Gardens

Many times in class, we have spoken about such concepts as will be iterated below - and we are conscious of the reasons thereof. It would be senseless for us if rewards are described as they really are - as humans are not capable to envision the True Reality waiting for them. Similar as to God, such matters are beyond our human comprehension. Thus, God issues parables to symbolise the opulent manner such rewards will be, representing earthly things to enable Man to imagine what could be - when in truth, they are really not as it were. While reading Martin Lings' Collected Poems this morning, I came across a succint explanation of this concept.

In reference to the Qur'anic descriptions of the celestial Gardens, he explained: "To speak of the Gardens and Fountains of Paradise, as also of its Rivers, Fruits and Consorts, is to speak the Truth, whereas to speak of such blessings in this world is only a manner of speaking, for the Realities are in Heaven and what we see here-below are only the remote shadows of Reality ... The shadow returns to the Substance and, for those with eyes to see, the best things of this world - and that is the criterion of their excellence - are already as it were winged for return to their celestial Source. It is the function of art, in portraying earthly objects, to portray mysteriously at the same time something of their 'wings'".