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Muhammad's Many Doors to Heaven

Muhammad's Promises of Paradise

While Muhammad made sure to terrorize all Muslims with constant, graphic threats of Hell on nearly every page of the Quran - as covered in this article - he also made certain guarantees of Paradise and total forgiveness for Muslims who perform certain actions.

For instance, he promised Paradise to anyone who memorized Allah's names:

Sahih al-Bukhari 7392

Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Allah has ninety-nine Names, one-hundred less one; and he who memorized them all by heart will enter Paradise." To count something means to know it by heart.

He promised Paradise to anyone who died in battle for Allah. This is established first in the Quran (Surah 3:157, 3:169-170, 4:74, 9:111, 57:19, 61:10-12), and also explicitly in the Hadith:

Sahih al-Bukhari 2787

Narrated Abu Huraira:
I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "The example of a Mujahid in Allah's Cause, and Allah knows better who really strives in His Cause is like a person who fasts and prays continuously. Allah guarantees that He will admit the Mujahid in His Cause into Paradise if he is killed, otherwise He will return him to his home safely with rewards and war booty."

Sahih al-Bukhari 2811

Narrated Abu `Abs:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Anyone whose both feet get covered with dust in Allah's Cause will not be touched by the (Hell) fire."

This is also narrated in Sahih Muslim 1885a-c, 1886a-b.

He promised Paradise to whoever does whatever the following narration entails:

Sahih al-Bukhari 6807

Narrated Sahl bin Sa`d:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever guarantees me what is between his legs, and what is between his jaws, I guarantee him Paradise."

He promised Paradise to anyone who does 2 of the 5 daily prayers:

Sahih al-Bukhari 574

Narrated Abu Bakr bin Abi Musa:
My father said, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'Whoever prays the two cool prayers (`Asr and Fajr) will go to Paradise.' "

He promised Paradise to every Muslim via imputing their sins to Jews and Christians:

Sahih Muslim 2767a

Abu Musa' reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:
When it will be the Day of Resurrection Allah would deliver to every Muslim a Jew or a Christian and say: That is your rescue from Hell-Fire.

Sahih Muslim 2767d

Abu Burda reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
There would come people amongst the Muslims on the Day of Resurrection with as heavy sins as a mountain, and Allah would forgive them and He would place in their stead the Jews and the Christians. (As far as I think), Abu Raub said: I do not know as to who is in doubt. Abu Burda said: I narrated it to 'Umar b. 'Abd al-'Aziz, whereupon he said: Was it your father who narrated it to you from Allah's Apostle (ﷺ)? I said: Yes.

This is also narrated in Sahih Muslim 2767b.

He promised that anyone who sincerely recites the Shahada will be immune from Hell, yet instructed that this not be told to people, lest they trust in it alone and forbear good deeds:

Sahih Muslim 32

It is reported on the authority of Anas b. Malik that the Prophet of Allah (may peace and blessings be upon him) addressed Mu'adh b. Jabal as he was riding behind him to which he replied:
At thy beck and call, and at thy pleasure, Messenger of Allah. He again called out: Mu'adh, to which he (again) replied: At thy beck and call, and at thy pleasure. He (the Holy Prophet) addressed him (again): Mu'adh, to which he replied: At thy beck and call, and at thy pleasure, Messenger of Allah. Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) observed: If anyone testifies (sincerely from his heart) that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is His bondsman and His messenger, Allah immuned him from Hell. He (Mu'adh) said: Messenger of Allah, should I not then inform people of it, so that they may be of good cheer? He replied: Then they would trust in it alone. Mu'adh told about it at the time of his death, to avoid sinning.

Sahih Muslim 30b

It is narrated on the authority of Mu'adh b. Jabal that he observed:
I was riding behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on an ass known as 'Ufair. He (Mu'adh) observed: He (the Holy Prophet) said: Mu'adh, do you know what right has Allah over His bondsmen and what right have His bondsmen over Him? Mu'adh added: I replied: Allah and his Messenger know best. Upon this he (the Prophet remarked: The right of Allah over His bondsmen is that they should worship Allah and should not associate anything with Him, and the right of His bondsmen over Allah, Glorious and Sublime, is that He does not punish him who associates not anything with Him. He (Mu'adh) added: I said to the Messenger of Allah: Should I then give the tidings to the people? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Do not tell them this good news, for they would trust in it alone.

This is also narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari 128-29.

He promised complete forgiveness of sins if you performed the Hajj:

Sahih al-Bukhari 1521

Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "Whoever performs Hajj for Allah's pleasure and does not have sexual relations with his wife, and does not do evil or sins then he will return (after Hajj free from all sins) as if he were born anew."

