Eternal destiny – Stories for your Muslim friend

CONTENTS

Chapter 23 Is salvation by faith alone, unconnected to good works?

Many Christians today say that salvation is only through faith, and that works are not important. They quote verses in the first section below.

Some Christians today say that salvation is only through works, and faith is not important. They quote verses in the second section below.

Importance of faith in the Bible

λογιζόμεθα γὰρ δικαιοῦσθαι πίστει ἄνθρωπον χωρὶς ἔργων νόμου.

For we consider that a person is declared righteous by faith apart from the works of the law. Romans 3:28

Δικαιωθέντες οὖν ἐκ πίστεως εἰρήνην ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,

Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Romans 5:1

Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν; ὅτι ἔθνη τὰ μὴ διώκοντα δικαιοσύνην κατέλαβεν δικαιοσύνην, δικαιοσύνην δὲ τὴν ἐκ πίστεως·

What shall we say then?– that the Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness obtained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith, Romans 9:30

τῇ γὰρ χάριτί ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι διὰ πίστεως· καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν, θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον· 9 οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων, ἵνα μή τις καυχήσηται.

For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

However, Christians who say that someone is saved who has no works are in direct opposition to James 2. Proper understanding of the Bible must include all that the Bible has said, including the following passage.

Importance of works in the Bible

Τί τὸ ὄφελος, ἀδελφοί μου, ἐὰν πίστιν λέγῃ τις ἔχειν, ἔργα δὲ μὴ ἔχῃ; μὴ δύναται ἡ πίστις σῶσαι αὐτόν; ἐὰν ἀδελφὸς ἢ ἀδελφὴ γυμνοὶ ὑπάρχωσιν καὶ λειπόμενοι τῆς ἐφημέρου τροφῆς, εἴπῃ δέ τις αὐτοῖς ἐξ ὑμῶν, Ὑπάγετε ἐν εἰρήνῃ, θερμαίνεσθε καὶ χορτάζεσθε, μὴ δῶτε δὲ αὐτοῖς τὰ ἐπιτήδεια τοῦ σώματος, τί τὸ ὄφελος; οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις, ἐὰν μὴ ἔχῃ ἔργα, νεκρά ἐστιν καθ’ ἑαυτήν. Ἀλλ’ ἐρεῖ τις, Σὺ πίστιν ἔχεις κἀγὼ ἔργα ἔχω. δεῖξόν μοι τὴν πίστιν σου χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων, κἀγώ σοι δείξω ἐκ τῶν ἔργων μου τὴν πίστιν. σὺ πιστεύεις ὅτι εἷς θεός ἐστιν; καλῶς ποιεῖς· καὶ τὰ δαιμόνια πιστεύουσιν καὶ φρίσσουσιν. θέλεις δὲ γνῶναι, ὦ ἄνθρωπε κενέ, ὅτι ἡ πίστις χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων ἀργή ἐστιν; Ἀβραὰμ ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ἀνενέγκας Ἰσαὰκ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον; βλέπεις ὅτι ἡ πίστις συνήργει τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἔργων ἡ πίστις ἐτελειώθη, καὶ ἐπληρώθη ἡ γραφὴ ἡ λέγουσα, Ἐπίστευσεν δὲ Ἀβραὰμ τῷ θεῷ, καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην, καὶ φίλος θεοῦ ἐκλήθη. ὁρᾶτε ὅτι ἐξ ἔργων δικαιοῦται ἄνθρωπος καὶ οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως μόνον. ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ὑποδεξαμένη τοὺς ἀγγέλους καὶ ἑτέρᾳ ὁδῷ ἐκβαλοῦσα; ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ σῶμα χωρὶς πνεύματος νεκρόν ἐστιν, οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις χωρὶς ἔργων νεκρά ἐστιν.

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it? So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by my works. You believe that God is one; well and good. Even the demons believe that– and tremble with fear. But would you like evidence, you empty fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Now Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. James 2:14-26

James and Romans are both part of the Bible. Christians cannot ignore James because they like Romans better or vice versa. The correct interpretation must include both the passages that talk about faith and the passages that talk about works.

How about Qur’an?

The Qur’an says that those who believe in God and the Last Day and do good works are saved, whatever their religious background – Muslim, Christian, Jew, or Sabean (followers of John the Baptist).

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالنَّصَارَى وَالصَّابِئِينَ مَنْ آَمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

“Truly those who believe and the Jews and the Christians and the Sabeans – whoever believes in Allah and in the Last Day and does good deeds – they have their reward from their Lord, and they shall have no fear on them nor will they be sad.” (Al-Baqara 2:62)

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالصَّابِئُونَ وَالنَّصَارَى مَنْ آَمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

“Truly those who believe and the Jews and the Sabeans and the Christians – whoever believes in Allah and in the Last Day and does good deeds – they shall have no fear on them nor will they be sad.” (Al-Maida 5:69)

Muslims who say that people are saved by our works only or by faith only are in direct opposition to the Qur’an, based on the verses referenced above.

In summary, the Bible and Qur’an talk about the importance of both faith and works. Works are not complete without faith, and faith is not complete without works.

Chapter 24 Is Hell real, and is it permanent?

Does hell really exist and are some people going there?

Some people speak and live as if hell did not really exist. They say, for example, of a person who has died, “he on whom God had mercy” without thinking whether this person really received God’s mercy or whether they might actually have been the object of God’s judgment. Does God have mercy on everyone? No! Let us look at what the Qur’an and the Bible say.

وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَهُمْ نَارُ جَهَنَّمَ لاَ يُقْضَى عَلَيْهِمْ فَيَمُوتُوا وَلاَ يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمْ مِنْ عَذَابِهَا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي كُلَّ كَفُورٍ

Disbelievers are headed to the fires of hell, where they will never be killed or die, nor will their torment ever be lightened. This is how we repay every disbeliever. (Al-Fatir 35:36)

فَكَانَ عَاقِبَتَهُمَا أَنَّهُمَا فِي النَّارِ خَالِدَيْنِ فِيهَا وَذَلِكَ جَزَاءُ الظَّالِمِينَ

Their end was in hellfire, where they will be forever. That is how the wicked will be repaid. (Al-Hashar 59:17)

وَقَدْ نَزَّلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الْكِتَابِ أَنْ إِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ آَيَاتِ اللَّهِ يُكْفَرُ بِهَا وَيُسْتَهْزَأُ بِهَا فَلاَ تَقْعُدُوا مَعَهُمْ حَتَّى يَخُوضُوا فِي حَدِيثٍ غَيْرِهِ إِنَّكُمْ إِذًا مِثْلُهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ جَامِعُ الْمُنَافِقِينَ وَالْكَافِرِينَ فِي جَهَنَّمَ جَمِيعًا

He has revealed to you in the book that, if you hear his signs being disbelieved and mocked, do not sit with them until they begin talking about something else. Otherwise you are like them. Allah will gather all the hypocrites and disbelievers together in hell. (Al-Nisa 4:140)

ذَلِكُمْ فَذُوقُوهُ وَأَنَّ لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابَ النَّارِ

So taste it. Disbelievers will have the torment of hellfire. (Al-Anfal 8:14)

وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْمُنَافِقِينَ وَالْمُنَافِقَاتِ وَالْكُفَّارَ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا هِيَ حَسْبُهُمْ وَلَعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُقِيمٌ

Allah has promised the male and female hypocrites and the disbelievers that they will remain forever in the fires of hell. It is their just due. Allah has damned them and they will have permanent torment, (Al-Tawba 9:68)

مَثَلُ الْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي وُعِدَ الْمُتَّقُونَ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ أُكُلُهَا دَائِمٌ وَظِلُّهَا تِلْكَ عُقْبَى الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا وَعُقْبَى الْكَافِرِينَ النَّارُ

The heavenly garden, which the godly are promised, which has flowing rivers underneath, and whose food and shade are permanent, is like… That is the reward of the godly, and the punishment of disbelievers is hellfire. (Al-Raad 13:35)

عَسَى رَبُّكُمْ أَنْ يَرْحَمَكُمْ وَإِنْ عُدْتُمْ عُدْنَا وَجَعَلْنَا جَهَنَّمَ لِلْكَافِرِينَ حَصِيرًا

Perhaps your Lord will have mercy on you. If you return, we will return. We have made hell a prison for disbelievers. (Al-Isra 17:8)

יָשׁוּבוּ רְשָׁעִים לִשְׁאוֹלָה: כָּל-גּוֹיִם, שְׁכֵחֵי אֱלֹהִים.

