Question:
Assalamualaikum SS Dato’ Seri Mufti. Is there a possibility for people who have committed any major sins to enter the paradise without hisab?
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
First, we start with the saying of Allah SWT in the Quran:
إِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ
Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills.
Surah al-Nisaa’ (48)
Ibn Jarir al-Tabari in explaining the verse stated: “This verse explains that all people who commit major sin are under the will of Allah. If He wills, He will forgive them, and if He wills, He will punish them. As long as their great sins are not an act of shirk towards Allah.” (See Jami’ al-Bayan ‘an Ta’wil ay al-Quran, 8/450)
While Imam Ibn Kathir explains by stating: “Allah SWT will not forgive the sins of shirk which is when a slave meets Him while practising shirk.” (See Tafsir al-Qur’an al-‘Azim, 3/129). According to Ibn al-Jawzi, Allah SWT will never forgive those who die while practicing shirk. (See Zad al-Masir, 2/103)
In another verse, Allah SWT says:
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّـهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful."
Surah al-Zumar (53)
Ibn Kathir explains: It is news that Allah SWT forgives all sins for those who repent from their sins, no matter what sins are committed, even if they are as many as the bubbles in the ocean. (However), it is incorrect to understand this verse as applicable to those who do not repent. This is because the sin of shirk is not forgiven for those who do not repent from it. (See Tafsir al-Quran al-Azim, 7/106)
Ibn Jarir al-Tabari in Jami’ al-Bayan (20/465) narrated that Abdullah bin Mas’ud RA said: “This ummah is divided into three divisions on the Day of Judgement. 1/3 will enter the paradise without hisab, other 1/3 will be reckoned (hisab) with an easy reckoning and the rest will come with an abundance of sins that the Almighty says: “Who are they?” while He is the All-Knowing. Then the angel answered: “They come with an abundance of sins. It is only that they never associate You with any other god” Allah says: “Put them in the paradise due to the immensity of My blessings”. Then, Abdullah bin Mas’ud RA recites this verse:
ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْكِتَابَ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَيْنَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا
Then we caused to inherit the Book those We have chosen of Our servants;
Surah Fatir (32)
Hence, through repentance towards Allah, any great sin, except the sin of shirk, will be forgiven as He is the Most Forgiving. It is true the words of Allah SWT:
نَبِّئْ عِبَادِي أَنِّي أَنَا الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
[O Muhammad], inform My servants that it is I who am the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Surah al-Hijr (49)
Sheikh al-Maraghi stated while commenting on this verse: “(Its meaning is), O Prophet! Tell all My servants, indeed, I am the One Who wipes away their sins if they repent and come back to Me. In which they never disclose their wrongdoings and it is the reason why they are not being punished, and indeed, I am the Most Merciful towards them than to punish them after they repent from their sins.
In His saying: “نَبِّئْ عِبَادِي” (O Prophet! Tell all of My servants), there is an indication that prophets tell good news towards those who want to prove their ‘ubudiyyah (true slavery) towards Allah SWT, it includes both pious people and sinners. It is clear here that the Allah’s mercy surpasses His torment. (See Tafsir al-Maraghi, 7/3678)
Second, pertaining to entering paradise without hisab, we state here some hadith of the Prophet PBUH:
- In a hadith narrated by Imran bin al-Husain RA, the Prophet PBUH said:
يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ مِنْ أُمَّتِي سَبْعُونَ أَلْفًا بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ " . قَالُوا مَنْ هُمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ " هُمُ الَّذِينَ لاَ يَسْتَرْقُونَ وَلاَ يَتَطَيَّرُونَ وَلاَ يَكْتَوُونَ وَعَلَى رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ
Seventy thousand men of my Ummah would enter Paradise without rendering account. They (the companions of the Holy Prophet) said: Who would be those, Messenger of Allah? He (the Holy Prophet) said: They would be those who neither practise charm, not take omens, nor do they cauterise, but they repose their trust in their Lord.
Sahih al-Bukhari (5752) and Sahih Muslim (220)
Imam al-‘AIni explains: The meaning of them not asking for ruqyah is what is done by the enchanters like fever, people possessed by the jinn and the like. There are some sayings which permit while some prohibit it. The prohibition is when the healing process does not use understandable Arabic words or not using Allah SWT’s names and attributes. (See Umdah al-Qari, 23/69)
Ibn al-Qayyim states that the main attributes of those 70,000 people all are linked under the attribute of tawakkal. It is because their tawakkal is perfect, in which they do not ask to be charmed, do not use medication with steel (which is prohibited) and never anticipate misfortune. (See Miftah Dar al-Sa’adah, 3/1483)
- In a hadith narrated by Sahl bin Sa’d RA, the Prophet PBUH said:
لَيَدْخُلَنَّ الْجَنَّةَ مِنْ أُمَّتِي سَبْعُونَ أَلْفًا أَوْ سَبْعُمِائَةِ أَلْفٍ ـ شَكَّ فِي أَحَدِهِمَا ـ مُتَمَاسِكِينَ، آخِذٌ بَعْضُهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ، حَتَّى يَدْخُلَ أَوَّلُهُمْ وَآخِرُهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ، وَوُجُوهُهُمْ عَلَى ضَوْءِ الْقَمَرِ لَيْلَةَ الْبَدْرِ
Seventy-thousand or seven-hundred thousand of my followers (the narrator is in doubt as to the correct number) will enter Paradise holding each other till the first and the last of them enter Paradise at the same time, and their faces will have a glitter like that of the moon at night when it is full
Sahih al-Bukhari (6554)
According to the general meaning of this hadith, if one fulfils the mentioned criteria, he will enter the paradise without hisab.
Conclusion
Based on the above evidences and statements, if a person who commits a major sin repents, then he has the chance to be included under those who enter paradise without hisab. However, the tawbah (repentance) should be done wholeheartedly while observing all requisites and conditions.
In a hadith narrated by Imran bin al-Hussain RA, it is stated that a woman has committed adultery, she is later being punished with hudud punishment. Then, her dead body is prayed by the Prophet PBUH. Sayyidina Umar RA asked in confusion: “You performed prayer upon her, O Prophet, but she committed adultery?” The Prophet PBUH answered:
لَقَدْ تَابَتْ تَوْبَةً لَوْ قُسِمَتْ بَيْنَ سَبْعِينَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ لَوَسِعَتْهُمْ وَهَلْ وَجَدْتَ تَوْبَةً أَفْضَلَ مِنْ أَنْ جَادَتْ بِنَفْسِهَا لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى
She has made such a repentance that if it were to be divided among seventy men of Medina, it would be enough. Have you found any repentance better than this that she sacrificed her life for Allah, the Majestic?
Sahih Muslim (1696)
While for those great sin doers who do not repent, then it depends on Allah SWT’s wills; either to forgive or to punish him, as long as he does not practice shirk to Allah SWT.
May Allah make us be among those who enter the paradise without hisab. Ameen.