Ways to Paradise

56 Ways to Paradise - Imam Siraj Wahhaj

Introduction

(بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ - bismillahir-rahmanir-rahim)

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. [All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds.

Brothers and sisters, I am thankful to Allah and blessed just to have the opportunity to say to you, Assalamu Alaikum.

Brothers and sisters, over the years, I have gotten much feedback from Muslims. They have given talks. People have written me letters. And usually the things that people say to me, they affect me in one way or the other. I believe that all of the feedback that I've gotten over the years, the one that affected me the most was from a young Muslim girl, California.

After I had given a talk, she came up to me and said, Imam Siraj, you know what? I used to be the kind of Muslim that, I grew up a Muslim all my life, and I thought that I would go to Jannah. I thought for sure I would go to paradise. And then she said, she heard a lecture by one of the Imams in America, and she said after she heard his lecture, she started crying and said, you know what? If I don't get my program together, I'm going straight to hell.

The Reality of Paradise: Examining Our Chances

How many of us think we got it together? How many of us take for granted that we would go to Jannah? I remember it was one of my trips here in the UK, and a brother came to me and said, Imam Siraj, we had one of the Imams on TV, and he said that any Muslim that had the name Muhammad would never go to hell fire. I said, wow, that's interesting. I think I'm going to change my name from Siraj to Muhammad, change the name of my wife, call her Muhammad, and all my children. It's not that easy.

You don't go to paradise just because you call yourself Muhammad. And you don't even go to paradise because you call yourself Muslim. I have some good news for you, and bad news. Which do you want first? The bad news.

You must ask yourself the question, what are my chances that I'll go to Jannah? First of all, I believe that one of the major differences between this ummah today, and that glorious one 1400 years ago, is that they had a keen sense and a desire to go to paradise, and paradise was very real to them. While I think that so many of us, every once in a while we think about Jannah, every once in a while we go to somebody's janazah and think about paradise, but usually every day go about our work, our business, go to school, do our business, and usually many of us we forget about the hereafter.

The Hadith of Adam and the People of Hellfire

What about chances? Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him said that on Yawmul Qiyamah, Allah will tell Adam alayhi salat wa salam, to bring out all of the people that's going to go to Jahannam, the hellfire. And Adam would raise the question, how many? And our beloved Prophet alayhi salat wa salam said that Allah will say, or will be said to him:

(Sahih Bukhari 3348)

From every 1000 take 999, these will be the people of the hellfire.

Every 1000 take 999, and put them in the hellfire. When the Prophet alayhi salat wa salam told his companions about this, they became very sad. And then he said:

(Sahih Bukhari 3348)

And I would hope that you would be one half of the people of Jannah. And they said الله أكبر

But what are the chances for me? I want to know. I want to know for me, I want to know what are my chances. I want to go to Jannah. Allah knows I want to go. But what are my chances? And what are your chances? That you go to Jannah.

The Story of Ukasha ibn Mihsan

I imagine that all of us have our favorite companions. Someone say I would be Bilal ibn Rabah. Someone say I would be Abu Hurairah. All the Muslims would have their favorite companions. I would be this one. But if I had an opportunity to choose any Sahaba, the one that I would choose is one Sahaba named Ukasha ibn Mihsan. Most of you don't even know who he is. So why would you say Ukasha ibn Mihsan? Because of something that happened 1400 years ago.

You see brothers and sisters, never think that you who follow Prophet Muhammad have a monopoly on the people of Jannah. No, there is other followers of other Prophets who do. And there is many evidences. When I just gave the example, the Prophet said I hope that you are one half of the people of Jannah. Well, who is the other half? And then the Prophet was shown all of the Ummah.

And he said he saw even some Prophets who had no followers. Some Prophets had one or two followers. And some had large groups. And then it was said to him, Look in the horizon and you saw a whole multitude of people. And he thought that that was his Ummah. And then it was said, No, this is Musa wa qawmihi. This is Musa and his people. But look to the other horizon and then he beheld a large multitude of people. And then it was said, Also look to the other horizon. And he looked and he saw another huge multitude of people. And he said, And it was said, This is your Ummah.

