Islam Question and Answer - Man is accountable

Praise be to
Allaah.

Each person is a pledge for that which he has earned
(cf. al-Toor 52:21, al-Muddaththir 74:38) Whoever believes and does
righteous deeds will enter Paradise and whoever disbelieves in Allaah
and His Messenger will enter Hell. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning): 

“Surely, those who disbelieved in
Our Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.),
We shall burn them in Fire. As often as their skins are roasted through,
We shall change them for other skins that they may taste the punishment.
Truly, Allaah is Ever Most Powerful, All-Wise.

But those who believe (in the Oneness of Allaah —
Islamic Monotheism) and do deeds of righteousness, We shall admit them
to Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), abiding therein forever.
Therein they shall have Azwaajun Mutahharatun (purified mates or wives),
and We shall admit them to shades wide and ever deepening (Paradise)”[al-Nisaa’
4:56-57] 

Righteous deeds benefit the one who does them,
for Allaah has no need of us. And evil deeds only harm the one who does
them, for they do not harm Allaah at all, Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning): 

“Whosoever does righteous good deed,
it is for (the benefit of) his ownself; and whosoever does evil, it
is against his ownself. And your Lord is not at all unjust to (His)
slaves”[Fussilat 41:46]

 And He says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And whosoever strives, he strives only for himself.
Verily, Allaah stands not in need of any of the ‘Aalameen (mankind,
jinn, and all that exists)”[al-‘Ankaboot 29:6] 

Allaah is Generous and multiplies hasanaat
(good deeds) as He says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Whoever brings a good deed (Islamic Monotheism and
deeds of obedience to Allaah and His Messenger) shall have ten times
the like thereof to his credit, and whoever brings an evil deed (polytheism,
disbelief, hypocrisy, and deeds of disobedience to Allaah and His Messenger)
shall have only the recompense of the like thereof, and they will not
be wronged”[al-An’aam 6:160] 

Righteous deeds such as prayer, zakaah, fasting,
Hajj, enjoining what is good, forbidding what is evil, jihaad, reading
Qur’aan, etc., are the symbols of Islam, and the reward for all of them
is Paradise, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And whoever does righteous good deeds, male or female,
and is a (true) believer [in the Oneness of Allaah (Muslim)], such will
enter Paradise and not the least injustice, even to the size of a Naqeera
(speck on the back of a date stone), will be done to them”[al-Nisaa’
4:124] 

The punishment for all evil deeds and sins
such as oppression, shirk (associating others with Allaah), murder,
corruption, arrogance, and other sins is Hell, unless one repents. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And whosoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger (Muhammad),
and transgresses His limits, He will cast him into the Fire, to abide
therein; and he shall have a disgraceful torment”[al-Nisaa’ 4:14] 

Words and deeds, whether they are good or
bad, are all recorded with the Lord of the Worlds. Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning): 

“This Our Record speaks about you with truth. Verily,
We were recording what you used to do (i.e. Our angels used to record
your deeds)” [al-Jaathiyah 45:29] 

Allaah does not accept any deeds except those
which are done purely for Allaah in accordance with the guidance of
the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning): 

“So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord, let
him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship
of his Lord”[al-Kahf 18:110] 

On the Day of Resurrection, each person will
see what he did, acts of obedience or disobedience, good or evil, as
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“That Day mankind will proceed in
scattered groups that they may be shown their deeds.

So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom
(or a small ant) shall see it.

And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an
atom (or a small ant) shall see it”[al-Zalzalah :6-8] 

On the Day of Resurrection, each person will
be given his book (record of deeds) and it will be said to him:

 “Read your book. You yourself are
sufficient as a reckoner against you this Day” [al-Israa’ 17:14
– interpretation of the meaning]

 Whoever believed and did righteous deeds
will take his book in his right hand in joy, and will enter Paradise,
and whoever disobeyed Allaah and His Messenger will take his book in
his left hand or from behind his back, and will enter Hell. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): 

“Then as for him who will be given
his Record in his right hand,

He surely, will receive an easy reckoning,

And will return to his family in joy!

But whosoever is given his Record behind his back,

He will invoke (for his) destruction,

And he shall enter a blazing Fire, and made to taste
its burning”

[al-Inshiqaaq 84:7-12] 

And there is a great difference between faith
and disbelief, obedience and disobedience, the people of Paradise and
the people of Hell: 

“Is then he who is a believer like
him who is a Faasiq (disbeliever and disobedient to Allaah)? Not equal
are they.

As for those who believe (in the Oneness of Allaah
Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds, for them are
Gardens (Paradise) as an entertainment for what they used to do.

And as for those who are Faasiqoon (disbelievers and
disobedient to Allaah), their abode will be the Fire, every time they
wish to get away therefrom, they will be put back thereto, and it will
be said to them: ‘Taste you the torment of the Fire which you used to
deny’” [al-Sajdah 32:18-20 – interpretation of the meaning] 

Allaah states that the believers are the ones who will
be the victors, and the disbelievers are the ones who will be the losers,
as He says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“By Al-‘Asr (the time).

Verily, man is in loss,

Except those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism) and
do righteous good deeds, and recommend one another to the truth [i.e.
order one another to perform all kinds of good deeds (Al-Ma‘roof)
which Allaah has ordained, and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil
deeds (Al-Munkar) which Allaah has forbidden], and recommend one
another to patience (for the sufferings, harms, and injuries which one
may encounter in Allaah’s Cause during preaching His religion of Islamic
Monotheism or Jihaad)”[al-‘Asr 103:1-3] 

O Allaah, grant us Paradise and save us from
Hell. Bestow Your mercy upon us, O Most Merciful of those who show mercy. 

 

From Usool al-Deen al-Islami by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem al-Tuwayjri