Many ignorant people rely on the Mercy, Forgiveness and Generosity of Allah ~' without following His Commands and Prohibitions, forgetting that He ~ is severe in punishment, and that His Wrath will never be withheld from criminal (polytheist, sinning) people. So whoever relies on the Mercy of Allah ~ ' while still insisting on committing sins is just stubborn. Ma'ruf has said: "Hoping for mercy from the One (Allah) Whom you do not obey is but foolishness." Al-Hasan said: "Some people have been distracted by the hope of Allah's Grace, until they left this world without having made any repentance. One of them said: 'Verily, I have a good opinion of My Lord.' He simply lied, because if he had had a good opinion of his Lord, he would have perfected his deeds." Usamah bin Zayd ~ reported that he heard the Prophet ~ say: "A man will be brought on the Day of Resurrection and thrown in the (Hell) Fire, so that his intestines will come out, and he will go around like a donkey goes around a millstone. The people of the (Hell) Fire will gather around him and say: 'O so-and-so! What is wrong with you? Didn't you use to order us to do good deeds and forbid us to do bad deeds?' He will reply: 'Yes, I used to order you to do good deeds, but I did not do them myself, and I used to forbid you to do bad deeds, yet I used to do them myself. "'1 He also reported that Anas bin Malik 4, said: "The Messenger of Allah ~ said: 'During my Nocturnal journey (the Night of Isra') I passed by some people who were having their lips cut by, scissors of fire. I asked: 'Who are they?' they said: 'Lecturers from your Ummah'; they used to enjoin righteousness on people but forgot to practise it themselves. " 2 Anas 4, also reported that the Prophet ~ said: "On the night when I was taken up to Heaven I passed by people whose lips were being cut by scissors of fire. I asked Gabriel who they were and he told me they were those preachers among my people, who said what they did not do"3 He ~ also said: "The Prophet ~ often used to say: 'When I was taken up to heaven I passed by people who had nails of copper and, were scratching their faces and their breasts. I asked: 'Who are these people, 0 Gabriel?' He replied: 'They are those who were given to back biting and who aspersed people's honour. "'4 Anas ~ also said: "The Messenger of Allah :i used to say quite frequently: 'O Turner of the heart, keep me steadfast in your religion.' I said: 'Messenger of Allah, we do affirm faith in you and in that which you have been sent with, yet despite this, you entertain fear about us.' Whereupon he :i said: 'Yes. Verily the hearts are between two of the Fingers of Allah and He turns them as He likes. "'5 Anas ~ also reported that the Prophet ~ said to Jibreel ~I: "Why do I never see Michael laughing? He replied: 'He has never laughed since the Hell-Fire was created. "'6 In Sahih Muslim, Anas ~ said: "The Messenger of Allah ~ said: 'One (person) from amongst the denizens of Hell, who had led a life of ease and plenty amongst the people of the world, would be made to dip into fire only once on the Day of Resurrection and then it would be said to him: 'O, son of Adam, did you find any comfort, did you happen to get any material blessing? ' He would reply: ' By Allah, no, my Lord. And then that person from amongst the persons of the world be brought who had led the most miserable life (in the world) from amongst the inmates of Paradise and he would be made to dip once in Paradise and it would be said to him: 'O, son of Adam, did you face any hardship? Or had any distress fallen to your lot?' And he would say: 'By Allah, no, O my Lord, never did I face any hardship or experience any distress. "' 1 Al-Bara' bin 'Azib ~ said: "We went out with the Messenger of Allah ~ accompanying the bier of a man of the Ansar. When we reached his grave, it was not yet dug. So the Messenger of Allah ::i sat down and we also sat down around him as if there were birds over our heads. He ~ had in his hand a stick with which he was scratching the ground. He then raised his head and said: 'Seek refuge in Allah from the punishment in the grave.' He ~ said it twice or thrice. The version of Jabir has the addition: "The dead man hears the thumping of their sandals as the people who attend his funeral go back, and at that moment he is asked: 'O so and so! Who is your Lord, what is your religion , and who is your