Explanation of the words of Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) regarding what he quoted: "
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The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful:
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said, in what he quoted from Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: This means: they disputed with each other, each presenting its argument. This is among the unseen matters that it is obligatory for us to believe in, even if our minds find it unlikely. That is, if a person were to say: How do Paradise and Hell dispute, when they are inanimate things?!
We say: Indeed, Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) is capable of all things. And Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has informed us that the earth on the Day of Resurrection will speak of its news, with what Allah has revealed to it. So if Allah commands something in a thing, that commanded thing will respond in any case. On the Day of Resurrection, the hands, tongues, legs, and skins will all testify, even though they are inanimate, and they will testify against their owner, even though they are the closest things to him. This is because Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) is capable of all things.
So Paradise disputed with Hell, and Hell disputed with Paradise: Hell disputed by saying that the tyrants and the arrogant are in it.
The tyrants are those who possess harshness and severity, and the arrogant are those who possess haughtiness and elevation, who belittle people and reject the truth. As the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said regarding arrogance:Sunan Abi Dawud 4092Sahih in chain (Al-Albani) So the people of tyranny and the people of arrogance are the people of Hell, may Allah protect us from it. Perhaps the person destined for Hell is gentle in manner toward people, good in character, but he is a tyrant with regard to the truth, arrogant about the truth. So his gentleness does not benefit him; his gentle manner and his compassion for people do not benefit him. Rather, he is described with tyranny and arrogance, even if he is gentle in manner toward people, because he was tyrannical and arrogant about the truth.
As for Paradise, it said: The weak of people and the poor of people are in it. They are, for the most part, those who soften toward the truth and submit to it. As for the people of arrogance and tyranny, the most part of them do not submit.
So Allah (Mighty and Majestic) judged between them:Sahih Ibn Hibban 64:388 “You are My mercy”: This means that it is the abode that originated from the mercy of Allah, and it is not His mercy which is His attribute. For His mercy which is His attribute is a description that subsists in Him. But the mercy here is a created thing. “You are My mercy”: This means I created you with My mercy. I will show mercy to whom I will through you.
And He said to Hell: “You are My punishment; I will punish whom I will through you.” Similar to His saying (the Exalted):[Al-'Ankabut 29:21] So the people of Paradise are the people of the mercy of Allah. I ask Allah to make me and you among them. And the people of Hell are the people of the punishment of Allah.
Then He said (Mighty and Majestic): He (Mighty and Majestic) guaranteed and obligated upon Himself to fill Paradise and to fill Hell. And the favor of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) and His mercy are broader than His anger. For when it is the Day of Resurrection, Allah will cast into Hell whom He casts, and it will say: “Is there any more?” Meaning: Give us, give us, add to us, add to us.
This means: Enough, enough. This is its fullness. This is its fullness.
As for Paradise, Paradise is vast; its width is the heavens and the earth. Its people enter it, and there remains in it a surplus beyond its people. So Allah (the Exalted) creates for it groups of people and enters them into Paradise by His favor and mercy, because Allah guaranteed to fill it.
So in this is evidence that the poor and the weak are the people of Paradise, because they are, for the most part, those who submit to the truth. And that the tyrants and the arrogant are the people of Hell, may Allah protect us from it, because they are arrogant about the truth and tyrannical. Their hearts do not soften for the remembrance of Allah, nor for the worship of Allah. We ask Allah for safety and well-being for you and for us.
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said, in what he quoted from Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Paradise and Hell disputed
احتجّت الجنة والنارWe say: Indeed, Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) is capable of all things. And Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has informed us that the earth on the Day of Resurrection will speak of its news, with what Allah has revealed to it. So if Allah commands something in a thing, that commanded thing will respond in any case. On the Day of Resurrection, the hands, tongues, legs, and skins will all testify, even though they are inanimate, and they will testify against their owner, even though they are the closest things to him. This is because Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) is capable of all things.
So Paradise disputed with Hell, and Hell disputed with Paradise: Hell disputed by saying that the tyrants and the arrogant are in it.
The tyrants are those who possess harshness and severity, and the arrogant are those who possess haughtiness and elevation, who belittle people and reject the truth. As the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said regarding arrogance:
pride is disdaining what is true and despising people
إنه بطر الحق وغَمط الناسAs for Paradise, it said: The weak of people and the poor of people are in it. They are, for the most part, those who soften toward the truth and submit to it. As for the people of arrogance and tyranny, the most part of them do not submit.
So Allah (Mighty and Majestic) judged between them:
So He said to Paradise: “You are My mercy; I will show mercy to whom I will through you.” And He said to Hell: “You are My punishment; I will punish whom I will through you.”
فقال للجنة : أنت رحمتي أرحم بك من أشاء ، وقال للنار : أنت عذابي أعذب بك من أشاءAnd He said to Hell: “You are My punishment; I will punish whom I will through you.” Similar to His saying (the Exalted):
He punishes whom He wills and has mercy upon whom He wills
يُعَذِّبُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَرْحَمُ مَنْ يَشَاءُThen He said (Mighty and Majestic):
And for each of you, I guarantee to fill you
ولكل واحدة منكما عليَّ ملؤهاSo Allah places His foot upon it, and in another narration, His foot upon it, so some of it contracts toward some of it—some of it folds in upon some of it due to the effect of the placement of the foot of the Lord (Mighty and Majestic) upon it—and it says: “Enough, enough.”
فيضع الله عليها رجله، وفي لفظ عليها قدمه، فينزوي بعضها إلى بعض، -ينضم بعضها إلى بعض من أثر وضع الرب عز وجل عليها قدمه- وتقول: قط قطAs for Paradise, Paradise is vast; its width is the heavens and the earth. Its people enter it, and there remains in it a surplus beyond its people. So Allah (the Exalted) creates for it groups of people and enters them into Paradise by His favor and mercy, because Allah guaranteed to fill it.
So in this is evidence that the poor and the weak are the people of Paradise, because they are, for the most part, those who submit to the truth. And that the tyrants and the arrogant are the people of Hell, may Allah protect us from it, because they are arrogant about the truth and tyrannical. Their hearts do not soften for the remembrance of Allah, nor for the worship of Allah. We ask Allah for safety and well-being for you and for us.