The Bliss of Paradise and the Paths Leading to It

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Question:
Your Eminence! At the beginning of this session, please tell us something about the bliss of Paradise and the paths leading to it. We ask Allah to make us and you among its people.

Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance. As for what follows:
Indeed, Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) has clarified in His Noble Book the description of Paradise, the description of its bliss, and the description of its people. He also clarified, Glorified is He, the description of the Fire, its chains, the types of its evil, and the characteristics of its people.
Therefore, it is obligatory for every person of legal age to beware of the characteristics of the people of the Fire and to strive to adopt and be characterized by the traits of the people of Paradise. As He (Exalted and Majestic is He) says:

⁽¹⁵⁾ Indeed, the righteous will be among gardens and springs, ⁽¹⁶⁾ Accepting what their Lord has given them. Indeed, they were before that doers of good. ⁽¹⁷⁾ They used to sleep but little of the night, ⁽¹⁸⁾ And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness, ⁽¹⁹⁾ And from their properties was [given] the right of the [needy] petitioner and the deprived.

إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ فِي جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ ۝ آخِذِينَ مَا آتَاهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ مُحْسِنِينَ ۝ كَانُوا قَلِيلًا مِنَ اللَّيْلِ مَا يَهْجَعُونَ ۝ وَبِالأَسْحَارِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ ۝ وَفِي أَمْوَالِهِمْ حَقٌّ لِلسَّائِلِ وَالْمَحْرُومِ

[Al-Dhariyat: 15-19]. As He, Glorified is He, says:

⁽⁴⁵⁾ Indeed, the righteous will be within gardens and springs. ⁽⁴⁶⁾ [Having been told], "Enter it in peace, safe [and secure]." ⁽⁴⁷⁾ And We will remove whatever is in their breasts of resentment, [so they will be] brothers, on thrones facing each other. ⁽⁴⁸⁾ No fatigue will touch them therein, nor from it will they [ever] be removed.

إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ فِي جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ ۝ ادْخُلُوهَا بِسَلامٍ آمِنِينَ ۝ وَنَزَعْنَا مَا فِي صُدُورِهِمْ مِنْ غِلٍّ إِخْوَانًا عَلَى سُرُرٍ مُتَقَابِلِينَ ۝ لا يَمَسُّهُمْ فِيهَا نَصَبٌ وَمَا هُمْ مِنْهَا بِمُخْرَجِينَ

[Al-Hijr: 45-48]. And He, Glorified is He, says:

⁽¹⁷⁾ Indeed, the righteous will be in gardens and pleasure, ⁽¹⁸⁾ Enjoying what their Lord has given them, and their Lord protected them from the punishment of Hellfire.

إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ فِي جَنَّاتٍ وَنَعِيمٍ ۝ فَاكِهِينَ بِمَا آتَاهُمْ رَبُّهُم

[Al-Tur: 17-18]. And He (Exalted and Majestic is He) said in Surah Al-Qalam:

Indeed, for the righteous with their Lord are the Gardens of Pleasure.

إِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ

[Al-Qalam: 34], in many verses.
It is obligatory for the believer to care for this matter and to focus on the characteristics of the people of Paradise. The most important thing is performing the obligatory duties and avoiding the prohibitions. One should attend to performing the obligations of Allah, avoiding the prohibitions of Allah, and observing the limits of Allah. This is the cause that Allah has made a means to Paradise by His grace and mercy. And one should beware with the utmost caution of the characteristics of the people of the Fire, whose condition Allah has described in His great Book:

⁽⁷⁴⁾ Indeed, the criminals will be in the punishment of Hell, abiding eternally. ⁽⁷⁵⁾ It will not be allowed to subside for them, and they, therein, are in despair. ⁽⁷⁶⁾ And We did not wrong them, but it was they who were the wrongdoers. ⁽⁷⁷⁾ And they will call, "O Malik, let your Lord put an end to us!" He will say, "Indeed, you will remain." ⁽⁷⁸⁾ We had certainly brought you the truth, but most of you, to the truth, were averse.