The wicked are turned back and sent to Sheol; this is the destiny of all the nations that ignore God, (Psalm 9:17)

וְלֹא יִשְׁכְּבוּ אֶת-גִּבּוֹרִים, נֹפְלִים מֵעֲרֵלִים: אֲשֶׁר יָרְדוּ-שְׁאוֹל בִּכְלֵי-מִלְחַמְתָּם וַיִּתְּנוּ אֶת-חַרְבוֹתָם תַּחַת רָאשֵׁיהֶם, וַתְּהִי עֲוֺנֹתָם עַל-עַצְמוֹתָם–כִּי-חִתִּית גִּבּוֹרִים, בְּאֶרֶץ חַיִּים.

They do not lie with the fallen warriors of ancient times, who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war, having their swords placed under their heads and their shields on their bones, when the terror of these warriors was in the land of the living. (Ezekiel 32:27)

ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὀργιζόμενος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει· ὃς δ’ ἂν εἴπῃ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ, Ῥακά, ἔνοχος ἔσται τῷ συνεδρίῳ· ὃς δ’ ἂν εἴπῃ, Μωρέ, ἔνοχος ἔσται εἰς τὴν γέενναν τοῦ πυρός.

But I say to you that anyone who is angry with a brother will be subjected to judgment. And whoever insults a brother will be brought before the council, and whoever says ‘Fool’ will be sent to fiery hell. (Matthew 5:22)

εἰ δὲ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου ὁ δεξιὸς σκανδαλίζει σε, ἔξελε αὐτὸν καὶ βάλε ἀπὸ σοῦ· συμφέρει γάρ σοι ἵνα ἀπόληται ἓν τῶν μελῶν σου καὶ μὴ ὅλον τὸ σῶμά σου βληθῇ εἰς γέενναν. καὶ εἰ ἡ δεξιά σου χεὶρ σκανδαλίζει σε, ἔκκοψον αὐτὴν καὶ βάλε ἀπὸ σοῦ· συμφέρει γάρ σοι ἵνα ἀπόληται ἓν τῶν μελῶν σου καὶ μὴ ὅλον τὸ σῶμά σου εἰς γέενναν ἀπέλθῃ.

If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into hell. If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into hell. (Matthew 5:29-30)

Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι ὑποκριταί, ὅτι περιάγετε τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ τὴν ξηρὰν ποιῆσαι ἕνα προσήλυτον, καὶ ὅταν γένηται ποιεῖτε αὐτὸν υἱὸν γεέννης διπλότερον ὑμῶν.

“Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You cross land and sea to make one convert, and when you get one, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves! (Matthew 23:15)

ὄφεις γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν, πῶς φύγητε ἀπὸ τῆς κρίσεως τῆς γεέννης;

You snakes, you offspring of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? (Matthew 23:33)

Τότε ἐρεῖ καὶ τοῖς ἐξ εὐωνύμων, Πορεύεσθε ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ [οἱ] κατηραμένοι εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ αἰώνιον τὸ ἡτοιμασμένον τῷ διαβόλῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ· ἐπείνασα γὰρ καὶ οὐκ ἐδώκατέ μοι φαγεῖν, ἐδίψησα καὶ οὐκ ἐποτίσατέ με, ξένος ἤμην καὶ οὐ συνηγάγετέ με, γυμνὸς καὶ οὐ περιεβάλετέ με, ἀσθενὴς καὶ ἐν φυλακῇ καὶ οὐκ ἐπεσκέψασθέ με. τότε ἀποκριθήσονται καὶ αὐτοὶ λέγοντες, Κύριε, πότε σε εἴδομεν πεινῶντα ἢ διψῶντα ἢ ξένον ἢ γυμνὸν ἢ ἀσθενῆ ἢ ἐν φυλακῇ καὶ οὐ διηκονήσαμέν σοι; τότε ἀποκριθήσεται αὐτοῖς λέγων, Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐφ’ ὅσον οὐκ ἐποιήσατε ἑνὶ τούτων τῶν ἐλαχίστων, οὐδὲ ἐμοὶ ἐποιήσατε. καὶ ἀπελεύσονται οὗτοι εἰς κόλασιν αἰώνιον, οἱ δὲ δίκαιοι εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον.

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels! For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you did not receive me as a guest, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not give you whatever you needed?’ Then he will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’ And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:41-46)

καὶ εἴ τις οὐχ εὑρέθη ἐν τῇ βίβλῳ τῆς ζωῆς γεγραμμένος ἐβλήθη εἰς τὴν λίμνην τοῦ πυρός.

If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, that person was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15)

τοῖς δὲ δειλοῖς καὶ ἀπίστοις καὶ ἐβδελυγμένοις καὶ φονεῦσιν καὶ πόρνοις καὶ φαρμάκοις καὶ εἰδωλολάτραις καὶ πᾶσιν τοῖς ψευδέσιν τὸ μέρος αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ λίμνῃ τῇ καιομένῃ πυρὶ καὶ θείῳ, ὅ ἐστιν ὁ θάνατος ὁ δεύτερος.

But to the cowards, unbelievers, detestable persons, murderers, the sexually immoral, and those who practice magic spells, idol worshipers, and all those who lie, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. That is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)

Is hell temporary or eternal?

Some people believe that hell is temporary and that no one will stay in it forever. They believe that those who are going to hell will be purified from their sins after a period of time which would depend on how many sins they had done. What do the Bible and the Qur’an say?

وَقَالُوا لَنْ تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ إِلَّا أَيَّامًا مَعْدُودَةً قُلْ أَتَّخَذْتُمْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ عَهْدًا فَلَنْ يُخْلِفَ اللَّهُ عَهْدَهُ أَمْ تَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ بَلَى مَنْ كَسَبَ سَيِّئَةً وَأَحَاطَتْ بِهِ خَطِيئَتُهُ فَأُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

They said, “Hellfire will not touch us except for a few days.” Have you made a covenant with Allah that he will not break? Or do you say what you do not know about Allah? Truly those who do bad deeds, and are caught in their faults, will be in hellfire eternally. (Al-Baqara 2:80-81)

Allah has promised the male and female hypocrites and the disbelievers that they will remain forever in the fires of hell. It is their just due. Allah has damned them and they will have permanent torment, (Al-Tawba 9:68)

وَتَرَاهُمْ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا خَاشِعِينَ مِنَ الذُّلِّ يَنْظُرُونَ مِنْ طَرْفٍ خَفِيٍّ وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا إِنَّ الْخَاسِرِينَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَأَهْلِيهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَلاَ إِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ فِي عَذَابٍ مُقِيمٍ

You will see them exposed to it, fearing in humiliation. They look with a hidden glance. Believers say, “Those who lose their souls and their families on the day of resurrection are truly lost. The wicked will be in permanent torment. (Al-Shora 42:45)

فَكَانَ عَاقِبَتَهُمَا أَنَّهُمَا فِي النَّارِ خَالِدَيْنِ فِيهَا وَذَلِكَ جَزَاءُ الظَّالِمِينَ

Their end was in hellfire, where they will be forever. That is how the wicked will be repaid. (Al-Hashar 59:17)

מִבֹּקֶר לָעֶרֶב יֻכַּתּוּ; מִבְּלִי מֵשִׂים, לָנֶצַח יֹאבֵדוּ.

