Part 14

al-Jannah wa an-Naar – In the Light of the Qur'aan and Sunnah

Anas ibn Maalik reported that the Prophet (saw) said: "Whoever says Laa ilaaha illaa Allaah and has a barely grain's weight of goodness in his heart will be brought out of the Fire. Then whoever says, "Laa ilaaha illaa Allaah" and has a wheat grains weight of goodness in his heart will be brought out of the Fire. Then whoever says, Laa Ilaaha illaa Allaah and has an atom's-weight of goodness in his heart will be brought out of the Fire". [Sahih Muslim, Kitaab al-Imaan, Baab adna Ahl al-Jannah Manzilatan, 1/182] There are many hadiths that discuss this matter. (ii) Opinions of different groups on intercession. The Khawaarij and Mu'tazilah deny that there will be any intercession to protect those who are guilty of major sins and have been ordered to enter Hell from doing so, or to bring forth those who have already entered. al-Qurtubee said, "This intercession was denied by the innovators, Khawaarij and Mu'tazilah. Their denial is based on their corrupt principles, which are based on what they saw as rational thinking". [1] These reprehensible ideas which go against the muttawaatir sahih hadith, emerged while the Sahabah were still alive. Muslim reports in his sahih from Yazeed al-Faqeer, who says: "I was infatuated with one of the ideas of the Khawaarij, so a large group of us went out, intending to go for Hajj and then go out to fight the people. We came to Madinah, where we found Jaabir ibn 'Abdullaah sitting by a pillar, narrated hadith to the people. When he mentioned al-Jahannamiyyoon, I said, "O Companion of the Messenger of Allaah, what is this that you are narrating, when Allaah (swt) says: "And who You admit to the Fire, truly You cover with shame." [3:192] and "....everytime they wish to get away therefrom, they will be put back thereto.." [32:20] So what is it that you are saying?" He said, "Have you read the Qur'aan?" I said, "Yes." He asked, "Have you heard about the [exalted] position of Muhammad [i.e. the position to which Allaah swt would raise him]?" I said, "Yes". He said, "That is the honoured position of Muhammad by which Allaah (swt) will bring out whosoever He wishes to bring out". Then he described as-Siraat [the bridge over Hell] and the passing of the people over it, then said, "I am afraid that I may not have remembered exactly what he said. But he said that people would be brought out of Hell after entering it. He meant that they would come out looking like the wood of the ebony tree; they would enter one of the rivers of paradise and bathe in it, then they would come out looking [white] like sheets of paper". We turned back and said, "Woe to you! Do you think this sheikh would tell lies about the Messenger of Allaah (saw)? We turned back [from the views of the Khawaarij] and by Allaah (swt) every one of us abandoned this group except for one man". [Sahih Muslim, Kitaab al-Imaan, Baab adna Ahl al-Jannah Manzilatan, 1/179, no.191] The Khawaarij and Mu'tazilah went ot extremes with their claim that people guilty of major sins [al-Kabaair] would never come out of Hell, and that the intercession of those who interceded would be of no avail for them. The Murji'ah went to the opposite extreme by stating that no-one who was guilty of major sins would necessarily enter Hell, and believing that all such people would enter Paradise without being punished at all. Both groups are in conflict with the well-known muttawaatir Sunnah and with the consensus of the Salaf and Imaams of this ummah. Allaah (swt) has guided Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah to the truth in this matter where others have erred, by His Will. They [Ahl as-Sunnah] believe that hose who are guilty of major sins are subject to the will of Allaah (swt); if He wills, He will forgive them, out of mercy, and If He wills, He will punish them for His sins then admit them to Paradise by His Mercy. "Allaah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him, but He forgives anything else, to whom He pleases." (4:48) "Say: O My Slaves who have transgressed against themselves [by committing evil deeds and sins]! Despair not of the Mercy of Allaah, verily Allaah forgives all sins. Truly He is Oft-forgiving, All-Merciful". (39:53)

al-Jannah wa an-Naar – In the Light of the Qur'aan and Sunnah

Shirk will not be forgiven, but any other sin is subject to the Will of Allaah. The one who repents will be as if he never sinned. The aayaat that the Khawaarij use to prove that intercession will not be accepted actually refers to the kinds of intercession believed in by the mushrikeen. They think that interceding with Allaah is like interceding with rulers or authorities on earth, where a person may intercede with someone (an authority figure) without that person's permission and even if the one in authority is displeased with the one on whose half intercession is made. This is not so in the case of Allaah (swt) may He be glorified. Several texts reject this type of intercession, for example: "Then guard yourselves against A Day when one soul shall not avail another, nor shall intercession be accepted from him nor will compensation be taken from him nor shall anyone be helped [from outside]" (2:48) "Then will no intercession of [any] intercessors profit them". (74:48) "..No intimate friend, nor intercessor will the wrongdoers have, who could be listened to". (40:18) Several texts explain that no-one can intercede with Allaah except with His permission and unless He is pleased both with the intercessor and the one for whom he seeks to intercede: "Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His permission?" (2:255) "and they cannot interceded except for him with whom He is pleased" (21:28) "And there are many angels in the heavens, whose intercession will avail nothing except after Allaah has given leave for whom He wills and pleases". (53:26). Allaah (swt) also says about the angels: "He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they cannot intercede except for him with whom He is pleased. And they stand in awe for fear of him". (21:28) "No intercession can avail in His presence, except for those to whom He has granted permission". (34:23) These aayaat reject and refute the kind of intercession believed in by the mushrikeen, i.e. intercession via angels, prophets and righteous people, ("saints"), and confirm only that intercession which takes place with the permission of Allaah (swt) and when He is pleased with both the intercessor and the one on whose behalf he intercedes. Allaah (swt) is not pleased with the kuffaar and mushrikeen. As for the disobedient monotheists, intercessors will interceded for them, but they will not intercede for a mushrik. al-Bukhaari narrated that Abu Hurayrah (ra) said, "I said, "O Messenger of Allaah, who will be the most happy with your intercession on the Day of Resurrection?" He said, "I thought, O Abu Hurayrah, that no one would ask me this question before you, because I have seen that you are so eager to learn hadith. The one who will be the most happy with my intercession on the Day of Resurrection will be the one who says Laa ilaaha illaa Allaah sincerely and from the heart"". [al-Bukhaari, Kitaab ar-Riqaaq, Baab Sifaat al-Jannah wan-Naar, Fath al-Baari, 11/418] [1] al-Khawaarij are a sect that emerged after the battle of Siffin; they denounced 'Alee and Mu'awiyah, and whoever followed them, as kaafirs, and claimed that whoever was disobedient to Allaah (swt) would remain forever in Hell. The Mu'tazilah are the followers of Waasil ibn 'Ataa' who believe in the Mu'tazili doctrine that whoever commits major sins will remain eternally in Hell, but does not judge their position in this life.