Prophet?"' Hannad's version says: "Two angels will come to him, make him sit up and ask him: 'Who is your Lord?' He would reply: 'My Lord is Allah.' They will ask him: 'What is your religion?' He would reply: 'My religion is Islam.' They will ask him: ' What is your opinion about the man who was sent on a mission among you?' He would reply: 'He is the Messenger of Allah ~ ·. They will ask: 'Who made you aware of this?' He would reply: ' I read Allah's Book, believed in it, and considered it true; " ' which is verified by Allah's ~ words: ( Allah establishes those who believe with the word that stands firm in this world and the next) . The agreed version reads: "Then a crier will call from Heaven: 'My servant has spoken the truth, so spread a bed for him from Paradise, clothe him from Paradise, and open a door for him into Paradise. So some of its air and perfume will come to him, and a space will be made for him as far as the eye can see."' He also mentioned the death of an infidel, saying: "His spirit would be restored to his body, two angels would come to him, make him sit up and ask him: 'Who is your Lord?' He would reply: 'Alas, alas! I do not know.' They will ask him : 'What is your religion?' He would reply: 'Alas, alas! I do not know.' They will ask: 'Who was the man who was sent on a mission among you?' He would reply: 'Alas, alas! I do not know.' Then a crier would call from Heaven: 'He has lied, so spread a bed for him from Hell, clothe him from Hell, and open for him a door into Hell.' Then some of its heat and pestilential wind will come to him, and his grave would become compressed, so that his ribs would be crushed together." Jabir's version adds: "One who is blind and dumb would then be placed in charge of him, having a sledge-hammer such that if a mountain were struck with it, it would become dust. He would give him a blow with it, which would be heard by everything between the east and the west except by men and Jinn, and he would become dust. Then his spirit would be restored to him. " 2 Al-Bara' ~ also reported: "As we were in the company of the Messenger of Allah ~' he saw a group of people, and asked: 'Around what are they gathering?' they said: 'Around a grave which they dig.' The Prophet ~ felt anxious, so he rushed until he ~ reached that grave, and rested on his knees. I stood facing to see what he ~ was going to do. He ~ cried until the ground was wet with his tears, then he ~ came to us and said: 'Dear brothers, prepare for a day like this."'3 Buraydah ~ said: "The Messenger of Allah~ came out to us one day and called, three times: 'O people! Do you know my example and your example?' They said: 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He~ said: 'My example and your example is like that of a people who were worried about an invasion from their enemy, so they dispatched someone to look around, and he observed the enemy, he returned to warn them, but was anxious that the enemy might catch up with him before he could warn his people; so he waved his clothing, yelling: 0 people, Your enemy is coming! 0 people, your enemy is coming! "'1 Jabir bin Abdullah ~ said: "The Messenger of Allah ~ said: 'Every intoxicant is forbidden. Verily Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, made a covenant to those who drank intoxicants to make them drink Tinat al-Khabal." They said: 'Messenger of Allah, what is Tinat al-Khabal?' He said: 'It is the sweat of the denizens of Hell' or 'the discharge of the denizens of Hell. "'2 Abu Dharr Al-Ghafari 4, said: "The Messenger of Allah ~ said: 'I see what you do no see. I hear what you do not hear. The sky has moaned, and it has right to do so. There is no place, the size of four fingers, except that there is an Angel prostrating to Allah on it. Had you known what I know, you would have laughed less and wept much, and you would not even think of satisfying your desire with your women on your beds. Rather, you would climb to the mountains and pray fervently to Allah~." Abu Dharr 4, then said: "I wish I were a tree, being bitten." Hudhayfah ~ said: "We were attending a funeral with the Prophet ~ - When we reached the grave, he ~ sat on his legs, and kept staring at the grave; then he ~ said: 'The believer will feel a pressure which will remove the veins of his testicles, whereas the disbeliever will be filled with fire." Jabir bin Abdullah ~ said: "We went out with the