They are destroyed between morning and evening; they perish forever without anyone regarding it. (Job 4:20)

מֵחֲמַס אָחִיךָ יַעֲקֹב, תְּכַסְּךָ בוּשָׁה; וְנִכְרַתָּ, לְעוֹלָם.

“Because you violently slaughtered your relatives, the people of Jacob, shame will cover you, and you will be destroyed forever. (Obadiah 1:10)

Εἰ δὲ ἡ χείρ σου ἢ ὁ πούς σου σκανδαλίζει σε, ἔκκοψον αὐτὸν καὶ βάλε ἀπὸ σοῦ· καλόν σοί ἐστιν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ζωὴν κυλλὸν ἢ χωλόν, ἢ δύο χεῖρας ἢ δύο πόδας ἔχοντα βληθῆναι εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ αἰώνιον.

If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. (Matthew 18:8)

to,te evrei/ kai. toi/j evx euvwnu,mwn\ poreu,esqe avpV evmou/ Îoi`Ð kathrame,noi eivj to. pu/r to. aivw,nion to. h`toimasme,non tw/| diabo,lw| kai. toi/j avgge,loij auvtou/Å evpei,nasa ga.r kai. ouvk evdw,kate, moi fagei/n( evdi,yhsa kai. ouvk evpoti,sate, me( xe,noj h;mhn kai. ouv sunhga,gete, me( gumno.j kai. ouv perieba,lete, me( avsqenh.j kai. evn fulakh/| kai. ouvk evpeske,yasqe, meÅ to,te avpokriqh,sontai kai. auvtoi. le,gontej\ ku,rie( po,te se ei;domen peinw/nta h’ diyw/nta h’ xe,non h’ gumno.n h’ avsqenh/ h’ evn fulakh/| kai. ouv dihkonh,same,n soiÈ to,te avpokriqh,setai auvtoi/j le,gwn\ avmh.n le,gw u`mi/n( evfV o[son ouvk evpoih,sate e`ni. tou,twn tw/n evlaci,stwn( ouvde. evmoi. evpoih,sateÅ kai. avpeleu,sontai ou-toi eivj ko,lasin aivw,nion( oi` de. di,kaioi eivj zwh.n aivw,nionÅ

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels! For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you did not receive me as a guest, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not give you whatever you needed?’ Then he will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’ And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:41-46)

ὃς δ’ ἂν βλασφημήσῃ εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον οὐκ ἔχει ἄφεσιν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ἀλλὰ ἔνοχός ἐστιν αἰωνίου ἁμαρτήματος

But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, but is guilty of an eternal sin” (Mark 3:29)

οἵτινες δίκην τίσουσιν ὄλεθρον αἰώνιον ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ κυρίου καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς δόξης τῆς ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ,

They will undergo the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his strength (2 Thessalonians 1:9)

ἀγγέλους τε τοὺς μὴ τηρήσαντας τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀρχὴν ἀλλὰ ἀπολιπόντας τὸ ἴδιον οἰκητήριον εἰς κρίσιν μεγάλης ἡμέρας δεσμοῖς ἀϊδίοις ὑπὸ ζόφον τετήρηκεν· ὡς Σόδομα καὶ Γόμορρα καὶ αἱ περὶ αὐτὰς πόλεις, τὸν ὅμοιον τρόπον τούτοις ἐκπορνεύσασαι καὶ ἀπελθοῦσαι ὀπίσω σαρκὸς ἑτέρας, πρόκεινται δεῖγμα πυρὸς αἰωνίου δίκην ὑπέχουσαι.

You also know that the angels who did not keep within their proper domain but abandoned their own place of residence, he has kept in eternal chains in utter darkness, locked up for the judgment of the great Day. So also Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighboring towns, since they indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire in a way similar to these angels, are now displayed as an example by suffering the punishment of eternal fire. (Jude 1: 6-7)

κύματα ἄγρια θαλάσσης ἐπαφρίζοντα τὰς ἑαυτῶν αἰσχύνας, ἀστέρες πλανῆται οἷς ὁ ζόφος τοῦ σκότους εἰς αἰῶνα τετήρηται.

wild sea waves, spewing out the foam of their shame; wayward stars for whom the utter depths of eternal darkness have been reserved. (Jude 1:13)

It is clear that both the Bible and the Qur’an say that hell is not temporary but eternal, and those in hell remain there forever.

What categories of people go to hell?

The Qur’an and the Bible mention several categories of people who will go to hell.

Disbelievers

Disbelievers are headed to the fires of hell, where they will never be killed or die, nor will their torment ever be lightened. This is how we repay every disbeliever. (Fatir 35:36)

Allah has promised the male and female hypocrites and the disbelievers that they will remain forever in the fires of hell. It is their just due. Allah has damned them and they will have permanent torment, (Al-Tawba 9:68)

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا لاَ تَقُولُوا رَاعِنَا وَقُولُوا انْظُرْنَا وَاسْمَعُوا وَلِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

Believers, do not say, “Look at us,” but say, “Consider us,” and listen. Disbelievers will have painful torment. (Al-Baqara 2:104)

الَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ وَيَأْمُرُونَ النَّاسَ بِالْبُخْلِ وَيَكْتُمُونَ مَا آَتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابًا مُهِينًا

those who are miserly, and who command others to be miserly, who hide what Allah has given them out of his grace. We have prepared shameful torment for disbelievers (Al-Nisa 4:37)

أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ حَقًّا وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابًا مُهِينًا

are truly disbelievers. We have prepared shameful torment for disbelievers. (Al-Nisa 4:151)

The heavenly garden, which the godly are promised, which has flowing rivers underneath, and whose food and shade are permanent, is like… That is the reward of the godly, and the punishment of disbelievers is hellfire. (Al-Raad 13:35)

عَسَى رَبُّكُمْ أَنْ يَرْحَمَكُمْ وَإِنْ عُدْتُمْ عُدْنَا وَجَعَلْنَا جَهَنَّمَ لِلْكَافِرِينَ حَصِيرًا

Perhaps your Lord will have mercy on you. If you return, we will return. We have made hell a prison for disbelievers. (Al-Isra 17:8)

فَلَنُذِيقَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَسْوَأَ الَّذِي كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

We will make the disbelievers taste severe torment and repay them for the worst of what they did. (Fussilat 41:27)

ذَلِكُمْ فَذُوقُوهُ وَأَنَّ لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابَ النَّارِ

So taste it. Disbelievers will have the torment of hellfire. (Al-Anfal 8:14)

He has revealed to you in the book that, if you hear his signs being disbelieved and mocked, do not sit with them until they begin talking about something else. Otherwise you are like them. Allah will gather all the hypocrites and disbelievers together in hell. (Al-Nisa 4:140)

But to the cowards, unbelievers, detestable persons, murderers, the sexually immoral, and those who practice magic spells, idol worshipers, and all those who lie, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. That is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)

The Wicked

You will see them exposed to it, fearing in humiliation. They look with a hidden glance. Believers say, “Those who lose their souls and their families on the day of resurrection are truly lost. The wicked will be in permanent torment. (Al-Shora 42:45)

وَقَالَ الشَّيْطَانُ لَمَّا قُضِيَ الأَمْرُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَعَدَكُمْ وَعْدَ الْحَقِّ وَوَعَدْتُكُمْ فَأَخْلَفْتُكُمْ وَمَا كَانَ لِي عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ سُلْطَانٍ إِلاَّ أَنْ دَعَوْتُكُمْ فَاسْتَجَبْتُمْ لِي فَلاَ تَلُومُونِي وَلُومُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ مَا أَنَا بِمُصْرِخِكُمْ وَمَا أَنْتُمْ بِمُصْرِخِيَّ إِنِّي كَفَرْتُ بِمَا أَشْرَكْتُمُونِ مِنْ قَبْلُ إِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

Satan said, “When the matter was decreed, Allah promised you truly and I promised you and broke my promise to you. I had no authority over you. I merely called you and you responded to me. Do not blame me. Blame yourselves. I cannot help you and you cannot help me. I rejected your worship of me beforehand.” The wicked will have painful torment. (Ibrahim 14:22)

فَكَانَ عَاقِبَتَهُمَا أَنَّهُمَا فِي النَّارِ خَالِدَيْنِ فِيهَا وَذَلِكَ جَزَاءُ الظَّالِمِينَ

Their end was in hellfire, where they will be forever. That is how the wicked will be repaid. (Al-Hashar 59:17)

יָשׁוּבוּ רְשָׁעִים לִשְׁאוֹלָה: כָּל-גּוֹיִם, שְׁכֵחֵי אֱלֹהִים.

