The Evil Deeds that Lead one to Hell...

Dr. `Umar Al-Ashqar

Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked: "What are the deeds of the people of Hell, and what are the deeds of the people of Paradise?"

He replied: "The deeds of the people of Hell are:

• associating partners with Allah
• disbelieving in His Messengers
• kufr (ingratitude, disbelief)
• hasad (malicious envy)
• lying
• treachery
• oppression and wrongdoing (dhulm)
• promiscuity
• backstabbing
• cutting off the ties of kinship
• cowardice at the time of jihad
• miserliness
• inconsistency between what is in one’s heart and the face one shows to people
• despairing of the mercy of Allah
• feeling secure from the plan of Allah
• panicking blindly at the time of crisis
• pride and extravagance at the time of plenty
• abandoning one’s duties towards Allah
• transgressing His limits
• violating His sanctity
• fearing a created being instead of the Creator
• showing off
• going against the Qur’an and Sunnah in word or deed
• obeying a created being in some act of disobedience to the Creator
• blindly supporting falsehood
• mocking the Signs of Allah
• rejecting the truth
• withholding knowledge and testimony that should be revealed
• witchcraft and magic
• disobeying one’s parents
• killing any soul forbidden by Allah except for reasons of justice
• consuming the wealth of the orphan
• riba (usury)
• desertion from the battlefield
• slandering the reputation of innocent, chaste, believing women." [Yaqadhat uli al-I`tibar, p. 222]

The Messenger, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, mentioned all the sins that will lead one to Hell. Muslim reports from `Iyaad ibn Himaar that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, said, during a lengthy khutbah:

"…The people of Hell are five: the weak who lack the power to (avoid evil); the (carefree) who pursue (everything irrespective of wheher it is good or evil) and who have no concern for their families and their wealth; the dishonest people whose greed cannot be cocealed even in the case of minor things; and those who betray you, morning and evening, with regard to your family and your property. He also mentioned misers, liars, and those who are in the habit of abusing people and using obscene, foul language." [Muslim, 4/1297, no. 2865]