Descriptions of Paradise and Hell

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) relates that he had a look into Paradise and found that the majority of its people are the poor, because they do not have the means to commit transgression, so they are submissive and humble. One thoughtful and deep look into the verses of the Qur'an would reveal that those who deny the messengers are the prestigious and wealthy people, as opposed to the weak who follow the messengers, and hence they constituted the majority of the people of Paradise. The Hadīth by no means implies that each single poor individual is better than each single wealthy person. It rather denotes that the poor, in general, are more in Paradise than the wealthy. It is not poverty that caused them to enter Paradise, despite the fact that it made their reckoning easier. Instead, it was their righteousness along with poverty. The poor is not at all better than the wealthy if he is not righteous in the first place. Furthermore, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) relates that he also saw Hellfire and found that the majority of its inhabitants are women, because they have some bad habits that dominate their demeanor like being ungrateful to their husbands besides the fact that they curse a lot. Therefore, it is imperative that they preserve their religion to be saved from Hellfire.

- صحيح البخاري، للإمام أبي عبد الله محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري، عناية محمد زهير الناصر، دار طوق النجاة، الطبعة الأولى، 1422هـ. - صحيح مسلم، للإمام مسلم بن الحجاج، حققه ورقمه محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار عالم الكتب، الرياض، الطبعة الأولى، 1417هـ. - كنوز رياض الصالحين، لحمد بن ناصر العمار، دار كنوز إشبيليا، الطبعة الأولى، 1430ه. - شرح رياض الصالحين؛ للشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين، مدار الوطن، الرياض، 1426هـ. - بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي، دار ابن الجوزي - الطبعة الأولى، 1418ه. -دليل الفالحين لطرق رياض الصالحين, محمد علي بن محمد البكري, اعتنى بها: خليل مأمون شيحا, الناشر: دار المعرفة, بيروت - لبنان, الطبعة: الرابعة، 1425هـ - 2004م. -نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين, مصطفى سعيد الخن، مصطفى البغا، محي الدين مستو، علي الشربجي، محمد أمين لطفي, مؤسسة الرسالة, سنة النشر: 1407ه – 1987م, الطبعة: 14.

Hadīth explanation: Paradise and Hell argued with each other, each mentioning the proof for its claim. This is from the matters of the unseen, which we are obliged to believe in even if our intellects may not understand it. Paradise challenged Hell, and Hell challenged paradise. Hell said that its occupants are the tyrants and the arrogant. The tyrants are those who are oppressive, harsh, and cruel. The arrogant are those who perceive themselves as better than others, and they deprive people of their rights and reject the truth. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) defined arrogance as: "Rejecting the truth and holding people in contempt." The tyrants and the arrogant are the people of the Hellfire (may Allah save us from it). Perhaps an occupant of the Hellfire might be kind to people and have good manners, but he is a tyrant regarding the truth and arrogantly turns away from it. His kindness and compassion for people do not benefit him in this case, and he will still be described as a tyrant and arrogant. The weak and poor will enter Paradise since they often follow the truth and do not turn away from it arrogantly and contemptuously. Allah, the Almighty, judged between them, saying: "You, Paradise, are my mercy. I bestow My mercy through you upon whomever I will." And He said to Hellfire: "You, Hellfire, are my punishment. Through you, I punish whomever I will." Then Allah said: "I will fill both of you completely." Allah took it as an obligation upon Himself to fill both Paradise and Hell. And yet Allah's mercy is greater and vaster than His wrath. On the Day of Resurrection, the people of Hellfire will be thrown into Hellfire while it keeps calling out: "Are there any more", meaning: Give me more, give me more. Then Allah will place His Leg (or Foot, as in one narration) over Hellfire, whereupon its sundry parts will come together, and it will then say: "Enough, enough," as it will be completely filled by this action. Paradise is vaster and wider than all the heavens and the earth. After its inhabitants enter it, there will still be spaces that will not have been filled. Allah will create special people for these spaces and admit them to Paradise by His grace and mercy, because He guaranteed to paradise that He would fill it.

