Sahih Muslim Characteristics of the Day of Judgment, Paradise, and Hell

Pursue the right course and be as close to it as possible, and keep in mind that none of you will be saved by his deeds." They said: O Messenger of Allah, not even you? He said: "Not even me unless Allah encompasses me with mercy and favor from Him

Chapter: No One Will Enter Paradise By Virtue Of His Deeds, Rather By The Mercy Of Allah, Exalted Is He

Authentic hadith of Sahih Muslim Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 2816g

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏

قَارِبُوا وَسَدِّدُوا وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّهُ لَنْ يَنْجُوَ أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ بِعَمَلِهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَلاَ أَنْتَ قَالَ ‏"‏ وَلاَ أَنَا إِلاَّ أَنْ يَتَغَمَّدَنِيَ اللَّهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِنْهُ وَفَضْلٍ ‏"

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said:

"Pursue the right course and be as close to it as possible, and keep in mind that none of you will be saved by his deeds." They said: O Messenger of Allah, not even you? He said: "Not even me unless Allah encompasses me with mercy and favor from Him."

Reported by Muslim (No. 2816g, 2601a, 2816a, 2816c, 2816d, 2816e, 2816f), Al-Bukhari (No. 6463), Ibn Majah (No. 4201) and Ahmad (No. 6905, 7167, 7271, 7902, 7980, 8173, 8641, 8703).

Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) urges the Companions to offer good deeds and fear Allah as much as they can, with neither extremism nor negligence, and to intend what is right by their deeds through being fully sincere to Allah and complying with the Sunnah so their deeds would be accepted and would be a cause for bestowing mercy upon them.

Then he informed them that none of them would be saved by his deeds alone; rather, there must be Allah's mercy.

They said: O Messenger of Allah, not even you would be saved by your deeds despite their great significance?

He said: Not even me unless Allah conceals me by virtue of His mercy.

Lessons

An-Nawawi said: (Pursue the right course and be as close to it as possible): seek the right path and act upon it, but if you are unable to do so, then be as close to it as possible, i.e., keep close to it. The right course: the sound path, which lies in the middle between exessiveness and negligence, so neither go to extreme nor be negligent.
Ibn Bāz said: Righteous deeds are the cause of entering Paradise just as evil deeds are the cause of entering Hellfire. The Hadīth shows that their admittance to Paradise is not guaranteed because of their deeds alone; rather, this must be joined with the pardon and mercy of Allah Almighty. So they entered Paradise via their deeds, but this has been affirmed by Allah's mercy, pardon, and forgiveness.
One should not be proud or amazed by his deeds, no matter what level it reaches, because the right of Allah is greater than his deeds. Rather, one must combine fear and hope all together.
Allah's favor and mercy upon His slaves are far broader than their deeds.
Righteous deeds are a cause for entering Paradise, but attaining it is only through the favor and mercy of Allah.
Al-Kirmāni said: "If all people do not enter Paradise except by Allah's mercy, then the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is particularly mentioned here to prove that although he will definitely enter Paradise and he will still not enter it except by Allah's mercy, then this applies to others with greater reason."
An-Nawawi said: Regarding the meaning of Allah's statement: {Enter Paradise for what you used to do.} [Surat an-Nahl: 32], {That is Paradise, which you will inherit for what you used to do.} [Surat az-Zukhruf: 72] and the like of these verses denoting that deeds are a means of entering Paradise, they do not contradict these Hadīths. Rather, such verses mean that deeds are a means of entering Paradise; however, guidance to such deeds, adopting sincerity in performing them, and their acceptance are all attained by Allah's mercy and favor. Hence, it is true that one does not enter Paradise by his deeds merely, which is the indication of the Hadīths, and it is also true that he enters it by his deeds, i.e., because of them, which is a sign of Allah's mercy.
Ibn Al-Jawzi said: This leads to four possibilities. First: Guidance to perform good deeds is from Allah's mercy, and had it not been for Allah's prior mercy, one would not have attained the faith or obedience that results in salvation. Second: The slave's benefits are for his Master; thus, his deeds are due to His Lord, and no matter how great the reward He bestows upon him is, it indicates His grace. Third: It is mentioned in some Hadīths that the act of entering Paradise itself is by virtue of Allah's mercy, but determining the degree therein depends on deeds. Fourth: Acts of obedience are performed in a brief time; however, the reward is endless. So, when an eternal blessing is given as a reward for something transient, this indicates Allah's favor rather than giving one compensation for his deeds.
Ar-Rāfi‘i said: One should not rely upon his good deeds when seeking salvation and high ranks because he acted only by virtue of success from Allah and was able to avoid sins only through Allah's protection. So, all of this occurs with Allah's favor and mercy.

