paradise
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Ramadan - Paradise Open & Hell Closed (Ahadith 1617 - 1618)

Bismillah.
Volume 3, Book 31, Number 122:
Narrated Abu Huraira (radiallaahu `anhu):
Allah's Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, "When Ramadan begins, the gates of Paradise are opened."
Volume 3, Book 31, Number 123:
Narrated Abu Huraira (radiallaahu `anhu):
Allah's Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, "When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained."
Opening of the gates of Paradise means that the way to Paradise and its attainment is made easier through deeds like praying, fasting and reciting Quran etc. Similarly, closing of the gates of Hell means that the way to Hell is made tougher by making it easier to leave sins - chaining of the devils helps in both scenarios, since they're not around to whisper in our hearts and encourage us to commit bad deeds.
Alhamdulillah for Ramadan and its blessings. May Allah make us all come out of it sinless. Ameen.

Taken from: 

Ar-Rayyan (Ahadith 1615 - 1616)

Bismillah.
Volume 3, Book 31, Number 120:
Narrated Sahl (radiallaahu `anhu):
The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, "There is a gate in Paradise called Ar-Raiyan, and those who observe fasts will enter through it on the Day of Resurrection and none except them will enter through it. It will be said, 'Where are those who used to observe fasts?' They will get up, and none except them will enter through it. After their entry the gate will be closed and nobody will enter through it."
Imagine being there. Imagine the angels at Ar-Rayyan (gate of Paradise) calling out YOUR name. Imagine feeling so special. <3
Volume 3, Book 31, Number 121:
Narrated Abu Huraira (radiallaahu `anhu):
Allah's Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, "Whoever gives two kinds (of things or property) in charity for Allah's Cause, will be called from the gates of Paradise and will be addressed, 'O slaves of Allah! Here is prosperity.' So, whoever was amongst the people who used to offer their prayers, will be called from the gate of the prayer; and whoever was amongst the people who used to participate in Jihad, will be called from the gate of Jihad; and whoever was amongst those who used to observe fasts, will be called from the gate of Ar-Raiyan; whoever was amongst those who used to give in charity, will be called from the gate of charity." Abu Bakr (radiallaahu `anhu) said, "Let my parents be sacrificed for you, O Allah's Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam)! No distress or need will befall him who will be called from those gates. Will there be any one who will be called from all these gates?" The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) replied, "Yes, and I hope you will be one of them."
A person can get his name in three lists easily, I suppose. If he prays, fasts and gives charity regularly, he'll be called out from three gates. Isn't that awesome? Imagine being there. Imagine thinking which gate to enter from.. <3
And who can compete with Abu Bakr (radiallaahu `anhu) in good deeds? May Allah make us more like him.

Don't Abuse the Dead (Hadith No. 1175)


Bismillah.
Narrated 'Aisha :
The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, "Don't abuse the dead, because they have reached the result of what they forwarded."
Abusing here refers to verbal abuse, using harsh words against a person.
Most scholars say that this is for the believers, i.e. don't abuse the dead believers. But anyhow, taking the hukm (commandment) of the Prophet (SAW), one must be careful as to not talk bad about any dead person, especially the believers.
This also implies not judging them, i.e. not deciding where they ended up. Because. We. Don't. Know.
No matter how pious you knew the person to be, you are not allowed to say (even about a martyr) that he/she definitely went to Jannah, or in the case of a wicked one, that he/she definitely went to Hell.
Prophet (SAW) said:

والله ما أدرى وأنا رسول الله ما يفعل بى

[roughly translated:] By Allah, I do not know what will be done with me, even though I'm the Messenger of Allah.
If Prophet (SAW) wasn't so sure, how can we claim to know about a person's fate? Do we have angels coming to us as reporters? :)
Side question: is it okay to organize a gathering to remember the deceased? Find the answer here.

