Paradise Is Surrounded by Hardships: The Hadith Explained

Why does the right thing so often feel heavy, and the wrong thing so easy? The Prophet ﷺ answered this in a few words. In this paradise is surrounded by hardships hadith, he said that the Fire is surrounded by desires and Paradise by things we dislike. Here we look at its wording in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, the story of Jibril that explains it, what it means for our daily choices, and the hope that comes with it.

The hadith: Paradise is surrounded by hardships

Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reports the same words in Sahih Muslim, with Paradise mentioned first:

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates the first wording. Imam Muslim also records it from him in Sahih Muslim 2823. The Arabic word in al-Bukhari, hujibat, means “veiled” or “screened off”: the Fire is hidden behind desires, and Paradise is hidden behind hardships. To reach either one, a person must first pass through what surrounds it.

The story behind it: Jibril looks at Paradise and Hell

Another authentic narration from Abu Hurairah tells how Allah surrounded Paradise and Hell, and what Jibril (peace be upon him) feared when he saw them.

At-Tirmidhi records the same story in Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 2560 (Hasan, Darussalam) and calls it hasan sahih; an-Nasa’i has it too (Sunan an-Nasa’i 3763, Hasan, Darussalam). In at-Tirmidhi’s wording, Jibril finds the Fire with “one part of it riding the other.”

Think about what Jibril feared. Seen on its own, Paradise is so beautiful that no one would miss it, and Hell so terrible that no one would go near it. It is what surrounds them that changes everything. Once hardships were placed around Paradise, he feared no one would reach it. Once desires were placed around the Fire, he feared no one would escape it.

Take heed: what decides our end is not whether we want Paradise. Everyone wants it. It is whether we are willing to pass through what surrounds it.

What it means: hardships and desires

HadeethEnc (hadith 3702) explains that the Fire is surrounded by things the soul finds pleasant, such as sins and neglecting what Allah has made obligatory. Whoever gives in to them is led towards it. Paradise is surrounded by things the soul finds hard, such as keeping up with what Allah commands and holding back from what He forbids. Whoever bears them with patience is led towards it.

Its explanation of the Jibril narration, HadeethEnc (hadith 65034), adds that these hardships and temptations are the tests of this life, that the road to Paradise needs faith and effort, and that Paradise and Hell already exist now.

So the “hardships” here are not only illness or loss. They include waking for Fajr, lowering the gaze, controlling anger, paying zakah, speaking the truth when it costs us, and leaving a habit we enjoy because Allah dislikes it. The “desires” are the things the soul wants that Allah has forbidden. Halal enjoyment is not meant here.

The Quran describes the same test. Allah says that these things are made attractive to people:

And He describes the one who passes it:

Take heed: the soul will always ask for what is easy now. If we let it lead, it walks straight through the desires that surround the Fire.

How to practise it

• Expect the right path to feel heavy. When a good deed feels hard, remember this hadith: the difficulty is part of the road to Paradise, not a sign you are on the wrong one.
• Name your desire. When something forbidden pulls at you, say to yourself that this is one of the things that surround the Fire, then walk away from it.
• Start with the obligations. Guard the five daily prayers on time. They are the first hardship most of us have to carry.
• Make one hard choice a day. Choose one small act you usually avoid, like praying the sunnah prayers or keeping quiet in an argument, and do it today.
• Ask Allah for help. The hadith does not name a specific dua, so ask in your own words for steadfastness and for protection from the Fire.

Hope: Paradise is closer than you think

This hadith is not meant to make Paradise feel out of reach. The Prophet ﷺ also said:

‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates it. A shoe strap is as close as anything can be to a walking person. Every choice we make is a step, and each step can move us towards Paradise. The hardships that surround it are real, but they last only as long as this life, while what lies behind them never ends. And when we slip, the door of forgiveness is still open, as the hadith qudsi in O Son of Adam, I Will Forgive You shows.

Reflection: Jibril feared that no one would enter Paradise once it was surrounded by hardships. Yet Allah still placed it within reach of every one of us, nearer than the strap of a shoe. The road is hard so that the ones who reach it have chosen it. Every heavy step we take for Allah’s sake is a step past those hardships.

Questions people ask

Key lessons

• The Fire is surrounded by desires and Paradise by hardships (al-Bukhari 6487, Muslim 2822).
• Wanting Paradise is not enough; we must be willing to pass through what surrounds it.
• Jibril feared no one would enter Paradise, and no one would escape Hell, because of what surrounds them (Abu Dawud 4744).
• The hardships include obeying Allah and leaving what He forbids, not only trials and loss.
• Paradise is nearer than a shoe strap, so every hard choice made for Allah moves us towards it (al-Bukhari 6488).

Today, choose one thing that feels heavy and do it for Allah’s sake. May Allah make the hardships around Paradise easy for us, protect us from the desires that surround the Fire, and admit us to Jannah with those we love.

Save this to Pinterest so you can return to this reminder