So, How is Heaven?

This letter is written by Amin’s mother as we near the 2^nd anniversary of his passing.

Our Dearest Amin-jan,

Two years have passed and it is still difficult to imagine that you have traveled to the next stage. Remembering October 6^th 2012 still brings tears to our eyes and tremendous sadness to our hearts. With absolute humility, we have accepted what has been ordained for you and us.

We are all aware that after leaving our earthly body, as a new arrival and guest in the realms above, we step into the Kingdom of our Beloved.  A Kingdom that we are not able to comprehend yet but we have all been told that there is a place by the name of Heaven and this is the place that we love to imagine as your new home.  Heaven is a place for all of us that even the name of it will fill our souls with solace, peace and calmness.

Bahá’u’lláh has explained Heaven as:

“Blessed is the soul which, at the hour of its separation from the body, is sanctified from the vain imaginings of the peoples of the world. Such a soul liveth and moveth in accordance with the Will of its Creator, and entereth the all-highest Paradise. The Maids of Heaven, inmates of the loftiest mansions, will circle around it, and the Prophets of God and His chosen ones will seek its companionship. With them that soul will freely converse, and will recount unto them that which it hath been made to endure in the path of God, the Lord of all worlds. If any man be told that which hath been ordained for such a soul in the worlds of God, the Lord of the throne on high and of earth below, his whole being will instantly blaze out in his great longing to attain that most exalted, that sanctified and resplendent station.”

It is quite apparent that if any soul follows the path outlined by the manifestations of God, he or she has the capacity to enter the Heavenly worlds of God. We all believe when a soul enters the kingdom of the Almighty that soul is at the mercy of God. As your family, we always thought you had a heavenly soul so we all raise our supplicating hands towards our Lord and pray to him to accept you in his Heavenly worlds. Next time when we see you in our dreams, we hope to be able to ask you “Amin-jan, how is Heaven?”

A day has not passed that we have not prayed for you or thought of you or remembered your warm, kind, beautiful and radiant face. Indeed your place is very empty in every second of our physical and earthly life. It is not easy but the assurances of Baha’ullah regarding our eternal bond fill our hearts with joy and encouragement to move forward in life.

Love you forever,

Dad, Mom, Laila, Vafa and Ashkan

Here is a poem by Rumi which is very poignant and appropriate.

ای ساکن جان من، آخر به کجا رفتی؟

در خانه نهان گشتی یا سوی هوا رفتی؟

چون عهد دلم دیدی، از عهد بگردیدی

چون مرغ بپریدی، ای دوست، کجا رفتی؟

در روح نظر کردی، چون روح سفر کردی

از خلق حذر کردی، وز خلق جدا رفتی

رفتی تو بدین زودی، تو باد صبا بودی

مانندۀ بوی گل با باد صبا رفتی

نی باد صبا بودی، نی مرغ هوا بودی

از نور خدا بودی، در نور خدا رفتی

ای خواجۀ این خانه، چون شمع در این خانه

وز ننگ چنین خانه، بر سقفِ سما رفتی

                                     جلال الدین بلخی

 

You might also enjoy seeing this YouTube Slide show with Amin’s photos over the years.