Ibn al-Qayyim offers an additional observation. He says that Paradise is exceedingly precious, and believers will not enter it until its gate is formally opened. The first to request that the gate be opened is Muhammad—peace and blessings be upon him—and the first nation to enter thereafter will be his community. Thus they will not step inside the instant they arrive; rather, permission must first be sought because of the Garden’s exalted worth. As for the Fire—may Allah protect us—it stands open the moment its inmates reach it, and they are driven into it against their will and desire.
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Exegesis of Sura al-Shura

Question: What is the meaning of Allah’s words, “If Allah were to expand provision for His servants, they would surely transgress throughout the earth; but He sends it down in due measure as He wills” (al-Shura 42:27)?

Answer: Allah—the Exalted—clarifies that had He amplified the livelihood of His servants, they would have become tyrants in the land. Baghy (transgression) means overstepping bounds and committing oppression, for when a person feels self-sufficient it often drives him to arrogance and insolence, as Allah says: “No indeed! Man surely transgresses when he sees himself self-sufficient” (al-‘Alaq 96:6-7). Therefore, in His wisdom Allah grants abundant provision to whomever He wills because that is what best suits him, and He restricts provision for others because that is likewise what best suits them. There are people whose faith is only safeguarded by wealth; were they to become poor, their religion would suffer. Conversely, there are people whose faith is only safeguarded by poverty; were they to become affluent, their religion would suffer. This is affirmed in the hadith qudsi related by the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him. Allah, the All-Wise and All-Knowing, therefore apportions sustenance for His servants in accordance with His wisdom and His knowledge of what rectifies them and secures their true interests.