Hadith #1769

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds. May peace and blessings be upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), his pure progeny, and his noble companions.

In this profound Hadith of Imam Ali (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ), he states,

How impossible! Allah cannot be cheated of His Paradise, and none can attain what is with Him except by His pleasure.

This Hadith emphasizes the absolute authority and sovereignty of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ) over His Paradise and the conditions for attaining it.

Let us delve into the important words of this Hadith. The word (hayhat) "هَيْهَاتَ" is an expression of astonishment and denial, conveying the idea of something being impossible or far-fetched. It highlights the impossibility of deceiving or cheating Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ) in any way. The word (yukhda'u) "يُخْدَعُ" means to deceive or cheat, implying that no one can deceive Allah in any matter.

The phrase (Allah cannot be cheated of His Paradise)

لا يُخْدَعُ اللّهُ عَنْ جَنَّتِهِ

emphasizes that Allah's Paradise is solely under His control and cannot be obtained through deceit or manipulation. It highlights the absolute justice and fairness of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ) in determining who deserves entry into His Paradise.

The phrase (and none can attain what is with Him except by His pleasure)

وَلا يُنالُ ما عِنْدَهُ إلاّ بِمَرضاتِهِ

emphasizes that the ultimate reward and blessings from Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ) can only be obtained through His pleasure and satisfaction. It highlights the importance of seeking Allah's pleasure in all our actions and endeavors.

This Hadith aligns with the teachings of the Quran, which repeatedly emphasizes the importance of seeking Allah's pleasure and obedience to attain His rewards. Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ) says in Surah Al-Imran (3:15),

Say, 'Shall I inform you of [something] better than that? For those who fear Allah will be gardens in the presence of their Lord beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally, and purified spouses and approval from Allah. And Allah is Seeing of [His] servants.

This verse highlights that the ultimate reward, which includes gardens and eternal bliss, can only be attained by those who fear Allah and seek His approval. It emphasizes the importance of aligning our actions and intentions with the pleasure of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ) to attain His blessings.

Furthermore, in Surah Al-Ma'idah (5:119), Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ) says,

Allah will say, 'This is the Day when the truthful will benefit from their truthfulness.' For them are gardens [in Paradise] beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever, Allah being pleased with them, and they with Him. That is the great attainment.

This verse emphasizes that the truthful, those who are sincere and honest in their actions, will benefit from their truthfulness on the Day of Judgment. They will be rewarded with gardens in Paradise, where they will abide forever, with the pleasure and satisfaction of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ). It highlights the importance of seeking Allah's pleasure by being truthful and sincere in our words and deeds.

In light of this Hadith and the supporting Quranic verses, we understand that Allah's Paradise is not attainable through deceit or manipulation. It can only be obtained by seeking Allah's pleasure and aligning our actions with His commands. We must strive to be truthful, sincere, and obedient to Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ) in all aspects of our lives. May Allah guide us and grant us the ability to seek His pleasure and attain His eternal rewards.