Have you ever heard someone say, “If Allah created everything, why do we need to make an effort to enter Jannah? Won’t it just be given to us?”
This is a very common question, and at first glance, it might seem reasonable to many. But let’s pause for a moment and think about it logically. I like to use an example that everyone can relate to: university life.
Step 1: The Question You Ask Yourself
Imagine you are a university student. Your goal is to earn a degree, right? Now, here’s the thing: if all the knowledge you need is already available online—YouTube lectures, ChatGPT, ebooks, and countless free resources—why would you bother going to university at all?
The answer is simple: a degree isn’t just about knowledge. It’s a recognition, a proof that you’ve applied yourself, persevered, and achieved something measurable. It validates your effort, opens doors to opportunities, and shows the world that you didn’t just “know” something—you demonstrated it. Knowledge alone isn’t enough; it’s the structured effort, discipline, and consistent work that gives the degree its meaning.
Step 2: Effort for a Temporary Reward
Think about it. You’re putting in months, even years, of hard work for a degree that, at the end of the day, is temporary. It helps you get a job or pursue a career, but ultimately, it’s for this worldly life. And yet, the university doesn’t hand it to you for free—you have to earn it through effort, discipline, and commitment.
Step 3: Effort for an Eternal Reward
Now let’s switch gears. If we exert so much effort for a temporary degree, how much more effort should we make for Jannah, the eternal home of perfection? Jannah is not just temporary—it’s eternal, perfect, and promised by Allah for those who strive in obedience to Him.
In fact, you could think of this entire journey as a lifelong degree—one that begins the moment you call yourself a Muslim. It’s not a four-year program or a certificate you collect once and move on from. It’s the degree of being a Muslim, earned slowly over a lifetime. Every year you live with faith, every choice you make within the boundaries of Islam, and every effort you put into becoming better adds to this degree. You don’t graduate early, and you don’t pause the process—it continues as long as life continues.
Step 4: Life as Your University
Here’s how I like to explain it:
- Prayer = Attendance – Just like you need perfect attendance to pass a course, your prayers are your attendance in the “university of life.” Missing them weakens your spiritual record.
- Trials and Challenges = Quizzes and Exams – The tests of life, whether personal struggles or challenges from others, are like exams that assess your patience, perseverance, and faith.
- Character and Actions = Presentations and Assignments – How you behave, treat others, and embody Islamic values is your life’s presentation. It shows the world what Islam truly is and earns you reward from Allah.
Step 5: The Takeaway
Effort is part of life—whether it’s a degree or your faith. We wouldn’t expect a university to hand us a degree for free, no matter how smart we are. Why, then, would we expect eternal success to be given to us without effort?
Allah promises Jannah, but it comes with a condition: strive for it. Work for it. Live your life with obedience, character, and faith. Just as you wouldn’t skip classes and expect to pass, you can’t skip your duties to Allah and expect eternal success.
Plus, This is something everyone can resonate with, and it’s a perfect example to use in your dawah conversations too. Whether you’re speaking to a Muslim or a non-Muslim, the concept of effort, discipline, and earning outcomes is something people understand from their own lives. By using an example that connects with everyday experiences, the conversation becomes relatable, engaging, and meaningful. From there, you can naturally guide the discussion toward faith, purpose of life, and the rewards of living a disciplined, intentional life.
Every choice today writes your final transcript—make it count.
~ Mehwish Shafi ~
