1. It is narrated from Anas ibn Malik (rta) that the Prophet (sws) said: “Paradise has been covered with travails and Hell with desires.”1
2. ‘Umar (rta) narrates that he heard the Prophet (sws) say: “He who protects a mujahid with a cover for his head, God shall cover him on the day of Judgement; he who provides equipment for jihad for a fighter until the latter can stand on his own feet, he shall have reward equivalent to that for the fighter written for him until he dies or returns from the battlefield; he who builds a mosque in which God is remembered, God shall build a house for him in Paradise.”2
3. ‘Uthman (rta) says that he heard the Prophet (sws) say: “For the person who builds a mosque for God with his own wealth, even if it was as small as the nest of a bird or even smaller,3 God shall build a house for him in Paradise.”
4. It is narrated from Hani ibn Yazid that he asked the Prophet (sws): “Please tell me of an act that shall make my entry into Paradise inevitable.” The Prophet (sws) said: “Ensure that you shall converse politely and feed the hungry generously.”4
5. ‘Abdullah ibn Salam says that when the Prophet (sws) came to Madinah, people came in crowds to see him, saying to each other: “The Messenger of God has come; the Messenger of God has come.” He says that he also came out with them. Then, when he saw the Prophet’s (sws) face, he realized that it could not be the face of an untruthful man. At that moment, the first thing that he heard from the Prophet (sws) was: “O’ People! Spread the etiquette of greeting each other; feed the hungry; fulfil the obligations of relatives and prepare for prayers, even when people are sleeping. If you do this, you shall enter Paradise in peace.”
6. It is narrated from Umm Habibah (rta), the wife of the Prophet (sws) that she heard him say: “For the faithful person who performs 12 rak‘at as nawafil every day, in addition to the obligatory prayers, to please God, God shall build a house for him in Paradise.”5
7. It is narrated from both Abu Hurayrah (rta) and Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (rta) that the Prophet (sws) was giving us a sermon. He was sitting on the pulpit. He said: “By He whose controls my life!” He repeated this sentence thrice and then bowed his head. Seeing him thus, all of us started to cry and also bowed our heads. We could not understand why he had sworn an oath. When he lifted his head, his face was alight with happiness and [who does not know that] this condition of his was more beloved to us than red camels [the greatest wealth of that land] at that time. [Hence we also became happy.”] After this, the Prophet (sws) said: “The person who performed his five daily prayers; fasted during Ramadan; paid zakah and kept himself away from seven big sins,6 God shall open all doors of Paradise for him on the day of Judgement, until it will dance with joy to see the kind of people [coming inside it.”] Then he recited the verse: “If you refrained from the big sins of things that are being forbidden for you, We shall remove the smaller evils from your account.”
8. It is narrated from Abu Hurayrah (rta) that a woman belonging to the Ansar came to the Prophet (sws) with her sickly child. She said: “O’ Prophet of God! please pray for him. I have already buried three children before.” The Prophet (sws) said: “You have buried three children already.” She said: “Yes, indeed, that is so.” The Prophet (sws) said: “In that case, you have made arrangements to be protected from the fire of Hell. If the children of Muslim parents die before reaching adulthood, and if they remain patient, their children shall be brought forth on the Day of Judgement and asked to stand in front of the doors of Paradise. Then they will be asked to enter. They will ask: “Shall we enter even though our parents have not entered?” God will say: “You and your parents, both shall enter.”7
9. It is narrated from Qarrah (rta) that when the Prophet (sws) was sitting, many people from his companions would come to sit with him. Among them was a man who would come with a small child. He would come from behind him and come and sit in front of him. Seeing him, the Prophet (sws) asked him: “Do you love this child?” He said: “May God love you in the same way as I love this child.” Then the child died and the man stopped coming to the gatherings of the Prophet (sws). He would remember his son and sit alone with his sorrow. When the Prophet (sws) did not see him, he asked: “Why do I not see him around?” People told him: “The child whom you had seen him with has passed away. That is the reason for him not coming anymore.” When the Prophet (sws) heard this, he met the man and asked him about his son. The man told him about his death. The Prophet (sws) expressed his sorrow and then said: “What would you prefer? To obtain benefit from him throughout your life, or, when you arrive at a door of Paradise, to find him at the door already, opening it for you?” The man said: “That he reaches the door of Paradise before I do and opens it for me: that is more beloved to me.” The Prophet (sws) said: “Then this is written for you.” At this, a man from the Ansar asked: “O’Messenger of God! may God sacrifice me for you, is this tiding only for him, or for every Muslim whose child may die and become a means of reward for him?” The Prophet (sws) answered: “It is for all those Muslims whose children may have died like this.”8
10. It is narrated from Anas (rta) that the Prophet (sws) said: “God has said that when He takes away the sight of someone, and he accepts it and bears it patiently, his reward with me is Paradise.”
