Ibn Al Qayyim - Paradise

A really good friend of mine typed out the following poem and emailed it to me. I would like to share it with all, coz I really loved it.

Regarding Paradise Ibn al Qayyim said:

That it is only out of fear it should be attained

By any except the one deserving, and your Lord is most knowledgeable of the Creation.

And even if it should be concealed from us with every dislike thing,

And surround by that which troubles the souls,

By Allah, what delights are contained inside

And all manners of pleasure for the soul to enjoy.

And from Allah is the sweetness of life in its pavilions,

Its gardens, and in the meadow which will make one smile.

And to Allah belongs its valley where there is promise of increase

For those who love Allah; if only I could be of them!

In that valley, the lover wanders,

And he sees the wandering to be a great attainment.

And from Allah is the joy of the lovers when

He addresses them from above and greets them with Salam.

And by Allah, when they see Allah directly

Neither shall darkness cover their sight nor shall they tire.

So O what a glance which gives a brightness to the face,

Can the enthralled lover ever forget after that?

There are all manners of fruit which never go out of season.

Bunches of grapes and apples of the garden,

And pomegrenates, all manner of fruits enthralling the heart

And roses adorn its fields

And wine is passed around to taste.

All manners of beauty are gathered together,

O what a wonderous gathering it is.

It has many types of beauty which altogether

Make it impossible to forget.

Remember ar-Rahman who is watching always

So pronounce Tasbih without stuttering,

So that whenever you face the army of despair

It shall turn back on its heals vanquished

And fast the day nearest to you, perhaps tomorrow

You will enjoy the 'Id of Fitr while the people are fasting.

And go forward, be not satisfied with a base life,

No one attains pleasure without effort.

And if the whole world should be restricted for you

And you should have not even a known place to stay.

Then come to the Gardens of Eternity,

For they are our first dwelling places and they contain many pavilions.

We are prisoners in the hands of our enemies; do you think

We shall return to our lands and have peace?

They claim that when the stranger goes out

And his lands are far away, he becomes infatutuated (with it).

What strangeness is greater then ours

For which the enemies have taken every measure against us.

Come to the marketplace where the lovers meet,

That is the place that is known for them.

Whatever you like, take without payment

For the traders have all made advance payments and given up their goods.

And come to the Day of Increase in which

The Lord of the Throne shall visit, that is a holiday!

Come to a valley that is vast

Its dirt is greater than the fragrance of musk.

Pulpits of light you will find there and silver

And of pure gold which does not break.

Mounds of musk setup as sitting places

For those who are beneath the owners of the pulpits.

So while they are busy in their joys

And their sustenance comes to them,

Suddently there is a peircing bright light

Filling the far corners of the Garden

The Lord of the Heavens Manifests Himself and then He speaks,

"Peace be upon You." as all of them hear

With their ears His greetings of peace when He greets them.

He says, "Ask me whatever you wish for all that you

Wish is with me and I am Most Merciful."

They all say, "We ask you (Your) Pleasure

For You are the One who owns all that is beautiful and shows mercy."

He grants this to them and they all bear witness

That Allah is Most Generous.

So O you who would sell this for a measly price hastily given

It is as if you do not know; indeed, you shall know!

So if you do not know, then that is a calamity,

And if you know, then the calamity is greater!