A Person of Paradise

*A Person of Paradise”

A man came to the Messenger (saw) within the Polity of Medina and asked if he performed all of his fardh prayers would he be entered into Heaven. 

The Messenger (saw) simply replied yes. 

The man then said that I will do the fardh and not less than it, nor any more than that, and promptly left. 

As he walked away the Messenger (saw) said of him, to the companions that were present, that that man was a man of Jannah (Heaven). 

The scholars have explained this by saying that what the Messenger (saw) meant by this was that the man would be a man of Jannah if he fulfilled what he had said he would fulfil. 

But this is a stretch of imagination, by them, for one who was sent to make things clear. 

So let us revisit this without the encumbrances of our scholars. 

The statement of the Messenger (saw) that he was a man of Jannah was a statement of fact. Because he delivered it as a fact. 

Now he must have told his companions this fact in order to teach them some fundamental lesson. 

When you appreciate that then you cannot think that the lesson he wished to impart was one of ifs and buts. 

Please allow a moment to go over my argument above before proceeding further. 

So if the Messenger (saw) was not making reference to a conditional appreciation of the man’s claim, he must have been referring to something else. 

The only other thing that would have been apparent to him and his companions was not the future likelihood of his fulfilling the ask, but of some innate quality that the man had, that guaranteed him paradise. *1

So we are forced to consider his quality. 

The options that are given by the limited exchange are few, and that is what makes this such an important deliberation, and then lesson. 

1- his resolve. 

For just as Musa (as) said I am the first of believers, but then when he asked the Most Gracious if he was the most knowledgeable was shown Khidr (as). 

Just as the believers made the pact under the tree before Hudabiyyah. 

God delights when you resolve. 

It is as if the Most Gracious delights in your show, or want, for strength or to be the best that you can be. 

For off course all men are weak, but the pious when their weakness becomes apparent return back to the Most Gracious in absolute humility. 

Recall the Quranic lessons of David (as) and the litigants, Solomon’s (as) armies and the ant. 

Let’s proceed further because the real lesson is still two steps away.  

2- that he did not want to increase the religion beyond the limits set by it. 

It is a characteristic of the religious that they like to overstep the bounds set by the religion itself. But the truly pious, they know that the religion is complete and is thus, so as to appeal to everyone. 

This has always been the case and is one of the reasons that Ibrahim (as) asked that the Most Gracious make him not a trial for the people, and that therefore he has no Nation.*2

And in the lifetime of the Messenger (saw) remember the three, one who wanted to pray all night, the other who wanted to fast each day, the last who wanted to eschew from women. *3

This man’s quality is that he knew that the religion is for all of the people, and that to make it more than it is, is to make it harder for the people. 

Now for the last step. 

When we consider the two cases above, they are not dissimilar. 

For in both cases the men are saying things that it will be impossible, or hard, for them to keep to. But in the first case the man does not go beyond the limits. 

So when we deliberate further it is that the first man resolutely sets himself to not go further. And this marks him as a man of paradise. For he puts his trust in the Most Gracious to complete what he starts. Indeed the Mercy of the Most Gracious is so powerful, and he whom He covers with it … for them that is fully sufficient. 

But for those that think that it is their prayer, or their fasting, or their eschewing from living fully in the life of the community that God puts you in, will cause them to enter paradise. These they are far from it. 

For Closeness to God is an opportunity that God Himself presents to you, and those that it is presented to do not let their endeavours in that matter make it more difficult for another. *4

For belief is precious. 

And the beginning of it is submission to the religion of God. 

So do not overcomplicate the religion thinking that it makes you more special. 

The way of ascent is through sacrifice, and your guidebook throughout the journey back to the Most Gracious is nothing other than the Quran. 

Let it speak to you, and respond to its ask*5. For it is indeed the speech of the Most Merciful, Lord of all the Worlds. 

And then let God complete you in full submission. Then you will never grieve. 

Knowledge is sought through contemplation and study. 

May the Most Gracious enable for me to be a door for you to become closer to Him. Aameen. 

*1 For it is an undoubted truth that all men at some time in their life fail, and that is why we make it up afterwards and then do istighfar.

And it is the istighfar that brings us closer. 

*2 Allah t’ala honoured him by calling him the father of the Nation of Muhammed (saw) in the last verse of S Hajj. 

*3 Narrated Anas bin Malik (ra). 

“A group of three men came to the houses of the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) asking how the Prophet (ﷺ) worshipped (Allah), and when they were informed about that, they considered their worship insufficient and said, "Where are we from the Prophet (ﷺ) as his past and future sins have been forgiven." Then one of them said, "I will offer the prayer throughout the night forever." The other said, "I will fast throughout the year and will not break my fast." The third said, "I will keep away from the women and will not marry forever." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came to them and said, "Are you the same people who said so-and-so? By Allah, I am more submissive to Allah and more afraid of Him than you; yet I fast and break my fast, I do sleep and I also marry women. So he who does not follow my tradition in religion, is not from me (not one of my followers).”

*4

That is why the Messenger (saw) said:

“Verily, this religion is firmly solid, so come into it gently.” 

Surprisingly also narrated by Anas bin Malik (ra). 

*5 

This means internalise it, and interpret it and grapple with it. Make it personal to yourself. For that is it’s real bounty.