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Fatwa CenterPoor enter Paradise before rich
Question
Assalaamu alaykum, Shaykh. May Allaah reward you. Has it been confirmed by any hadith that it is easier for the poor or destitute to go to Paradise than the rich because the rich are tested with their wealth and luxury and the poor do not have to be judged about that? Wassalaam.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
Abu Hurayrah 
reported that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said, “The poor will enter Paradise five hundred years before the rich.” [Ibn Maajah and At-Tirmith - At-Tirmidhi said: it is hasan saheeh (good or sound) - Al-Albaani graded it saheeh (sound)]
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar narrated that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:
“You shall gather on the Day of Judgment, and it will be asked, ‘Where are the poor and destitute of this nation?’ They shall stand up, and they will be asked, ‘What did you do in the worldly life?’ They shall reply, ‘Our Lord, You tested us (with poverty) and we bore it patiently when others were given wealth and power.’ Allah will say, ‘You have spoken the truth.’ So they shall enter Paradise before others, and those who were endowed with wealth and power will receive a severe reckoning.” [Ibn Hibbaan - Al-Albaani graded it hasan]
Al-Mubaarakfoori 
wrote, “The entrance of the poor (into Paradise) before the rich does not contradict the merits of the rich believers, their refined status, and the great number of their good deeds, as the reason that the poor will enter first is the ease and swiftness of their reckoning, which will not take long.” [Mir‘aat Al-Mafaateeh]
Moreover, Usaamah ibn Zayd reported that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said, “I stood at the gate of Paradise and saw that the majority of the people who had entered it were poor people, while the rich were kept outside (waiting for their reckoning), but the people of Hellfire had been ordered to be driven to Hellfire. And I stood at the gate of Hellfire and found that the majority of those entering it were women.” [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
Al-Haafith Ibn Hajar wrote, “His words, ‘the rich were kept outside’, mean that they will be prevented from entering Paradise along with the poor because they will be held accountable for their wealth first. It seems that this shall take place at the Al-Qantarah between Hellfire and Paradise (a small bridge after the Siraat [a bridge that will be set up over Hell] that the believers will have to cross before entering Paradise), where people will retaliate against each other for the injustices done amongst them in this worldly life after crossing over the Siraat.” [Fat-h Al-Baari]
Allah know best.
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