You have asked about something grave, but it is easy for whomever Allah makes it easy for

Explanation

Mu‘ādh (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I was on a journey in the company of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). One morning, I was close to him when we were on the move, so I said: O Messenger of Allah, inform me of a deed that admits me to Paradise and keeps me far from Hellfire. He said: You have asked me about a deed that is hard for people to perform, but it is, indeed, easy and simple for whomever Allah makes it easy. Perform the obligations of Islam. First: Worship Allah alone and do not associate anything with Him. Second: Establish the five obligatory prayers every day and night, namely Fajr, Zhuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib, and ''Ishā'—along with observing their conditions, pillars, and obligatory acts. Third: Pay the obligatory Zakah, which is an obligatory financial act of worship due on every type of property that has reached the limit prescribed by the Shariah, and it is to be given to those entitled to it. Fourth: Fast Ramadan, which is abstaining from food, drink, and other fast invalidators as a form of worship from the break of dawn to sunset. Fifth: Make Hajj to the House by heading for Makkah to perform the rituals as a means of worshiping Allah Almighty. Then he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Shall I inform you of the path leading to the gates of goodness? Follow these obligations with voluntary acts of worship. First: Voluntary fast, which prevents from falling into sins by breaking the lust and enfeebling the power. Second: Voluntary charity extinguishes the sin after being committed, eliminates it, and erases its traces. Third: Tahjjud prayer during the last third of the night, then he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) recited Allah's statement: {They forsake their beds}, i.e., they leave their beds {invoking their Lord} in prayer, Dhikr, recitation of the Qur’an, and supplication {with fear and hope, and spend out of what We have provided for them. No soul knows what delights are kept hidden for them}, i.e., the bliss that will provide them with ultimate comfort on the Day of Judgment and in Paradise {as a reward for what they used to do.} Then he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Shall I inform you of the essence of the religion, its pillar upon which it is founded, and its peak? Mu‘ādh (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: The head of the matter is: Islam, i.e., the two testimonies of faith by which one attains the essence of the religion. Its pillar is: the prayer, since there is no Islam without prayer as there is no house without a pillar. So, whoever prays, his religion is enhanced and elevated. Its peak and climax are attained through Jihad and the exertion of effort in fighting against the enemies of the religion to make the word of Allah supreme. Then he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Shall I tell you what controls and perfects the aforementioned? He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) took hold of his tongue and said: Control this and do not speak about what does not concern you. Mu‘ādh said: Does our Lord hold us accountable and responsible and punish us for what we speak?! He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: May your mother lose you! This is not meant as a supplication against him; rather, it is one of the Arabs' common expressions that is meant to draw attention to something that one is supposed to be aware of and to know. Then he said: What else can cast people and throw them on their faces in Hellfire other than the harvest of their tongues speaking words of disbelief, accusing of immorality, insult, backbiting, talebearing, false accusation, etc.?!

Benefits

• The Companions' keenness on acquiring knowledge; hence, they used to ask the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) frequently about it.
• The Companions' good understanding of the religion, as they knew that deeds are a means of entering Paradise.
• The question posed by Mu‘ādh (may Allah be pleased with him) is of great significance because it is in reality the secret of life and existence. The goal of every existent being in this world from mankind or the jinn is either Paradise or Hellfire, and this is the reason why such a question has great significance.
• Admittance to Paradise is contingent on fulfilling the five pillars of Islam, which are: the two testimonies of faith, prayer, Zakah, fasting, and Hajj.
• The head of the religion, the most precious mission, and the most important duty is belief in the oneness of Allah by worshiping Him alone with no partner.
• As a token of Allah's mercy towards His slaves, He opened for them the gates of goodness to take provision from the causes leading to rewards and forgiveness of sins.
• The merit of drawing closer to Allah by performing voluntary acts of worship after performing the obligatory ones.
• Prayer, in relation to Islam, is like the pillar upon which a tent is set up, and without prayer, there is no Islam just as a tent collapses with the collapse of its pillar.
• It is obligatory to restrain the tongue from whatever negatively affects man's religion.
• Restraining, controlling, and curbing the tongue is the basis of all goodness.