Ten Deeds that Guarantee Paradise
#1. Giving up arguing, even if you are right.
“I guarantee a house in Jannah (Paradise) for the one who gives up arguing, even if he is in the right. I guarantee a home in the middle of Jannah for the one who abandons lying even when joking. I guarantee a house in the highest part of Jannah for the one who has good manners.”
— Our Prophet Muhammad, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him.
(Sahih Al-Jami’ 1464)
#2. Increase in the quantity and quality of your sujood.
Rabi’ah ibn Ka’b said: I used to spend my night (in the house) of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and I would give him his wudu’ water and whatever else he needed.
One day he said to me, “Ask me for something.”
I replied, “I ask to be with you in Jannah (i.e Ask Allah to let me be with you in Jannah)”.
He asked, “Is there anything else?”
I said, “That is all.”
He said, “Then help me (fulfill your request) by making lots of sujood (prostration in prayer).” (Sahih Muslim)
Why is it that sujood is such a great key to gaining Paradise? It is because in sujood we are the closest to our Beloved Lord, and it is the greatest symbol of our servitude and humility to Him.
Our Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “The servant is closest to his Lord during sujood, so increase your supplications in it.”
(Sahih Muslim)
#3. Reciting Ayat Al-Kursi after each prayer:
Our Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
“Whoever recites Ayat Al-Kursi after every obligatory prayer, nothing but death will prevent him from entering Paradise.”
(Hadith Sahih)
What is so great about Ayat Al Kursi that reciting after every prayer will grant us entrance into Paradise?
Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger, peace be upon him said:
“In Surah al-Baqarah there is an ayah which is the greatest of all the ayahs of the Qur’an. It is never recited in a house but Satan leaves: Ayat al-Kursi.”
(Hadith Sahih)
What does it mean that only death will prevent us from entering Paradise? It means that until we die and go through Barzakh and Judgement, we can not enter Paradise.
#4. Six things to do in exchange for Paradise:
Our Messenger, peace be upon him, said:
“Fulfill these six things, and I can guarantee Paradise for you:
1. Be truthful when you speak.
2. Fulfill the promises you make.
3. Fulfill the trusts you were given.
4. Protect your private parts (from fornication and adultery).
5. Lower your gaze (from looking at what is prohibited).
6. Withhold your hands (from hurting others).”
(Al Silsilah Al Sahihah 1470)
#5. Saying the following du’aa, which is called “Sayyid Al Istighfar” or “The most superior way of asking for forgiveness” with full belief in its meaning:
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
“The most superior way of asking for forgiveness from Allah is :
اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِي وَأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَىَّ فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ
‘O Allah, You are my Lord, there is no deity (worthy of worship) but You. You have created me and I am Your slave and I am keeping my promise and covenant to You as much as I can. I seek refuge with You from the evil of what I do. I acknowledge Your blessing and I acknowledge my sin, so forgive me, for there is none who can forgive sin except You.’
The Prophet, peace be upon him, added: If he says this in the morning, believing in it firmly, and dies on that day before evening comes, he will enter Paradise. And if he says it in the evening, believing firmly in it, and dies before morning comes, he will enter Paradise.”
(Sahih Bukhari)
#6. Spreading salams, feeding others, being good to your relatives, and praying at night (qiyam):
Abdullah ibn Salam, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
When the Prophet (first) arrived to Madinah, the people rushed to meet him, and it was said: ‘The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) has come! The Messenger of Allah has come! The Messenger of Allah has come!’ Three times. I came with the people to see him, and when I saw his face clearly, I knew that his face was not the face of a liar.
The first thing I heard him, peace be upon him, say was:
“O people! Spread (the greeting of) salam, feed others, uphold the family ties, pray during the night when people are sleeping, and you will enter Paradise in peace.”
(Sahih Sunan Ibn Majah)
Did you know these were some of the first beautiful words that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said when he first arrived to Madinah? And what a beautiful, simple message to us! Worship Allah, be good to others, and enter Paradise in peace!
#7. Maintaining your wudu at all times and praying two rak’ahs after every wudu’ and every adhaan.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) woke up one morning and called for Bilal. He said: “O Bilal! By what (good deed) have you preceded me to Paradise? I have never entered Paradise (in my dream) except that I heard your footsteps before me. I entered Paradise last night, and I heard your footsteps before me.”
Bilal, may Allah be pleased with him, replied, “O Allah’s Messenger! I have never called the adhaan except that I prayed two rak’ahs (after it), and I never break my wudu’ except that I make wudu’ (again) right away, and I considered that I owed Allah two rak’ahs.”
So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “(You preceded me to Paradise) because of those two (deeds).”
(Sahih al-Targhib wat-Tarhib 194)
Note: The Prophet will be the first to enter Paradise on the Day of Judgment. However, he was giving Bilal glad tidings of seeing him in Paradise when he would have a dream of Paradise.
#8. Visiting your brother or sister in Islam or visiting a sick person.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
”Whoever visits a sick person, or visits his brother for the sake of Allah, a caller (angel) calls out:
‘May you be blessed and may your walking be blessed, and may you dwell in a home in Paradise.’“
(Hasan, Sahih Al Jami’ 6387)
#9. Taking care of an orphan.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “I will be like this in Paradise with the person who takes care of an orphan”.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) then raised (and put together) his forefinger and middle finger by way of illustration.
(Sahih Bukhari)
What does it mean to take care of an orphan?
Shaykh Uthaimeen, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
“Taking care of an orphan means to do what will benefit him in his deen (religion) and dunya (worldly life). So one does what is good for his (the orphan’s) Deen by raising, guiding and teaching him, etc. And he does what is good for his (the orphan’s) dunya, by feeding him and giving him a home.”
(Sharh Riyad Al Saliheen 5/113)
#10. Taqwa of Allah and Good Character
The Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked: ”Which deed enters people into Paradise the most?”
He replied: “Taqwa of Allah and good character.”
(Sahih At-Tirmidhi)
Why taqwa and good character?
Taqwa is to have fear of Allah and awareness that He is watching you — which then makes you stay away from what displeases Him and do what pleases Him. Worshipping Allah with taqwa brings us close to Allah and keeps us far away from displeasing him.
As for good character, it is to be good to His creation for His sake, because that is what pleases Him. Fulfilling this obligation of Allah brings peace and happiness between the creation.