The Pursuit of Paradise

Once upon a time, there were two siblings named Safiya and Abdullah. They loved to go on adventures together and discover new places. One day they decided to climb a mountain that beckoned them.
When they reached the top of the mountain, they looked at each other with a smile and said, “Hurray!! We did it!!” They were proud of themselves for having conquered the mountain together.
At the top of the mountain, they noticed a beautiful sight – a garden full of flowers and strange birds as if straight out of a storybook.
They sat back, watched, and pulled out crispy chicken nuggets and cold cranberry juice from their backpacks. After a long journey, the food tasted better.
Safiya: “Wow, Abdullah, this place is beautiful! It’s like heaven.”
Abdullah: “Yes, it is. But do you know the true meaning of heaven?”
Safiya: “I think it is a place where everything is perfect and there is no sadness or worry.”
Abdullah: “Yes, but in Islam, Paradise is also the reward for good deeds. The more we do, the closer we get to it.”
Abdullah: “Do you even know there are things in Heaven that are beyond our imagination, such as honey rivers and gardens, which are more beautiful than this one.”
Safiya: “Now I really want to go to Heaven. How do we do that?”
Abdullah: “Well, be kind to others, help the poor, pray, fast in Ramadan, and more. When we do these things, Allah will reward us with Paradise.”
Safiya: “Very good. I think we should start doing our best now.” There was pride in her eyes.
Abdullah: “Yes! Let’s make a list of all the good things we can do and try to do at least one a day.” There was joy in his voice.
Safiya: “Wow, sounds great! I can’t wait to achieve our goal.”
Abdullah: “Yes, me too. But let’s not forget that good deeds should come from the heart, not just to get the reward.”
Safiya: “Yes, Abdullah. Good works should be done because we love God and want to make Him happy.”
Abdullah: “Yes, Safiya. If we continue to do good things, one day we will have blessings and we will see the Paradise of Allah’s mercy.”
After dinner, Safiya and Abdullah felt refreshed and energized, high-fiving each other – their special code for “ready for duty”. It was their way of showing that they had achieved their goals and were ready to move on to the next exciting adventure.
As they climbed down the hill, they chased the setting sun that disappeared behind the rolling hills. A brilliant idea suddenly came to Safiya’s mind.
“Every time we do something good, we can add a note, and at the end of the month, the person with the most notes wins!”
Abdullah’s eyes shone with happiness. “Sounds fun! I’ll make myself a blue jar, and you can have a purple one.”
They spent the rest of their journey wondering about all the good things they could fill their jars with.
They knew that spreading happiness and goodness is not only beneficial in itself but also a way of gaining Paradise from Allah.
Both set out with relentless determination to make the world a better place, one good thing at a time.