Author: Abdul Hai Lay'yan
Religious Needs Assessment of Human Beings in the Light of Islamic Teachings (part 17)
A Reflection on the Blessings of Paradise and the Punishments of Hell
From the grace and mercy of Allah toward His servants is that He has prepared for them the home of honor and happiness, which is Paradise. In contrast, He has prepared for those who choose disobedience the home of misery and loss, which is Hell.
People become deserving of one of these two abodes based on their deeds, which Allah has made the means to reach either of them. For this reason, Allah has tested them in this worldly life.
(مَنْ عَمِلَ سَيِّئَةً فَلَا يُجْزَى إِلَّا مِثْلَهَا وَمَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَى وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَأُولَئِكَ يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ يُرْزَقُونَ فِيهَا بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ) Translation: “Whoever does an evil deed will not be repaid except with its like, and whoever does righteous deeds—male or female—while being a believer, such people will enter Paradise and will be provided for there without measure.”[1]
Allah encourages His servants toward the home of happiness, which is the place of His pleasure, and warns them against the home of misery, which is the place of His anger and wrath. Yet, out of His great grace and mercy, He has made the paths to Paradise and salvation from the Fire easy.
Among the signs of this ease are:
-
He has clearly shown all paths of goodness that lead to mercy and success.
-
He has warned them against every evil that leads to loss and misery.
-
He has prescribed duties—both in doing and in avoiding—only within their ability and strength.
(فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ) Translation: “So fear Allah as much as you are able.” [2]
And He says: (لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ) Translation: “Allah does not burden any soul beyond its capacity. What it earns is for it, and what it commits is against it.” [3]
Another sign of Allah’s mercy is that He multiplies the reward for good deeds, while He makes the punishment for sins equal only to the sin itself. (مَن جَاءَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَا وَمَن جَاءَ بِالسَّيِّئَةِ فَلَا يُجْزَى إِلَّا مِثْلَهَا وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ) Translation: “Whoever comes with a good deed will have ten times its reward, and whoever comes with an evil deed will not be repaid except with its like, and they will not be wronged.”[4]
This meaning is further explained in the saying of the Prophet: “Allah has recorded good deeds and bad deeds, then He explained them. Whoever intends to do a good deed and does not do it, Allah writes it as one complete good deed. If he intends it and does it, Allah writes it as ten times up to seven hundred times, or many times more. Whoever intends to do an evil deed and does not do it, Allah writes it as one complete good deed. If he intends it and does it, Allah writes it as one evil deed only. And none is destroyed by Allah except the truly ruined.” [5]
Allah also erases and forgives the sins of His servants through many means. Sometimes He pardons them through valid intercession, and sometimes through His direct forgiveness, and thus saves them from the punishment of the Hereafter.
One of the mistakes of some unaware people is that they think Paradise is nothing more than eating, drinking, clothing, marriage, and physical pleasures. Because of this, they consider Paradise insignificant and not worthy of striving for through worship.
But the truth is that Paradise, before anything else, is the place of Allah’s pleasure and the removal of His anger. It is the home of divine honor and the gathering of all blessings. The greatest blessing of Paradise is seeing Allah (SWT).
In contrast, the people of Hell are veiled from their Lord and are under His anger and wrath. After that, they suffer punishments in the Fire that cause pain to both body and soul.
Allah says about their punishment: (إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يُنَادَوْنَ لَمَقْتُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ مِن مَّقْتِكُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ إِذْ تُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى الْإِيمَانِ فَتَكْفُرُونَ) Translation: “Indeed, those who disbelieved will be called: surely Allah’s anger toward you is greater than your anger toward yourselves, when you were invited to faith, but you disbelieved.” [6]
Their conversation with their Lord is also mentioned: (أَلَمْ تَكُنْ آيَاتِي تُتْلَى عَلَيْكُمْ فَكُنتُم بِهَا تُكَذِّبُونَ * قَالُوا رَبَّنَا غَلَبَتْ عَلَيْنَا شِقْوَتُنَا وَكُنَّا قَوْمًا ضَالِّينَ * رَبَّنَا أَخْرِجْنَا مِنْهَا فَإِنْ عُدْنَا فَإِنَّا ظَالِمُونَ)
Translation: “Were My verses not recited to you, and you used to deny them? They will say: Our Lord, our misery overcame us, and we were a misguided people. Our Lord, take us out of it; if we return, then surely, we will be wrongdoers.”[7]
Just as the blessings of Paradise are not limited to the body, the soul also enjoys relief from sorrow, peace of the heart, and comfort of the eyes. For this reason, Allah has preferred the Hereafter over this world and says:[8]
(وَمَا هَذِهِ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا لَهْوٌ وَلَعِبٌ وَإِنَّ الدَّارَ الْآخِرَةَ لَهِيَ الْحَيَوَانُ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ) Translation: “This worldly life is nothing but amusement and play, and indeed the Hereafter is the real life, if only they knew.” [9]
Continues…
Previous Part | Next Part
References:
[1]. Ghāfir (40): 40.
[2]. At-Taghābun (64): 16.
[3]. Al-Baqarah (2): 286.
[4]. Al-An‘ām (6): 160.
[5]. Narrated by al-Bukhārī, Chapter: Whoever intends a good or bad deed, Hadith no. 6491; and Muslim, Chapter: If a servant intends a good deed, Hadith no. 59.
[6]. Ahmad ibn ‘Abd al-Halīm, Shaykh al-Islam Taqī al-Dīn, Al-Istiqāmah, Saudi Arabia: Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University, 1411 AH, p. 66.
[7]. Ghāfir (40): 10.
[8]. Al-Mu’minūn (23): 104–107.
[9]. Al-‘Ankabūt (29): 64.
