Hadith:
Mu`adh bin Jabal (RadiyAllahu Anhu) reported: I was riding a pillion with the Prophet (Sallellahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) on a donkey. He (Sallellahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said: “O Mu’adh, do you know what is the right of Allah upon His slaves, and what is the Right of His slaves upon Allah?” I said: “Allah and His Messenger know better”. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (Sallellahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said: “Allah’s Right upon His slaves is that they should worship Him Alone and associate nothing with Him; and His slaves’ right upon Him is that He should not punish who does not associate a thing with Him.”
He (Mu’adh) added: I said to the Messenger of Allah (Sallellahu Alaihi Wa Sallam): “Shall I give the glad tidings to people?”
He (Sallellahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said: “Do not tell them this good news for they will depend on it alone”.
[AL-BUKHARI AND MUSLIM]
COMMENTARY:
This Hadith tells us that ordinary people, who are generally unable to understand the meanings of things in their context, will think that mere verbal profession of Tauhid and Risalah is sufficient to attain forgiveness, and it is not necessary to do what this profession entails. With this notion, they become unmindful of the obligations. Verbal profession does give them the security that they would not abide in Hell forever for ultimately they will go to Jannah. Our people are generally under the impression that all sinful Muslims, like the perfect Muslims, will go to Jannah in the very first instance. According to proofs furnished by other injunctions of Shari’ah, this is not so. In any case, the point made here is that no Muslim will go to Hell means that no Muslim will abide in Hell for ever. It does not at all mean that however sinful a Muslim may be, he will not be sent to Hell or suffer its torments.