding sins and acts of disobedience, patience with the decree of Allah and calamities). Keep together our loyalty to the Book of Allah and the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wassallam); keep together our concern for this life and the next; keep together our belief in this life and the next; keep together our knowledge and actions; and keep our family relationships together, don't sever them.

May Allah enable us to follow the footsteps of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) and join us and our families with him in the highest Paradise. Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam