Hadith: When Allah created Paradise and Hellfire, He sent Jibrīl (peace be upon him)

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: "لَمَّا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ الْجَنَّةَ وَالنَّارَ أَرْسَلَ جِبْرِيلَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ، فَقَالَ: انْظُرْ إِلَيْهَا وَإِلَى مَا أَعْدَدْتُ لِأَهْلِهَا فِيهَا. فَنَظَرَ إِلَيْهَا فَرَجَعَ، فَقَالَ: وَعِزَّتِكَ لَا يَسْمَعُ بِهَا أَحَدٌ إِلَّا دَخَلَهَا. فَأَمَرَ بِهَا فَحُفَّتْ بِالْمَكَارِهِ، فَقَالَ: اذْهَبْ إِلَيْهَا فَانْظُرْ إِلَيْهَا وَإِلَى مَا أَعْدَدْتُ لِأَهْلِهَا فِيهَا. فَنَظَرَ إِلَيْهَا، فَإِذَا هِيَ قَدْ حُفَّتْ بِالْمَكَارِهِ، فَقَالَ: وَعِزَّتِكَ لَقَدْ خَشِيتُ أَنْ لَا يَدْخُلَهَا أَحَدٌ. قَالَ: اذْهَبْ فَانْظُرْ إِلَى النَّارِ وَإِلَى مَا أَعْدَدْتُ لِأَهْلِهَا فِيهَا. فَنَظَرَ إِلَيْهَا فَإِذَا هِيَ يَرْكَبُ بَعْضُهَا بَعْضًا، فَرَجَعَ فَقَالَ: وَعِزَّتِكَ لَا يَدْخُلُهَا أَحَدٌ. فَأَمَرَ بِهَا فَحُفَّتْ بِالشَّهَوَاتِ، فَقَالَ: ارْجِعْ فَانْظُرْ إِلَيْهَا. فَنَظَرَ إِلَيْهَا فَإِذَا هِيَ قَدْ حُفَّتْ بِالشَّهَوَاتِ، فَرَجَعَ وَقَالَ: وَعِزَّتِكَ لَقَدْ خَشِيتُ أَنْ لَا يَنْجُوَ مِنْهَا أَحَدٌ إِلَّا دَخَلَهَا".
[حسن] - [رواه أبو داود والترمذي والنسائي]

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When Allah created Paradise and Hellfire, He sent Jibrīl (Gabriel) (peace be upon him) to Paradise, saying: 'Look at it and at what I have prepared in it for its inhabitants.' So, he came to it and looked at it, and at what Allah had prepared in it. He said: 'By Your honor, none will hear of it except that he will enter it.' Then, He gave the order for it to be surrounded with hardships. He said: 'Return to it and look at it, and at what I have prepared in it for its inhabitants.' So, he returned to it and found it surrounded with hardships. He returned to Him and said: 'By Your honor, I fear that none will enter it.' He said: 'Go to Hellfire and look at it and at what I have prepared in it for its inhabitants.' So, he found it, one part of it riding the other. Then, he returned to Him and said: 'By Your honor, none will hear of it and then enter it.' He gave the order for it to be surrounded with desires (lusts). Then He said: 'Return to it.' He (Jibrīl) returned to it, and then said: 'By Your honor, I fear that none will be saved from it except that he will enter it.'"
Hasan/Sound. - [Abu Dawood]

Explanation

When Allah Almighty created Paradise and Hellfire, He sent Jibrīl (peace be upon him) to Paradise, saying to him: Look at Paradise and the bliss I have prepared therein for its inhabitants. When Jibrīl looked at Paradise, he said: By Your honor, none will hear about Paradise except that he will enter it, given the pleasures and desired things therein. So, Allah ordered that Paradise be surrounded by hardships; that is difficulties and hardships standing on the path leading to it, like fasting, giving Zakah, and Jihad. Then, He ordered Jibrīl (peace be upon him) to go to Paradise after it had been surrounded by hardships and look at it. Having looked at it, he said: By Your honor, I fear that none will enter it, given the difficulty of reaching it on account of the hardships surrounding it. People may not be able to endure hardships, fatigue, and struggle. Now it is difficult to reach it, unlike before it was surrounded by hardships. Not everyone can bear hardships patiently. That is why few will enter Paradise, and many will enter Hellfire. Then, Allah Almighty ordered Jibrīl to go and look at Hellfire and the punishment He had prepared therein for its inhabitants. He looked at it and found its parts riding over one another. He returned to Allah, Exalted be He, and said: By Your honor, none will enter Hellfire due to its severe punishment and horrors. None will dare to do what makes him one of its inhabitants. So, Allah ordered that desires be the path leading to it and commanded Jibrīl to go back and look at it. He looked and found that it was surrounded by desires. He returned and said: By Your honor, I fear that none will be saved from it except that he will enter it, given that many people act upon their desires and prefer fleeting desires and pleasures and disregard the evil consequences resulting from that. So, Paradise has been surrounded by hardships and Hellfire surrounded by desires. The path to Paradise is filled with trouble and difficulties, and the path to Hellfire abounds with desires. If a person gives free rein to himself to indulge in these desires and yields to Satan and his evil-commanding self, his destiny will be Hellfire - what an evil destiny!