11. Abu Hurayrah (rta) says that the Prophet (sws) said: “He who spends things in pairs9 will be called by the guards of the doors of Paradise: ‘O’ servant of God! come here. This door is better.’ Then he who had performed regular prayers,10 would be called from the door of prayer; the one who was a mujahid would be called from the door of jihad; he who fasted would be called from the door of rayyan and he who gave away in charity would be called from the door of charity. When Abu Bakr Siddiq (rta) heard this, he said: ‘O’ Messenger of God! My father and mother be sacrificed for you! Although it is not necessary that anyone be called from all doors, but I am just asking whether there will be anyone who may be called from all doors?’” The Prophet answered: “Yes! And I hope that you shall be one of them.”11
(Translated by Nikhat Sattar)
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1. This is a very beautiful interpretation. The meaning is that although the idea of Paradise is very appealing to the heart, there are difficulties in its path: prayer, fasting, hajj and zakah and avoidance of all evil under all circumstances and struggling to remain at levels of the highest morality. As a human being tries to move towards paradise, he must inevitably bear these travails. In contrast, tables full of desirable things have been laid out in the path towards Hell. A human being would never wish to be fuel to the fires of Hell, but these attractions pull him towards themselves and, as he becomes lost in their pleasures, he reaches the door of Hell many times.
2. Assistance to those who fight for the sake of God, or building of a mosque, both are acts of support for religion, bringing extraordinary rewards. However, all such tidings come with the condition that the person has not usurped the rights of another, or oppressed him against his life, wealth or honour.
3. The words كمفحص قطاة have been used. قطاة is the name of a desert bird, the size of a pigeon. مفحص is the hole in the ground made by this bird when laying its eggs. This is an illustration of the mosque being as small as possible. It should not be taken to be actually the size of a nest.
4. This answer has been given to a person who was desirous of Paradise after believing in the Prophet (sws). Obviously, it was not necessary to mention the things that are determined as obligatory and essential in the religion and of which every person who accepted the faith would become aware of fully.
5. This means that another house would be built. This is the reward for nawafil, which those people would get who would be able to obtain the right to enter Paradise on the basis of their faith and deeds.
6. If seven biggest sins were to be extracted on the basis of the Qur’an, they would be: associating someone with God, murder, adultery/rape, false accusation on a woman’s honour, theft, spreading anarchy in the land and usurping the wealth of an orphan. With Abu Hurayrah (rta) as the narrator, some narratives such as Sahih Muslim, number 132 say that when he asked the Prophet (sws) about the seven deadly sins, he mentioned riba, magic and desertion from a battlefield instead of adultery, theft and anarchy in the land. Obviously, this was according to the addressees. Narratives suggest that such a style has been used by the Prophet (sws) in view of the requirements of preaching and training of people at other times also.
7. This is the reward for the patience that people would practice for the sake of God and over severe difficulties. Such patience is expected of only those people who refrain from the disobedience of God and His Messenger under ordinary circumstances and remain within the boundaries defined by God. The narrative indicates that if any shortcoming is left for which there is a danger of accountability, such patience could overcome it.
8. This means that this is for everyone who would prefer life after death and its blessings over benefits in this world.
9. This is an explanation of the wishes of a person for expenditure made for the sake of God. In other words, if one thing has been asked, spend two instead.
10. Ie., he in whose deeds there is greater inclination towards prayer, a desire for it and for increasing the number of nawafil. Later, other deeds are mentioned in a similar manner.
11. The status of Abu Bakr Siddiq (rta) in knowledge and deeds can be deduced from this.