Prophet ~ for the funeral of Sa'd bin Mu'adh, when he died. When the Prophet~ performed the funeral prayer, and Sa'd was placed in his grave, the Prophet ~ made tasbeeh (Saying Subhanallah!), so we all made tasbeeh; he ~ said Allahu Akbar, and we all said the same. Then it was said to him: 'Why do you made tasbeeh, 0 Messenger of Allah?' he ~ replied: 'The grave was getting narrow for this pious Servant of Allah, so I said takbeer (Allahu Akbar) until Allah ~ relieved him. "3 Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri ~ said: "The Messenger of Allah ~ said: 'When the bier is ready (for its burial) and the people lift it onto their shoulders, then if the deceased is a righteous person he says: 'Take me ahead,' but if he is not a righteous one then he says: 'Woe to it (me)! Where are you taking it (me)?' And his voice is audible to everything except human beings; for if they heard it they would fall down, unconscious. " 4 Abu Umamah ~ said: "The Messenger of Allah~ said: "On the Day of Resurrection, the sun would draw so close to the people that there would be left only a distance of one mile, and its heat would increase so much that heads would be boiling. The people would be submerged in perspiration according to their deeds, some up to their knees, some up to the waists and some would have a bridle of perspiration."5 Ibn 'Abbas ~ reported that the Prophet ::i said: "How can I feel happy when Angel Israfil (the angel appointed to blow the Trumpet on the Day of Judgment) has put his lips to the Trumpet, waiting to hear the order to blow the trumpet? This very much distressed his companions, so he told them to seek comfort by reciting: (Sufficient for us is Allah and an excellent Guardian is He)"1 lbn 'Umar ~ reported that the Prophet ::i said: "The painters of these pictures will be punished on the Day of Resurrection. It will be said to them: 'Put life in what you have created (i.e. painted). "'2 He ~ also reported that the Prophet ::i said: "When anyone of you dies, he would be shown his destination, both in the morning and in the evening, so if he belongs to the people of Paradise, he would be shown his place in Paradise, and if he is from the people of Hell, he would be shown his place in Hell."3 He ~ also reported that the Prophet ~ said: "When the people of Paradise have entered Paradise, and the people of the Fire have entered the Fire, death would be brought and would be placed between the Fire and Paradise, and then it would be slaughtered, and a caller would call out: 'O people of Paradise, no more death! 0 people of the Fire, no more death!' So, the people of Paradise would have happiness added to their previous happiness, and the people of the Fire would have sorrow added to their previous sorrow."4 Abdullah bin Amr ~ also reported that the Prophet ~ said: "If anyone drinks wine Allah would not accept his prayers for forty days , but if he repents Allah would forgive him . If he repeats the offence Allah would not accept his prayers for forty days, but if he repents Allah would forgive him. Should he further repeat the offence Allah would not accept his prayers for forty days, but if he repents Allah would forgive him. If he repeats it a fourth time Allah would not accept his prayers for forty days, and if he repents Allah would not forgive him, but would let him drink from the river of the fluid flowing from the inhabitants of Hell."5 Abu Musa ~ said: "The Messenger of Allah ~ said: "Mankind will be assembled on the Day of Resurrection in three expositions: the first two will be of arguments and excuses, but in the third, everyone will be handed their book, so some will take it with their right hand, and some will take it with their left hand.""6 Ibn Mas'ud ~ said: "The Messenger of Allah ~ said: "Beware of minor sins, for they gather within a man until they destroy him.""7 Abu Hurayrah ~ reported that the Messenger of Allah :i said: "Then a bridge will be laid over the (Hell) Fire. I will be the first to cross it. And the invocation of the Apostles on that Day, will be 'Allahumma Sallim, Sallim (0 Allah, save, save (us)!)' and over that bridge there will be hooks similar to the thorns of As- Sa'dan (a thorny tree). These hooks will snatch the people according to their deeds. Some people will be ruined because of their evil deeds, and some will be cut into pieces and fall down into Hell, but will be saved