إِنَّ الْمُجْرِمِينَ فِي عَذَابِ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدُونَ ۝ لا يُفَتَّرُ عَنْهُمْ وَهُمْ فِيهِ مُبْلِسُونَ ۝ وَمَا ظَلَمْنَاهُمْ وَلَكِنْ كَانُوا هُمُ الظَّالِمِينَ ۝ وَنَادَوْا يَا مَالِكُ لِيَقْضِ عَلَيْنَا رَبُّكَ قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ مَاكِثُونَ ۝ لَقَدْ جِئْنَاكُمْ بِالْحَقِّ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَكُمْ لِلْحَقِّ كَارِهُونَ

[al-Zukhruf: 74-78]. This is their condition; we ask Allah for safety.
The truth was made clear to them, they were called to the causes of happiness, the messengers conveyed the message to them, and Allah sent down the books upon them. But they followed their desires and Satan; so they regretted with the utmost regret. Allah the Exalted said:

⁽⁷¹⁾ And those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in groups until, when they reach it, its gates are opened and its keepers will say, "Did there not come to you messengers from yourselves, reciting to you the verses of your Lord and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours?" They will say, "Yes, but the word of punishment has come into effect upon the disbelievers. ⁽⁷²⁾ [To them] it will be said, "Enter the gates of Hell to abide eternally therein, and wretched is the residence of the arrogant." ⁽⁷³⁾ But those who feared their Lord will be driven to Paradise in groups until, when they reach it while its gates have been opened and its keepers say, "Peace be upon you; you have become pure; so enter it to abide eternally therein," [they will enter].

وَسِيقَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِلَى جَهَنَّمَ زُمَرًا حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءُوهَا فُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَا أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِنْكُمْ يَتْلُونَ عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِ رَبِّكُمْ وَيُنْذِرُونَكُمْ لِقَاءَ يَوْمِكُمْ هَذَا قَالُوا بَلَى وَلَكِنْ حَقَّتْ كَلِمَةُ الْعَذَابِ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ ۝ قِيلَ ادْخُلُوا أَبْوَابَ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا فَبِئْسَ مَثْوَى الْمُتَكَبِّرِينَ ۝ وَسِيقَ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا رَبَّهُمْ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ زُمَرًا حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءُوهَا وَفُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَا سَلامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ طِبْتُمْ فَادْخُلُوهَا خَالِدِينَ

[Az-Zumar: 71-73]. This is the condition of these and the condition of those.
Therefore, it is worthy of the believer, and worthy of the believing woman, to care for the morals of the believers and to be characterized by their great traits: the oneness of Allah, sincerity to Him, maintaining the prayer, paying the alms, fasting Ramadan, and performing the pilgrimage to the House... striving in all good... dutifulness to parents... maintaining family ties... increasing the remembrance of Allah... enjoining good... forbidding evil... and other forms of good.
Then, beware of everything Allah has forbidden. The greatest of these is shirk (associating partners with Allah). The greatest thing Allah has forbidden is major shirk. He (Exalted and Majestic is He) said:

Indeed, he who associates others with Allah - Allah has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire. And there are not for the wrongdoers any helpers.

إِنَّهُ مَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَأْوَاهُ النَّارُ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ أَنصَارٍ

[Al-Ma'idah: 72]. And He, the Exalted, said:

Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ

[An-Nisa: 48]. He, the Exalted, said:

⁽⁶⁵⁾ And it was already revealed to you and to those before you that if you should associate [anything] with Allah, your work would surely become worthless, and you would surely be among the losers." ⁽⁶⁶⁾ Rather, worship [only] Allah and be among the grateful.

وَلَقَدْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ وَإِلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ لَئِنْ أَشْرَكْتَ لَيَحْبَطَنَّ عَمَلُكَ وَلَتَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ ۝ بَلِ اللَّهَ فَاعْبُدْ وَكُنْ مِنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ

[Az-Zumar: 65-66]. And He described the characteristics of His believing awliya (close friends of Allah), the characteristics of the servants of Ar-Rahman:

And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace,

وَعِبَادُ الرَّحْمَنِ الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الأَرْضِ هَوْنًا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلامًا

[Al-Furqan: 63]. These are the characteristics of the servants of Ar-Rahman.

And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace,

[Al-Furqan: 63]. These are among their great characteristics.
Therefore, the believer should be characterized by the traits of the awliya (close friends of Allah) and beware of the traits of the enemies of Allah wherever he is. The servants of Ar-Rahman are the righteous, they are the awliya (close friends of Allah), they are the doers of excellence, they are those who obeyed Allah and His Messenger and were upright upon His religion.