Allah's Witnesses on Earth (Ahadith 1147 - 1148)


Bismillah.
Narrated 'Umar bin Al-Khattab :
When 'Abdullah bin Ubai bin Salul died, Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) was called upon to offer his funeral prayer. When Allah's Apostle stood up to offer the prayer, I got up quickly and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Are you going to pray for Ibn Ubai and he said so and so on such and such occasions?" And started mentioning all that he had said. Allah's Apostle smiled and said, "O 'Umar! Go away from me." When I talked too much he said, "I have been given the choice and so I have chosen (to offer the prayer). Had I known that he would be forgiven by asking for Allah's forgiveness for more than seventy times, surely I would have done so." ('Umar added): Allah's Apostle offered his funeral prayer and returned and after a short while the two verses of Surat Bara' were revealed: i.e. "And never (O Muhammad) pray for any of them who dies . . . (to the end of the verse) rebellion (9.84)" -- ('Umar added), "Later I astonished at my daring before Allah's Apostle on that day. And Allah and His Apostle know better."
Hadith no. 1146 (above) is a repeat. Read it here.

Allah's Witnesses on Earth..

Narrated Anas bin Malik, :
A funeral procession passed and the people praised the deceased. The Prophet said, "It has been affirmed to him." Then another funeral procession passed and the people spoke badly of the deceased. The Prophet said, "It has been affirmed to him". 'Umar bin Al-Khattab asked (Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) ), "What has been affirmed?" He replied, "You praised this, so Paradise has been affirmed to him; and you spoke badly of this, so Hell has been affirmed to him. You people are Allah's witnesses on earth."
Narrated Abu Al-Aswad:
I came to Medina when an epidemic had broken out. While I was sitting with 'Umar bin Al-Khattab a funeral procession passed by and the people praised the deceased. 'Umar said, "It has been affirmed to him." And another funeral procession passed by and the people praised the deceased. 'Umar said, "It has been affirmed to him." A third (funeral procession) passed by and the people spoke badly of the deceased. He said, "It has been affirmed to him." I (Abu Al-Aswad) asked, "O chief of the believers! What has been affirmed?" He replied, "I said the same as the Prophet had said, that is: if four persons testify the piety of a Muslim, Allah will grant him Paradise." We asked, "If three persons testify his piety?" He (the Prophet) replied, "Even three." Then we asked, "If two?" He replied, "Even two." We did not ask him regarding one witness.
Isn't that scary? Turns out that it does matter what people have to say about you. Do good deeds, be good to others, so that people have only good things to say about you after your death. Imagine if just two people spoke bad about you. *shivers at the thought* O_O
Look at it another way. If someone you know dies, and he/she was a good person, you should mention about their goodness among people. Your witness will be important in their case with Allah. But be careful about exaggeration. Speak only the truth.
Say the person wasn't good. Say he was a sinner or had bad relationships with people. Would you talk bad about them? Would you want to play a role in their entering Hell? It's better to leave the matter to Allah. So mum's the word.
Wassalam.

Patience --> Paradise (Ahadith 1039 - 1042)