The wicked are turned back and sent to Sheol; this is the destiny of all the nations that ignore God, (Psalm 9:17)

Hypocrites

Allah has promised the male and female hypocrites and the disbelievers that they will remain forever in the fires of hell. It is their just due. Allah has damned them and they will have permanent torment, (Al-Tawba 9:68)

He has revealed to you in the book that, if you hear his signs being disbelieved and mocked, do not sit with them until they begin talking about something else. Otherwise you are like them. Allah will gather all the hypocrites and disbelievers together in hell. (Al-Nisa 4:140)

Evildoers

ثُمَّ كَانَ عَاقِبَةَ الَّذِينَ أَسَاءُوا السُّوأَى أَنْ كَذَّبُوا بِآَيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَكَانُوا بِهَا يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ

Then the end of the evildoers was evil, since they rejected and made fun of Allah’s signs (Al-Roum 10)

بَلَى مَنْ كَسَبَ سَيِّئَةً وَأَحَاطَتْ بِهِ خَطِيئَتُهُ فَأُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

Truly those who do evil deeds, and are caught in their faults, will be in hellfire eternally. (Al-Baqara 2:81)

Those who have faults

Truly those who do evil deeds, and are caught in their faults, will be in hellfire eternally. (Al-Baqara 2:81)

Sinners

كَدَأْبِ آَلِ فِرْعَوْنَ وَالَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ كَذَّبُوا بِآَيَاتِنَا فَأَخَذَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ

As in the case of Pharaoh’s family and those before them, they have denied our signs, so Allah caught them in their sins. Allah is severe in punishment. (Aali Imran 3:11)

Others

Then the end of the evildoers was evil, since they rejected and mocked Allah’s signs (Al-Roum 10)

But to the cowards, unbelievers, detestable persons, murderers, the sexually immoral, and those who practice magic spells, idol worshipers, and all those who lie, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. That is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)

We have seen in these verses that those who will have this awful destiny are the disbelievers, the wicked, the hypocrites, the evildoers, those who have faults and sinners, in addition to those who rejected and mocked God’s signs, the cowardly, murderers, the sexually immoral, magicians, idolaters, and liars.

What is mankind like?

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَظْلِمُ النَّاسَ شَيْئًا وَلَكِنَّ النَّاسَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ

Allah is not wicked to people at all, but they are wicked to themselves. (Yunis 10:44)

وَمَا أُبَرِّئُ نَفْسِي إِنَّ النَّفْسَ لأَمَّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ إِلاَّ مَا رَحِمَ رَبِّي إِنَّ رَبِّي غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ

I do not justify myself. The soul is prone to evil, except when my Lord is merciful. My Lord is forgiving and merciful.” (Yusif 12:53)

وَآَتَاكُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ مَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُ وَإِنْ تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ لاَ تُحْصُوهَا إِنَّ الإِنْسَانَ لَظَلُومٌ كَفَّارٌ

He gave you everything you asked. If you were to count Allah’s blessings, you would not be able. Mankind are wicked disbelievers. (Ibrahim 14:34)

وَلَوْ يُؤَاخِذُ اللَّهُ النَّاسَ بِظُلْمِهِمْ مَا تَرَكَ عَلَيْهَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ وَلَكِنْ يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهُمْ لاَ يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً وَلاَ يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ

If Allah were to punish people for their wickedness, he would not leave any living creature on it, but he gives them a specified lifespan. When their lifespan is up, they cannot postpone or advance it even one hour. (Al-Nahl 16:61)

وَإِذَا مَسَّكُمُ الضُّرُّ فِي الْبَحْرِ ضَلَّ مَنْ تَدْعُونَ إِلاَّ إِيَّاهُ فَلَمَّا نَجَّاكُمْ إِلَى الْبَرِّ أَعْرَضْتُمْ وَكَانَ الإِنْسَانُ كَفُورًا

If harm touches you on the sea, those you pray to besides him go astray. When he rescues you and gets you to land, you turn away. Man is disbelieving. (Al-Isra 17:67)

وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَحْيَاكُمْ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكُمْ إِنَّ الإِنْسَانَ لَكَفُورٌ

He is the one that gives you life, then makes you die, then will revive you. Mankind is disbelieving. (Al-Hajj 22:66)

إِنَّا عَرَضْنَا الأَمَانَةَ عَلَى السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَالْجِبَالِ فَأَبَيْنَ أَنْ يَحْمِلْنَهَا وَأَشْفَقْنَ مِنْهَا وَحَمَلَهَا الإِنْسَانُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ ظَلُومًا جَهُولاً

We offered a trust for safekeeping to the heavens, the earth, and the mountains, and they refused to bear it, and feared it. Mankind took it, and they were wicked and foolish, (Al-Ahzab 33:72)

فَإِنْ أَعْرَضُوا فَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظًا إِنْ عَلَيْكَ إِلاَّ الْبَلاَغُ وَإِنَّا إِذَا أَذَقْنَا الإِنْسَانَ مِنَّا رَحْمَةً فَرِحَ بِهَا وَإِنْ تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ فَإِنَّ الإِنْسَانَ كَفُورٌ

If they turn away, we have not sent you as a guardian. Your only responsibility is proclamation. When we give a man a taste of mercy, he is happy because of it. If bad things happen to him because of what his hands have done, he is disbelieving. (Al-Shora 42:48)

وَجَعَلُوا لَهُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ جُزْءًا إِنَّ الإِنْسَانَ لَكَفُورٌ مُبِينٌ

But they chose some of his servants [as gods] instead of him. Man is clearly disbelieving. (Al-Zukhruf 43:15)

قُتِلَ الإِنْسَانُ مَا أَكْفَرَهُ

May mankind be killed! How disbelieving he is! (Abasa 80:17)

כִּי יֶחֶטְאוּ-לָךְ, כִּי אֵין אָדָם אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יֶחֱטָא, וְאָנַפְתָּ בָם, וּנְתַתָּם לִפְנֵי אוֹיֵב; וְשָׁבוּם שֹׁבֵיהֶם אֶל-אֶרֶץ הָאוֹיֵב, רְחוֹקָה אוֹ קְרוֹבָה.

“The time will come when your people will sin against you (for there is no one who is sinless!) and you will be angry with them and deliver them over to their enemies, who will take them as prisoners to their own land, whether far away or close by. (1 Kings 8:46)

כִּי אָדָם, אֵין צַדִּיק בָּאָרֶץ–אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה-טּוֹב, וְלֹא יֶחֱטָא.

For there is not one righteous person on the earth who continually does good and never sins. (Ecclestiastes 7:20)

אָמַר נָבָל בְּלִבּוֹ, אֵין אֱלֹהִים; הִשְׁחִיתוּ, הִתְעִיבוּ עֲלִילָה– אֵין עֹשֵׂה-טוֹב. הַכֹּל סָר, יַחְדָּו נֶאֱלָחוּ: אֵין עֹשֵׂה-טוֹב–אֵין, גַּם-אֶחָד.

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good. … They have all gone astray, they are all alike corrupt; there is none that does good, no, not one. (Psalm 14:1,3)

אָמַר נָבָל בְּלִבּוֹ, אֵין אֱלֹהִים; הִשְׁחִיתוּ, וְהִתְעִיבוּ עָוֶל– אֵין עֹשֵׂה-טוֹב. כֻּלּוֹ סָג, יַחְדָּו נֶאֱלָחוּ: אֵין עֹשֵׂה-טוֹב; אֵין, גַּם-אֶחָד.

