Adnan Oktar A9 TV; December 30th, 2014

Ordeals beautify people.

A Muslim should definitely live suffering through ordeals and hardships. For instance one writes books and makes research for God while the other goes around having fun. But Muslims suffer through hardships. Then you look and see that he is very radiant and has become so beautiful. The other one says, “I am living my life in leisure,” but you see that he has become dull and blunt and has lost his meaning. Such a person cannot have fun. He imagines that he is having fun but he cannot.

A person who suffers through ordeals and who experiences hardships will become beautiful. He becomes even more beautiful as time passes and he becomes even younger. If the unbelievers live through the same things, they would collapse. But Muslims become even younger and even more beautiful with hardships. These have the exact opposite impact.

One says, “I have lived a very happy life, I have never faced any troubles all my life.” That is not a gain. First of all he won’t go to Heaven. In the Qur’an God says; “Or did you suppose that you would enter the Garden without facing the same as those who came before you?” (Surat Al-Baqara, 214) A Muslim should strive on the path of God, face difficulties and make an effort against unbelief, against the hypocrites.

Those who strive on the path of God become beautiful. Those who face difficulties on the path of God become beautiful. Those who do not face any difficulties become ugly, their meaning would be lost, they would become dull and blunt. I mean they would become coarse.

Love is very important. Suffering through ordeals is very important. Wherever there is a person in need, wherever there is a suffering person, if he is an artist, he would become a genuine artist. A person who hasn’t suffered any pain would instantly be felt. He would instantly be known.

Some say, “Why do we suffer through ordeals in this world? Why do we feel pain?” That is because you are educated through those pains. You become a person, you become a real human being. Otherwise, if you do not suffer through any ordeals, you would simply be dull. Man is educated through ordeals.

Some people ask, “Why does God create pain?” There is beauty in the essence of pain that is why. Paradise cannot be attained without pain. There is no love without pain. A person would then be obtuse. One needs to go through all these ordeals and pains to gain that profundity.

Some people say, “What if God did not create pain?” Well then you would be obtuse. Let us say that you have gone by the river in Heaven; you would simply look at it with vain eyes. But if you have suffered through ordeals, you would kiss each and every single one of the pebble stones in Heaven numerous times. Almighty God gives people a lengthy life and makes them experience these ordeals because it is crucial. After that people people return to normal.

This world would never be without pain or suffering. Pain is in the origin of love. Life has no meaning without love anyway. There has to be pain, people have to go through ordeals.

Limited things are hard on people. Why does God promise an endless life in Heaven? Being limited gives pain to people, that is why. Limitless, endless things are beautiful. There is a beginning for a Muslim but there is no end. Almighty God has no beginning and no ending.

A Muslim should never say, "I have performed my prayers, so I will be able to go to Heaven and that would be enough for me." A Muslim should want his rank to be high in Heaven. There are different ranks, Muslims are in a competition with each other. They should want to reach higher and higher. And there is no end to it; how nice this is.

A house eventually keeps you warm, prevents you from feeling cold. That is your prison; your prison in this world. If you look at things in the light of faith, your house would be like a house of Heaven. But if you look at things in the light of unbelief, your home would be like one of those cells in the Hell; it troubles you, the walls close in on you, it bothers you all around and makes you suffocate.

Love is the goal of the Paradise. Let us imagine that one goes to Paradise. Let us assume that there are rivers, fruit trees, mansions; there are vineyards and gardens, there are people, but there is no love. What would such a place be? May God forbid, that would be Hell. It will be Paradise only with love.

It would be Hell when there is no love. God adorns Paradise as the abode of faith, He adorns Paradise with love. That is love for God, that is faith. Or else it is not the facilities in Paradise that make us happy but the existence of God.

God will manifest Himself to the people of Heaven whenever He likes. In an account it is stated that "He will manifest Himself on Fridays" but it is clearly understood from other accounts that He will frequently manifest Himself. And it is stated that this is the one blessing that Muslims would enjoy the most in the Heaven.

Children who die young will remain as the children of Heaven. They will run around and have fun, play games and laugh there.

Competition is something our Prophet (saas) sees as acceptable; it is something religion considers as acceptable. It is also seen in Heaven. Muslims will have fun racing each other. They will have motor races, boat races to have fun, or have footraces or horse races.

Some people are puzzled and ask, "How can there be motor racing in Heaven?" Or else, "How can there be cinemas?" Actually, all these blessings are presented to us here as examples anyway; they are given to us here for us to get to know them.

Sincerity costs one a lot. One would suffer through ordeals, get tired and even get into trouble. If you are living an easy life and show interest only in things that directly affect your interests, if you protect your own interests as if you are protecting a baby, where is sincerity in this?

When one is on the path of God, God gives him richness, abundance and beauty. But also accept the sufferings on that path, not only the blessings. It is not acceptable otherwise. You should accept the patience; accept the ordeals. Then God would rain down His blessings upon you.

When an unbeliever looks at a Muslim, God creates a shade before his eyes. They become unable to see the beauty there. They keep saying, “These ones are unable to live their lives to the fullest.”

It is difficult to give a struggle against hypocrites. It is difficult to give a struggle against unbelief. It is not easy to serve Islam for God. Of course one would face hardship; that hardship beautifies Muslims. The difficulties he faced is the reason why our Prophet (saas) was so beautiful.

When one lives among Muslims, even if God gives very limited means, he feels happy. Even if a limited beauty is formed, that feels like a great beauty for Muslims. For instance, a Muslim has a small table but he feels happy with it but that is not the case with unbelievers, they would ask for better even if they have the best table setting. A Muslim on the other hand knows how to be thankful and he thanks God for his position.

A Muslim is the one who lives by the religion of God even in hardship. Almighty God says; “ For truly with hardship comes ease; truly with hardship comes ease.” (Surat Al-Inshirah, 5-6) A Muslim would surely face such difficulties.