A verse in the Quran addresses the Companions of the Prophet in these words: "Do you think that you will enter Paradise without having suffered like those who passed away before you? Affliction and hardship befell them and so shaken were they that the Messenger and the believers with him would exclaim, 'When will God's help come?' Surely the help of God is near." (2:214). This verse also applies to all of us. It is only when people give proof of great patience in the very difficult trials of life can they be held deserving of Paradise. Without going through these tests and enduring them with patience, nobody can become a candidate for Paradise.
