The degrees and levels of Paradise and Hell, and the deeds that take one to them

Q: How many heavens and hells are there?How do these levels differenciate?And wat do you need to do to get into each level?.

A: Praise be to Allaah.

With regard to numbers, there is one Hell and one Paradise, but each of
them has degrees and levels. Paradise is sometimes mentioned in the
plural in the Sunnah, but this does not mean that there are several
types of Paradise; rather this is indicative of its greatness and the
various degrees and levels in it, or it is indicative of the greatness
of the reward of the one who enters it, as it says in the hadeeth of
Anas ibn Maalik that Umm al-Rubayyi’ bint al-Bara’ , who was the mother
of Haarithah ibn Suraaqah, came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) and said: O Prophet of Allaah, will you not tell me
about Haarithah?” – who had been killed at the battle of Badr by a stray
arrow. “If he is in Paradise I will bear it with patience but if it is
otherwise then I shall weep long and hard for him.” He said: «O Umm Haarithah, there are gardens in Paradise – according to another report: many gardens – and your son has attained the highest Firdaws» [Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2809].

Secondly:
The levels of Hell differ according to the extent of their inhabitants’
kufr in this world. The hypocrites will be in the lowest level of Hell,
as our Lord has told us (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depth (grade) of the Fire; no helper will you find for them” [al-Nisa’ 4:145].
{إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِي الدَّرْكِ الأَسْفَلِ مِنَ النَّارِ وَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُمْ نَصِيراً}
Transliteration: 'Inna Al-Munāfiqīna Fī Ad-Darki Al-'Asfali Mina An-Nāri Wa Lan Tajida Lahum Naşīrāan

The least severe (in torment) of its levels – from which we seek refuge
with Allaah – was mentioned by the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) in the hadeeth reported by al-Nu’maan ibn Basheer
who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: «The least severely punished of the
people of Hell will be a man who has two shoes and shoelaces of Fire –
according to another version: two live coals will be placed on the soles
of his feet – because of which his brains will boil as a pot boils. He
will not think that anyone is being punished more severely than him, but
he will be the one who is punished most lightly» [Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 6562; Muslim, 212]. The person is named specifically in a
report narrated by Muslim, where it says that this is Abu Taalib, the
paternal uncle of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him), for whom Allaah will reduce the punishment because of the role he
played in protecting Islam at the beginning.

Thirdly:
We know of no limit to the number of degrees and levels in Paradise. It
was said that their number is equal to the number of verses in the
Qur’aan, based on the hadeeth of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr, who said that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: «It
will be said to the companion of the Qur’aan: 'Recite and rise in
status as you used to recite in the world, and your position will be at
the last verse you recite.’» [Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1646; al-Tirmidhi, 2914; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood].

Al-Mundhiri said in (al-Targheeb): "al-Khattaabi said:
"It said in the report that the number of verses in the Qur’aan is the
number of degrees or levels of Paradise in the Hereafter, and it will be
said to the reader: ‘Rise through the levels to the extent that you
used to read the verses of the Qur’aan. Whoever recites all of the
Qur’aan, will reach the highest degree of Paradise in the Hereafter, and
whoever recites part of it will reach a level commensurate with that,
and the limit of his reward will match the limit of his reading" (Al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, 2/228).

But this idea is subject to further discussion, because the hadeeth
speaks of the manaazil (status, position) of those who memorized
Qur’aan, not of their darajaat (degrees, levels). The darajah (degree or
level) varies according to their efforts in this world, just as there
are other acts of faith in which people vary in status, such as sincere
faith, jihad and others. So we cannot say that the one who memorized the
entire Qur’aan will be in the highest degrees of Paradise in absolute
terms.

The highest of the degrees of Paradise is al-Firdaws, as it was narrated
that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: «…
When you ask of Allaah, ask Him for al-Firdaws, for it is in the middle
of Paradise and is the highest part of Paradise, and above it is the
Throne of the Most Merciful, and from it spring forth the rivers of
Paradise» [Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2637; Muslim, 2831].

What is meant by the “middle of Paradise” is the best of it, as when Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Thus We have made you a just (and the best) nation (lit. a middle nation)” [al-Baqarah 2:143].
{وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطاً}
Transliteration: Wa Kadhalika Ja`alnākum 'Ummatan Wasaţāan

The Sunnah also describes the position of those who do certain actions. For example:

1 – Faith in Allaah and belief in the Messengers:
It was narrated from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with
him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: «The
people of Paradise will be able to see the people in the apartments
above them as you see the shining stars on the horizon in the east and
the west, because of the differences in their status». They said: “O Messenger of Allaah, is that the status of the Prophets which no one else will reach besides them?” He said: «No, by the One in Whose hand is my soul, they are men who had faith in Allaah and believed in the Messengers» [Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2082; Muslim, 2831].

2 – Jihad for the sake of Allaah:
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: «In Paradise there are one hundred degrees
which Allaah has prepared for those who strive in jihad for the sake of
Allaah. The distance between each two degrees is like the distance
between the heavens and the earth» [Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2637].

3 – The one who sincerely desires martyrdom may also attain that.
It was narrated from Sahl ibn Haneef that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: «Whoever
asks Allaah sincerely for martyrdom, Allaah will cause him to reach the
status of the martyrs even if he dies in his bed» [Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1909].

4 – Spending for the sake of Allaah.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:
The poor came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) and said: «The rich people have taken all the
highest positions. They pray as we pray, and they fast as we fast, but
they have surplus wealth with which they perform Hajj and strive in
jihad and give in charity…» [Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 807; Muslim, 595].

5 – Doing wudoo’ properly even when it is difficult, taking many steps towards the mosque and waiting for prayer after prayer.
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: «Shall I not tell you of something by means of which Allaah erases sins and raises you in status?». They said: “Yes, O Messenger of Allaah.” He said: «Doing
wudoo’ well even when it is difficult, taking many steps to the mosques
and waiting for prayer after prayer. That is (equivalent) to guarding
the frontier» [Narrated by Muslim, 251].

6 – Memorizing Qur’aan
‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: «It
will be said to the companion of the Qur’aan: ‘Recite and rise in
status as you used to recite in the world, and your position will be at
the last verse you recite.’» [Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1646; al-Tirmidhi, 2914; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood].

The one who is keen should set his sights on the highest position in
Paradise and strive to earn the pleasure of Allaah and enter the
Paradise of al-Firdaws, which is the highest that Allaah has promised.

And Allaah knows best.