He promised forgiveness of all sins by performing ablution:

Sahih Muslim 244

Abu Huraira reported:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: When a bondsman-a Muslim or a believer-washes his face (in course of ablution), every sin he contemplated with his eyes, will be washed away from his face along with water, or with the last drop of water; when he washes his hands, every sin they wrought will be effaced from his hands with the water, or with the last drop of water; and when he washes his feet, every sin towards which his feet have walked will be washed away with the water or with the last drop of water with the result that he comes out pure from all sins.

This is also narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari 1934, 6433, Sahih Muslim 226a-b, 228-229, 245, Sunan Abi Dawud 106, and Sunan an-Nasai 147.

He promised complete forgiveness of sins if you pray on Qadr, which is a mysterious night at some point during the last ten days of Ramadan (Sahih al-Bukhari 2017-18), and also if you pray and fast during Ramadan more generally:

Sahih al-Bukhari 35

Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Whoever establishes the prayers on the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's rewards (not to show off) then all his past sins will be forgiven."

Sahih al-Bukhari 37

Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "Whoever establishes prayers during the nights of Ramadan faithfully out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's rewards (not for showing off), all his past sins will be forgiven."

Sahih al-Bukhari 38

Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Whoever observes fasts during the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith, and hoping to attain Allah's rewards, then all his past sins will be forgiven."

This is also narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari 1901, 2008-09, 2014, and Sahih Muslim 759a-b, 760a-b.

He promised total forgiveness of sins if your "amen" coincides with the angels' "amen":

Sahih al-Bukhari 781

Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "If any one of you says, "Amin" and the angels in the heavens say "Amin" and the former coincides with the latter, all his past sins will be forgiven."

This is also narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari 780, 782, 796, 3328, 6402, Sahih Muslim 409a-b, 410a-f, 416, and Jami at-Tirmidhi 250.

He promised forgiveness of all sins if you say "Glory be to Allah and Praise Him" one-hundred times per day:

Sahih al-Bukhari 6405

Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Whoever says, 'Subhan Allah wa bihamdihi,' one hundred times a day, will be forgiven all his sins even if they were as much as the foam of the sea.

This is also narrated in Sahih Muslim 2691, and Jami at-Tirmidhi 3468.

He taught forgiveness of all sins if you chant three other phrases 33 or 34 times each:

Sahih Muslim 597a

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
If anyone extols Allah after every prayer thirty-three times, and praises Allah thirty-three times, and declares His Greatness thirty-three times, ninety-nine times in all, and says to complete a hundred:" There is no god but Allah, having no partner with Him, to Him belongs sovereignty and to Him is praise due, and He is Potent over everything," his sins will be forgiven even If these are as abundant as the foam of the sea.

This is also narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari 843, 3705, 5361-62, 6318, and Sahih Muslim 595a, 596a, 597b, 2727a, 2728a-b.

He taught that you will be pardoned for your sins if you don't publicize them:

Sahih Muslim 2990

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
All the people of my Ummah would get pardon for their sins except those who publicise them. And (it means) that a servant should do a deed during the night and tell the people in the morning that he has done so and so, whereas Allah has concealed it. And he does a deed during the day and when it is night he tells the people, whereas Allah has concealed it. Zuhair has used the word hijar for publicising.

He taught that all one's weekly sins are forgiven if they behave as follows during Jumu'ah:

Sahih al-Bukhari 910

Narrated Salman Al-Farsi:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (p.b.u.h) said, "Anyone who takes a bath on Friday and cleans himself as much as he can and puts oil (on his hair) or scents himself; and then proceeds for the prayer and does not force his way between two persons (assembled in the mosque for the Friday prayer), and prays as much as is written for him and remains quiet when the Imam delivers the Khutba, all his sins in between the present and the last Friday will be forgiven."

This is also narrated in Sahih Muslim 227a-c.

He taught that Muslims will be cleansed of their sins by beating each other in the afterlife on the bridge over Hell (As-Sirat):

Sahih al-Bukhari 2440

Narrated Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "When the believers pass safely over (the bridge across) Hell, they will be stopped at a bridge in between Hell and Paradise where they will retaliate upon each other for the injustices done among them in the world, and when they get purified of all their sins, they will be admitted into Paradise. By Him in Whose Hands the life of Muhammad is everybody will recognize his dwelling in Paradise better than he recognizes his dwelling in this world."

He promised forgiveness of sins to those who climbed a hill:

Sahih Muslim 2780a-b

Jabir b. Abdullah reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:
He who climbed this hill, the hill of Murar, his sins would be obliterated as were obliterated the sins of Bani Isra'il. So the first to take their horses were the people of Banu Khazraj. Then there was a ceaseless flow of persons and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to them: All of you are those who have been pardoned except the owner of a red camel.

