When Allah created Paradise and Hellfire, He sent Jibrīl (Gabriel) (peace be upon him)
Hasanعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رضي الله عنه عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «لَمَّا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ الْجَنَّةَ وَالنَّارَ أَرْسَلَ جِبْرِيلَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ، فَقَالَ: انْظُرْ إِلَيْهَا وَإِلَى مَا أَعْدَدْتُ لِأَهْلِهَا فِيهَا. فَنَظَرَ إِلَيْهَا فَرَجَعَ، فَقَالَ: وَعِزَّتِكَ لَا يَسْمَعُ بِهَا أَحَدٌ إِلَّا دَخَلَهَا. فَأَمَرَ بِهَا فَحُفَّتْ بِالْمَكَارِهِ، فَقَالَ: اذْهَبْ إِلَيْهَا فَانْظُرْ إِلَيْهَا وَإِلَى مَا أَعْدَدْتُ لِأَهْلِهَا فِيهَا. فَنَظَرَ إِلَيْهَا، فَإِذَا هِيَ قَدْ حُفَّتْ بِالْمَكَارِهِ، فَقَالَ: وَعِزَّتِكَ لَقَدْ خَشِيتُ أَنْ لَا يَدْخُلَهَا أَحَدٌ. قَالَ: اذْهَبْ فَانْظُرْ إِلَى النَّارِ وَإِلَى مَا أَعْدَدْتُ لِأَهْلِهَا فِيهَا. فَنَظَرَ إِلَيْهَا فَإِذَا هِيَ يَرْكَبُ بَعْضُهَا بَعْضًا، فَرَجَعَ فَقَالَ: وَعِزَّتِكَ لَا يَدْخُلُهَا أَحَدٌ. فَأَمَرَ بِهَا فَحُفَّتْ بِالشَّهَوَاتِ، فَقَالَ: ارْجِعْ فَانْظُرْ إِلَيْهَا. فَنَظَرَ إِلَيْهَا فَإِذَا هِيَ قَدْ حُفَّتْ بِالشَّهَوَاتِ، فَرَجَعَ وَقَالَ: وَعِزَّتِكَ لَقَدْ خَشِيتُ أَنْ لَا يَنْجُوَ مِنْهَا أَحَدٌ إِلَّا دَخَلَهَا».
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When Allah created Paradise and Hellfire, He sent Jibrīl (Gabriel) (peace be upon him) to Paradise, saying: 'Look at it and at what I have prepared in it for its inhabitants.' So, he looked at it, returned, and said: 'By Your Honor, no one will hear of it except that he will enter it.' Then, He gave the order for it to be surrounded with hardships. He said: 'Return to it and look at it, and at what I have prepared in it for its inhabitants.' So, he returned to it and found it surrounded with hardships. He said: 'By Your Honor, I fear that no one will enter it.' He said: 'Go to Hellfire and look at it and at what I have prepared in it for its inhabitants.' So, he looked at it and found that its parts are piling up one over another. Then, he returned and said: 'By Your Honor, none will enter it.' He gave the order for it to be surrounded with desires. Then, He said: 'Return and look at it.' He looked at it and found it surrounded with desires. He returned and said: 'By Your Honor, I fear that no one will be saved from it except that he will enter it.'"
Explanation
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) reported that when Allah created Paradise and Hellfire, He said to Jibrīl (peace be upon him): Go to Paradise and look at it. He went, looked at it, and returned. Jibrīl said: O Lord, by Your Honor, none will hear about it and the bliss, bounty, and pleasant things therein except that he will love to enter it and exert effort for that purpose. Then, Allah surrounded Paradise with hardships and difficulties, involving the fulfillment of commands and the avoidance of prohibitions. So, whoever wants to enter it should go through these hardships. Then, Allah Almighty said: O Jibrīl, go and look at Paradise - after He had surrounded it with hardships. He went and looked at it. Then, he returned and said: O Lord, by Your Honor, I fear that no one will enter it due to the difficulties and hardships that lie on the path to it. And when Allah created Hellfire, He said: O Jibrīl, go and look at it. He went and looked at it. Then, Jibrīl returned and said: O Lord, by Your Honor, none will hear about the punishment, torments, and torture contained therein except that he will hate to enter it and will keep away from the means leading to it. Then, Allah Almighty surrounded Hellfire with desires and pleasures and made them lie on the path to it. Then, He said: O Jibrīl, go and look at it. Jibrīl went, looked at it, then came back, and said: O Lord, by Your Honor, I am fearful and apprehensive that no one will be saved from it - due to the desires and pleasures around it.
Benefits
- Believing that Paradise and Hellfire exist now.
- It is obligatory to believe in the unseen and all that is said by Allah and His Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
- Patience over hardships is necessary, for these are the means leading to Paradise.
- Avoiding the prohibitions is necessary, for they are the means leading to Hellfire.
- Surrounding Paradise with hardships and Hellfire with desires are the objects of trial and test in the life of this world.
- The path to Paradise is hard and arduous, and it requires patience and struggle along with faith. And the path to Hellfire abounds with worldly pleasures and desires.
Source · Narrated by Abu Dāwūd, At-Tirmidhi, and An-Nasā’i
From the Hadith Encyclopedia (hadeethenc.com).