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God,” They are corrupt, and have committed abominable wickedness; There is no one who does good…. They have all fallen away; they are all alike depraved; there is none that does good, no, not one. (Psalm 53:1,3)

וְאַל-תָּבוֹא בְמִשְׁפָּט, אֶת-עַבְדֶּךָ: כִּי לֹא-יִצְדַּק לְפָנֶיךָ כָל-חָי.

Do not sit in judgment on your servant, for no one alive is innocent before you. (Psalm 143:2)

καθὼς γέγραπται ὅτι Οὐκ ἔστιν δίκαιος οὐδὲ εἷς,

just as it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one, (Romans 3:10)

πάντες γὰρ ἥµαρτον καὶ ὑστεροῦνται τῆς δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ

since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)

ἀλλὰ συνέκλεισεν ἡ γραφὴ τὰ πάντα ὑπὸ ἁµαρτίαν ἵνα ἡ ἐπαγγελία ἐκ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ δοθῇ τοῖς πιστεύουσιν.

But the scripture imprisoned everything and everyone under sin so that the promise could be given– because of the faithfulness of Jesus Christ– to those who believe. (Galatians 3:22)

The Bible and the Qur’an agree that people are sinful, wicked, idolatrous, disbelieving, corrupt, foolish evildoers. And these are the same qualities that the Qur’an and the Bible say are deserving of God sending us to hell forever. So what is the solution?

Will God have mercy on those who deserve hell?

Many people admit that they are sinners and that they deserve hellfire, but they say that God will forgive their sins according to his great mercy. It is true that God is forgiving and merciful. But what the Qur’an and the Bible say is very clear: the destiny of some people is hellfire.

God is merciful

On the one hand, God is Gracious, Merciful, Forgiving and Pardoning.

قَالَ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَلأَخِي وَأَدْخِلْنَا فِي رَحْمَتِكَ وَأَنْتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ

He said, “Lord, forgive me and my brother and make us enter your mercy. You are the most merciful of all.” (Al-Aaraf 7:151)

وَالَّذِينَ عَمِلُوا السَّيِّئَاتِ ثُمَّ تَابُوا مِنْ بَعْدِهَا وَآَمَنُوا إِنَّ رَبَّكَ مِنْ بَعْدِهَا لَغَفُورٌ رَح

Your Lord is forgiving and merciful toward those who do bad deeds and later repent and believe. (Al-Aaraf 7:153)

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the name of Allah, the most gracious and merciful. (Al-Fatiha 1: 1)

فَأُولَئِكَ عَسَى اللَّهُ أَنْ يَعْفُوَ عَنْهُمْ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَفُوًّا غَفُورًا

Allah may pardon them. Allah is pardoning and merciful. (Al-Nisa 4:99)

וַיַּעֲבֹר יְהוָה עַל-פָּנָיו, וַיִּקְרָא, יְהוָה יְהוָה, אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן–אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם, וְרַב-חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת. נֹצֵר חֶסֶד לָאֲלָפִים, נֹשֵׂא עָוֺן וָפֶשַׁע וְחַטָּאָה; וְנַקֵּה, לֹא יְנַקֶּה–פֹּקֵד עֲוֺן אָבוֹת עַל-בָּנִים וְעַל-בְּנֵי בָנִים, עַל-שִׁלֵּשִׁים וְעַל-רִבֵּעִים.

The LORD passed by before him and proclaimed: “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness, keeping loyal love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. But he by no means leaves the guilty unpunished, responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children and children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:6-7)

וַיְמָאֲנוּ לִשְׁמֹעַ, וְלֹא-זָכְרוּ נִפְלְאֹתֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתָ עִמָּהֶם, וַיַּקְשׁוּ אֶת-עָרְפָּם, וַיִּתְּנוּ-רֹאשׁ לָשׁוּב לְעַבְדֻתָם בְּמִרְיָם; וְאַתָּה אֱלוֹהַּ סְלִיחוֹת חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם, אֶרֶךְ-אַפַּיִם וְרַב-וחֶסֶד–וְלֹא עֲזַבְתָּם.

They refused to obey and did not recall your miracles that you had performed among them. Instead, they rebelled and appointed a leader to return to their bondage in Egypt. But you are a God of forgiveness, merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and unfailing in your loyal love. You did not abandon them, (Nehemiah 9:17)

וְאַתָּה אֲדֹנָי, אֵל-רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן; אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם, וְרַב-חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת.

But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and merciful God. You are patient and demonstrate great loyal love and faithfulness. (Psalm 86:15)

רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן יְהוָה; אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וְרַב-חָסֶד.

The LORD is compassionate and merciful; he is patient and demonstrates great loyal love. (Psalm 103:8)

γίνεσθε εἰς ἀλλήλους χρηστοί, εὔσπλαγχνοι, χαριζόµενοι ἑαυτοῖς καθὼς καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἐν Χριστῷ ἐχαρίσατο ὑµῖν.

Instead, be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)

ἰδοὺ µακαρίζοµεν τοὺς ὑποµείναντας· τὴν ὑποµονὴν Ἰὼβ ἠκούσατε, καὶ τὸ τέλος κυρίου εἴδετε, ὅτι πολύσπλαγχνός ἐστιν ὁ κύριος καὶ οἰκτίρµων.

Think of how we regard as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and you have seen the Lord’s purpose, that the Lord is full of compassion and mercy. (James 5:11)

God is Just

On the other hand, God is also Holy, Faithful, the Judge, Just, True, Avenger and Righteous.

وَإِنْ كَانَ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْكُمْ آَمَنُوا بِالَّذِي أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ وَطَائِفَةٌ لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا فَاصْبِرُوا حَتَّى يَحْكُمَ اللَّهُ بَيْنَنَا وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الْحَاكِمِينَ

If one group of you believed in my message and another group did not believe, endure until Allah judges among us. He is the best judge. (Al-Aaraf 7:87)

شَهِدَ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ وَالْمَلاَئِكَةُ وَأُولُو الْعِلْمِ قَائِمًا بِالْقِسْطِ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

Allah, the angels, and the scholars witness that he is the only god, standing on justice. He is the only god, strong and wise. (Aal Imran 3:18)

وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ صِدْقًا وَعَدْلاً لاَ مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَاتِهِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

And the word of your Lord was fulfilled in truth and justice. There is no substituting his words, and he hears all and knows all. (Al-Anaam 6:115)

وَاللَّهُ يَقْضِي بِالْحَقِّ وَالَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ لاَ يَقْضُونَ بِشَيْءٍ إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ

Allah judges justly. Those they pray to besides him do not judge anything. Allah hears all and sees all. (Al-Ghafir 40:20)

חָלִלָה לְּךָ מֵעֲשֹׂת כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה, לְהָמִית צַדִּיק עִם-רָשָׁע, וְהָיָה כַצַּדִּיק, כָּרָשָׁע; חָלִלָה לָּךְ–הֲשֹׁפֵט כָּל-הָאָרֶץ, לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה מִשְׁפָּט.

Far be it from you to do such a thing– to kill the godly with the wicked, treating the godly and the wicked alike! Far be it from you! Will not the judge of the whole earth do what is right?” (Genesis 18:25)

נֹצֵר חֶסֶד לָאֲלָפִים, נֹשֵׂא עָוֺן וָפֶשַׁע וְחַטָּאָה; וְנַקֵּה, לֹא יְנַקֶּה–פֹּקֵד עֲוֺן אָבוֹת עַל-בָּנִים וְעַל-בְּנֵי בָנִים, עַל-שִׁלֵּשִׁים וְעַל-רִבֵּעִים.

keeping loyal love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. But he by no means leaves the guilty unpunished, responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children and children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:7)

כִּי, אֶת-כָּל-מַעֲשֶׂה, הָאֱלֹהִים יָבִא בְמִשְׁפָּט, עַל כָּל-נֶעְלָם: אִם-טוֹב, וְאִם-רָע.