- صحيح البخاري –الجامع الصحيح-؛ للإمام أبي عبد الله محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري، عناية محمد زهير الناصر، دار طوق النجاة، الطبعة الأولى، 1422هـ. - صحيح مسلم؛ للإمام مسلم بن الحجاج، حققه ورقمه محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار عالم الكتب-الرياض، الطبعة الأولى، 1417هـ. - كنوز رياض الصالحين،لحمد بن ناصر العمار، دار كنوز إشبيليا- الطبعة الأولى1430ه. - شرح رياض الصالحين؛ للشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين، مدار الوطن، الرياض، 1426هـ. - دليل الفالحين لطرق رياض الصالحين؛ لمحمد بن علان الشافعي،تحقيق خليل مأمون شيحا-دار المعرفة-بيروت-الطبعة الرابعة1425ه. - بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين؛ تأليف سليم الهلالي، دار ابن الجوزي- الطبعة الأولى1418ه - نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين؛ تأليف د. مصطفى الخِن وغيره، مؤسسة الرسالة-بيروت، الطبعة الرابعة عشرة، 1407هـ.

It was said to Osāmah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him): Why do you not go to ‘Uthmān ibn Affān (may Allah be pleased with him) and speak to him about the strife that has occurred among the people and the effort to put a complete end to it? He informed them that he spoke to him secretly, seeking the best interest, not inciting strife; that was because he did not want to openly denounce the rulers in public, lest it may be a reason for offense towards the Caliph - a door to strife and evil I will not be the first to open. Then, Osāmah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he advised the rulers in secret and did not flatter anyone, even if he was a ruler, and did not flatter them by praising them to their faces falsely. This was after he heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say that a man will be brought on the Day of Resurrection and thrown into Hellfire, and his intestines will come out of his stomach quickly due to the intense heat and severe torment. He will go around his intestines in this state in Hellfire like a donkey goes around its millstone. The people of Hellfire will gather around him in the form of a circle surrounding him, and they will ask him: O so-and-so, did you not use to command what is right and forbid what is wrong?! He will say: I used to command what is right, but I would not do it, and I used to forbid what is wrong, but I would do it.

1. The basic rule concerning advice to the rulers is that it should be done privately, and a person should not speak about it among the general public.
2. The Hadīth gives a stern warning to those whose words do not match their deeds.
3. People should deal with the rulers politely and gently and should enjoin them to do what is right and forbid them from what is wrong.
4. The Hadīth denounces flattery to the rulers concerning the truth and revealing something different from what is inside, like a person who utters falsehood in flattery.

صحيح البخاري (4/ 121) (3267). صحيح مسلم (4/ 2290) (2989). كنوز رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (4/ 143). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (2/ 358). تطريز رياض الصالحين، لفيصل آل مبارك (ص156). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (1/ 220).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) heard a disturbing sound like that of a falling object. He asked the Companions who were with him about that sound, and they said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to them: This sound that you heard is a stone that was thrown from the edge of Hellfire seventy years ago, and it kept descending and going down into it until it reached its bottom now when you heard the sound.

1. The Hadīth urges us to get prepared for the Last Day by righteous deeds and warns of Hellfire.
2. We are recommended to attribute knowledge to Allah Almighty about the things we have no knowledge about.
3. An instructor ought to arouse people's interest and draw their attention before addressing the intended topic. This allows for better understanding.

صحيح مسلم (4/ 2184) (2844). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (1/ 476). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (1/ 369). كنوز رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (6/ 414).

