The One Regret of the People of Paradise

May Allah (swt) open our hearts. May Allah (swt) purify our hearts. May Allah (swt) remove all the filth from our hearts. May Allah (swt) change our hearts into a state that is pleasing to Him, into a state in which the Prophet Muḥammad (peace be upon him) is proud to call us his Ummah. May Allah (swt) always give us certainty, yaqīn, and complete faith, īmān kāmil, pure and perfect. May Allah (swt) make us of the mukhlaṣūn, the sincere Muslims, the choicest servants of Allah (swt). And when our time comes, when we are about to leave this world, may Allah (swt) let us die in complete īmān, with the kalimah, lā ilāha illallāh Muḥammadur rasūlullāh, in truth and in sincerity, ḥaqqan wa ṣidqan, without any difficulty. May Allah (swt) make this kalimah a companion, a muʾnis, a helper, a friend in the grave; and when we rise from the grave, and stand in the presence of Allah (swt), at the scale, the mīzān, and on the Ṣirāṭ, if Allah wills; and when we enter, may we read those last words, lā ilāha illallāh Muḥammadur rasūlullāh, at the entrance of Paradise.

The people of Paradise, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) says, will not regret anything except one thing, one thing in their lives. They will always regret: why did I not make more dhikr of Allah (swt) when I was on earth? Every moment spent without making dhikr of Allah (swt) will be a cause of regret and remorse in their hearts. They are happy in Paradise, except on this one point: I wish I could go back and make more dhikr of Allah (swt). It is not difficult; it is easy, and beautiful. Lā ilāha illallāh, lā ilāha illallāh: constantly, until one is used to it. Lā ilāha illallāh. It need not be shown to anybody; even while listening to somebody speak, the heart can be saying lā ilāha illallāh. Constantly — and see what happens after a couple of months of practice. Lā ilāha illallāh; but with thought given to what is being said. Lā ilāha illallāh. See how much it holds a person back from the forbidden and the munkar; the result is astonishing. This is one of the greatest gifts of Allah (swt), and among the obligations it comes immediately after tawḥīd, after proper belief in Allah (swt).