For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:14)

וְלָכֵן יְחַכֶּה יְהוָה, לַחֲנַנְכֶם, וְלָכֵן יָרוּם, לְרַחֶמְכֶם: כִּי-אֱלֹהֵי מִשְׁפָּט יְהוָה, אַשְׁרֵי כָּל-חוֹכֵי לוֹ.

For this reason the LORD is ready to show you mercy; he sits on his throne, ready to have compassion on you. Indeed, the LORD is a just God; all who wait for him in faith will be blessed. (Isaiah 30:18)

הַגִּידוּ וְהַגִּישׁוּ, אַף יִוָּעֲצוּ יַחְדָּו: מִי הִשְׁמִיעַ זֹאת מִקֶּדֶם מֵאָז הִגִּידָהּ, הֲלוֹא אֲנִי יְהוָה וְאֵין-עוֹד אֱלֹהִים מִבַּלְעָדַי–אֵל-צַדִּיק וּמוֹשִׁיעַ, אַיִן זוּלָתִי.

Tell me! Present the evidence! Let them consult with one another! Who predicted this in the past? Who announced it beforehand? Was it not I, the LORD? I have no peer, there is no God but me, a God who vindicates and delivers; there is none but me. (Isaiah 45:21)

וְקָרָא זֶה אֶל-זֶה וְאָמַר, קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת; מְלֹא כָל-הָאָרֶץ, כְּבוֹדוֹ.

They called out to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord who commands armies! His majestic splendor fills the entire earth!” (Isaiah 6:3)

כִּי-קָרוֹב יוֹם-יְהוָה, עַל-כָּל-הַגּוֹיִם: כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתָ יֵעָשֶׂה לָּךְ, גְּמֻלְךָ יָשׁוּב בְּרֹאשֶׁךָ.

“For the day of the LORD is approaching for all the nations! Just as you have done, so it will be done to you. You will get exactly what your deeds deserve. (Obadiah 1:15)

אֱלֹהִים, שׁוֹפֵט צַדִּיק; וְאֵל, זֹעֵם בְּכָל-יוֹם.

God is a just judge; he is angry throughout the day. (Psalm 7:11)

צַדִּיק יְהוָה, בְּכָל-דְּרָכָיו; וְחָסִיד, בְּכָל-מַעֲשָׂיו.

The LORD is just in all his actions, and exhibits love in all he does. (Psalm 145:17)

ὃς λοιδορούµενος οὐκ ἀντελοιδόρει, πάσχων οὐκ ἠπείλει, παρεδίδου δὲ τῷ κρίνοντι δικαίως·

Christ when reviled did not reciprocate; when he suffered he did not threaten, but trusted him who judges justly. (1 Peter 2:23)

καὶ ᾄδουσιν τὴν ᾠδὴν Μωϋσέως τοῦ δούλου τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὴν ᾠδὴν τοῦ ἀρνίου λέγοντες, Μεγάλα καὶ θαυµαστὰ τὰ ἔργα σου, κύριε ὁ θεὸς ὁ παντοκράτωρ· δίκαιαι καὶ ἀληθιναὶ αἱ ὁδοί σου, ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν ἐθνῶν.

They sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb: “Great and astounding are your deeds, Lord God, the All-Powerful! Just and true are your ways, King over the nations! (Revelation 15:3)

καὶ ἤκουσα τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου λέγοντος, Ναί, κύριε ὁ θεὸς ὁ παντοκράτωρ, ἀληθιναὶ καὶ δίκαιαι αἱ κρίσεις σου.

Then I heard the altar reply, “Yes, Lord God, the All-Powerful, your judgments are true and just!” (Revelation 16:7)

µὴ στενάζετε, ἀδελφοί, κατ’ ἀλλήλων, ἵνα µὴ κριθῆτε· ἰδοὺ ὁ κριτὴς πρὸ τῶν θυρῶν ἕστηκεν.

Do not grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be judged. See, the judge stands before the gates! (James 5:9)

So we see that God is also just. God’s mercy does not change the destiny of those who are the owners of fire, and God’s mercy does not cancel out God’s justice or his other qualities. Far be it from God that any of his qualities or names would be cancelled out. God is called The Just One, The Judge, The Holy, and The Righteous.

Is it conceivable that a just and righteous judge would fail to punish a criminal as he deserves? No! God, who is the Perfect Judge, will reward each one according to what he deserves, and he will not act arbitrarily.

So is our destiny in hell predestined?

The Qur’an says this about hellfire:

{إن منكم إلا واردها كان على ربك حتماً مقضياً}

“Every one of you shall enter it. This is a predestined certainty.” (Mariam 71)

If we want to escape from this predestined, certain destiny (which is also eternal, according to what we have read above), how can we do so? The answer is given in another verse of the same surah:

{قال كذلك قال ربك هو عليّ هين ولنجعله آية للناس ورحمة منا وكان أمراً مقضياً}

“This is what your Lord says: ‘It is easy for me. We will make him a miracle for mankind and a mercy from us. And it was a predestined matter.’” (Mariam 21)

In the whole of the Qur’an, the word “predestined” مقضياً occurs only twice, in these two verses here. The Qur’an mentions two predestined things (things that cannot change or be escaped): hellfire and mercy. What does this mean? Certainly one cannot receive mercy and yet go to hellfire at the same time. Mercy and hellfire are opposite destinies. The clear meaning is that God has offered us a choice – either hellfire, the “predestined certainty,” or a mercy, Jesus, the “predestined matter.” If we reject the mercy God has offered, hellfire forever is for us a “predestined certainty.”

Chapter 25 Will everyone be judged on the Day of Judgment?

Some Christians and Muslims live as if they will not be judged for what they do in this world. Here are some verses from the Qur’an and the Bible about this subject.

وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ

Fear Allah and know that you will be gathered to him. (Al-Baqara 2:203)

وَلَئِنْ مُتُّمْ أَوْ قُتِلْتُمْ لإِلَى اللَّهِ تُحْشَرُونَ

If you die or are killed, you are gathered to Allah. (Aal Imran 3:158)

وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ

Fear Allah to whom you will be gathered. (Al-Maida 5:96)

وَالَّذِي أَطْمَعُ أَنْ يَغْفِرَ لِي خَطِيئَتِي يَوْمَ الدِّينِ

And who, I hope, will forgive me my sin on the day of Judgment. (Al-Shuara 26:82)

The speaker in this verse is Abraham, who knew he would be judged on the Day of Judgment.

أَفَمَنْ كَانَ مُؤْمِنًا كَمَنْ كَانَ فَاسِقًا لاَ يَسْتَوُونَ أَمَّا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ فَلَهُمْ جَنَّاتُ الْمَأْوَى نُزُلاً بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فَسَقُوا فَمَأْوَاهُمُ النَّارُ كُلَّمَا أَرَادُوا أَنْ يَخْرُجُوا مِنْهَا أُعِيدُوا فِيهَا وَقِيلَ لَهُمْ ذُوقُوا عَذَابَ النَّارِ الَّذِي كُنْتُمْ بِهِ تُكَذِّبُون

Is a believer equal to an unbeliever? They are not the same. Believers who do righteous deeds will have heavenly gardens of refuge as an abode prepared because of their deeds. But the abode of the unbelievers will be hellfire. Every time they want to get out of it, they will be put back in. They will be told, “Taste the torment of hellfire, which you denied.” (Al-Sajda 32:18-20)

ὃς ἀποδώσει ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ,

God will render to every man according to his works (Romans 2:6)

σὺ δὲ τί κρίνεις τὸν ἀδελφόν σου; ἢ καὶ σὺ τί ἐξουθενεῖς τὸν ἀδελφόν σου; πάντες γὰρ παραστησόµεθα τῷ βήµατι τοῦ θεοῦ· γέγραπται γάρ, Ζῶ ἐγώ, λέγει κύριος, ὅτι ἐµοὶ κάµψει πᾶν γόνυ, καὶ πᾶσα γλῶσσα ἐξοµολογήσεται τῷ θεῷ. ἄρα [οὖν] ἕκαστος ἡµῶν περὶ ἑαυτοῦ λόγον δώσει τῷ θεῷ.

