The Book of Faith - Sahih Muslim 93 b

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: He who met Allah without associating anything with Allah entered Paradise and he who met Him associating (anything) with Him entered Fire.

Commentary on the Hadith

This profound narration establishes the fundamental principle of Islamic monotheism - that salvation in the Hereafter depends solely on preserving the purity of Tawhid (divine unity) and avoiding Shirk (associating partners with Allah).

The phrase "met Allah" refers to the moment of death when the soul returns to its Creator. The hadith categorically states that whoever dies upon pure Tawhid, having worshipped Allah alone without any partners, is guaranteed entry into Paradise regardless of other sins. Conversely, whoever dies upon Shirk, attributing partners to Allah in worship or divine attributes, is condemned to the Fire.

This demonstrates the gravity of Shirk as the only unforgivable sin if one dies upon it, while all other sins may be forgiven through Allah's mercy. The scholars explain that this emphasizes the primacy of correct belief over mere deeds, for deeds without proper Tawhid are invalid.

Scholarly Insights

Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali comments: "This hadith contains the greatest glad tiding for the people of Tawhid and the most severe warning for the people of Shirk. It shows that Tawhid is the foundation upon which all deeds are built."

Al-Nawawi states in his Sharh Sahih Muslim: "This hadith explicitly declares that the monotheist will ultimately enter Paradise, even if he is punished for his sins first, while the polytheist will eternally abide in Hellfire."

The scholars clarify that this applies to major Shirk (ash-Shirk al-Akbar) which removes one from the fold of Islam, not minor Shirk (ash-Shirk al-Asghar) which does not constitute apostasy but diminishes the perfection of Tawhid.