Why Didn't Allah Decree That People Enter Paradise Without Reckoning or Punishment?
لماذا لم يكتب سبحانه للإنسان دخول الجنة دون حساب ولا عذاب؟
Due to Allah's Favor upon man, He has created him of the best stature, made him honored among other creations and distinguished him from them by reason, as He the Almighty says: (Indeed, We have dignified the children of Adam) [Al-Isra 17:70]
And Allah has subjected for man all of what is in the universe. (He ˹also˺ subjected for you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth, all by His grace.) [Al-Jathiyah 45:13]
(and has lavished His favours upon you, both seen and unseen?) [Luqman 31:20]
Since man is created in the best stature, is privileged with many characteristics that no other creature has, and to whom the creations are subjected, it is appropriate that he is tested and tried. And since man is tested and tried, it is unfair to have the obedient and disobedient treated equally as the Almighty says: (Should We then treat those who have submitted like the wicked?) [Al-Qalam 68:35]
(Those blind ˹to the truth˺ and those who can see are not equal, nor are those who believe and do good ˹equal˺ to those who do evil. Yet you are hardly mindful.) [Ghafir 40:58]
(˹He is the One˺ Who created death and life in order to test which of you is best in deeds. And He is the Almighty, All-Forgiving.) [Al-Mulk 67:2]
Note: The earlier published wording numbered this verse Al-Mulk 67:13; it is verse 2 of Al-Mulk, so it was corrected.
الله عز وجل امتن على الإنسان أن خلقه في أحسن تقويم وأكرمه على سائر المخلوقات وميزه بالعقل، كما قال: (وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِي آدَمَ) [الإسراء 17: 70]
كما أن الله سخر للإنسان سائر ما في الكون: (وَسَخَّرَ لَكُم مَّا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا مِّنْهُ) [الجاثية 45: 13]
وفي موضع آخر: (وَأَسْبَغَ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعَمَهُ ظَاهِرَةً وَبَاطِنَةً) [لقمان 31: 20]
فلما كان الإنسان مخلوقا على هذا الحسن، وفيه من الصفات ما ليس في غيره من المخلوقات، وسخرت له المخلوقات، ناسب أن يكون موضع الاختبار والابتلاء، ثم إذا كان الإنسان موضع الابتلاء والاختبار فإن من غير العدل أن يجعل الطائع كالعاصي، كما قال سبحانه: (أَفَنَجْعَلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ كَالْمُجْرِمِينَ) [القلم 68: 35]
وقال سبحانه: (وَمَا يَسْتَوِي الْأَعْمَىٰ وَالْبَصِيرُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَلَا الْمُسِيءُ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَتَذَكَّرُونَ) [غافر 40: 58]
(الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَاةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفُورُ) [الملك 67: 2]
ملاحظة: جاء رقم هذه الآية في النص المنشور سابقا (الملك 67: 13)، وهي الآية 2 من سورة الملك، فصُحح.
1. His Justice Does Not Treat the Two Alike | أم نجعل المتقين كالفجار
The scholar’s argument is the Quran’s own: Or should We treat those who believe and do good like those who make mischief throughout the land? Or should We treat the righteous like the wicked? (38:28). Ibn Kathir explains that out of His justice and wisdom Allah does not make the believer and the disbeliever equal; and since this world does not settle the matter, for we see the oppressor whose wealth and children increase until he dies so, and the obedient wronged one who dies in his grief, there must be another abode where the obedient is rewarded and the wicked is punished. That accounting is explained in what the Day of Reckoning is.
أَمْ نَجْعَلُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ كَالْمُفْسِدِينَ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَمْ نَجْعَلُ الْمُتَّقِينَ كَالْفُجَّارِ (سورة ص: 28)
وما قرره الجواب مقرر في كتاب الله، قال تعالى: (أم نجعل الذين آمنوا وعملوا الصالحات كالمفسدين في الأرض أم نجعل المتقين كالفجار) (ص 38: 28)، قال ابن كثير: ثم بين تعالى أنه من عدله وحكمته لا يساوي بين المؤمن والكافر ... وإذا كان الأمر كذلك فلا بد من دار أخرى يثاب فيها هذا المطيع ويعاقب فيها هذا الفاجر ... فإنا نرى الظالم الباغي يزداد ماله وولده ونعيمه ويموت كذلك، ونرى المطيع المظلوم يموت بكمده ... وإذا لم يقع هذا في هذه الدار فتعين أن هناك دارا أخرى لهذا الجزاء.
2. An Evil Thought About His Justice | ساء ما يحكمون
Allah rebukes those who commit evil yet expect the same end as the righteous: Or do those who commit evil deeds simply think that We will make them equal, in their life and after their death, to those who believe and do good? How wrong is their judgment! (45:21). Ibn Kathir explains: evil is what they thought of Us and of Our justice, that We would make the righteous and the wicked equal in the Hereafter and in this world; and he recalls His words: The residents of the Fire cannot be equal to the residents of Paradise (59:20).