But you who eat vegetables only– why do you judge your brother or sister? And you who eat everything– why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God.” Therefore, each of us will give an account of himself to God. (Romans 14:10-12)

τοὺς γὰρ πάντας ἡµᾶς φανερωθῆναι δεῖ ἔµπροσθεν τοῦ βήµατος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἵνα κοµίσηται ἕκαστος τὰ διὰ τοῦ σώµατος πρὸς ἃ ἔπραξεν, εἴτε ἀγαθὸν εἴτε φαῦλον.

We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body. (2 Corinthians 5:10)

Καὶ εἰ πατέρα ἐπικαλεῖσθε τὸν ἀπροσωπολήµπτως κρίνοντα κατὰ τὸ ἑκάστου ἔργον, ἐν φόβῳ τὸν τῆς παροικίας ὑµῶν χρόνον ἀναστράφητε,

If you invoke as Father him who judges each one impartially according to his deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of exile. (1 Peter 1:17)

οἳ ἀποδώσουσιν λόγον τῷ ἑτοίµως ἔχοντι κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς.

They will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. (1 Peter 4:5)

καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς ἀποκτενῶ ἐν θανάτῳ· καὶ γνώσονται πᾶσαι αἱ ἐκκλησίαι ὅτι ἐγώ εἰµι ὁ ἐραυνῶν νεφροὺς καὶ καρδίας, καὶ δώσω ὑµῖν ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα ὑµῶν

I will give to each of you as your works deserve. (Revelation 2:23)

καὶ εἶδον τοὺς νεκρούς, τοὺς µεγάλους καὶ τοὺς µικρούς, ἑστῶτας ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου, καὶ βιβλία ἠνοίχθησαν· καὶ ἄλλο βιβλίον ἠνοίχθη, ὅ ἐστιν τῆς ζωῆς· καὶ ἐκρίθησαν οἱ νεκροὶ ἐκ τῶν γεγραµµένων ἐν τοῖς βιβλίοις κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν.

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Also another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, by what they had done. (Revelation 20:12)

So the Qur’an and the Bible agree that everyone will be judged.

The role of Jesus in the judgment

The Qur’an and the Bible also agree that Jesus has a role in the judgment. Here are some verses that describe this.

وَلَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ مَثَلاً إِذَا قَوْمُكَ مِنْهُ يَصِدُّونَ وَقَالُوا أَآَلِهَتُنَا خَيْرٌ أَمْ هُوَ مَا ضَرَبُوهُ لَكَ إِلاَّ جَدَلاً بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ خَصِمُونَ إِنْ هُوَ إِلاَّ عَبْدٌ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَجَعَلْنَاهُ مَثَلاً لِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَلَوْ نَشَاءُ لَجَعَلْنَا مِنْكُمْ مَلاَئِكَةً فِي الأَرْضِ يَخْلُفُونَ وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِلسَّاعَةِ فَلاَ تَمْتَرُنَّ بِهَا وَاتَّبِعُونِ هَذَا صِرَاطٌ مُسْتَقِيمٌ وَلاَ يَصُدَّنَّكُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُبِينٌ وَلَمَّا جَاءَ عِيسَى بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ قَالَ قَدْ جِئْتُكُمْ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَلأُبَيِّنَ لَكُمْ بَعْضَ الَّذِي تَخْتَلِفُونَ فِيهِ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ رَبِّي وَرَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوهُ هَذَا صِرَاطٌ مُسْتَقِيمٌ

When the son of Mariam is cited as an example, your people reject him. They said, “Are our gods better, or he?” They only want to argue. They are contentious people. He is truly a servant to whom we gave blessings. We made him a proverb for the people of Israel. If we wished, we would have made you into angels ruling on the earth. He is the sign of the hour, so do not doubt it, and follow me. This is a straight path. Do not let Satan block you. He is a clear enemy to you. When Isa brought miracles, he said, “I have come to you with wisdom, and to clarify to you your differences, so fear Allah and obey me. Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship him. This is a straight path.” (Al-Zukhruf 43:57-64)

καθότι ἔστησεν ἡµέραν ἐν ᾗ µέλλει κρίνειν τὴν οἰκουµένην ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ ἐν ἀνδρὶ ᾧ ὥρισεν, πίστιν παρασχὼν πᾶσιν ἀναστήσας αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν.

because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness, by a man whom he designated, having provided proof to everyone by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:31)

ἐν ᾗ ἡµέρᾳ κρίνει ὁ θεὸς τὰ κρυπτὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιόν µου διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.

on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. (Romans 2:16)

καὶ παρήγγειλεν ἡµῖν κηρύξαι τῷ λαῷ καὶ διαµαρτύρασθαι ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ὡρισµένος ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ κριτὴς ζώντων καὶ νεκρῶν.

He commanded us to preach to the people and to warn them that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. (Acts 10:42)

καὶ ἐξουσίαν ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ κρίσιν ποιεῖν, ὅτι υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ἐστίν.

and he has granted the Son authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. (John 5:27)

µέλλει γὰρ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἔρχεσθαι ἐν τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ µετὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ, καὶ τότε ἀποδώσει ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὴν πρᾶξιν αὐτοῦ.

For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. (Matthew 16:27)

∆ιαµαρτύροµαι ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ, τοῦ µέλλοντος κρίνειν ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς, καὶ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ·

I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: (2 Timothy 4:1)

So the books agree that Jesus has an important role on the Day of Judgment.

Chapter 26 Who will go to Heaven?

Will people go to heaven because they are born Muslims or Christians?

It is very common for people to think that their religion and the religion of their fathers is the true religion. But what is the judgment of the books on those who follow the religion of their fathers merely because it is the religion of their fathers? Is that enough to receive a portion in heaven?

Some Muslims claim that all who belong to the religion of Islam have a portion in heaven. Similarly, some Christians claim that all who belong to the Christian religion have a portion in heaven. Is this claim true?

Let us look at what the books say.

{بل قالوا إنا وجدنا آباءنا على أمة وإنا على آثارهم مهتدون}

*“But they said, ‘We found our fathers of one people, and we will follow in their footsteps.’” (Al-Zuhruf 22)

{بل نتبع ما وجدنا عليه آباءنا أولو كان الشيطان يدعوهم إلى عذاب السعير}

*“But we will follow what we found our fathers doing, even if Satan was calling them to the torture of hell.” (Luqman 21)

{قالوا وجدنا آباءنا كذلك يفعلون}

*“They said, ‘We found our fathers doing thus.’”(Al-Shuara 74)

{قالوا وجدنا آباءنا لها عابدون}

*“They said, ‘We found our fathers worshipping it.’”(Al-Anbiya 21:53)

{قالوا أجئت لتلفتنا عما وجدنا عليه آباءنا وتكون لكما الكبرياء في الأرض وما نحن لكما بمؤمنين}

*“They said, ‘Have you come to turn us away from what we found our fathers doing, to make yourselves proud in the earth? We don’t believe you.’”(Yunis 10:78)

{وإذا فعلوا فاحشة قالوا وجدنا عليه آباءنا والله أمرنا بها}

*“And if they do a great sin, they say, ‘We found our fathers doing it and God has commanded us to do it too.’” (Al-Aaraf 28)

{وإذ قيل لهم تعالوا إلى ما أنزل الله وإلى رسوله قالوا حسبُنا ما وجدنا عليه آباءنا أولو كان آباءهم لا يعملون شيئاً ولا يهتدون}

*“And if they are told, ‘Come to what God has revealed and to his messenger.’ they say, ‘What we found our fathers doing is good enough for us,’ even though their fathers don’t do anything, nor have they any guidance.”(Al-Maida 5:104)

What does the Qur’an say?

