The Key to Paradise & That Which Leads to it; & The Key to The Hell-Fire & That Which Leads to it – By Ibn Al-Qayyim

Shaikh ‘Abdur-Rahmaan As-Sa’dee (rahimahullaah) quotes from Al-‘Allaamah Ibn Al-Qayyim (rahimahullaah) who said after mentioning the narration in which is the mention that the key to Paradise is: ‘Laa ilaaha illallaah’ (none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah):

Indeed its teeth are: the legislations of Islaam; the outward forms as well as the inner.

And indeed Allaah has made keys for everything sought after by which it is opened.

So He has made the key to prayer as: the purification.

And the key to Hajj is: the Ihraam.

And the key to righteousness is: honesty.

And the key to Paradise is: At-Tawheed.

And the key to knowledge is: the fine mode in asking questions and having pleasant attentiveness.

And the key to victory and triumph is: patience.

And the key to acquiring excess is: in giving thanks.

And the key to Wilaayah (alliance) is: love and remembrance.

And the key to fervent desire of the Hereafter is: in having zuhd in the dunya.

And the key to success is: taqwaa (being fearful and dutiful to Allaah).

And the key to enablement is: raghbah and rahbah (fervent desire and dread).

And the key to response is: supplication.

And the key to Eemaan is: to reflect over that which Allaah called his servants to reflect over.

And the key to enter upon Allaah is: by way of the submission of the heart and its safeguard and having sincerity to Him in love and hate and in carrying out actions as well as in leaving (others) off.

And the key to the (healthy) life of the heart is: in reflecting upon the Qur’aan and in imploring (Allaah) at daybreak and abandoning sins.

And the key to attaining mercy is: in observing Ihsaan during the worship of The Creator and hastening to benefit His servants.

And the key to rizq (sustenance) is: hastening with seeking forgiveness and in having taqwaa.

And the key to honour is: in obedience to Allaah and His Messenger.

And the key to preparation for the Hereafter is: restricting expectation.

And the key to every good is: in earnestly and fervently desiring for Allaah and for the abode of the Hereafter.

And the key to every evil is: in having love of the dunya and having prolonged expectation.

This is an immense aspect from the aspects of knowledge – and it is having the understanding of the keys to the doors of good and bad.

None is given ability to understand it and to have observance of it except one whose portion and enablement is immense.

For indeed – Allaah The One free of all imperfections has made a key and a door for every good and evil by way of which they are entered.

Just as He made shirk and pride and turning away from that which Allaah sent His Messenger (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) with as well as being negligent of His remembrance and establishing His rights: a key to the Fire.

Just as He made wine (liquor): a key to every sin.

And He made singing: a key to fornication.

He made unregulated glancing at images: a key to pursuit and passion.

He made laziness and relaxation: a key to failure and deprivation.

He made sins – all of them: a key to kufr (disbelief).

He made lying: a key to hypocrisy.

He made avarice and covetousness: a key to miserliness and to the severing of the ties of kinship as well as taking wealth from other than its lawful place.

He made the turning away from that which the Messenger (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) came with: a key to every innovation and misguidance.

And these are affairs which are not attested to except by:

Every individual possessing sound discernment and intellect with which he knows of that which is within himself and that which is in existence from good and evil.

Therefore it befits the servant that he should pay regard – in every regard to understanding the keys, as well as that which the keys have been devised for; and its enablement and justice are by way of Allaah. For Him is the kingdom and to Him are all praises and unto Him is blessing and excellence;

{ لَا يُسْأَلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ وَهُمْ يُسْأَلُونَ }

((He is not questioned as to what He does, while they will be questioned))

(Al-Anbiyaa: 23)

 

 

(Taken from: Tareequl wusool ilaa ‘ilumul ma’mool by Shaikh ‘Abdur-Rahmaan As-Sa’dee p.332-334. The original reference from the work of Ibn Al-Qayyim can be found in: Haadi al-arwaah ilaa bilaadil afraah vol 1 p.139-140)