He taught that Muslims would be taken out of Hell by his intercession, as he will be able to do something which Jesus is not able to do:

Sahih al-Bukhari 6565

Narrated Anas:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Allah will gather all the people on the Day of Resurrection and they will say, 'Let us request someone to intercede for us with our Lord so that He may relieve us from this place of ours.' Then they will go to Adam and say, 'You are the one whom Allah created with His Own Hands, and breathed in you of His soul, and ordered the angels to prostrate to you; so please intercede for us with our Lord.' Adam will reply, 'I am not fit for this undertaking, and will remember his sin, and will say, 'Go to Noah, the first Apostle sent by Allah' They will go to him and he will say, 'I am not fit for this undertaking', and will remember his sin and say, 'Go to Abraham whom Allah took as a Khalil. They will go to him (and request similarly). He will reply, 'I am not fit for this undertaking,' and will remember his sin and say, 'Go to Moses to whom Allah spoke directly.' They will go to Moses and he will say, 'I am not fit for this undertaking,' and will remember his sin and say, 'Go to Jesus.' They will go to him, and he will say, 'I am not fit for this undertaking, go to Muhammad as Allah has forgiven his past and future sins.'

They will come to me and I will ask my Lord's permission, and when I see Him, I will fall down in prostration to Him, and He will leave me in that state as long as (He) Allah will, and then I will be addressed. 'Raise up your head (O Muhammad)! Ask, and your request will be granted, and say, and your saying will be listened to; intercede, and your intercession will be accepted.' Then I will raise my head, and I will glorify and praise my Lord with a saying(i.e. invocation) He will teach me, and then I will intercede, Allah will fix a limit for me (i.e., certain type of people for whom I may intercede), and I will take them out of the (Hell) Fire and let them enter Paradise. Then I will come back (to Allah) and fall in prostration, and will do the same for the third and fourth times till no-one remains in the (Hell) Fire except those whom the Qur'an has imprisoned therein." (The sub-narrator, Qatada used to say at that point, "...those upon whom eternity (in Hell) has been imposed.").

This is also narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari 4476, 4712, 7410, 7440, 7510, and Sahih Muslim 193a-e, 194a.

Clearly, Muhammad made statements that leave the impression that there are a host of ways to get into Allah's good graces, and rescue oneself from condemnation.

Muhammad's Paths in Light of the Bible

The Lord Jesus Christ, during His ministry, made it abundantly clear that He was the only way to Heaven (John 14:6), and that all those who tried or prescribed any other way were thieves and robbers:

John 10:1, 7-9

1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

John 3:36

36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Unlike in Muhammad's theology, forgiveness with God in Christianity is not capricious or arbitrary, where, based on nothing, God simply ignores one's sins.

Instead, God established the principle of blood atonement, where in order to satisfy the "wages of sin" (Romans 6:23), blood has to be shed:

Leviticus 17:10-11

10 And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people.
11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

Hebrews 9:22

22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

This is why Jesus came to earth - to die (Hebrews 2:9) - and not only to die, but specifically to "die for our sins" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4), as prophesied so explicitly in Isaiah 52:13-53:12. In doing this, He fulfilled His role as "The Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29) - an image that began very early in the Old Testament, exemplified in the Passover lamb, and many other such symbols, some of which are covered in this article.

It was through the work of His payment on the cross, where He bore our sins (1 Peter 2:24: 2 Corinthians 5:21), and then rose from the dead, proving that the payment was complete, that allows us to be justly reconciled to God. This is why the death of Christ matters, and why if He did not rise from the dead, humanity is doomed, and every last person is still dead in their sins:

1 Corinthians 15:14-17

14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

This is why Christians find Muhammad's assertion that Christ never died on the cross (Surah 4:157) so ridiculous and impossible. Saving Christ from crucifixion wouldn't be Allah having mercy on Him, but instead, it would be Allah preventing Jesus from doing what He came to do. The crucifixion and resurrection are the culmination of the entire Old Testament, and the sole basis for our reconciliation before God. This established the only door that God gave to mankind to be reconciled to himself, and avoid the condemnation of Hell:

Revelation 1:18

18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

In contrast, Muhammad put forth many different doors of his own invention. No thanks Jesus, I've got 99 names memorized. No thanks Jesus, I just performed ablution. No thank you Jesus, I just died in battle. No thanks Jesus, I just returned from Hajj. Thanks though. We'll let you know if we need anything.

Conclusion

Muslims, Muhammad's promises mean nothing. They are utterly worthless. Do not make the disastrous mistake of thinking that Muhammad or Allah will fulfill any of the promises above. Muhammad knew what he needed to tell people to get them to behave how he wanted them to. He is a physician of no value, and if you are counting on any of these things he told you to get to Heaven, you will go to Hell. He is a thief and a robber, according to the Lord.

Christianity teaches, and has always taught, one path to Heaven - Jesus Christ. Muhammad taught many paths to Heaven, because he invented an entirely new religion. His promises and guarantees are worthless, and every Muslim who puts their faith in his promises are building a house upon the shifting sand of a blasphemous, lying false prophet.