Explanation in Arabic

يَحُثُّ النبيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم الصحابة على أنْ يعملوا، وأنْ يتقوا الله ما استطاعوا، دون غُلُوٍّ ولا تَقصير، وأن يقصِدوا بعملهم الصواب بالإخلاص لله واتّباع السنة لِيُقبَل عملُهم فتكون سببًا لنزول الرحمة عليهم.

ثم أَخبرَهم بأنه لن يُنجيَ أحدًا منكم عملُه فقط؛ بل لا بد من رحمة الله.

قالوا: حتى أنت يا رسول الله لا ينجيك عملُك مع عِظَمِ قدره؟

فقال: حتى أنا، إلّا أن يَستُرَني اللهُ بفضل رحمته.

قال النووي: (سدِّدوا وقاربوا): اطلبوا السدادَ، واعملوا به، وإن عَجَزْتُم عنه، فقارِبُوه؛ أي: اقربوا منه، والسداد: الصوابُ، وهو بين الإفراط والتفريط، فلا تَغْلُوا ولا تُقصِّروا.
قال ابن باز: الأعمال الصالحة هي أسباب دخول الجنة، كما أنّ الأعمال الخبيثة هي أسباب دخول النار، والحديث يُبيِّنُ أنّ دخولَهم الجنة ليس بمجرَّد العمل، بل لا بد من عفو الله ورحمته سبحانه وتعالى، فهم دخلوها بأسباب أعمالهم، ولكن الذي أوجب ذلك رحمته سبحانه، وعفوه ومغفرته.
العبد لا يَغتر ويُعجَب بعمله مهما بلغ؛ لأنّ حقَّ الله أعظم من عمله، فلا بد للعبد من الخوف والرجاء جميعًا.
فضل الله ورحمته على عباده أوسع من أعمالهم.
الأعمال الصالحة سبب لدخول الجنة، والفوز بها إنما هو بفضلِ الله ورحمة منه.
قال الكرماني: "إذا كان كلُّ الناس لا يدخلون الجنة إلا برحمة الله، فوجْه تخصيص رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بالذِّكْر هو أنه إذا كان مقطوعًا له بأنه يدخل الجنة، ولا يدخلها إلا برحمة الله؛ فغيرُه يكون في ذلك بطريق الأَولى.
قال النووي: في معنى قوله تعالى: ﴿ادْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ﴾ [النحل: 32]، ﴿وَتِلْكَ الْجَنَّةُ الَّتِي أُورِثْتُمُوهَا بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ﴾ [الزخرف: 72]، ونحوهما من الآيات الدالة على أن الأعمال يُدخَل بها الجنة، فلا يُعارِض هذه الأحاديثَ، بل معنى الآيات أن دخول الجنة بسبب الأعمال، ثم التوفيق للأعمال، والهداية للإخلاص فيها، وقَبُولها برحمة الله تعالى وفضله، فيصح أنه لم يدخل بمجرَّد العمل، وهو مراد الأحاديث، ويصح أنه دخل بالأعمال؛ أي: بسببها، وهي من الرحمة.
قال ابن الجوزي: يتحصل عن ذلك أربعة أجوبة؛ الأول: أنَّ التوفيق للعمل من رحمة الله، ولولا رحمة الله السابقة ما حصل الإيمان ولا الطاعة التي يحصل بها النجاة، الثاني: أنّ منافع العبد لسيده فعمله مُستَحَقٌّ لمولاه، فمهما أنعم عليه من الجزاء فهو من فضله، الثالث: جاء في بعض الأحاديث أنّ نفس دخول الجنة برحمة الله، واقتسام الدرجات بالأعمال، الرابع: أنّ أعمال الطاعات كانت في زمن يسير، والثواب لا ينفد فالإنعام الذي لا ينفد في جزاء ما ينفد بالفضل لا بمقابلة الأعمال.
قال الرافعي: أنّ العامل لا ينبغي أنْ يَتَّكِلَ على عَمَلِهِ في طلب النجاة ونيل الدرجات؛ لأنه إنما عَمل بتوفيق الله وإنما ترك المعصية بعصمة الله فكل ذلك بفضله ورحمته.

