heaven and hell
(128) It is related by Abu Hurairah that the Apostle of God said: “Hell
has been surrounded with ease and luxuriousness, and Heaven has been
surrounded with toil and suffering.”
-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood and Nissai
Commentary.-Generally, sins i.e., deeds that are to be expected to lead
one to Hell are a source of sensuous enjoyment, while duties i.e., deeds
that make one deserving of admission to Paradise come hard on the flesh.
Thus, the ultimate destination of the bondsman who will yield to his
inordinate appetites and perform evil deeds shall be Hell while the
bondsman who will observe the commands of God and remain faithful to
Him shall make his abode in Heaven.
(129) It is related by Abu Hurairah that the Apostle of God said: “When
God created Heaven, He told Gabriel to go and see it [as to how He had
made Paradise with its astounding boons and comforts]. Gabriel, thus,
went and saw Heaven and the wonderful things the Lord had provided in
it. On return, he exclaimed, ‘O Lord ! By Thy Glory and Thy Magnificence,
[Thou hast made Heaven so beautiful and got ready such blessings in
it that I am sure that] anyone who hears about it will attain it [i.e.,
he will be fired with the desire to live there permanently and will
again his objective by performing the good deeds that are needed to
go to Heaven and avoiding the evil things]’ God, then, surrounded
Heaven with toll and hardship [i.e., He enclosed it on all sides with
the injunctions of the Shariat to observe which calls for a great deal
of self-denial and earnest endeavour], and, once again, told Gabriel
to go and see Heaven [with the new barricade built around it]. So, once
more, Gabriel went and saw Paradise, and, on his return, he exclaimed,
‘Our Lord ! By The Glory and Thy Magnificence, now I fear that
no one will be able to attain it [i.e., the condition of the observance
of the laws of the Shariat Thou hast prescribed is so very hard that,
perhaps, no one will be in a position to fulfil it].’ Again, when
God created Hell, He told Gabriel to go and see it [and the various
forms of punishment He had put together there]. Thus, Gabriel went and
saw it, and, on coming back, he said, ‘O Lord ! By Thy Glory and
Thy Magnificence, [Thou hast made Hell such an infernal place that]
whoever hears about it will never enter it [i.e,. he will strictly refrain
from acts that are likely to take him to Hell]. God, then surrounded
Hell with material comforts and bodily enjoyment and told Gabriel, again,
to go and see it. So, once more, Gabriel went and saw Hell [and the
ring of sensual pleasures that had been put around it]. On return, he
exclaimed, ‘O Lord! By Thy Glory and Thy Magnificence, now I fear
that everyone will make his home in it [i.e., the pleasures with which
Thou hast encompassed Hell hold such an attraction for man, with all
his animal desires and propensities, that, perhaps, everyone will yield
to them and end up in the bottomless pit].’”
-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood and Nissai
Commentary.-The special lesson the above Tradition carries is that the
sequel of gratifying one’s inclinations and desires [which, apparently,
is so pleasing] is the fearful chastisement of Hell, a moment of which
will make one forget the joys and comforts of a lifetime, while the
end of a life, of loyalty and submission to Divine injunctions [which
seems so hard and cheerless to our carnal selves] is Paradise, the home
of perfect felicity and eternal bliss.
(130) It is related by Abu Hurairah that the Apostle of God said: “I
have not seen a fearful calamity like Hell that the one running away
from it may have fallen asleep, and I have not seen an attractive thing
like Heaven that the one desiring it may have slept.”
-Tirmidhi
Commentary.-It is natural for man that when he runs to save his life
from an evil thing like a ferocious beast or a pursuing enemy, he keeps
running and does not think of rest or sleep till he has attained safety.
Similarly, when a person strives eagerly for a desirable object he forgets
about rest and sleep till he has succeeded in his aim. But towards Heaven
and Hell our attitude is hard to explain. There is no more alluring
thing than Heaven, but instead of trying our utmost to attain it, we
are inclined to be negligent while there is no more detestable thing
than Hell yet those who should be fleeing from it are fast asleep.