Eventually Saved

Anas bin Malik (radi Allahu anhu) narrated: “Once Muadh was along with Allah's Apostle as a companion rider. Allah's Apostle said, ‘O Muadh bin Jabal.’ Muadh replied, ‘Labbaik and Sadaik. O Allah's Apostle!’ Again the Prophet said, ‘O Muadh!’ Muadh said thrice, ‘Labbaik and Sadaik, O Allah's Apostle!’ Allah's Apostle said, ‘There is none who testifies sincerely that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is His Apostle, except that Allah will save him from Hell-fire.’ Muadh said, ‘O Allah's Apostle! Should I not inform the people about it so that they may have glad tidings?’ He replied, ‘When the people hear about it, they will depend on it solely.’ So Muadh narrated the above-mentioned hadith just before his death, being afraid of committing sin (by not disclosing all his religious knowledge).” [Sahih Bukhari]

Muadh bin Jabal (radi Allahu anhu) had been warned by the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) that when Muslims were given the good news contained in this hadith they would not bother to obey Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) any more. That is why he delayed conveying this hadith until he was about to die. Since he didn’t want Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) to punish him for keeping knowledge of the words of the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) hidden, he told the people what he knew before he passed away.

But in reality, we do exactly what Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) feared from us. For school results we try our utmost, studying by day and pulling all-nighters, foregoing parties and outings, not even talking to our friends except about the most important things. But when it comes to the exam of life, whose consequences count for more than life itself, we don’t bother to put the same effort in!

We think ourselves clever and are upset at being called idiotic. But what else are we in reality? We make clothes for winter but no provision for another life. We are like a man in winter who says: “I shall not wear warm clothes, but place trust in God’s kindness to protect me from the cold.” He does not realize that, in addition to creating cold, Allah placed before man the means to protect himself from it.

Although all those who really meant what they said, when they said ‘La ilaha il-Allah’, will eventually be saved from Hell-Fire, can we really afford to be casual about burning for any length of time in a Fire whose intensity is seventy times the intensity of earthly fire?