Scholars’ grades

Scholar	Grade	Applies to	Work
Muslimd. 261 AH	Authenticصحيح	The hadith	صحيح مسلم No. 2816

Grades of other versions (1)

AuthenticAl-Albani صحيح — صحيح الجامع (4297)

Other versions

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih al-Bukhari 6463

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "The deeds of anyone of you will not save you (from the (Hell) Fire)." They said, "Even you (will not be saved by your deeds), O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)?" He said, "No, even I (will not be saved) unless and until Allah bestows His Mercy on me. Therefore, do good deeds…

لَنْ يُنَجِّيَ أَحَدًا مِنْكُمْ عَمَلُهُ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالُوا وَلاَ أَنْتَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ‏"‏ وَلاَ أَنَا، إِلاَّ أَنْ يَتَغَمَّدَنِي اللَّهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ، سَدِّدُوا وَقَارِبُوا، وَاغْدُوا وَرُوحُوا، وَشَىْءٌ مِنَ…

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 2601a

O Allah, I am only human. Any Muslim man whom I insulted, cursed, or flogged, make it a means of purification and mercy for him

"O Allah, I am only human. Any Muslim man whom I insulted, cursed, or flogged, make it a means of purification and mercy for him."

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ فَأَيُّمَا رَجُلٍ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ سَبَبْتُهُ أَوْ لَعَنْتُهُ أَوْ جَلَدْتُهُ فَاجْعَلْهَا لَهُ زَكَاةً وَرَحْمَةً ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah Explained

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 2816a

None amongst you would attain salvation purely because of his deeds. A person said: Allah's Messenger, even you? Thereupon he said: Yes, not even I except that Allah wraps me in Mercy, but you should act with moderation. This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Bukair b. al-Ashajj with…

لَنْ يُنْجِيَ أَحَدًا مِنْكُمْ عَمَلُهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ رَجُلٌ وَلاَ إِيَّاكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ‏"‏ وَلاَ إِيَّاىَ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَتَغَمَّدَنِيَ اللَّهُ مِنْهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ وَلَكِنْ سَدِّدُوا ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 2816c

There is none whose deeds alone would entitle him to get into Paradise. It was said to him: And, Allah's Messenger, not even you? Thereupon he said: Not even I, but that my Lord wraps me in Mercy.

مَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ يُدْخِلُهُ عَمَلُهُ الْجَنَّةَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقِيلَ وَلاَ أَنْتَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ‏"‏ وَلاَ أَنَا إِلاَّ أَنْ يَتَغَمَّدَنِي رَبِّي بِرَحْمَةٍ ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 2816d

There is none amongst you whose deeds alone would attain salvation for him. They (the Companions) said: Allah's Messenger, not even you? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Not even I, but that Allah wraps me in Mercy and He grants me pardon. Ibn 'Aun pointed towards his head with his hand saying: Not even…

لَيْسَ أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ يُنْجِيهِ عَمَلُهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا وَلاَ أَنْتَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ‏"‏ وَلاَ أَنَا إِلاَّ أَنْ يَتَغَمَّدَنِيَ اللَّهُ مِنْهُ بِمَغْفِرَةٍ وَرَحْمَةٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَوْنٍ بِيَدِهِ…

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 2816e

There is none whose deeds alone can'secure salvation for him. They said: Allah's Messenger, not even you? Thereupon he said: Not even I, but that, the Mercy of Allah should take hold of me.

لَيْسَ أَحَدٌ يُنْجِيهِ عَمَلُهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا وَلاَ أَنْتَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ‏"‏ وَلاَ أَنَا إِلاَّ أَنْ يَتَدَارَكَنِيَ اللَّهُ مِنْهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

See all 36 versions

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 2816f

None amongst you can get. into Paradise by virtue of his deeds alone. They said: Allah's Messenger, not even you? Thereupon he said: Not even I, but that Allah should wrap me in His Grace and Mercy.

لَنْ يُدْخِلَ أَحَدًا مِنْكُمْ عَمَلُهُ الْجَنَّةَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا وَلاَ أَنْتَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ‏"‏ وَلاَ أَنَا إِلاَّ أَنْ يَتَغَمَّدَنِيَ اللَّهُ مِنْهُ بِفَضْلٍ وَرَحْمَةٍ ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan Ibn Majah 4201

“Be moderate and adhere to moderation, for there is no one among you who will be saved by his deeds.” They said: “Not even you, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “Not even me. Unless Allah encompasses me with mercy and grace from Him.”

"‏ قَارِبُوا وَسَدِّدُوا فَإِنَّهُ لَيْسَ أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ بِمُنْجِيهِ عَمَلُهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا وَلاَ أَنْتَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ وَلاَ أَنَا إِلاَّ أَنْ يَتَغَمَّدَنِيَ اللَّهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِنْهُ وَفَضْلٍ ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Not graded Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Musnad Ahmad 6905