"Paradise is closer to any of you than the strap of his sandal, and so is Hell"

والصَّلَاةُ والسَّلاَمُ عَلَى سَيّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ أَشْرَفِ اْلمُرْسَلِيْنَ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ الطَّيّبِيْنَ الطَّاهِرِيْن

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

”إِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ لَيَعْمَلُ ‌بِعَمَلِ ‌أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ حَتَّى لَا يَكُونَ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَهُ إِلَّا ذِرَاعٌ، فَيَسْبِقُ عَلَيْهِ الْكِتَابُ فَيَعْمَلُ ‌بِعَمَلِ ‌أَهْلِ النَّارِ فَيَدْخُلُ النَّارَ. وَإِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ لَيَعْمَلُ ‌بِعَمَلِ ‌أَهْلِ النَّارِ، حَتَّى مَا يَكُونُ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَهُ إِلَّا ذِرَاعٌ، فَيَسْبِقُ عَلَيْهِ الْكِتَابُ، فَيَعْمَلُ عَمَلَ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ فَيَدْخُلُهَا“

“Indeed, one of you may engage in the deeds of the people of Paradise until only a cubit remains between him and it. Yet, what has been decreed will overtake him, leading him to act according to the deeds of the people of Hell, and thus he will enter therein. Conversely, one of you may undertake the deeds of the people of Hell until a mere cubit separates him from it. Then, what has been decreed will overtake him, causing him to act according to the deeds of the people of Paradise, and thereby he will enter therein.”

(Narrated by Al-Bukhariyy)

How remarkable it is that this man named Jarjah performed no good deeds in his lifetime, apart from learning about Islam, praying two rak^ahs, and subsequently fighting alongside the Muslims, thereby attaining martyrdom—a truly exalted status. What truly matters is the conclusion of one's life; therefore, one should not be deceived by their deeds, as circumstances can change dramatically. This implies that a person may spend their entire life engaging in the deeds of the people of Paradise, only to turn away and disbelieve at the end of their days—may Allah protect us—and thus become among the people of Hell.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

”الْجَنَّةُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى أَحَدِكُمْ مِنْ شِرَاكِ نَعْلِهِ، ‌وَالنَّارُ ‌مِثْلُ ‌ذَلِكَ“

“Paradise is closer to any of you than the strap of his sandal, and so is Hell” 

(Narrated by Al-Bukhariyy)

The intended meaning here is that an individual can secure Paradise with a modest act of righteousness, just as they may incur Hellfire through a seemingly trivial action. For instance, if a person has lived a lifetime in disbelief and adhered to it for many years, but then, before death—prior to witnessing the angels of torment, losing hope in life, or attaining certainty of death through the sight of the Angel of Death or similar circumstances—embraces Islam through a simple utterance of the two testimonies of faith, and sincerely believes in his heart that there is no Deity but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, he will be counted among the people of Paradise, even if he has not performed a single prayer. Similarly, one may depart from the religion through a mere word of disbelief —may Allah protect us.

A man approached the Messenger of Allah ﷺ after learning that he was fighting against some polytheists. Driven by zeal, he donned a helmet and asked, "O Messenger of Allah, should I first accept Islam or fight?" The Prophet ﷺ replied, "Accept Islam, then fight." Thus, he embraced Islam, fought, and was martyred. The Prophet ﷺ remarked, "He performed little but gained much." Although he had not fasted or prayed, he had accepted Islam, fought in the path of Allah, and met his end as a martyr. It was by Allah's decree that his final state would be upon Islam and faith.

Similarly, there was a woman who had been shot in the head and was placed in the hospital, initially presumed to be on the verge of death. However, she regained consciousness and pronounced the two testimonies of faith. She then recounted to her mother, "While I was unconscious, I saw the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. He passed his hand over me, and I awoke, then professed the testimony." Her mother, moved by this, also uttered the testimonies. Allah, in His wisdom, had decreed good for both the daughter and her mother.

A similar story was related by a man from the neighbourhood of Yamout in Beirut, who spoke of an elderly neighbour known for her openly declared disbelief. He said: 'She was gravely ill at the time, and her family called for me, saying that the old woman wished to speak with me. I entered and saw her weakened state as she gazed at me and uttered, "What am I supposed to say?" leaving me perplexed. I said, 'Say: "I bear witness that there is no Deity but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."' She repeated the words and then passed away. It was Allah's decree that she would meet her end upon Islam, for she had testified before death.

Indeed, Allah is the Most Knowledgeable and Wise, and all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.