The Manner of Entering Paradise (1/2)

It was said to al-Hasan, 'People say that whoever says, 'None has the right to be worshipped,' shall enter Paradise.' He said, 'Whoever says, 'None has the right to be worshipped save Allah,' and fulfils its obligations and meets its requirements shall enter Paradise.'

Wahb ibn Munabbih was  asked, 'Is not the testification  that "none  has  the  right to be worshipped save Allah" the key  to Paradise?'  He  replied,  'Of  course,   but  every  key has  its teeth:  if you  bring  a key that  has  teeth,  the  door  shall open;  but  if not,  it will  not.[1]

Ahmad records the hadith, "The key to Paradise is, 'None has the right to be worshipped save Allah'." The isnad is munqati'.[2]

Mu'adh (radhyAllahu ‘anhu)reports that the  Messenger of  Allah (sallAlahu ‘alaihi wa sallam)  said to him,  "If   the  inhabitants   of  Yemen  ask you about  the key to Paradise,  say: the  testification  that  none  has the right to be worshipped save  Allah."[3]

The strength of  this  opinion can be seen in  the  fact  that  the Prophet   (sallAlahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) linked  entry  to Paradise  to the performance  of  righteous   deeds   in  many  texts. Bukhari and Muslim record on the authority of Abu Ayyub (radhyAllahu ‘anhu) that a man asked the Messenger of Allah (sallAlahu ‘alaihi wa sallam),   'Messenger of Allah, inform me of a deed that will enter me into Paradise.' He said, "That  you  worship  Allah  without   associating   any  partners   with  Him,  that  you establish the  prayer,   give  the  wealth-tax,    and  join  the  ties  of kinship."[4]

Muslim  records  on  the  authority  of  Abu  Hurayrah  (radhyAllahu ‘anhu)  that  a man said,  'Messenger of  Allah, direct  me  to a deed which   if  I do,  I will  enter Paradise.' He said, "Worship    Allah without   associating any partners    with Him, establish the prescribed prayers, give the obligatory wealth-tax, and fast the month of Ramadan." The  man  said,  'By  the  One  in whose   hand  is my soul,  I will neither add to this  nor detract   from  it.' The  Messenger  of  Allah  (sallAlahu ‘alaihi wa sallam)  said, "Whoever wishes to  see  a  man   from amongst   the  inhabitants   of  Paradise,  let him  look  at this  man." [5]

Ahmad records on the authority of  Bashir ibn  al-Khasasiyyah who  said,  'I came  to  the  Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) to give  him  the  pledge  of allegiance  and  he put  the  following  conditions   on  me: that  I testify that  none  has the  right  to be worshipped save Allah  and  that Muhammad    is  His  servant   and  Messenger, that  I establish   the prayer,  that  I give the  wealth-tax,  that  I perform  a pilgrimage as dictated   by Islam, that  I fast  the  month of  Ramadan, and  that  I undertake  Jihad  in the Way of  Allah. I said, "Messenger of Allah, by Allah I am unable to perform two of these: Jihad and charity. The  people  believe   that  whoever  turns   his  back  and  flees  will have  the anger  of  Allah  descend  upon   him; I fear  that  if I am present, my soul would  become   terrified   and  hate  death.  As  for charity,  by Allah  all I have  is a small  herd  and  ten  young  camels which   suffice  as  transportation     for  my  family  and  for  carrying their belongings." Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam)   closed his hand and shook it and said, "No Jihad and no charity...then with what will you enter Paradise?" I said, "Messenger of Allah, I will give you this pledge,” so I gave him the pledge of allegiance for all of them.'[6]

This hadith shows that giving charity and fighting Jihad is a condition for entry into Paradise alongside Tawhid; prayer, fasting, and pilgrimage.

In a similar vein the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said, "I have been ordered to fight the people until they testify that none has the right to be worshipped save Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."[7]

From this hadith, 'Umar and a group of the Companions understood  that  merely stating the testification of faith secures one from  punishment in this world, as such  they did not agree to fight those who refused to give the wealth-tax. Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, however, understood   that  one  could  not  fight those  who  ful­ filled the  rights  of  this  testification, of which wealth-tax  was one, because he (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) went on to say, "If they do that, their blood and property  become  sacrosanct  except by due right, and their judgment  lies with Allah." Abu Bakr said, 'Wealth-tax is a right upon wealth. 'This understanding of al-Siddiq has been explicitly stated by the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) and reported from him by ibn 'Umar, Anas and others with the words, "I have been ordered to fight the people until they testify that none has the right to be worshipped save Allah  and  that  Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and  they establish the  prayer,  and  they  give  the  wealth­tax."[8]

It is also proven by His sayings,

“If they repent, establish the prayer, and pay the wealth-tax, let them go on their way.  Allah   is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Surah al-Tawbah (9): 5]

“But  if  they  repent,   establish  the  prayer,  and  pay the  wealth-tax, they are your  brothers in the  religion.” [Surah al-Tawbah (9): 11]

thereby proving that brotherhood in this religion cannot be established except  by implementing the obligations alongside Tawhid. We say, 'alongside Tawhid,'   because one cannot repent from shirk except by submitting to Tawhid.

When Abu Bakr had proven all of this to the Companions, they retracted their stance and accepted his opinion.

So now that it is understood  that punishment  in this world is not lifted through  mere articulation of the testification; rather a person  could well be punished  for leaving one of its duties, the same applies to punishment  in the Hereafter.

(Continued)