“Seeking Jannat Without Action is Counted as a Sin.”
The Aakhirat and Seeking Jannat
If someone avers that a person can also reach Jannat through Imaan alone, our response is: Yes, but after what? How many minefields will he have to cross before he comes to Jannat? The first minefield is, of course, that of Imaan; and is he safe from his Imaan being snatched away or not? Assuming that he reaches; will he be in misery and bankrupt? Hasan Basri (rahmatullahi alaih) said: “Allah Ta’ala will say to his servants on the Day of Qiyaamah: ‘O My Servants! Enter Jannat with My Rahmat and share it (My Rahmat) by virtue of your deeds.'”
Son! As long as you do not carry out any action, you shall not be rewarded. It is narrated that a man from the Bani Isra’eel worshipped Allah Ta’ala for sixty years. Allah Ta’ala then wished to display him to the Malaa’ikah. Allah Ta’ala sent an Angel to tell him that in spite of his Ibaadat he is not fit to enter Jannat. The message was delivered. The Aabid replied: “We have been created for Ibaadat. It only behoves us, therefore, to make Ibaadat.” The Angel returned and said: “O Allah, You know best what he said.” Allah Ta’ala replied: “Since he did not turn away from Our Ibaadat, by virtue of Our Munificence We will not turn away from him. Bear witness My Malaa’ikah, I have forgiven him.”
Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: “Take an account from yourself before an account will be demanded from you and weigh your deeds before you will be compelled to weigh them.” Hadhrat Ali (radhiyallahu anhu) said: “One who thinks that he can reach (Jannat) without effort is a dreamer.” Hadhrat Hasan Basri (rahmatullahi alaih) said: “Seeking Jannat without action is counted as a sin.” He furthermore said: “The sign of being on the Right Path is to forget about your actions, not to discard actions.” Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: “A clever person is one who is the master of his nafs (carnal desires) and who carries out actions for the life after death, whilst a fool is one who follows his carnal passions and entertains all types of (unwarranted) hopes in Allah Ta’ala.”
Son! How often you stayed awake at night revising your Ilm, studying the kutub and depriving yourself of sleep! I don’t know what constrained you to do that. If it was for accumulating the dunya, hauling the flotsam and jetsam of this world, gaining worldly positions and vying with contemporaries and peers then you are doomed, indeed you are doomed. And if your intention was to revive the Shariah of Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam), to reform your character and break the nafs-e-ammaarah bis-soo’ (the nafs which over and over again commands evil) then congratulations to you, and again congratulations to you.
Source: Priceless Naseehat – Imam Ghazali for a Dedicated Pupil and Disciple”
