Jannah-tainable

How can i make Jannah seem more real and attainable to me?- This is my main question since i can only imagine Jannah but i cant make myself focus on it and i dont know why!I cant seem to figure out a way to make Jannah a real goal for myself since it seems so AMAZING but nearly impossible,..I dont know how to make myself see it as real ...I know this is a silly question but I need help with my imaan.

Dear Sis,

That’s not a silly question at all. The truth is that most of us suffer from the very same problem; as much as we claim we believe in jannah, the Hereafter seems very distant.

In fact, as you said, all too often, it seems almost like an impossible dream…beautiful, amazing..but not exactly real.

So, then, how can we turn it into something concrete in our minds?

One idea is to go scuba diving.

Lol. Seriously, though, one thing that has always stumped me is the fact that so many wonders lie under the sea. Caves, coral, diverse creatures, colors of every kind…. These things are so close to us, yet at the same time…it’s a whole other world out there.

Reflecting on the fact (that such an incredible world already exists right underneath us/ next to us), should help us realize that jannah is also very much real. [We simply don’t see it, right now :D}

Really, think about it.

And think about all the other amazing natural scenes around us? Just look at the pictures! Subhan Allah, there are so many stunning places-waterfalls, islands, forests, mountains, etc that are absolutely breathtaking.  Try going out and watching the sunrise or sunset at a beach…

When we reflect on these scenes, we realize that if such beauty could exist here on earth, who’s to say that there isn’t something more beautiful out there? If all this can exist in a place where we sin and go against Allah’s commands, what about a place where there are no sins? 

SubhanAllah, every year, by way of the seasons, Allah shows us His ability to take away life and bring it back ...to something even more beautiful. Think about how the trees look in winter and how they blossom in spring. In the very same way, we are going to leave this earth...and blossom in paradise, inshaAllah.

On the other hand, sometimes, it’s not a matter of not believing it exists, but of overwhelming ourselves with thoughts like “How could I deserve that?”

To make it a real goal, we have to first, stop visualizing it as a place for “perfect people”. It is a “perfect place”, created by the Most Perfect (Allah) for His slaves of this dunya who turn to Him, despite their imperfections. Allah says:

And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a garden as wide as the heavens and earth, prepared for the righteous (133) ……………… And those who, when they commit an immorality or wrong themselves [by transgression], remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins - and who can forgive sins except Allah? - and [who] do not persist in what they have done while they know. (135) Those - their reward is forgiveness from their Lord and gardens beneath which rivers flow [in Paradise], wherein they will abide eternally; and excellent is the reward of the [righteous] workers. (136) [Surat Al Imran]

Notice how Allah says that these servants sometimes do wrong themselves, but that they do not persist in their wrong doing and turn back to Allah.

It’s not a matter than of being perfect, but of constantly doing tawbah and returning back to Allah.

In fact, in order for us to think of the possibility of even entering jannah, we have to put our faith, hope and trust in Allah’s Mercy. We should of course do actions to help us gain His Mercy, but we should never make the mistake of thinking that we could “earn” paradise by our deeds alone.

Bukhari Volume 8, Book 76, Number 471:Narrated 'Aisha:Allah's Apostle said, "Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately and know that your deeds will not make you enter Paradise, and that the most beloved deed to Allah's is the most regular and constant even though it were little."

Bukhari Volume 8, Book 76, Number 470:Narrated Abu Huraira:Allah's Apostle said, "The deeds of anyone of you will not save you." They said, "Even you (will not be saved by your deeds), O Allah's Apostle?" He said, "No, even I (will not be saved) unless and until Allah bestows His Mercy on me. Therefore, do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately, and worship Allah in the forenoon and in the afternoon and during a part of the night, and always adopt a middle, moderate, regular course whereby you will reach your target (Paradise)."

You see? You don't need to overwhelm yourself. Instead,  like any goal we make, we need to break it down into small, identifiable tasks that we can do. We need to open the Quran and make a checklist of the actions that will bring us closer to this goal:

Certainly will the believers have succeeded: (1) They who are during their prayer humbly submissive (2)And they who turn away from ill speech (3) And they who are observant of zakah (4) And they who guard their private parts (5) Except from their wives or those their right hands possess, for indeed, they will not be blamed - (6) But whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the transgressors - (7) And they who are to their trusts and their promises attentive (8) And they who carefully maintain their prayers - (9) Those are the inheritors (10) Who will inherit al-Firdaus. They will abide therein eternally. (Surat Al Mu’minoon)

Why not make a chart with these things listed? Put the chart up in your room and check each day what you’ve done to bring you closer.

And keep reading more of the Quran and seeing what other things that you should do. Make these actions goals that you want to accomplish. Measure your progress towards these goals and give yourself some rewards (or punishments :P) to help you more.

Try reading our articles on Consistency and Imaan, too.

And finally, before I press publish, I just want to say one last thing: imagine that your friend told you about an amazing place which had incredible things..and that all you had to do to get there was X and Y and Z, for example. Wouldn’t you believe her when she told you that the place existed? And wouldn’t you try to do those very things to get that “ticket”? It’s the same thing here.  

 May Allah make us like the Companion who threw the dates on the ground and said ‘Bekhin, bekhin” because he felt he could smell the jannah. 

With love,