How can I, as a Muslim, be assured of paradise?

Answer: Although our sins separate us from the holy God and His paradise, He sent a sinless One to intercede for us!

A Muslim believes that his choices on earth affect his entrance to either heaven or hell. A wise man once said, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36). This wise man was Isa/Jesus.

No doubt Isa will be in paradise. But He warned that heaven wasn’t easily obtained. He said, "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:13-15). The one way to paradise is not easy to find. Many people, deceived by false prophets, try to enter heaven the wrong way. Their end is hell.

If you doubt that you can make it to paradise, the Qur’an instructs you where to find out: “And if you are in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto you, then question those who read the Scripture (that was) before you. . .” (Surah 10:94).

Scripture (the Bible) tells us how we can be assured of paradise.

Can good works earn us a place in heaven?
A true Muslim is submitted to Allah. That means Allah controls all he thinks, acts, speaks. If a Muslim does something Allah would not do (such as lie, worry, covet), he is not fully surrendered to Allah. That is sin. Can good works make up for sin?

The Bible says, “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. . . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:20, 23).

God is just and will not let sin go unpunished—regardless of how well the Five Pillars are kept or how many good deeds are done. Even one sin is enough to merit hell fire (James 2:10). Since sin prevents our entrance to heaven, and God, being just, will not arbitrarily forgive sin, who will help us?

Can Muhammad intercede for us?
While some hadiths suggest that Muhammad may intercede for them, Muslims accept the Qur’an as their ultimate authority. It teaches that a mere man—even Muhammad—cannot mediate on behalf of sinful men (Surah 2:48; 6:51; 35:18).

Can Isa intercede for us?
A mediator to the holy God must be perfect himself. He must be no ordinary person. Thankfully, God sent the holy Jesus to intercede for sinful man: “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:5-6a).

Many people witnessed Jesus Christ as a prophet, teacher, and miracle worker. They told “how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible, not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins" (Acts 10:38-43).

All true prophets witness that Jesus is the only way sinners can be forgiven. Without Jesus as your Savior from sin, you will face Him as Judge with your sins exposed. Jesus says, "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins" (John 8:24).

You must turn from your sin and realize that you cannot earn paradise through good deeds. Believe that Jesus is the Savior sent from God to save you from the penalty and power of sin. If you refuse to follow Him, you must be separated from the holy God in hell.

Those who trust in Jesus—not merely knowing about Him but relying on Him for salvation, submitting to Him as Master, and loving Him as the greatest treasure—will be saved from sin and hell.

Jesus assures those who follow Him of heaven! “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes [on Me] has eternal life” (John 6:47).