Inhabitants of Paradise

Guidance - II

Abu Sa’id relates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be with him) said: Allah, the High and Glorious, would say: ‘O Adam!’ I and he would say: ‘At Thy service, at thy beck and call, O Lord, and the good is in Thy Hand.’ Allah would say: ‘Bring forth the group of (the denizens of) Fire.’ He (Adam) would say: ‘Who are the denizens of Hell?’ It would be said: ‘They are out of every thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine.’ He (the Holy Prophet) said: ‘It is at this juncture that every child would become white-haired and every pregnant woman would abort and you would see people in a state of intoxication, and they would not be in fact intoxicated but grievous will be the torment of Allah.’ He (the narrator) said: This had a very depressing effect upon them (upon the companions of the Holy Messenger) and they said: Messenger of Allah, who amongst us would be (that unfortunate) person (who would be doomed to Hell)? He said: ‘Good tidings for you, Yajuj Majuj would be those thousands (who would be the denizens of Hell) and a person (selected for Paradise) would be amongst you.’ He (the narrator) further reported that he (the Messenger of Allah) again said: ‘By Him in Whose Hand is thy life, I hope that you would constitute one-fourth of the inhabitants of Paradise. We extolled Allah and we glorified (Him). He (the Holy Prophet) again said: ‘By Him in Whose Hand is my life, I wish you would constitute one-third of the inhabitants of Paradise.’ We extolled Allah and Glorified (Him). He (the Holy Prophet) again said: ‘By Him in Whose Hand is my life, I hope that you would constitute half of the inhabitants of Paradise. Your likeness among the people is the likeness of a white hair on the skin of a black ox or a strip on the foreleg of an ass.’

(Sahih Muslim)

This hadith brings into light how small a number of people would be allowed to enter Paradise and the rest would go to Hell.

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