Bismillah.
Volume 2, Book 23, Number 340:
Narrated Anas:
The Prophet said, "A Muslim whose three children die before the age of puberty will be granted Paradise by Allah due to his mercy for them."
This encourages patience on the death of children. Don't get wrong ideas.
Volume 2, Book 23, Number 341:
Narrated Abu Sa'id:
The women requested the Prophet, "Please fix a day for us." So the Prophet preached to them and said, "A woman whose three children died would be screened from the Hell Fire by them," Hearing that, a woman asked, "If two died?" The Prophet replied, "Even two (would screen her from the (Hell) Fire. "And Abu Huraira added, "Those children should be below the age of puberty."
Patience is the main factor. Number doesn't matter.
Volume 2, Book 23, Number 342:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "No Muslim whose three children died will go to the Fire except for Allah's oath (i.e. everyone has to pass over the bridge above the lake of fire)."
Volume 2, Book 23, Number 343:
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
The Prophet passed by a woman who was sitting and weeping beside a grave and said to her, "Fear Allah and be patient."
In other narrations, we get to know that this woman was not just weeping, she was wailing and doing the ritualistic mourning (which is discouraged in Islam). So Prophet (SAW) asked her to be patient.
Does being patient mean we can't cry on someone's death? Does it mean we can't be sad? Absolutely not. We CAN cry and we CAN be sad. BUT, we should look at the way Prophet (SAW) mourned his children's deaths. He lost almost all his children during his lifetime. Did he ever utter words of ungratefulness or let the sadness overtake him? What did he do?
Narrated by Anas bin Malik :
We went with Allah’s Apostle (pbuh) to the blacksmith Abu Saif, and he was the husband of the wet-nurse of Ibrahim (the son of the Prophet).
Allah’s Apostle took Ibrahim and kissed him and smelled him and later we entered Abu Saif’s house and at that time Ibrahim was in his last breaths, and the eyes of Allah’s Apostle (pbuh) started shedding tears.
‘Abdur Rahman bin ‘Auf said, “O Allah’s Apostle, even you are weeping!”
He said, “O Ibn ‘Auf, this is mercy.”
Then he wept more and said, “The eyes are shedding tears and the heart is grieved, and we will not say except what pleases our Lord, O Ibrahim ! Indeed we are grieved by your separation.”
(Sahih Bukhari, Book #23, Hadith #390)
Read more on the death of Prophet (SAW)'s son here and here.
Wassalam.

The Key to Paradise (Ahadith 1028 - 1029)


Bismillah.

Kitaab-ul-Janaa'iz [Book of Funerals] starts today.

Volume 2, Book 23, Number 329:
Narrated Abu Dhar:
Allah's Apostle said, "Someone came to me from my Lord and gave me the news (or good tidings) that if any of my followers dies worshipping none (in any way) along with Allah, he will enter Paradise." I asked, "Even if he committed illegal sexual intercourse (adultery) and theft?" He replied, "Even if he committed illegal sexual intercourse (adultery) and theft."
Volume 2, Book 23, Number 330:
Narrated 'Abdullah:
Allah's Apostle said, "Anyone who dies worshipping others along with Allah will definitely enter the Fire." I said, "Anyone who dies worshipping none along with Allah will definitely enter Paradise."
Small yet profound statements. It is important to understand them fully.
Key to Paradise = la ilaha illa Allah. No doubt in that. But there's a condition: one must die on this kalimah (phrase/sentence), meaning he should believe in it till he dies.
Let's look at different scenarios.
Case I:
Dies a Muslim (insert proper definition of Muslim here, i.e. one who submits his will to Allah) with no major sins.
Destination: Paradise.

الَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَائِرَ الْإِثْمِ وَالْفَوَاحِشَ إِلَّا اللَّمَمَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ وَاسِعُ الْمَغْفِرَةِ

"Those who avoid great sins (See the Qur'an, Verses: 6:152,153) and Al-Fawahish (illegal sexual intercourse) except the small faults, - verily, your Lord is of Vast Forgiveness." [An-Najm: 32]
BUT, must go through this for explanation.
Case II:
Dies a disbeliever/mushrik (polytheist).
Destination: Hell-fire.

إن الله لا يغفر أن يشرك به ويغفر ما دون ذلك لمن يشاء 

"Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills.." [An-Nisaa': 48]
Case III:
Dies a Muslim with major sins (after repentance).
Destination: Paradise.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
If a person repents from sin, Allah will forgive him, whether it was shirk or otherwise, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say: O ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allaah, verily, Allaah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful”
[al-Zumar 39:53]. 
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
If a person repents sincerely, his previous bad deeds will be erased and the reward for his good deeds will be restored for him.
End quote from al-Waabil as-Sayyib, p. 12 
Case IV:
Dies a Muslim with major sins (without repentance).
Destination: Unknown.
As for Case IV, scholars have given different opinions. You can go through detailed discussions here and here. But here's the gist: Allah knows best. He'll judge. Let's leave it on Him. :)
Wassalam.

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