Jannah and Jahannam
Our scholars inform us that Jannah and Jahannam, also known as Heaven and Hell, have already been created and are currently in existence. Jannah is prepared for the people of iman and ibadah, and Jahannam is prepared for the disobedient and rebellious.
Nobody can enter Jannah by virtue of their deeds. Everyone who is admitted therein will be so by the grace of Allah. However, an increase in good deeds brings Allah’s (subhanahu wa ta’ala) pleasure, favor and generosity and raises the person to higher ranks in Jannah.
A person has three critical issues to resolve in the Hereafter: ibadahs, sins, and blessings. The ibadahs and deeds performed in this world are counted against all the blessings that Allah has given us, which leaves the sins. For these, He either punishes or forgives as He wills. That is why no one can say that they will not be punished in the Hereafter. The principle “There is an account of blessings, and there is a punishment for sins” is a general criterion. If we could realize this statement in its true sense, such a realization would have us recoiling from even the idea of committing sins. Yet the human nafs joins forces with shaytan and the world; they urge and provoke people to lose themselves in sins.
That which removes sin and serves as a counteragent is repentance and worship. However, there are such dire, baleful sins that wipe out acts of worship as if they never existed. It means that as sins increase, the pan of ibadah weighing the good acts on the scale of deeds becomes lighter, and as good deeds increase, sins melt away. You reap what you sow. As a result, the people of ibadah and iman will go to Jannah, and the disobedient and rebellious will be sent down a terrible, dreaded path to Jahannam.
You may think: “Life is short, but Jahannam is eternal. How can something eternal be a just and proportional recompense to a temporary one?” Shaytan gives this thought to man as a waswasa. Bediüzzaman Said Nursi (quddisa sirruhu) said, “Blasphemy is such an ugly matter that it makes the universe seem absurd and created in vain. It leads to denial. Although all creatures witness the existence of Allah, it makes you disbelieve. Since this denial makes the deniers think that the entire universe, which serves as absolute evidence for the existence of Allah, is devoid of meaning, the rebellious, blind, and obstinate conviction of these deniers will lead them to Jahannam. On the other hand, It is the greatest blessing iman confers upon believers that it never shows the universe as a vain and pointless existence. Therefore, iman opens many wondrous doors for humankind by enabling them to witness the existence of the whole universe.”
The reasons for entering Jahannam are unbelief, immorality, and evil deeds. To avoid being doomed to a desperate, miserable existence in Jahannam, it is necessary to give up bad habits and depraved acts. A foul deed will not cease unless the bad behavior that drives it is removed. The doors that lead to sin do not close unless the ugly habits that support them change. The first way to change ugly practices is to discipline the nafs. The primary way of reforming the nafs is to establish close relations with kamil people, letting their behavior influence our own, changing our habits. All bad habits can be treated. Had it not been possible, Allah (jalla jalaluhu) would not have said, “Success is really attained by him who purifies it (nafs).” (Ash-Shams, 9)
Entering Jahannam is only justice, and entering Jannah is only through the help of Allah. Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said in a hadith:
“When Allah created Paradise and Hell, He sent Jibril, peace be upon him, to Paradise and said: ‘Look at it and at what I have prepared for its people in it.’ He looked at it, then he came back and said: ‘By Your Glory, no one will hear of it but he will enter it.’
So He commanded that it be surrounded by hardships and said: ‘Go and look at it and at what I have prepared for its people in it.’ He looked at it and saw that it had been surrounded with hardships. He (Jibril) said: ‘By Your Glory, I fear that no one will enter it.’
He (Allah) said: ‘Go and look at the Fire and at what I have prepared for its people in it.’ So he looked at it and parts of it were piled upon other parts. He came back and said: ‘By Your Glory, no one will enter it.’
So He commanded that it be surrounded with pleasures and said: ‘Go and look at it.’ So he looked at it and saw that it was surrounded with pleasures. He came back and said: ‘By Your Glory, I fear that no one will be saved from it and all will enter it.’”
Jannah is pure joy, opulent with blessings. When Allah gives you trouble, you must endure it; when he gives you illness and disasters, you must bear these as well. Your nafs will be drawn to sins, but you are required not to commit sins as part of the endurance asked of you. You must spurn and shun the eye-catching tricks of the shaytan and allures of this world with a cold, unwavering resolve. Allah has put a high price, a heavy cost on Jannah. But –Allah forbid– suffering in Jahannam is heavier than all.
Mehmet Ildırar