أَمْ حَسِبَ الَّذِينَ اجْتَرَحُوا السَّيِّئَاتِ أَن نَّجْعَلَهُمْ كَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ سَوَاءً مَّحْيَاهُمْ وَمَمَاتُهُمْ ۚ سَاءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ (سورة الجاثية: 21)
أنكر الله تعالى على من يجترح السيئات ثم يرجو أن يكون مآله كمآل الصالحين، فقال: (أم حسب الذين اجترحوا السيئات أن نجعلهم كالذين آمنوا وعملوا الصالحات سواء محياهم ومماتهم ساء ما يحكمون) (الجاثية 45: 21)، قال ابن كثير: أي: ساء ما ظنوا بنا وبعدلنا أن نساوي بين الأبرار والفجار في الدار الآخرة وفي هذه الدار، وذكر قبل ذلك قوله تعالى: (لا يستوي أصحاب النار وأصحاب الجنة) (الحشر 59: 20).
3. Favours That Make the Test Fitting | وأسبغ عليكم نعمه ظاهرة وباطنة
The scholar ties the test to the favours man has received. On 45:13 Ibn Kathir explains: the stars, mountains, seas and rivers and all you benefit from, all of it from His grace, kindness and favour, from Him alone with no partner. On 31:20 he explains that the favours, seen and unseen, include sending the messengers, revealing the books and removing doubts and excuses; yet with all this not all people believed. As the answer states, since Allah distinguished man by reason, he is tested; how man’s choice sits with Allah’s decree is explained in whether man’s life is predestined or he has free will.
أَلَمْ تَرَوْا أَنَّ اللَّهَ سَخَّرَ لَكُم مَّا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَأَسْبَغَ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعَمَهُ ظَاهِرَةً وَبَاطِنَةً (سورة لقمان: 20)
ربط الجواب الاختبار بما أنعم الله به على الإنسان، قال ابن كثير في قوله تعالى: (وسخر لكم ما في السماوات وما في الأرض جميعا منه) (الجاثية 45: 13): أي: من الكواكب والجبال والبحار والأنهار وجميع ما تنتفعون به، أي: الجميع من فضله وإحسانه وامتنانه ... من عنده وحده لا شريك له في ذلك، وقال في قوله تعالى: (وأسبغ عليكم نعمه ظاهرة وباطنة) (لقمان 31: 20): من إرسال الرسل وإنزال الكتب وإزاحة الشُّبَه والعلل، ثم مع هذا كله ما آمن الناس كلهم. ولما ميز الله الإنسان بالعقل كان، كما قرر الجواب، موضع الاختبار.
4. The Blind and the Seeing Are Not Equal | وما يستوي الأعمى والبصير
In another verse of the answer, Allah makes the comparison visible: Those blind to the truth and those who can see are not equal, nor are those who believe and do good equal to those who do evil. Yet you are hardly mindful (40:58). Ibn Kathir explains: just as the blind man who sees nothing and the seeing man who sees as far as his sight reaches are not equal, but there is a great difference between them, so the righteous believers and the wicked disbelievers are not equal. The trials of this life, through which the difference shows, are explained in the trials of the believer in this worldly life.
وَمَا يَسْتَوِي الْأَعْمَىٰ وَالْبَصِيرُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَلَا الْمُسِيءُ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَتَذَكَّرُونَ (سورة غافر: 58)
وفي آية أخرى من الجواب ضرب الله تعالى لذلك مثلا، فقال: (وما يستوي الأعمى والبصير والذين آمنوا وعملوا الصالحات ولا المسيء قليلا ما تتذكرون) (غافر 40: 58)، قال ابن كثير: أي: كما لا يستوي الأعمى الذي لا يبصر شيئا، والبصير الذي يرى ما انتهى إليه بصره، بل بينهما فرق عظيم، كذلك لا يستوي المؤمنون الأبرار والكفرة الفجار.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Why did Allah not let everyone enter Paradise without reckoning?
Man was honoured, given reason and had the universe subjected to him, so it is fitting that he is tested; and it would not be just to treat the obedient like the disobedient (68:35).
In which verse does Allah reject treating the righteous like the wicked?
Sad 38:28: Or should We treat those who believe and do good like those who make mischief throughout the land? Or should We treat the righteous like the wicked?
What does Ibn Kathir conclude from 38:28?
Since the oppressor may prosper and the wronged may die in his grief in this world, there must be another abode where the obedient is rewarded and the wicked is punished.
In which verse of Al-Mulk does Allah say that life is a test?
Al-Mulk 67:2: He is the One Who created death and life in order to test which of you is best in deeds.