And with these people, your followers in Jannah, will be 70,000 of them that shall enter Jannah with no accounting and no punishment. But qama Ukasha ibn Mihsan. And Ukasha stood up and said, Ya Rasool Allah, Ud'u Allah an yaj'alni minhum. Please, make dua for me to Allah. Ask Allah for me that I can be one of the 70,000 that will go to Jannah with no accounting and no punishment. He said, You are one of them.

Then another man stood up and said, O Messenger of Allah, make dua that I be one of them. He said, No, Ukasha has forestalled you.

The Question of Accounting and Punishment

Now you ought to ask the question, brothers and sisters. If of this whole large Ummah, 70,000 of them will go to Jannah with no accounting and no punishment. Then what about the rest of us? Even those of us who sit here think that we go to Jannah. What's the possibility? That we go to Jannah with no punishment at all. Or will it be that many of us who will eventually go to Insha Allah, Maybe that we have to get some punishment before we go there. Maybe first, before we go there, we're going to have to go to some accounting.

Let me give you an example in case you don't understand what I'm saying. You know one hadith, the Prophet said that poor people enter Jannah 500 years before rich people. You've seen that hadith, right? Also, some people say, So what? Big deal. I wait 500 years. You see, it won't be no big deal if you're just cooling out for 500 years. But you won't be cooling out.

Let me give you an example. We have as Muslims the obligation to pay Zakat. Prophet said that whoever has gold and doesn't pay the Zakat on the Day of Judgment, this gold is going to be heated up in the form of a brand. And you will be branded with it on your head and on your sides and on your back. And then when the gold is cooled off, it'll be heated again. And then you'll be burned with it again. And when it's cooled, it's going to be heated again. Then it's going to be branded with it again. How long will this take? 50,000 years. And then you'll be judged.

Get it? Some people have to go through some accounting and some punishment even before they go to Jannah.

The Message: Be Humble

That's my message today. My message today, open, fair, fierce, be humble. You know why? Because nobody can earn Jannah by their works alone. As the Prophet told his companions, And they said, even you? He said, even me. Unless Allah envelops me with His Rahmah, His mercy.

You can go there and do all the work. Think you got it made? Yeah, I pray my five prayers a day. I go to the Masjid. I'm the first one on line every day. I fast the fast of David. I fast every other day. I wake up every night to Tahajjud prayer. And I pray for a couple of hours. I read the Quran. Yeah, I got it made. No, you don't. First thing you have to do is humble.

The Danger of Taking Allah for Granted

Now, I like to take surveys. I'm going to take a little survey now. How many of you Muslims in the audience know somebody that used to practice Islam? Used to pray. No longer practice. No longer pray. Raise your hand. If you know somebody that used to practice, no longer practice. Raise your hand.

I learned something from a sister. Years ago, she came to me crying. Imam said, I come to complain about my husband. You see, Imam, when she said that, when I first married my husband, he was very attentive to me. He used to pay attention to me. He used to talk to me, spend time with me. But now, the longer we've been married, the less attention he pays to me. He doesn't hardly talk to me anymore. Now, I know sisters, this doesn't sound familiar. And you're not even spending your time with me.

And I learned something from her. I remember reading a hadith where Aisha said of the prophet:

(Sahih Muslim 373)

Rasoolullah remembered Allah in every circumstance.

Yeah, he remembered Allah in every circumstance. When did he remember Allah? He remembered Allah when he eating. He remembered Allah when he wake up in the morning, when he go to bed, when he put his clothes on, when he eats, when he sleeps with his wife. Every moment, he remembered Allah in every circumstance.

And I read something else. Prophet said to Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As radiyallahu anhuma:

This person. This person used to stand up at night and then he stopped. He stopped for a moment. You know in the Arabic language when you have the word كان plus present indicative يَقُومُ كَانَ. That gives the meaning used to. Used to do it. And the implication is he don't do it now.

The Reality of "Used To"

There are many of that among us. We hear them from time to time. Yeah brother, I used to go to masjid. I used to go to fajr prayer everyday. I used to. I used to read the Quran when I was young. I used to always read the Quran. I used to. I remember I used to give zakat and I used to give sadaqah. I used to.

