Why knowing about Paradise is important?
- That is our true home. (Surah Yusuf 12:109 & Surah an-Nahl 16:30)
- Paradise is our ultimate goal.
- It is Allah’s promise to the believers.
- Trials and hardships in this world only make sense with there being a Paradise.
- Talking about paradise increases one’s mean.
- Paradise proves Allah’s love, mercy, generosity and everlasting bounty.
- Paradise provides us with hope and encourages us to do good deeds.
- Paradise makes it easy to forego things here in the world.
- Paradise stops one from sinning.
- Paradise pushes us towards repentance and taqwa.
ALL THESE DEEDS MUST BE DONE ONLY FOR THE SAKE OF ALLAH.
1. Ask Allah for Jannah
Anas narrated that the Messenger of Allah said, “Whoever asks Allah for Paradise three times, Paradise says: ‘O Allah, admit him into Paradise’, and whoever seeks refuge from the Fire three times, the Fire says: ‘O Allah, save him from the Fire.’”
[Jami at-Tirmidhi #2572, Sunan Ibn Majah #4340 & Sunan an-Nasa’i #5521; sahih]
Ø “It is You we worship and You we ask for help.” (Surah al-Fatihah 1:5)
Ø Allah says, “Call upon Me; I will respond to you.” (Surah Ghafir 40:60)
Ø In a weak hadith, it is reported that Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said, “Dua is the essence of worship.” (Jami at-Tirmidhi #3371)
2. Visit your sick Muslim brother or sister in Islam
Thawban narrated that Allah’s Messenger said, “The one who visits the sick is in an orchard of Paradise until he returns.”
[Sahih Muslim #6551]
Ali said, “If a man visits a patient in the evening, seventy thousand angels come along with him seeking forgiveness from Allah for him till the morning, and he will have a garden in the Paradise.”
[Sunan Abi Dawud #3098; sahih mauquf]
Ø Imam Nawawi said that visiting the sick did not only apply to people you know but also to those you do not know. (Sharh Muslim)
Ø The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) visited a Jewish boy who was sick to invite him to embrace Islam. (Sahih al-Bukhari #1356)
3. Recite Ayat-ul-Kursi [Surah al-Baqarah 2:255] after every Salah
Allah’s Messenger said, “Whoever recitesAyat al-Kursi after every obligatory prayer, then there is nothing between him and his entrance into Paradise except his death.”
[Sahih al-Jami #6464]
Ø Abdullah ibn Mas’ud said, “Allah has not created in the heavens nor in the earth what is more magnificent than Ayat al-Kursi.” (Jami at-Tirmidhi #2884; sahih)
4. Say this Dhikr often
Abu Musa al-Ash’ari narrated that the Messenger of Allah asked me, “Shall I tell you of one the treasures of Paradise?” I replied: “Certainly!” Thereupon he responded, “There is no might and no power except with Allah.”
[Sahih Muslim #6868]
Ø Allah says, “Remember Me; I will remember you.” (Surah al-Baqarah 2:152)
5. Removing harmful things from the road or footpath
Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet said, “There was a tree branch on the road that annoyed the people, so a man removed it. This deed got him admitted into Paradise.”
[Sunan Ibn Majah #3682; sahih]
Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet said, “I saw a man enjoying himself in Paradise because of a tree that he cut down in the road, that used to cause annoyance to the people.”
Ø For an act which on the face of it, is not religious Allah gave this man Jannah. Something we would consider as a civic act. However, once done seeking Allah’s pleasure, it becomes an act of worship guaranteeing Paradise.
6. Kindness towards animals
Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet said, “A man saw a dog eating mud because of extreme thirst. Thus, he took his shoe and filled it with water and gave the dog a drink until its thirst was quenched. Allah appreciated his deed so much that He granted him Paradise.”
[Sahih al-Bukhari #173]
Ø The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said, “Fear Allah regarding your animals.” (Sunan Abu Dawud, #2548; sahih)
Ø Indeed, Allah is Ever-Merciful.
7. Recite Surah Ikhlas ten times daily
Allah’s Messenger said, “Whoever recites Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad and completes it ten times, Allah will build a palace for him in Paradise.”
[as-Silsilah as-Sahihah #589]
Ø This is the Surah which the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said was a third of the Qur’an. (Sahih Muslim #811a)
Ø The Surah of Tawhid.
8. Give charity regularly even if it is a small sum
Adi Ibn Hatim narrated that the Prophet said, “Save yourselves from the Hell-fire even by giving half a date in charity …”
[Sahih al-Bukhari #6023]
Ø The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said, “Everyday two angels descend and one of the says, ‘O Allah, compensate the person who gives in charity’, while the other says, ‘O Allah, destroy every miser.” (Sahih al-Bukhari #1442)
9. To repeat daily
Abu Sa’id al-Khudri narrated the Messenger of Allah as saying, “If anyone says, ‘I am pleased with Allah as my Lord, with Islam as my religion and Muhammad as my Prophet.’ Paradise will be his due.”
[Sunan Abi Dawud #1529; sahih]
Al-Abbas bin Abdul-Muttalib narrates that he heard the Messenger of Allah say, “Whoever is pleased with Allah as his Lord, and Islam as his religion, and Muhammad as his Prophet, then he has tasted the sweetness of faith.”
[Jami at-Tirmidhi #2623; sahih]
Thawban narrated the Messenger of Allah , “Whoever says when he reaches the evening, ‘I am pleased with Allah as my Lord, with Islam as my religion and Muhammad as my Prophet.’ It is a duty upon Allah to please him.”
[Jami at-Tirmidhi #3389; hasan gharib]
Ø This is incredible, as Allah is rewarding us with something that He has guided us to.
Ø This statement is a statement of our gratitude to Allah for guiding us to Islam.
10. To repeat after the Mu’adhdhin
Abu Hurayrah said, “We were with the Messenger of Allah and Bilal stood up and gave the adhan. When he finished giving the adhan, the Messenger of Allah said, ‘Whoever says the same as this with certainty, he will enter Paradise.’”
[Sunan an-Nasa’i #675; hasan]
Ø Adhan is ibadah and so we should stop to listen to it and to repeat after the mu’adhdhin so that we may be rewarded by Allah.
Ø We do not know from which deed we will attain Paradise.
BONUS: To learn about your deen
Abu Hurayrah narrated that Allah’s Messenger said, “Whoever takes a path upon which to obtain knowledge, Allah makes the path to Paradise easy for him.”
[Jami at-Tirmidhi #2646; sahih]
Ø By attending this gathering to attain knowledge, to increase your eman, to get closer to your Lord, there is no less reward for it than Paradise.
TAKE HOME MESSAGE
- Wanting to go to Jannah is a great motivator to doing good deeds.
- Easy good deeds lead to Paradise.
- Pleasing our Lord is the greatest satisfaction in life.
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