Allah, Exalted be He, made performing good deeds and refraining from sins a means by which people can enter Paradise and avoid Hellfire. The most prominent and loftiest good deed of all is believing in Allah’s Oneness, while the gravest sin is associating partners with Him. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were always keen to ask the Prophet ﷺ about all that is good. In this hadeeth, AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him) reports that a nomad man – which is used to refer to the Arabs who live in the desert – came to the Prophet ﷺ, and inquired about the deed that can make him enter Paradise. The Prophet ﷺ instructed him to worship Allah alone without partners i.e., he ﷺ ordered him to believe in the Oneness of Allah. This is because monotheism is the first requirement, without which neither good deeds are accepted, nor acts of worship are valid, and it is the key to enter Islam because if it is not fulfilled, the person remains a disbeliever, and he is not subject to any of the other legislations of Islam. Then, he ﷺ ordered him to observe the five daily prayers, namely Fajr, Dhuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib, and ‘Ishaa, because prayer is the most important pillar of Islam [after the two articles of faith], and the first deed that people will be held accountable for on the Day of Judgment. Next, he ﷺ ordered him to pay the obligatory zakat, which is a financial act of worship that is mandatory upon whoever has wealth that reaches the legal threshold that is prescribed in Islam, andis in his possession for one lunar year. In this case, the person is obliged to take out 2.5% of the total eligible wealth. The zakat is applicable to cattle and livestock, farms and plants, trade and merchandise, and the inventory of the relics of the ancients (treasures), the amount of which is calculated according to the prescribed times and measures in Islam. As for those who are eligible to receive alms, they are specified in the Quran. Allah, Most High, says: {Zakat is only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed for it and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveller - an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise.} [Quran 9:60].Then, he ﷺ ordered him to fast during the month of Ramadan, and fasting signifies intending to worship Allah by refraining from food, drinks, and sexual intercourse, from the true time of Fajr (i.e., when the time for Fajr prayer begins) to sunset, during the month of Ramadan. These are the basic pillars of Islam that a person should observe and perform as a Muslim. Upon hearing the answer of the Prophet ﷺ, the man swore by Allah that he will only perform these acts of worship, nothing more and nothing less. After the man left, the Prophet ﷺ said to his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them): “If anyone wishes to look at a man who will be among the people of Paradise, let him look at this man.” This is because, if the man was truthful in his statement, and performed these pillars, even if he did not offer any supererogatory acts of worship, then he would be from the people of Paradise and saved from Hellfire. We learn from this hadeeth that is that it is permissible to encourage particular acts of worship, depending on the condition of the addressee and the need to remind the person of particular acts of worship, either due to the fact the person is slack about them, or he finds it difficult to perform them. It gives glad tiding to the Muslim who fulfils his religious obligations, that he will enter Paradise. It shows that the Prophet ﷺ gave the glad tiding of Paradise to more than ten Companions. It also teaches us that if a person suffices by fulfilling his religious obligations, then he is a successful man [in the Hereafter], but that does not mean that he is not encouraged or recommended to perform optional acts of worship and voluntary good deeds. This is because our supererogatory acts of worship complement the obligatory acts of worship, on the Day of Judgment,and make upthe reward we missed from them. .