One thing I learned about Allah is that he refuses to allow his servants to take him for granted. See you can't say well I fasted last year. Or I made salatul fajr yesterday. What about this morning? What about this year for fasting? So you can't be used to be. What did you do for Allah lately? And sometimes we like to hold on to our laurels what we did in the past and think that's sufficient. It's not sufficient. So we have to continue to do everything for Allah everyday.

Allah's Mercy and Guidance

In my conclusion. Be humble. Why? Be humble because number one it's Allah's mercy in addition to your works that he give you the gift of Jannah. Number two. Be careful. Because Allah has a way sometimes of turning things around.

If you saw me 23 years ago in the nation of Islam and some did. You! You Shirk! You brother in the hellfire! You brother! You're not following the Quran and the Sunnah. And they were right. But Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala was merciful. Allowed me into his deen. Was merciful. Allah helped guide me into Islam. So I became Muslim Alhamdulillah.

And now the greatest thing that I cherish more than anything in life is Muslim. There's nothing better to me. More loved by me than my Islam. Nothing. Nothing more loved by me than the fact that Allah blessed me to be Muslim. And I love to get up to make prayer to Allah. To fast in Ramadan. To read the Quran. I'm thankful to Allah because I know where I was. You hear me? I know where I was.

Some of you bless never had poison your body with alcohol. Or some of the things that non-Muslims do. I was there. I was in the dunya. And some of you now thinking to run back to go or to run to the dunya. And many Americans running from the dunya running to Islam. Now some Muslims now running to the dunya as we run to Islam.

Allah is the friend of those who believe. He takes them out of the darkness. And he guides them into the light. But Shaitan takes you from the light and take you to the darkness. So one day you can be this close to Jannah. And then you begin to do the work of the people of the hellfire. And then you die in that position. Be humble.

Our Dependence on One Another

And finally I say this to you. You know what Allah does? He makes me dependent upon this brother. He makes us to depend on one another. Because I can't do it by myself. Because as a Muslim now is a Jama'ah. If I want to get a better reward then I make prayer. Yes but if I want a bigger reward I want to pray with you. I want to pray with somebody. I want to pray in Jama'ah. Because if I pray in Jama'ah I get a bigger reward. I'm not by myself.

And this is why the prophet said:

(Sahih Bukhari 1240, Sahih Muslim 2162)

A right of a Muslim over another Muslim is five.

رَدُّ السَّلَامِ

Now I can't give Salam to myself. But I have to give it to you and return it from you. And now we go around.

Our Mutual Dependence

And finally I say this to you. You know what Allah does? He makes me dependent upon this brother. He makes us to depend on one another. Because I can't do it by myself. Because as a Muslim now is a jama'ah. If I want to get a better reward then I make prayer. Yes, but if I want a bigger reward I want to pray with you. I want to pray with somebody. I want to pray in jama'ah. Because if I pray in jama'ah I get a bigger reward. I'm not by myself.

And this is why the prophet said:

(Sahih Bukhari 1240, Sahih Muslim 2162)

A right of a Muslim over another Muslim is five.

رد السلام

Now I can't give salam to myself. But I have to give it to you and return it from you. And now we go around. I was in a cab. We got one of those what do you call it? Dollar cab. It takes you for a period and three, four, five people get in the car. So we were sitting there and people getting in the car and I didn't know the driver. And I saw a Muslim brother out in the street that I know. He said:

And the driver said:

He was a Muslim. I didn't know it. He didn't know I was a Muslim I guess. So we started talking. And when it's time for me to get out I'm trying to pay him. He didn't want me to pay him. I'm giving him money. He's pushing me away. I'm pushing his hand. He's fighting. I'm trying to give him money. He's trying not to take the money.

So the Prophet ﷺ is right that when you spread salams it makes you love one another. Even though we're strangers we start loving one another. And we talk to one another. Just:

That's all. Accidentally. So now there's a relationship that we have. Allah don't put you there by yourself. Now you give zakat to somebody in need. Now you have to follow the janazah of somebody that died. Relationship.

The Danger of the Tongue (Repeated)

And then we are so foolish. It amazes me that some Muslims are so pious, so dedicated to Allah, so much service to Allah. And maybe they will go to Jannah if not for their tongue. If not for their tongue.

