as immortal youths.1 He will gratify their child-cherishing sentiments and will give them that pleasure and delight eternally. Since those children had not reached the age of responsibility, they will remain eternally as lovable and sweet children.
Every pleasurable thing in this world will be found in its highest form in Paradise. Some people surmise that since Paradise is not appropriate for reproduction, there will be none of this cherishing of children, which is so sweet, that is, the pleasure of loving and carressing them. But it will be there too and in the most delightful and sweet form. This then is good news for those whose children die before puberty.
Fifth Indication: The result of love for righteous friends in this world, according to the decree of, ‘Love for God’s sake’ is, as the Qur’an states, Facing one another on thrones of happiness.2 God Almighty will seat them on the chairs of Heaven facing one another. He will cause them to meet with their friends, pleasantly, agreeably and sweetly. They will enjoy themselves recounting their old memories and adventures in this world, with a pure love and companionship that will not be subject to separation.
Sixth Indication: The result of love for the prophets and saints is as the Qur’an explains. That is, it will be both to benefit in the intermediate world and at the resurrection from the intercession of the prophets and saints, and also to profit abundantly, through that love, from the station and blessings that befit them.
Indeed, according to the meaning of ‘a person will be together with whom he loves,’3 an ordinary man may approach the highest station by following an exalted person whom he loves.
Seventh Indication: The result of licit love for beautiful things and the spring. That is, to see with the eye of, ‘how beautifully they have been made,’ and to love the beauty and order of the acts, which lie behind those works of art. To love the manifestations of the Beautiful Names, which lie behind the order and harmony of the actions, and to love the manifestations of the attributes behind those Beautiful Names. And so on.
The result will be to see in Paradise, the everlasting realm, the manifestation of the Names, and the beauty and attributes within the Names, in a form a thousand times more beautiful than the beautiful creatures to be seen here.
Qur’an, 76:19, 56:17.
Qur’an, 15:47, 37:44.
See, page 515, footnote 4.