Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan engages us with Ayats 110-113 of the magnificent Surah Al Baqarah. The gist of the Tafseer is that entering Paradise depends on the intensity and magnitude of our Belief and righteous deeds.
The essence of religion whether it be Islam, Christianity or Judaism lies in two things:
Obedience to Allah SWT in one’s belief as well as in one’s actions.
Submission to the Commands of Allah in all sincerity.
Two conditions are of paramount importance for a deed to be accepted and be worthy of Paradise:
It must be performed for the sake of Allah SWT.
It must conform to the Sharia based on the teachings of the Prophet ﷺ. When the deed is sincere but does not conform to the Sharia, then it will not be accepted.
Allah SWT says with reference to the argument between Jews and Christians based on their rightness of religion that He will decide on the Day of Judgment who is on the right religion and who has gone astray.
We should raise the standard of our deeds and do everything to its ultimate best and perfection. Why do we give Allah SWT our mediocre and half-hearted deeds? When we face difficulty in the path of Allah SWT, we should ask Him for help, and bear everything with the highest form of Sabr.