PARADISE SURROUNDED BY HARDSHIP, HELLFIRE BY DESIRES
Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“Hellfire is surrounded by lusts, and Paradise is surrounded by adversities.”
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
COMMENTARY:
The path to Paradise is surrounded by things disliked by human, because the human soul is naturally inclined towards comfort and ease. Likewise is Hellfire; no one will enter it except those who tear the screen between them and the Fire; by committing sins and distancing themselves from the obedience to ALLĀH. Whoever tears the screen reaches what is behind it. The screen of Paradise is torn by venturing into difficulties; while the screen of the Hellfire is torn by satisfying lusts and desires.
Difficulties include striving to perform acts of worship regularly and patiently bearing any hardship that they involve. Difficulties also include suppressing anger, pardoning and forgiving others, forbearance, giving charity, doing good to those who do bad to you, restraining the self from following lusts, and so on. The self may dislike praying regularly because of what it involves of exerting effort and interrupting worldly affairs that the self indulges in. Similarly, it may dislike Jihad; it may dislike spending in charity because it is naturally disposed to love money. If the person controlled his lusts and went against what his soul desires; by obeying ALLĀH and avoiding what HE prohibited, this would draw him closer to Paradise and farther away from the Hellfire.
Apparently, the lusts that surround the Hellfire are the prohibited lusts, such as drinking alcohol, adultery and fornication, gazing at non-related women, backbiting, using musical instruments, and the like.
As for the permissible desires, they do not fall under the category of this Hadīth. However, indulging in them is disliked lest it would lead to committing a prohibited act or lest it hardens the heart or distracts it from worship and doing good deeds, or lures it into concern for acquiring the pleasures of this world.
[Hadith Encyclopedia: Hadith 3072]
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