The Man is always held accountable for the lawful and unlawful earnings, and for what he has done, whether it is good or evil:

{ فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ (7) وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ }

(So, whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, And whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.)  (Al-Zalzalah: 7-8)

So, Man is held accountable for his deeds, and the Prophet (saws) said:

” The good deeds of any person will not make him enter Paradise.” They (the Prophet’s companions) said, ‘Not even you, O Allah’s Messenger?’ He said: “Not even myself, unless Allah bestows His favor and mercy on me.” So be moderate in your religious deeds and do the deeds that are within your ability…”[1]

Indeed, the scholars has stopped thoroughly at the meaning of this hadith, while Allah (swt) says (Those will have a share of what they have earned..), in addition to the previously mentioned verses of Surah Al-Zalzalah (7-8), and Allah (swt) as well says:

{ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ رَهِينَةٌ }

(Every soul, for what it has earned, will be retained.)  (Al-Muddaththir: 38)

{ وَكُلَّ إِنسَانٍ أَلْزَمْنَاهُ طَائِرَهُ فِي عُنُقِهِ ۖ وَنُخْرِجُ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ كِتَابًا يَلْقَاهُ مَنشُورًا % اقْرَأْ كِتَابَكَ كَفَىٰ بِنَفْسِكَ الْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكَ حَسِيبًا }

(And [for] every person We have imposed his fate upon his neck, and We will produce for him on the Day of Resurrection a record which he will encounter spread open. % [It will be said], “Read your record. Sufficient is yourself against you this Day as accountant..)  (Al-Israa’: 13-14)

So does it mean that The Man enters Paradise by his deeds or by the mercy of his Lord (swt)? Here the Prophet (saws) says that you enter Paradise by the mercy of Allah (swt), and you do not enter Paradise by your deeds. So anyone might be surprised, how this is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an?

The Prophet (saws) is the explainer of the content of the Qur’an, and an interpreter of the great Book of Allah (swt). When he (saws) says something, his saying would be a legislation, because Allah (swt) says:

 {وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانتَهُوا }

(And whatever the Messenger has given you – take; and what he has forbidden you – refrain from..)  (Al-Hashr: 7)

The explanation is as follows: The Prophet (saws) said that no one will enter the Paradise unless by the mercy of Allah (swt) because it is true that you will be held accountable for the deeds, but it is Allah (swt)’ will which set you Paradise as reward for these deeds. Is it something obligatory for Allah (swt) to set you this paradise? If Allah (swt) did not set paradise for good deeds, can anyone oblige Him to make paradise a reward for human action? Definitely No. As long as the answer is No, it is of Allah’s mercy to set Paradise as a reward for good deeds.

Therefore, the core of this matter is that you enter paradise by Allah’s mercy. If Allah (swt) did not create Paradise at all, can you oblige Allah (swt) to reward you with a paradise for your work? No, of course, you will enter Paradise by His mercy because He (swt) has created it for you, but you would be held accountable for your deeds until you enter Paradise. Thus, both expressions are true, the wide meaning is that you enter Paradise by Allah’s (swt) mercy, whereas the precise meaning is Allah’s saying:

{ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ رَهِينَةٌ }

(Every soul, for what it has earned, will be retained.)  (Al-Muddaththir: 38)

And you will be held accountable for your deeds, no matter how little they are, so Allah (swt) says:

 {وَقُلِ اعْمَلُوا فَسَيَرَى اللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۖ وَسَتُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَالِمِ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ }

(And say, “Do [as you will], for Allah will see your deeds, and [so, will] His Messenger and the believers. And you will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, and He will inform you of what you used to do.)  (At-Tawbah: 105)

Not “of what you used to say”, but “of what you used to do”. Thus, the Man is held accountable for his deeds.

( وَاللَّهُ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ ) (and Allah is swift in account.): swiftness is surpassing the time, that is, to use less time to do a task. Verify, for Allah (swt) there is no time nor spaces; because any event needs a place and time, and Allah (swt) is the Creator of time and the Creator of the place as well. Therefore, Allah (swt) is swift in punishment and swift in account, taking into consideration that the characteristics of human beings do not apply to Him (swt).

[1] Sahih Al-Bukhari, Book of Patients, Chapter: The patient’s wish for death, no. (5349).