The Deeds of the People of Paradise and of the Fire

Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (d.728H) recounts the deeds of those who shall enter Paradise and the deeds of those who shall enter the Fire.

Ibn Taymiyyah was asked, what are the deeds of the people of Paradise, and what are the deeds of the people of the Fire?

So He answered –

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all the worlds – An action of the people of Paradise is Faith (eemaan), and righteousness (taqwaa), and an action of the people of the Fire is disbelief (kufr), and corruption (fusooq), and disobedience (‘asyaan).

So the deeds of the people of Paradise are faith in Allah, and His angels, and His books, and His messengers, and the Last Day, and faith in pre-decree (qadar) – the good of it, and the evil of it. And the two testimonies; bearing witness that there is no true deity worthy of worship except for Allah, and Muhammad (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is the Messenger of Allah. And establishing prayer, and giving charity (zakat), and the fast of Ramadan, and pilgrimage to the House. And that you worship Allah as though you see Him, so even though you cannot see Him, verily He sees you.

And from the deeds of the people of Paradise is truthful speech, and fulfilling trusts, and the keeping of agreements, and righteousness towards the parents and family, and mercy and goodness towards the neighbours and orphans, and the poor, and the slave from amongst the poor, and the cattle. And from the deeds of the people of Paradise is being sincere towards Allah, and trusting in Him, and loving for His sake, and His messenger, and fearing Allah, and having hope in His Mercy, and turning repentantly to Him, and having patience on His Command, and being thankful for His Blessings. And from the actions of the people of Paradise is the recitation of the Quran, and the remembrance of Allah, and calling on Him for ones affairs, and having a fervent desire (raghbah) towards Him.

And from the deeds of the people of Paradise is to maintain ties with whoever cuts himself off from you, and to allow for the one who forbids for you, and to forgive the one who oppresses you. For verily Allah has prepared Paradise for the righteous.

“Those who spend in ease and hardship, and the restrainers of anger, and the forgivers of people – and Allah loves those who are good.” [Surah ‘Ali ‘Imran 3:134]

And from the deeds of the people of Paradise is trustworthiness in all affairs, and with all of the creation, even the disbelievers, and similar to these actions.

And as for the people of the Fire, they do the likes of associating partners with Allah, and lying on the messengers, and disbelief, and jealousy, and falsehood, and faithlessness, and oppression, and evil, and treachery, and the cutting off of mercy, and differing secretly or publicly, and to renounce and feel hopeless about the Light of Allah, and to feel secure from the Plot of Allah. And to become worried due to difficulties, and boasting and having arrogance during good times, and abandoning their obligatory duties to Allah, and committing transgression against His limits, and consuming what He has forbidden.

And fearing the creation rather than the Creator, and having hope in the creation rather than the Creator, and putting trust on the creatures instead of the Creator, and acting for the sake of showing off and gaining a good reputation. And opposing the Book and the Sunnah, and obeying the creation in disobedience to the Creator. And ridiculing the words of Allah, and denial of the truth, and concealing that which should be manifest from knowledge, and testimony.

And from the deeds of the people of the Fire is practicing magic, and disobedience to the parents, and killing a person whom Allah has made it forbidden to kill without a right. And eating the inheritance of an orphan, and eating interest, and running away from the army, and to accuse and make fools of chaste believing women. And a detailed discussion of these two matters is not possible, rather all of the deeds of the people of Paradise fall under obedience to Allah and His Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), and all of the deeds of the people of the Fire fall under disobedience to Allah and His Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

“And whoever obeys Allah and His messenger, shall enter into gardens underneath which rivers flow, abiding therein, and that is the greatest achievement. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger and transgresses His limits, for him is a shameful punishment.” [Surah An-Nisa’ 4:13-14]