If a new Muslim dies without worshipping at all, does he go to Paradise? If yes, how is it possible without any deeds of worship?
- If he/she enters Paradise, how can it be without any worship?
- If a Christian person learns about Islam and that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Messenger just a minute or two before death through television or radio, and embraces Islam, will he/she enter Paradise?
- If he/she enters Paradise, how can it be without any worship?
Dear Brother / Sister,
Belief is the key to Paradise; worship is a means for the ranks, degrees and boons of Paradise. People will enter Paradise due to their belief. The deeds of worship they do in this world will be a means of elevating their degrees.
The Prophet had besieged a few castles of Khaybar.
Meanwhile, they saw someone herding the sheep and coming toward the Islamic army. He was an Abyssinian slave called Yasar; he belonged to Amir, one of the Jews of Khaybar. He herded Amir’s sheep. When he saw that Jews were putting on their weapons when their castles were besieged, he asked, “What do you want to do?”
The Jews said, “We want to kill that man who declared that he was a prophet. When Yasar, the Abyssinian, heard the word prophet, he hesitated a bit; he felt that the word prophet covered his body like a compassionate hand.
Yasar did not find what the Jews said sufficient. He wanted to find out about this prophet from the prophet himself.
Therefore, he herded the sheep toward the Islamic army and went to the presence of the Messenger of Allah. He asked,
“What do you say and what do you invite people to do?”
The Messenger of Allah said, “I invite people to Islam. I invite them to witness that there is no god but Allah and that I am His messenger; I also ask them not to worship anyone but Allah.”
Yasar asked, “If I believe in and witness as you say, what will I have?”
The Messenger of Allah said, “If you die with this belief and witnessing, you will go to Paradise.”
Thereupon, Yasar embraced Islam there at once.
The Messenger of Allah told him that he would go to Paradise if he died with this belief and witnessing but Yasar was hesitant. In the place where he lived, people were treated based on their positions and ranks, wealth or poverty, and beauty or ugliness. Nobody showed respect to ugly people and especially to slaves.
Therefore, he asked again, “O Messenger of Allah! I am a black Abyssinian; I have an ugly face and I am poor. I am a slave. If I fight the Jews and die, will I enter Paradise?”
The Messenger of Allah gave the following answer, which made Yasar joyful: “Yes, you will.”
This time, Yasar said, “O Messenger of Allah! These sheep have been entrusted to me. What shall I do with them?”
The Messenger of Allah said, “Take them out of the headquarters. Throw some small stones at them and shout. They will return to their owners.”
Yasar stood up at once. He picked a handful of sand from the ground and threw it at the sheep, and shouted:
“Come on! Go back to your owners.” All of the sheep went to their owners as if someone was herding them. Yasar, who was honored by Islam, became a mujahid who fought in the way of Allah. He attacked the ranks of the enemy courageously. After a short while, he was martyred by the stones thrown from the castles. Thus, he received the title, “the Muslim who flew to Paradise without having time to perform even one prayer.”
The dead body of Yasar was brought to the headquarters. It was covered and lying on the ground. The Messenger of Allah, who was looking at the dead body, turned his face away for a while. The Companions asked him, “O Messenger of Allah! Why did you turn your face away?”
The Messenger of Allah explained the reason as follows:
“When a martyr is shot and falls on the ground, two houris from Paradise come and wipe the dust on his face and say, ‘May Allah put the face of the person into dust who put your face into dust and kill the person who killed you.’ Allah granted good things to him. I saw two houris of Paradise near him though he had not prostrated to Allah even once.”
There it is: few but sincere deeds and endless bliss and rewards! This incident teaches us that the most important element in our acts, attitudes and words is sincerity.
We also understand from this event that the Prophet did not differentiate between people no matter what their social positions were when he invited people to belief and Islam. Yes, Yasar was a black slave with an ugly face; besides, he belonged to the lowest class in the eyes of the people living at that time. Despite this, the Prophet did not despise him; he did not look down on him when he explained Islam to him; he talked seriously; thus, he helped him attain the endless bliss.
Those who serve Islam and belief need to act with the same criteria and thought.
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