The Greatest Triumph

What is the “greatest triumph”? To Hannibal, it was probably successfully crossing the Alps on elephants and thus surprising and defeating his enemy. To General Ulysses S. Grant, it was probably receiving General Lee’s surrender at Appomatox, ending the US Civil War. (Although he might have considered being elected President pretty great too.) To Bruce Jenner, it was winning a gold medal in the 1976 Decathalon, to take the title of world’s best all-around athlete. To Joe Namath, it was probably shocking the sports world by leading his New York Jets to a Super Bowl win in 1969. To a rich man, it’s probably making another multi-million dollar deal.

But all of these “triumphs” are transient, fleeting. Hannibal was later defeated and driven out of Italy. Grant was plagued with rumors of drinking and bad decisions throughout his Presidency. Jenner is now in the news as a gossip item. Namath suffers from terrible pain from all his football injuries. Even the rich man, though he might die a rich man, will find that his wealth and all his big business deals gain him nothing in the Hereafter.

God tells us clearly what the greatest triumph is, what we should all be striving for. It’s not gold medals or championship rings or fame and fortune.

Those things are nice to achieve in this

world, and there’s nothing wrong in striving for them, bettering ourselves in these ways, as long as we remember that all of these achievements come not from us but from God. And our goal, our focus, our ultimate striving should be for the Hereafter, to be close to God. This is the greatest triumph.

[4:13] These are GOD’s laws. Those who obey GOD and His messenger, He will admit them into gardens with flowing streams, wherein they abide forever. This is the greatest triumph.

[5:119] GOD will proclaim, “This is a day when the truthful will be saved by their truthfulness.” They have deserved gardens with flowing streams. They abide therein forever. GOD is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. This is the greatest triumph.

[6:16] “Whoever is spared (the retribution), on that day, has attained His mercy. And this is the greatest triumph.”

[9:72] GOD promises the believing men and the believing women gardens with flowing streams, wherein they abide forever, and magnificent mansions in the gardens of Eden. And GOD’s blessings and approval are even greater. This is the greatest triumph.

[9:111] GOD has bought from the believers their lives and their money in exchange for Paradise. Thus, they fight in the cause of GOD, willing to kill and get killed. Such is His truthful

pledge in the Torah, the Gospel, and the Quran―and who fulfills His pledge better than GOD? You shall rejoice in making such an exchange. This is the greatest triumph.

[10:64] For them, joy and happiness in this world, as well as in the Hereafter. This is GOD’s unchangeable law. Such is the greatest triumph.

[35:32] We passed the scripture from generation to generation, and we allowed whomever we chose from among our servants to receive it. Subsequently, some of them wronged their souls, others upheld it only part of the time, while others were eager to work righteousness in accordance with GOD’s will; this is the greatest triumph.

[40:9] “And protect them from falling in sin. Whomever You protect from falling in sin, on that day, has attained mercy from You. This is the greatest triumph.”

[85:11] Surely, those who believed and led a righteous life, have deserved gardens with flowing streams. This is the greatest triumph.

Since God never breaks His promise (3:9, 30:6), and He has promised us that Paradise is the Greatest Triumph, then we absolutely know that this is what we should strive for. To be close to God for all eternity, to have anything we could wish for (and even more 50:35), this is without question the GREATEST TRIUMPH.

Lydia