Husayn ibn ‘Abdur-Rahmān (may Allah have mercy on him) informs us about his conversation with Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr (may Allah have mercy on him) regarding Ruqyah. Husayn had been stung by a scorpion and performed the Shariah-approved Ruqyah. After Sa‘īd asked him about his proof for such practice, so he related the Hadīth that he heard from Ash-Sha‘bi which indicates the permissibility of Ruqyah [to resist] the evil influence of the evil eye and poison. Sa‘īd, in return, praised him for it, yet, he narrated to him a Hadīth that recommends leaving it. It is the Hadīth narrated by Ibn ‘Abbās which includes the four characteristics of those who will enter Paradise without account or torment. They do not ask others to perform Ruqyah for them, do not cauterize, refrain from believing in bad omens, and rely sincerely upon Allah, the Exalted. ‘Ukkāshah immediately asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to supplicate Allah to include him among them. Another man stood up, asking the same thing, but the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gently told him that it was not possible in order to stop further requests.

-صحيح البخاري، المحقق: محمد زهير بن ناصر الناصر، الناشر: دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، الطبعة: الأولى، 1422ه. -صحيح مسلم، المحقق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي - الناشر: دار إحياء التراث العربي - بيروت. -الملخص في شرح كتاب التوحيد، دار العاصمة، الرياض، الطبعة: الأولى، 1422ه - 2001م. -الجديد في شرح كتاب التوحيد، مكتبة السوادي، جدة، المملكة العربية السعودية، الطبعة: الخامسة، 1424هـ - 2003م.

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs us that whoever utters the word of Tawhīd (monotheism), knows its meaning and acts accordingly, and bears witness that Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is the slave and Messenger of Allah, acknowledges the fact that Jesus is a slave of Allah and a messenger from Him, whom Allah created by saying: "Be" and he was, and that he was one of the souls created by Allah, and declares his mother (Mary) innocent of the Jews' accusations, and believes that Paradise is true and Hellfire is true while believing in their existence and in their being bliss and punishment from Allah, and dies in this state, he will be admitted to Paradise even if he has been negligent in performing acts of obedience and has committed sins.

1. Allah Almighty created Jesus, son of Mary, by the word (Be) without a father.
2. Combining the two facts that Jesus and Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon them both) are both slaves of Allah as well as His messengers. So they are Allah's messengers, thus, they must not be rejected; and they are Allah's slaves, thus, they must not be worshipped.
3. The merit of Tawhīd and how it expiates sins, and the fact that the monotheist will be eventually admitted to Paradise, even if he commits some sins.

صحيح البخاري (4/ 165) (3435). صحيح مسلم (1/ 57) (28). الملخص في شرح كتاب التوحيد، لصالح الفوزان (ص25). الجديد في شرح كتاب التوحيد، لمحمد القرعاوي (ص36).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says that whoever dies while not associating anything as a partner with Allah will end up in Paradise, even if he is punished for some of his sins; and that whoever dies while associating anything as a partner with Allah will abide in Hellfire forever.

1. This points out the merit of monotheist belief and that it is the means of salvation from an eternal stay in Hellfire.
2. Paradise and Hellfire are close to people, and only death separates them.
3. It warns against polytheism, little or much, for salvation from Hellfire is attained by avoiding it.
4. What matters in one's deeds is how they end up.

صحيح مسلم (1/ 94) (93). الملخص في شرح كتاب التوحيد، لصالح الفوزان (ص49). الجديد في شرح كتاب التوحيد، لمحمد القرعاوي (ص60).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs us about two things, which if a Muslim observes, he will enter Paradise. First: protecting the tongue from saying things that displease Allah Almighty. Second: preserving the private parts from obscenity. This is because these two organs are often used in the perpetration of sins.

1. Protecting one's tongue and private parts is a means of entering Paradise.
2. He singled out the tongue and the private parts because they are the greatest sources of trials for people in this world and in the Hereafter.

صحيح البخاري (8/ 100) (6474). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، تأليف سليم الهلالي (3/ 9). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، تأليف د. مصطفى الخِن وغيره (2/ 1035). كنوز رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (18/ 85). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (6/ 117). إرشاد الساري لشرح صحيح البخاري، للقسطلاني (9/ 272).