Paradise Is Neither Faraway Nor Too Easy to Attain
Published in March 16, 2018
Written by: Dr. Othman M. Ali
Translated by: Ahmed Fathy
It often happens that within the dialogues and debates of Arabs within cyberspace about the decease of scientists/inventors in the West, who offered to humanity useful knowledge which is applied within any given field for the benefit of everyone, Arabs would pose the same repeated question; i.e., would such charitable scientists who helped humanity to take several steps forward within advancement and comfort enter into Hell in the Hereafter because they were not monotheistic believers, whereas backward Wahabi sheikhs and obscurantist clergymen who supported terrorism and were hypocrites who consumed ill-gotten money enter into Paradise as monotheistic 'Muslims'? Arab persons who pose this question enter into endless debates within cyberspace; some would say that atheist scientists or those who followed any religious denominations will enter into Hell in the Hereafter because they heard about Islam and did not convert to it before they died. Some others would say that such deceased scientists have contributed to the happiness and comfort of humanity; their good deeds, theories, or inventions will be enough to make them enter into Paradise despite being non-Muslims. I tend to think that both views are wrong, as per my understanding of my great religion (i.e., Qurnaism) and of the Quranic verses. There is a third view that I will explain here briefly. Attaining God's mercy and pardon in the Hereafter to enter into Paradise after the Day of Judgment requires that one must pass two tests successfully: (1) the adherence to monotheism (i.e., There is no God but Allah) without any percentage of polytheism, and (2) the quantity and quality of good deeds performed by monotheistic believers who seek to gratify their Lord. Of course, good deeds are of two types: sincere acts of worship and how one deals with others within piety. As for acts of worship, true believers must perform as per the Quranic teachings and commands given by the Lord God in relation to fasting, prayers, pilgrimage, zakat, remembrance and glorification of God, reading the Quran, and pondering/reflecting on the Quranic facts. This also includes avoiding grave sins which are mentioned in the Quran as such: murder, fornication, theft, wine-drinking, perjury, aggression, violence, etc. Regarding dealing with others within piety, this means to seek to gratify and please God when one deals peacefully and fairly with others and when one performs charity (which includes inventions to help humanity) while adhering to piety and other Quranic higher values: mercy, peace, justice, charity, etc. Hence, without combining these two elements; i.e., monotheistic belief plus good deeds, entering into Paradise is impossible on the Last Day. I will explain this point further in the following examples.
1- A deceased person who did not believe in (There is no God but Allah) and never performed good deeds will never enter into Paradise.
2- A deceased person who did not believe in (There is no God but Allah) and yet performed many good deeds will never enter into Paradise.
3- A deceased person who believed in God without the monotheism of (There is no God but Allah), as this person deified and sanctified mortals/things, and performed (enough) good deeds will never enter into Paradise.
4- A deceased person who believed in God and performed many good deeds but believed in other books in religion alongside with the Quran as 'divine' revelations, such as the books of Al-Bokhary, Al-Kulayni, or the books of Sufi authors, will never enter into Paradise; this applies to those who died while believing even in a single hadith, notion, or doctrine (e.g., Malik or Al-Shafei) besides the Quran.
5- A deceased person who believed in (There is no God but Allah) and adhered to monotheism in all deeds and acts of worship and performed many/enough good deeds will enter into Paradise.
6- A deceased person who believed in (There is no God but Allah) and adhered to monotheism and yet performed less than enough good deeds in terms of quality and quantity, and/or committed many sins and disobeyed God, will never enter into Paradise. This category is known as disobedient believers who will enter into Hell on the Last Day for eternity like disbelieving sinners.
7- A deceased person who believed in the Quranic monotheism of (There is no God but Allah) but mixes good deeds with bad ones and repented later on shortly before death will be judged by God Who will decide whether to bestow mercy on this person's soul or not and accept repentance as sincere or not; this person might enter into Paradise.
Thus, entering into Paradise is similar somehow to the worldly topics of (1) high-school students enrolling into a military academy of the police academy in the Arab world; i.e., a candidate must fulfill certain conditions and requirements (e.g., being physically fit, healthy, sportive, while obtaining a certain number of marks/percentage in the certificate of high-school final exams) to be accepted or rejected, and (2) those who apply for a certain job/post and must fulfill certain conditions and requirements (e.g., a certain number of experience years, qualifications, and skills). Therefore, one's two requirements to enter into Paradise; i.e., good deeds in terms of quantity and quality and monotheistic belief within (There is no God but Allah), must be excellent without any shortage at all; i.e., without polytheism and without being heedless to sincere repentance, performing enough good deeds, and avoiding sins as much as possible. This rule applies to all human beings (and Jinn as well) in the past, present, and future until the end of days; this rule applies to all messengers/prophets of the Lord God. there is no intercession/intercessors at all of any type (by the so-called saints or by prophets) on the Last Day that might make any people enter into Paradise instead of, or after entering into, Hell for their sins and disbelief; mediators and intercession mythology has no place inside real Islam (i.e., Qurnaism) but have ample scope in the earthly, man-made religions of the Muhammadans and other polytheists who deify mortals. God says in the Quran about the Last Day: "Every soul is entitled to what it has earned." (74:38); "O you who believe! Spend from what We have given you, before a Day comes in which there is neither trading, nor friendship, nor intercession. The disbelievers are the unjust ones." (2:254). Thus, one's belief and deeds will result in either Hell or Paradise and one bears full responsibility for one's stances, deeds, belief, etc. Of course, I never claim to know the names of those entering into Hell or into Paradise among my contemporaries; this article aims to preach, warn, and remind readers briefly about an often-forgotten Quranic topic. It is among duties imposed in the Quran to peacefully give pieces to advice to one another within faith without imposing anything on anyone, as per this verse about the traits of real believers: "...and advise using the Truth and recommend patience." (103:3). Readers who reject or accept my views here, which are based on my understanding of the Quran, are welcome to reflect deeply on this article and on the state of their own faith and deeds; all comments are more than welcome; it is a great thing to exchange pieces of advice regarding faith within peace, respect, and brotherly affection as human beings. All peaceful people, Quranists and no-Quranists, (dis)believers, etc., are welcome to interact and mingle with one another as peaceful brethren within the scene of civil life; the choice of faith/ religion is a matter of personal, individual responsibility witnessed on the Last Day, and no one must interfere or be prejudiced against any peaceful human beings who choose different faiths and reject Quranism (i.e., real Islam to me). In sum, to reject the monotheistic belief in the Lord God and to discard (There is no God but Allah) while performing many good deeds will not make one enter into Paradise; to adhere to monotheism but without performing many good deeds will not make one enter into Paradise. Those who perform many good deed without monotheistic faith will be rewarded for their deeds ONLY in this transient world (by having wealth, bounties, fame, good progeny, etc.) and not in the Hereafter, as God is never unjust to any human beings. May the Almighty Lord God accept our repentance and our imploring and supplicating to Him for attaining His pardon and mercy and for making Him accept our good deeds and our monotheism to which to adhere while seeking to please and gratify our Lord God. Glory be to our Omniscient Lord God.