afterwards, when Allah has finished the judgments among His Servants, and intends to remove from the Fire whoever He wishes to remove, of those who used to testify that none had the right to be worshipped but Allah. We will order the angels to remove them and the angels will know them by the prostration marks (on their foreheads); for Allah has prevented the Fire from consuming the traces of prostration on the bodies of Adam's sons. So they will remove them, and by then they would have been burnt (as coal), and then water, called Ma' al-Hayat (water of life) would be poured on them, and they would spring up like a seedlings springing from the bank of a (rainwater) stream." 1 Abu Hurayrah ~ also reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah ~ say: "The first man (whose case) would be decided on the Day of Judgment, would be a man who died as a martyr. He would be brought (before the Judgment Seat). Allah would make him recount His Blessings (i.e. the Blessings which He had bestowed upon him) and he would recount them (and admit having enjoyed them during his life). (Then) Allah will say: 'What did you do (to requite these Blessings)?' He would say: 'I fought for Thee until I died as a martyr.' Allah will say: 'You have told a lie! You fought so that you might be called a "brave warrior". And you were called so.' (Then) orders would be passed against him and he would be dragged, face downward, and cast into Hell. Then there would be brought forward a man who acquired knowledge and imparted it (to others) and recited the Qur'an. He will be brought, Allah will make him recount His Blessings and he would recount them (and admit having enjoyed them during his lifetime). Then Allah will ask: 'What did you do (to requite these Blessings)?' He would say: 'I acquired knowledge and disseminated it and recited the Qur'an, seeking Thy Pleasure.' Allah will say: 'You have told a lie! You acquired knowledge so that you might be called "a scholar", and you recited the Qur' an so that it might be said: "He is a Qari" and such has been said.' Then orders will be passed against him and he would be dragged, face downward, and cast into the Fire. Then there would be brought a man whom Allah had made abundantly rich and had granted every kind of wealth. He would be brought, Allah will make him recount His Blessings and he will recount them and (admit having enjoyed them during his lifetime). Allah will (then) ask: 'What have you done (to requite these Blessings)?' He will say: 'I spent money in every cause in which Thou wished that it should be spent.' Allah will say: 'You are lying.' You did (so) that it might be said about (you): "He is a generous fellow", and so it was said. Then will Allah pass orders and he would be dragged, face downward, and thrown into Hell."2 I heard Shaikh Al-Islam, Ibn Taymiyah, saying: "Just as the best of people are the Prophets, the worst of them are those who pretend to be their followers, yet are not. The best people after the Prophets are the scholars, the martyrs, the truthful and sincere. Whereas the most evil people are those who deceive people by pretending to be the followers of the Prophets, while in fact, they are not." Abu Hurayah ~ reported that the Prophet :i said: "Whoever among you has unjustly demanded from his brother, in respect to his property or honour, should settle it with him, before he is taken (he dies) while having no dirham or dinar (no money to settle the injustice), so that (on the Day of Resurrection) if he had any good deeds, they would be taken from him and given to the other person, but if he had no good deeds left to settle the matter, the bad deeds of that person would be added to his, and he would be cast into the Hell-Fire." 1 Abu Hurayrah 4, also reported that the Prophet ii said: "Whoever usurps the land of somebody unjustly, his neck would be chained down with it down to the seven earths ( on the Day of Resurrection) ." 2 Abu Hurayrah 4, also reported that the Messenger of Allah ii said: "The fire of the children of Adam which they kindle is a seventieth part of the Fire of Hell." They said: "Messenger of Allah, this fire is certainly enough." He ii said: "That Fire is sixty-nine times greater."3 There are many traditions about this subject, so no one should disregard them, indulging in sins, and remam attached to his good opinion of his Lord! Abu Al-Wafa' bin 'Uqayl said: "Fear Him (Allah ii) and do not deceive yourself; for a hand may be cut for stealing three dirhams only; flogging can be applied for drinking a small drop of wine; and a woman entered the Hell-Fire because of her mistreatment of a cat." Mu' adh 4, said: "The Messenger of Allah ;i instructed me to do ten things, saying: '1. Do not associate anything with Allah, even if you are killed and burnt on that account. 