Why Is Paradise for the Monotheists and Not for the Disbelievers?
ما الحكمة التي لأجلها جعلت الجنة للموحدين المؤمنين ويحرم منها المشركون بالله الكافرون به سبحانه وتعالى؟
Verily, Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, is the Creator, Total Provider, the One Who Directs, Manages and the Giver, so when the servant worships other than Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, the Only Deity Who is worthy of worship, or denies that Allah is the Creator Who deserves worship, the servant oppresses himself, as he deprives himself of Allah's Bestowal in the Hereafter because of being ungrateful to Allah the Almighty for His Bestowal in the worldly life.
(Surely Allah does not forgive associating ˹others˺ with Him ˹in worship˺, but forgives anything else of whoever He wills. Indeed, whoever associates ˹others˺ with Allah has clearly gone far astray.) [An-Nisa 4:116]
إن الله عز وجل هو الخالق الرازق المدبر المعطي فحين يجعل العبد حق الله عز وجل الخالق الرازق لغير الله من المخلوقات، أو ينفي عن الله أنه الخالق المستحق للعبادة فهذا ظلم من العبد في حق نفسه، فإذا كان كذلك فهو لا يستحق عطاء الله في الآخرة لأنه لم يشكر عطاء الله في الدنيا.
(إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَالًا بَعِيدًا) [النساء 4: 116]
1. The One Sin Allah Does Not Forgive | إن الله لا يغفر أن يشرك به
The scholar’s verse, Surely Allah does not forgive associating others with Him in worship, but forgives anything else of whoever He wills (4:116), is repeated from 4:48, as Ibn Kathir notes. The Prophet made the same distinction plain when a man asked him about the two things that make the outcome certain: Whoever dies without associating anything with Allah enters Paradise, and whoever dies associating anything with Allah enters the Fire (Sahih Muslim 93). The forms this sin takes are explained in the types of shirk.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَالًا بَعِيدًا (سورة النساء: 116)
قال تعالى: (إن الله لا يغفر أن يشرك به ويغفر ما دون ذلك لمن يشاء ومن يشرك بالله فقد ضل ضلالا بعيدا) (النساء 4: 116)، وقد تقدمت عند قوله تعالى في الآية 48 من السورة كما قال ابن كثير، وعن جابر رضي الله عنه قال: أتى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم رجل فقال: يا رسول الله، ما الموجبتان؟ فقال: "من مات لا يشرك بالله شيئا دخل الجنة، ومن مات يشرك بالله شيئا دخل النار" (صحيح مسلم 93).
2. The Greatest Wrong a Servant Does to Himself | إن الشرك لظلم عظيم
The scholar calls shirk a wrong the servant does to himself. Luqman told his son: Never associate anything with Allah in worship, for associating others with Him is truly the worst of all wrongs (31:13), and Ibn Kathir explains: it is the greatest wrong. Abdullah ibn Mas’ud said that when the verse It is only those who are faithful and do not tarnish their faith with wrong (6:82) was revealed, the Companions asked: Which of us has not wronged himself? Then Allah revealed: associating others with Him is truly the worst of all wrongs (Sahih al-Bukhari 32).
إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ (سورة لقمان: 13)
قال تعالى عن لقمان: (يا بني لا تشرك بالله إن الشرك لظلم عظيم) (لقمان 31: 13)، قال ابن كثير: أي: هو أعظم الظلم، وعن عبد الله بن مسعود رضي الله عنه قال: لما نزلت (الذين آمنوا ولم يلبسوا إيمانهم بظلم) (الأنعام 6: 82) قال أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: أينا لم يظلم؟ فأنزل الله: (إن الشرك لظلم عظيم) (صحيح البخاري 32).
3. Paradise Is Forbidden to Whoever Associates Partners | فقد حرم الله عليه الجنة
The Messiah himself told the Children of Israel: Whoever associates others with Allah in worship will surely be forbidden Paradise by Allah. Their home will be the Fire (5:72). Ibn Kathir explains: He makes the Fire binding on him and forbids Paradise to him, as when the people of the Fire ask the people of Paradise for water or any provision, and they answer: Allah has forbidden both to the disbelievers (7:50); and in the Sahih, the Messenger of Allah ordered Bilal to announce to the people: None enters Paradise except a Muslim soul (Sahih al-Bukhari 3062).
إِنَّهُ مَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَأْوَاهُ النَّارُ (سورة المائدة: 72)
قال تعالى عن المسيح عليه السلام: (إنه من يشرك بالله فقد حرم الله عليه الجنة ومأواه النار) (المائدة 5: 72)، قال ابن كثير: أي: فقد أوجب له النار، وحرم عليه الجنة، كما قال تعالى: (ونادى أصحاب النار أصحاب الجنة أن أفيضوا علينا من الماء أو مما رزقكم الله قالوا إن الله حرمهما على الكافرين) (الأعراف 7: 50)، وفي الصحيح أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أمر بلالا فنادى بالناس: "إنه لا يدخل الجنة إلا نفس مسلمة" (صحيح البخاري 3062).
4. Security for Those Who Worship Him Alone | أولئك لهم الأمن وهم مهتدون
For those who keep their faith pure, Allah promises: It is only those who are faithful and do not tarnish their faith with falsehood who are guaranteed security and are rightly guided (6:82). Ibn Kathir explains: these are the ones who devote their worship to Allah alone, with no partner, and associate nothing with Him; they are the ones secure on the Day of Resurrection and guided in this world and the Hereafter. Why Allah did not simply grant Paradise without any reckoning is explained in why Allah did not decree entry into Paradise without reckoning.
الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُوا إِيمَانَهُم بِظُلْمٍ أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمُ الْأَمْنُ وَهُم مُّهْتَدُونَ (سورة الأنعام: 82)
قال تعالى: (الذين آمنوا ولم يلبسوا إيمانهم بظلم أولئك لهم الأمن وهم مهتدون) (الأنعام 6: 82)، قال ابن كثير: أي: هؤلاء الذين أخلصوا العبادة لله وحده لا شريك له، ولم يشركوا به شيئا، هم الآمنون يوم القيامة، المهتدون في الدنيا والآخرة.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Why is Paradise denied to those who associate partners with Allah?
Allah alone is the Creator and Provider; whoever gives His right of worship to others wrongs himself, and whoever dies associating partners with Him enters the Fire, for Allah does not forgive association with Him (4:116, Sahih Muslim 93).
What did the Prophet say makes Paradise or the Fire certain?
Whoever dies without associating anything with Allah enters Paradise, and whoever dies associating anything with Allah enters the Fire (Sahih Muslim 93).
Which verse says Paradise is forbidden to whoever associates partners with Allah?
Al-Ma’idah 5:72: Whoever associates others with Allah in worship will surely be forbidden Paradise by Allah. Their home will be the Fire.
Why is shirk called the worst of all wrongs?
Luqman told his son so (31:13), and Ibn Kathir explains that it is the greatest wrong; Ibn Mas’ud reported that this verse explains the wrong meant in 6:82 (Sahih al-Bukhari 32).