(Sahih Bukhari 10, Sahih Muslim 40)

A Muslim is one whose other Muslims are saved by their hand and tongue.

You mean to tell me because I don't go to your masjid? I'm not in your madhab? You think you have the right to talk about me? I have the right to talk against you? You think because I'm not the same color as you or I don't speak the same language as you? That I have the right to talk about you? You have the right to talk about me? You think because we don't have the same gender? And so you know what? Be humble.

Because guess what? Because all that you do for Allah can be taken away. And you become muflis. You know what a muflis is? The prophet of Allah, peace be upon him, asked his companions, do you know what a muflis is? A muflis is a person who becomes bankrupt. He said, yeah, a muflis is a person who has no money and no property. He says, a muflis among my ummah are those who will come on Yawm al-Qiyamah with salat, with zakat, with siyam.

All of this you will come with on Yawm al-Qiyamah. Look Allah, look at all my, I pray every day, look at all this I did. All the tahajjud I did, all the zakat that I did. A mountain of zakat. But, you curse this Muslim. You beat this one, you stole from this one, you murdered that one.

And on the day of Yawm al-Qiyamah, Allah will take your good deeds and give it to that person that you backbite it. Come on, think with me. Think man, think. You get up from salat and you backbiting some other Muslim. Don't you know you're going to have to pay him on Yawm al-Qiyamah? Well, I got me a few dollars, you ain't paying no dollars on that day. Paying with your deeds.

Love for All Muslims

So you think because you have a different understanding, your understanding is better than his? You think you have a right to step on somebody because they don't understand how you understand? Allah is my witness. I love every one of you here, let me tell you why. I believe that some of you sitting here right now are the best of Muslims. Better than me, wallahi.

I think you sitting there, many of you are better than me. You have more taqwa than me, you have more knowledge of Quran than me, more Arabic than me, more history than me, more eloquent than me, wallahi, I

believe most of you. Better than me, much better than me.

But even so, there's some of you just barely holding on to your deen, I know that. Some of you didn't even want to come tonight, but your mother and father made you come. Some of you are hanging on to threads to your Islam. Some of you even selling drugs, some of you take drugs, some of you commit fornication, some of you had an abortion just last week, I know that. But even so, I still love all of you, let me tell you why.

Because Prophet Muhammad said:

(Sahih Muslim 2664)

A strong believer is better and more loved by Allah than a weak believer, but there's good in all of them.

So I know some of you are weak, but you got a little piece of iman.

The Call to Stay on the Straight Path

That's to teach me brothers and sisters. If I'm a believer today, I ask Allah to keep me on sirat al-mustaqeem, and keep you and us on sirat al-mustaqeem, keep us on sirat al-mustaqeem, keep us there. If we're there, keep us there, and if we're not there, bring us on sirat al-mustaqeem.

And I want to be the kind of brother, that if I see you in the mud, I'm not going to laugh at you, I'm going to put my hand in the mud, and try to bring you up. Come on brother, come on man, get out of the mud. Leave this mud, get out of it and come back to the masjid, come back sister, come back to the masjid. Put on your holy garments and come back to the masjid.

I want to be that kind of brother, because maybe, maybe if I help you, maybe Allah help me in the day that I need the help. Instead of beating down one another, I don't want to be ruthless on the day of judgment. And therefore, I don't want to say anything to hurt any one of you.

The Reality of Different Levels

I close with this. You who sit here tonight, on the highest level, I ask you to consider this. There will never be a time where every Muslim will be on the same level, never, never. This is why Allah has made degrees in jannah. Firdaus, you want Firdaus? You want the highest jannah? Go and strive for it, go and try to reach it. But just remember there's all kinds of levels, because there's all kinds of people.

You mean to tell me in the time of Prophet Muhammad there were no people that committed zina? Yes there were. There was a woman who committed zina. She committed adultery and became pregnant as a result of the adultery. And she came to the messenger of Allah and confessed her adultery. And when she persisted, the Prophet said go away, and when you have the baby, suckle the baby. And after you wean the baby, then come back to me.