The Last Person to Enter Paradise

al-Jannah wa an-Naar – In the Light of the Qur'aan and Sunnah

The Prophet (saw) has told us about the last man who will be brought out of Hell and into Paradise and the conversation that will take place between him and his Rabb, and the incredibly great honour that Allaah (swt) will bestow upon him. Ibn al-Ithir collected all the hadith on this topic in Jami' al-Usool from which we will quote the following: (i) 'Abdullaah ibn Mas'oud (ra) said:"The Messenger of Allaah (saw) said, "I know the last of the people of Hell who will be brought forth from it, and the last of the people of Paradise to enter it. It is a man who will come out of Hell crawling on all fours." Allaah will say to him, "Go and enter Paradise". So he will come to it and will suppose that it is full. He will go back and say, "My Rabb, I found it full". Allaah (swt) will say, "Go and enter Paradise for there you have something like the world and ten times over [or you have something ten times better than the world]. He will says, "Are you making fun of me - or laughing at me - and You are the Sovereign of all?" I ['Abdullaah] saw the Messenger of Allaah (saw) smiling so broadly that his back teeth were visible. He used to say, "That is the one who is lowest in status of the people of Paradise". [al-Bukhaari, 11/386, ar-Riqaaq, at-tawhid Baab Kalaam ar-Rabb 'azza wa jall yawm al-qiyamah ma'a al-anbiyaa wa ghayrihim; and Muslim, with slight variation, no. 186, Baab aakhir Ahl an-Naar Khurujan; and Al-Tirmidhi, no. 2598 in Safah Jahanam, Ch. 10] (ii) 'Abdullaah ibn Mas'oud reported that the Messenger of Allaah (Saw) said: "The last person to enter paradise will be a man who will alternately walk, stagger and be touched by the Fire. Once he has passed out of the Fire, he will turn to face it and say, "Blessed be He Who has saved me from you. Allaah (swt) has given me something that He did not give to the earlier and later generations. Then a tree will be raised up for him, and he will say, "O my Rabb, bring me closer to this tree so that I may enjoy its shade and drink of its water". Allaah (swt) will say, "O son of Aadam perhaps if I grant you this, you will ask Me for something else?" He will say, "No, O Rabb, I promise that I will not ask for anything else". Allaah (swt) will excuse him because he is seeing something that he has no patience to resist so he will bring him closer and he will enjoy its shade and drink its water. Then another tree, better than the first, will be raised up for him and he will say, "O my Rabb, bring me near to this tree so that I may drink its water and enjoy its shade, then I will not ask you for anything more". Allaah (swt) will say, "O son of Aadam did you not promise Me that you would not ask me for anything else? Perhaps if I bring you closer to this tree you will ask for more?" So the man will promise not to ask for any more, and Allaah will excuse him because he is seeing something that he has no patience to resist, so He will bring him closer and he will enjoy its shade and drink its water. Then a third tree will be raised up at the gate of paradise, and it will be better than the first two. The man will say, "O My Rabb, bring me closer to this [tree] so that I may enjoy its shade and drink its water, and I will not ask for anything more." Allaah will say, "O son of Aadam, did you not promise Me that you would not ask Me for anything more?" He will say, "Yes, O Rabb, I will not ask you for anything more." His Rabb, may He be glorified, will excuse him because he is seeing something which he has no patience to resist, so He will bring him closer. When he is brought close, he will hear the voices of the people of Paradise, and will say, "O my Rabb, admit me to it." Allaah (swt) will say, "O son of Aadam what do you want so that you will never ask Me for anything else? Will it please you if I give you the world and as much again?" He will say, "O Rabb, are You making fun of me when You are the Rabb al-Aaalameen?" Ibn Mas'oud smiled and said, "Why do you not ask me why I am smiling?" They asked, "Why are you smiling?" He said, "Because the Messenger of Allaah (saw) smiled". They asked, "Why are you smiling, O Messenger of Allaah (saw)?" He said, "Because the Rabb of the Worlds will smile when He is asked, "Are You making fun of me when You are the Rabb of the Worlds?" He will say, "I am not making fun of you, but I am able to do whatever I will""". [Muslim, no. 187, Kitaab al-Imaan, Baab aakhir an-Naar khurujan] And in the version of Abu Sa'eed, he adds, "Allaah (swt) will tell him, "ask for such and such" and when he has stated his wishes, Allaah (swt) will say, "You will have them and ten times more". Then he will enter his house [in Paradise] and his two wives from among al-hoor al-'eeyn will