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■ Are good deeds enough to go to Jannah?

Is it possible to have certainty about forgiveness of sin in Islam and to stop worries about not having enough deeds?

The way to Jannah according to Islam

Jannah is the name in Islam for eternal life with Almighty God. There is attention in Islam that a Muslim must one day die and enter another stage of the soul. Like the Bible, there are two options in the afterlife: Jannah (Paradise) or Jahannam (Hell). Muslims believe that going to Jannah depends on the actions we have done during life on Earth. A Muslim has several references to this in the Qur’an, for example, "O you who believe! Be careful of (your duty to) Allah and seek means of nearness to Him and strive hard in His way that you may be successful" (Qur’an 5:35)

Good deeds

Islam teaches that believers must do good deeds and most Muslims believe that they enter Jannah through good deeds. How many good deeds do you have to do? You kneel in the direction of Mecca five times a day. The creed often comes from your mouth. You don't drink during the daylight of Ramadan, even when the temperature is very high. You save money for the trip to Mecca and you also give money to the poor. But all the time the question comes to your mind, "Am I good enough to go to Jannah?" Your conscience tells you that you cannot live up to the absolute standard of God. How is it possible for the perfect God to deal with someone who has committed even a minor sin? Sin is the reason you can't go to God. The sin of the first man was not a serious criminal act such as murder or stealing. Only by eating a piece of fruit did Adam disobey what God said. That is why he brought into the world the curse of sin and death. We try to negotiate our mistakes with God, we try to make a deal with the Most High. No matter how perfect God is, he does not want to do business with imperfect humans, like a king who does not want to shake hands with a dirty beggar full of mud. If God is not righteous, he is not perfect. But the Most High is absolutely perfect.

Jesus the Messiah is the solution to sin

Only Jesus was faultless, says the Quran (Quran 19:19). Therefore, by dying on the cross, he is the Lamb of God for the forgiveness of your sins. If you believe that, you can start a new life. Repent for what you have done against the will of God. Let God make him want you to be. Place your life in God's hands. Jesus said:

"You have to be born again." (John 3: 7).

It has to do with honesty. It is only when you really want to be honest with yourself that you can see who you really are, that you are making mistakes and that God put you here on this planet with a perfect plan, but that you have failed. Only when you have reached this point can you see the greatness of the Most High, as well as his plan to save you. For that it is the common religious plan of survival, in which you want to make a deal with the Most High, as all religions do. And yes indeed: we will all be judged. Any idea of what kind of measure? Jesus said:

"Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?" (Luke 12:57).

It is wise to be concerned about your soul as you are concerned with outer things. It is important to find peace with God before it is too late. As long as we live, we can still grow, and now is our time. Therefore, it is wise to accept Jesus Christ as the righteous one who takes away your sins and start a new life by following him.

Conclusion

The Qur’an teaches that sins will only be forgiven in case of sufficient good works. This has the result that a Muslim will never be sure about the forgiveness of his sins. Only by accepting God's goodness by the sacrifice of Jesus the Messiah, a Muslim will be able to know for sure by revelation that his sins are forgiven.