2. Don't be disobedient to your parents, even if they command you to abandon your family and your property. 3. Do not deliberately neglect to observe a prescribed prayer, for he who neglects the prescribed prayer deliberately will fall away from the Protection of Allah. 4. Do not drink wine, for it is the worst obscenity. 5. Shun evil, for with evil there descends the Wrath of Allah. 6. Beware of running away from the battle-field, even if the people perish. 7. And when death overtakes people (in a plague or disaster) while you are one amongst them, show steadfastness. 8. Spend on your children, according to your means. 9. Do not refrain from using pressure in order to train them. 10. Inculcate in them the fear ofAllah"4 Imam Ahmad said: "Abu Mu'awiyah reported that Al- A'mash narrated from Salman bin Maysarah, from Tariq bin Shihab, that the Prophet ;i said : "A man entered Paradise because of a fly, and another man entered the Hell-Fire because of a fly" The people asked: "Why, 0 Messenger of Allah?" he :i replied: "Two men passed by a group of people who had an idol they used to worship, however no one could pass through unless they offered something to their idol. The people said to one of them: Offer something to our idol. The man replied: 'I have nothing to offer.' They told him: 'Offer something, even a fly.' So he offered a fly to their god, and they let him go free , but he (later) was to end up in the Hell-Fire. They told the other: 'Offer something.' He replied : 'I would never offer anything except to Allah £.' So they struck his neck ( executing him) , and ( consequently) he entered Paradise." A careless word uttered by a person could lead him/her to fall into the Hell-Fire, for a longer distance than that between the East and West. Some deceived people also rely on the fact that Allah ~ bestows His Blessings upon them in this world, believing that it is due to His Love for them, and that in the Hereafter, He ~ will grant even better blessings . But this is nothing but self-deception. Imam Ahmad said: " Y ahya bin Ghaylan reported that: Rushdayn bin Sa'd narrated , from Harmalah bin 'Imran at- Tajeeby, from 'Aqabah bin Muslim, from 'Aqabah bin 'Amir, that the Prophet ~ said: "When you see that Allah ~ is granting His Blessings to His Servant, even if the Servant were committing sins, then it is an allurement" then he :i recited: ( So, when they forgot (the warning) with which they had been reminded, We opened for them the gates of every (pleasant) thing, until in the midst of their enjoyment in that which they were given, all of a sudden, We took them (in punishment), and they were plunged into destruction, with deep regret and sorrow) 1."2 A pious scholar once said: "If you see that Allah ~ bestows His Blessings upon you , while you are still committing sins, then be cautious of Him; it is just a way to draw you gradually to His Punishment; for He ~ said: ( Were it not that mankind would have become of one community, We would have provided for those who disbelieve in the Most Gracious (Allah), silver roofs for their houses, and eievators whereby they ascend; and for their houses, doors, and thrones on which they could recline; and adornments of gold. Yet all this would have been nothing but enjoyment in this world; but the Hereafter with your Lord is for the pious believers) Allah~ has rebuked those 3 who think in this way, saying: ( As for man, when his Lord tries him by giving him honour and bounties, then he says: "My Lord has honoured me." But when He tries him by straitening his means of life, he says: "My Lord has humiliated me! Nay) 4 i.e. not all those I bestow My Blessings are people I have honoured, and not all those I have straitened their means of life I have humiliated. Rather, I try one with My Blessings, and I honour the other with trials. The Prophet ~ said: "Verily, Allah ~ gives the world to those whom He ~ loves and those whom He does not love, but He ~ only give Iman (good faith) to those whom He ~ loves."5