The Everlasting Joy of Paradise

📖Sahih al-Bukhari 3666
Narrated Abu Huraira: I heard Allah’s Messenger ﷺ saying: “Anybody who spends a pair of something in Allah’s Cause will be called from all the gates of Paradise, ‘O slave of Allah! This is good.’ He who is among those who pray will be called from the gate of prayer, and he who is from the people of Jihad will be called from the gate of Jihad, and he who gives in charity will be called from the gate of charity, and he who fasts will be called from the gate of fasting — the gate of Rayyan.” Abu Bakr said, “Will anyone be called from all these gates, O Messenger of Allah?”
The Prophet ﷺ replied, “Yes, and I hope you will be among them, O Abu Bakr.”

Explanation & Context:

This hadith illustrates that Paradise has many gates, and each one is connected to a type of good deed. These gates are not physical like worldly doors, but rather represent the specific actions that lead a person into Paradise.

Each deed is itself a gate:

• The gate of prayer is for those who were devoted in their salah.
• The gate of fasting (Rayyan) is for those who were sincere in fasting.
• The gate of charity is for those who were generous.
• The gate of Jihad is for those who struggled sincerely for the sake of Allah.

These gates are symbolic of the pathways of righteousness. So, a person enters through the gate of the deed they were most committed to.

📖Quran 2:277
Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds, establish prayer and give zakah will have their reward with their Lord. No fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve.

What does Jihad mean?

Jihad does not mean killing people. It means striving and struggling in the way of Allah, and it includes:

• Defending when attacked (physical Jihad),
• Speaking the truth against injustice,
• Helping the oppressed,
• Donating to good causes,
• And even fighting one’s inner desires and sins (Jihad al-Nafs).

📖Quran 22:39-40
Permission [to fight] has been given to those who are being fought, because they were wronged. And indeed, Allah is competent to give them victory. [They are] those who have been evicted from their homes without right — only because they say, “Our Lord is Allah.”

This confirms that Jihad is defensive and based on justice not aggression.

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What if a person does good deeds and still commits crimes?

No matter how many righteous deeds someone does, if they commit murder, rape, or harm others, the punishment under Islamic law is severe:

📖Quran 5:32
Whoever kills a person — not in retaliation for murder or spreading corruption in the land — it is as if he has killed all of mankind.

📖Quran 5:33
Indeed, the penalty for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and spread corruption on earth is death, crucifixion, or cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides, or exile.

However, Islam allows justice with mercy:

📖Quran 2:178
O you who have believed, prescribed for you is legal retribution for murder… but if the killer is forgiven by the brother of the slain, then grant a suitable compensation and forgiveness.

This shows that:

• The victim’s family can forgive.
  After justice is served, if the criminal repents sincerely, then Allah may forgive him.

📖Quran 4:17
Allah only accepts the repentance of those who do evil ignorantly or carelessly and then repent soon after. It is they to whom Allah will turn in forgiveness.

We cannot guarantee anyone’s forgiveness, only Allah knows the heart and accepts sincere repentance