Ibn Majah

1؎: Many ahadith have been narrated regarding promises (wa‘d): 1- Some ahadith give glad tidings of Paradise for performing certain good deeds. 2- And in some, there is a warning and threat of Paradise being forbidden for doing certain acts. There are also numerous ahadith regarding warnings (wa‘id): 1- In some ahadith, disbelief (kufr) has been applied to certain major sins (kabair). 2- In some, faith (iman) has been negated from the perpetrator of certain major sins. 3- In some ahadith, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has declared his disavowal (bara’ah) from the perpetrator of these major sins. 4- In some ahadith, it is mentioned regarding the perpetrator of certain major sins that he will not enter Paradise. 5- In some, there is a threat of Hellfire for committing certain major sins. 6- In some ahadith, the perpetrator of certain major sins has been cursed, i.e., threatened with being distanced from mercy.

All these ahadith of warning (wa‘id) are about such a Muslim who possesses the essence of faith (iman) and monotheism (tawhid), but has committed some major sins. And the summary of all the ahadith regarding promises (wa‘d) is that, except for shirk (associating partners with Allah), a Muslim who commits other major sins will enter Paradise and be saved from Hellfire, because he is one who bears witness to «لا الہ الا اللہ، محمد رسول اللہ», and is, in general, a Muslim. And in the ahadith of warning (wa‘id), the perpetrator of major sins is threatened with the punishment of Hell and deprivation from Paradise, and in some, his faith is negated, in some the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has declared his disavowal from him, and in some, even disbelief (kufr) has been applied to him.

The issue of promise and warning (wa‘d wa wa‘id) has been considered by the scholars as one of the most important issues of creed (‘aqidah), because from the very beginning, the understanding of these ahadith and the issues of creed derived from them have been a source of disagreement within the Islamic Ummah. The consensus of the scholars is that the purport of the mutawatir texts is that some individuals of the Muslim Ummah, due to committing major sins, will enter Hellfire as punishment, then after serving their punishment, by the blessing of their original monotheism and faith, they will come out from there and enter Paradise, as is clearly mentioned in the ahadith of intercession (shafa‘ah).

One position of the scholars on this issue is that the apparent meaning of the ahadith regarding promises (wa‘d) is intended, and after the conditions and requirements of the testimony of monotheism and messengership are fulfilled, and the obstacles (mawani‘) on this path are removed, the fulfillment of these promises is necessary and inevitable. Therefore, these texts will be stated as they are. For example, in the hadith it is mentioned that whoever says «لا الہ إلا اللہ» will enter Paradise, and Allah has made Hellfire forbidden for him, or whoever does such and such will enter Paradise, etc. So, this entry into Paradise will occur when the conditions and requirements of the testimony of monotheism are fulfilled, and the obstacles to entering Paradise are removed. These ahadith only mean that these are causes for entering Paradise or being saved from Hellfire, and it is known regarding a cause that the occurrence of the result is not necessary just because the cause exists; rather, for the fulfillment of the promise, the presence of conditions and restrictions, and the removal of obstacles, is necessary.

However, to apply these ahadith to a specific individual and declare him deserving of Paradise or Hell is not correct, because we do not know whether this particular servant has fulfilled the conditions and requirements of this testimony, by which he is deserving of Paradise, and whether he has removed the obstacles to entering Paradise or not. This is the position of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah. Imam Bukhari, regarding the hadith of Abu Dharr radi Allahu anhu: «ما من عبد قال: لا إله إلا الله، ثم مات على ذلك، إلا دخل الجنة», said: «هذا عند الموت أو قبله، إذا تاب، وندم وقال: لا إله إلا الله غفر له» This is when, at the time of death or before death, the servant repented, felt remorse, and said «لا إله إلا الله», then he will be forgiven. Thus, repentance and remorse, and dying upon the testimony of «لا إله إلا الله», are the conditions for entering Paradise, and the negation of obstacles that would impugn the testimony, and the servant will enter Paradise.

Allamah Sulayman ibn ‘Abdullah says in Taysir al-‘Aziz al-Hamid (72) that whoever says this testimony of monotheism (kalimat al-tawhid) with knowledge and understanding of its meaning, and acts according to its requirements both outwardly and inwardly, he will enter Paradise.

In summary, these ahadith are absolute (mutlaq), and in other ahadith their restrictions and conditions have been mentioned, so it is necessary to present these absolute ahadith in light of the restrictions and conditions. The hadith of Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu is that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Take my two sandals and go, and whoever you find beyond this garden who says «لا الہ إلا اللہ» and has certainty in his heart regarding it, give him the glad tidings of Paradise.” The hadith of Jabir radi Allahu anhu is that whoever dies without associating anyone with Allah will enter Paradise. The hadith of Mu‘adh radi Allahu anhu is that whoever bears witness to «لا إلہ الا اللہ» with sincerity of heart, or bears witness with certainty of heart, he will not enter Hellfire, or he will enter Paradise. Also, it is mentioned: “He will enter Paradise, and the fire of Hell will not touch him.”

Imam Ibn Rajab says: Its explanation is that the servant’s saying of «لا إله إلا الله» necessitates that he negates the divinity of all besides Allah, and that «إلــه» is such an entity worthy of obedience that, in the face of His importance, His majesty, loving Him, fearing Him, hoping in Him, relying upon Him, asking from Him, and calling upon Him, He cannot be disobeyed. All these things are specific to Allah alone. So, whoever associates any creature with Allah in any of these divine attributes and distinctions, this is a flaw and criticism in the sincerity of his saying of «لا إله إلا الله», and a deficiency in his monotheism, and to that extent, servitude to the creation is realized in him, and all these are branches of shirk (polytheism).

In summary, the ahadith regarding promises (wa‘d) should be taken upon their apparent meaning, and should be stated as they are, and should not be applied to any specific individual, and for the realization of this promise, i.e., entry into Paradise, there are such conditions and restrictions whose existence is necessary, and the removal of obstacles and hindrances in the way of its fulfillment is necessary.

Some scholars have not taken these ahadith in their general and apparent meaning, rather they interpret them in various ways. For example, the meaning of Hellfire being forbidden for a Muslim who professes the testimony (i.e., the one who says «لا إله إلا الله») according to them is that he will not remain in Hellfire forever and ever, but after entering it, he will come out of it, or they take it to mean that he will not be entered into the abodes of Hellfire of the disbelievers and hypocrites, whereas many sinful monotheists (Muslims) will enter the upper levels of Hellfire as punishment for their sins, and by the intercession of those permitted to intercede and the mercy of the Most Merciful of the merciful, they will come out of it and enter Paradise. Imam Ibn Qutaybah and Qadi ‘Iyad, regarding the meaning and intent of the ahadith about the entitlement of those who profess «لا إله إلا الله» to enter Paradise, say that in the end, after being punished, they will enter Paradise.

According to some scholars, the ahadith regarding promises (wa‘d) are from the early period of Islam, i.e., before the obligations and commands and prohibitions, and after them, these were abrogated, and the obligations and duties remain. (al-Firyawee)