And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace,

[Al-Furqan: 63].
And He, Glorified is He, says regarding the description of His righteous servants:

⁽¹⁷⁾ Indeed, the righteous will be in gardens and pleasure, ⁽¹⁸⁾ Enjoying what their Lord has given them, and their Lord protected them from the punishment of Hellfire. ⁽¹⁹⁾ [They will be told], "Eat and drink in satisfaction for what you used to do." ⁽²⁰⁾ They will be reclining on thrones lined up, and We will marry them to fair women with large, [beautiful] eyes. ⁽²¹⁾ And those who believed and whose descendants followed them in faith - We will join with them their descendants, and We will not deprive them of anything of their deeds. Every person, for what he earned, is retained. ⁽²²⁾ And We will provide them with fruit and meat from whatever they desire. ⁽²³⁾ They will exchange with one another a cup [of wine] wherein [results] no ill speech or commission of sin. ⁽²⁴⁾ There will circulate among them [servant] boys [especially] for them, as if they were pearls well-protected. ⁽²⁵⁾ And they will approach one another, inquiring of each other. ⁽²⁶⁾ They will say, "Indeed, we were previously among our people fearful [of displeasing Allah]. ⁽²⁷⁾ So Allah conferred favor upon us and protected us from the punishment of the Scorching Fire. ⁽²⁸⁾ Indeed, we used to supplicate Him before. Indeed, it is He who is the Beneficent, the Merciful."

إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ فِي جَنَّاتٍ وَنَعِيمٍ ۝ فَاكِهِينَ بِمَا آتَاهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ وَوَقَاهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ عَذَابَ الْجَحِيمِ ۝ كُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا هَنِيئًا بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ۝ مُتَّكِئِينَ عَلَى سُرُرٍ مَصْفُوفَةٍ وَزَوَّجْنَاهُمْ بِحُورٍ عِينٍ ۝ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَاتَّبَعَتْهُمْ ذُرِّيَّتُهُمْ بِإِيمَانٍ أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُمْ مِنْ عَمَلِهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ كُلُّ امْرِئٍ بِمَا كَسَبَ رَهِينٌ ۝ وَأَمْدَدْنَاهُمْ بِفَاكِهَةٍ وَلَحْمٍ مِمَّا يَشْتَهُونَ ۝ يَتَنَازَعُونَ فِيهَا كَأْسًا لا لَغْوٌ فِيهَا وَلا تَأْثِيمٌ ۝ وَيَطُوفُ عَلَيْهِمْ غِلْمَانٌ لَهُمْ كَأَنَّهُمْ لُؤْلُؤٌ مَكْنُونٌ ۝ وَأَقْبَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ يَتَسَاءَلُونَ ۝ قَالُوا إِنَّا كُنَّا قَبْلُ فِي أَهْلِنَا مُشْفِقِينَ ۝ فَمَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْنَا وَوَقَانَا عَذَابَ السَّمُومِ ۝ إِنَّا كُنَّا مِنْ قَبْلُ نَدْعُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْبَرُّ الرَّحِيمُ

[Al-Tur: 17-28].
So you, O Abdullah, are now in the abode of respite, the abode of action. And so you, O Ummah of Allah, are in the abode of respite, the abode of action. It is obligatory for each of you to fear Allah by establishing the oneness of Allah and being sincere to Him in all deeds: prayer, fasting, charity, seeking forgiveness, and the remembrance of Allah. A person directs his heart to Allah and makes his work sincere for Allah. If he gives charity, it is for Allah; if he prays, it is for Allah; if he fasts, it is for Allah; and so on, all of it is for Allah, as He the Exalted said:

And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give zakah. And that is the correct religion.

وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَاءَ وَيُقِيمُوا الصَّلاةَ وَيُؤْتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَذَلِكَ دِينُ الْقَيِّمَةِ

[al-Bayyinah: 5]. And He the Exalted said:

So worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion. ⁽³⁾ Unquestionably, for Allah is the pure religion.

فَاعْبُدِ اللَّهَ مُخْلِصًا لَهُ الدِّينَ ۝ أَلا لِلَّهِ الدِّينُ الْخَالِصُ

[al-Zumar: 2-3]. And He (Exalted and Majestic is He) said in His noble Book:

So invoke Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, although the disbelievers dislike it.

فَادْعُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُونَ

[Ghafir: 14].
Among the most important matters is also to beware of all sins: zina, theft, deceiving Muslims, lying, riba, undutifulness to parents or one of them, severing family ties, backbiting, talebearing, and so on, all that which Allah has forbidden. A person should examine himself regarding the performance of the obligations of Allah and the abundance of obedience to Allah, and he should examine himself regarding the avoidance of the prohibitions and sins of Allah, hoping for His reward and fearing His punishment .
We ask Allah to guide us and all Muslims to everything that pleases Him, and to protect us and all Muslims from the causes of His anger and His retribution. Indeed, He (Exalted and Majestic is He) is Generous and Bountiful. Yes.

The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, Your Eminence, for this blessed guidance.

Source binbaz.org.sa

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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