{بل نتبع ما وجدنا عليه آباءنا أولو كان الشيطان يدعوهم إلى عذاب السعير}

*“But we will follow what we found our fathers doing, even if Satan was calling them to the torture of hell.” (Luqman 31:21)

*“And if they are told, ‘Come to what God has revealed and to his messenger.’ they say, ‘What we found our fathers doing is good enough for us,’ even though their fathers don’t do anything, nor have they any guidance.” (Al-Maida 5:104)

וְאִם רַע בְּעֵינֵיכֶם לַעֲבֹד אֶת-יְהוָה, בַּחֲרוּ לָכֶם הַיּוֹם אֶת-מִי תַעֲבֹדוּן–אִם אֶת-אֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר-עָבְדוּ אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר בעבר (מֵעֵבֶר) הַנָּהָר, וְאִם אֶת-אֱלֹהֵי הָאֱמֹרִי אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם יֹשְׁבִים בְּאַרְצָם; וְאָנֹכִי וּבֵיתִי, נַעֲבֹד אֶת-יְהוָה.

If you have no desire to worship the LORD, choose today whom you will worship, whether it be the gods whom your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But I and my family will worship the LORD!” (Joshua 24:15)

וַיִּהְיוּ הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה, יְרֵאִים אֶת-יְהוָה, וְאֶת-פְּסִילֵיהֶם, הָיוּ עֹבְדִים; גַּם-בְּנֵיהֶם וּבְנֵי בְנֵיהֶם, כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ אֲבֹתָם הֵם עֹשִׂים, עַד, הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה.

These nations are worshiping the LORD and at the same time serving their idols; their sons and grandsons do just as their fathers have done, to this very day. (2 Kings 17:41)

וַיֵּלְכוּ, אַחֲרֵי שְׁרִרוּת לִבָּם–וְאַחֲרֵי, הַבְּעָלִים, אֲשֶׁר לִמְּדוּם, אֲבוֹתָם.

Instead they have followed the stubborn inclinations of their own hearts. They have paid allegiance to the gods called Baal, as their fathers taught them to do. (Jeremiah 9:14)

לָכֵן אֱמֹר אֶל-בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה, הַבְּדֶרֶךְ אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם, אַתֶּם נִטְמְאִים; וְאַחֲרֵי שִׁקּוּצֵיהֶם, אַתֶּם זֹנִים.

Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the sovereign LORD says: Will you defile yourselves like your fathers and engage in prostitution with detestable idols? (Ezekiel 20:30)

καὶ προέκοπτον ἐν τῷ Ἰουδαϊσµῷ ὑπὲρ πολλοὺς συνηλικιώτας ἐν τῷ γένει µου, περισσοτέρως ζηλωτὴς ὑπάρχων τῶν πατρικῶν µου παραδόσεων.

I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my nation, and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. (Galatians 1:14)

εἰδότες ὅτι οὐ φθαρτοῖς, ἀργυρίῳ ἢ χρυσίῳ ἐλυτρώθητε ἐκ τῆς µαταίας ὑµῶν ἀναστροφῆς πατροπαραδότου,

You know that from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors you were ransomed– not by perishable things like silver or gold, (1 Peter 1:18)

Thus, those who belong to a certain religion only because it is the religion of their fathers get no special benefits if their religion is not the religion of truth. God will send them to hell, not heaven, because they do not follow God’s guidance, but rather their own family or social traditions. In summary, just inheriting any religion does not in itself benefit a person at all.

Who will go to heaven?

What do the books say about those who will go to heaven?

{ومن يعمل الصالحات من ذكر أو أنثى وهو مؤمن فأولئك يدخلون الجنة}

*“ And those who do good deeds, male or female, while they are believers, will enter heaven.” (Al-Nisa 124)

{وَالَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَا نُكَلِّفُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا أُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَنَّةِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ}

*“ And those who believe and do good deeds, we do not burden more than they can bear, they will enter heaven and be there forever.” (Al-Aaraf 42)

{ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَأَخْبَتُوا إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ أُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَنَّةِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ }

*“ And those who believe, do good deeds and humble themselves before God, they will enter heaven and be there forever.” (Hud 23)

{إلا من تاب وعمل صالحا فأولئك يدخلون الجنة ولا يظلمون شيئا}

*“Except for those who repent and do good deeds, they will enter heaven, and will not be unjustly treated.” (Mariam 60)

{وَالَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَنُبَوِّئَنَّهُمْ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ غُرَفًا تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا نِعْمَ أَجْرُ الْعَامِلِينَ}

*“Those who believe and do good deeds shall have rooms in heaven forever, under which flow rivers. This is the reward of the workers.” (Al-Ankabut 58)

{ومن عمل صالحا من ذكر أو أنثى وهو مؤمن فأولئك يدخلون الجنة يرزقون فيها بغير حساب}

*“ And those who do good deeds, male or female, while they are believers, will enter heaven, where they will be provided for without limit.” (Al-Ghafir 40:40)

Τί τὸ ὄφελος, ἀδελφοί µου, ἐὰν πίστιν λέγῃ τις ἔχειν, ἔργα δὲ µὴ ἔχῃ; µὴ δύναται ἡ πίστις σῶσαι αὐτόν; ἐὰν ἀδελφὸς ἢ ἀδελφὴ γυµνοὶ ὑπάρχωσιν καὶ λειπόµενοι τῆς ἐφηµέρου τροφῆς, εἴπῃ δέ τις αὐτοῖς ἐξ ὑµῶν, Ὑπάγετε ἐν εἰρήνῃ, θερµαίνεσθε καὶ χορτάζεσθε, µὴ δῶτε δὲ αὐτοῖς τὰ ἐπιτήδεια τοῦ σώµατος, τί τὸ ὄφελος; οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις, ἐὰν µὴ ἔχῃ ἔργα, νεκρά ἐστιν καθ’ ἑαυτήν. Ἀλλ’ ἐρεῖ τις, Σὺ πίστιν ἔχεις κἀγὼ ἔργα ἔχω. δεῖξόν µοι τὴν πίστιν σου χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων, κἀγώ σοι δείξω ἐκ τῶν ἔργων µου τὴν πίστιν. σὺ πιστεύεις ὅτι εἷς θεός ἐστιν; καλῶς ποιεῖς· καὶ τὰ δαιµόνια πιστεύουσιν καὶ φρίσσουσιν. θέλεις δὲ γνῶναι, ὦ ἄνθρωπε κενέ, ὅτι ἡ πίστις χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων ἀργή ἐστιν; Ἀβραὰµ ὁ πατὴρ ἡµῶν οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ἀνενέγκας Ἰσαὰκ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον; βλέπεις ὅτι ἡ πίστις συνήργει τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἔργων ἡ πίστις ἐτελειώθη, καὶ ἐπληρώθη ἡ γραφὴ ἡ λέγουσα, Ἐπίστευσεν δὲ Ἀβραὰµ τῷ θεῷ, καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην, καὶ φίλος θεοῦ ἐκλήθη. ὁρᾶτε ὅτι ἐξ ἔργων δικαιοῦται ἄνθρωπος καὶ οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως µόνον. ὁµοίως δὲ καὶ Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ὑποδεξαµένη τοὺς ἀγγέλους καὶ ἑτέρᾳ ὁδῷ ἐκβαλοῦσα; ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ σῶµα χωρὶς πνεύµατος νεκρόν ἐστιν, οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις χωρὶς ἔργων νεκρά ἐστιν.

What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, “You have faith, and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. (James 2:14-26)

τῇ γὰρ χάριτί ἐστε σεσῳσµένοι διὰ πίστεως· καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ὑµῶν, θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον· οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων, ἵνα µή τις καυχήσηται. αὐτοῦ γάρ ἐσµεν ποίηµα, κτισθέντες ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἐπὶ ἔργοις ἀγαθοῖς οἷς προητοίµασεν ὁ θεὸς ἵνα ἐν αὐτοῖς περιπατήσωµεν.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Thus, the books agree that the inhabitants of heaven are those that do good deeds and believe. They humble themselves, repent, worship God, work, and are righteous.