Understanding the Hadith of Prophet Muhammad on the Veiling of Paradise and Hellfire

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "The (Hell) Fire is surrounded by all kinds of desires and passions, while Paradise is surrounded by all kinds of disliked undesirable things.

" حُجِبَتِ النَّارُ بِالشَّهَوَاتِ، وَحُجِبَتِ الْجَنَّةُ بِالْمَكَارِهِ 

Sahih al-Bukhari 6487 https://sunnah.com/bukhari:6487

What Allah has prepared for His servants cannot be attained by mere wishing, but by striving in obedience, overcoming the desires of the self, and carrying it to what Allah loves and is pleased with. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) informs us in this hadith that Allah the Almighty has veiled the Hellfire with temptations and passions, so that no one enters it except by following them, as they are hidden behind them. Whoever tears the veil and reaches the hidden thing will fall into it.

And Allah the Almighty has veiled Paradise with hardships and disliked things, such as struggling against the self in worship, being patient with its difficulties, preserving it, avoiding the prohibited things, suppressing anger, forgiving and forbearing, giving charity, being kind to the wrongdoer, being patient with the temptations, and so on. They are called disliked because they are hard and difficult for the doer.

This is a warning against following the temptations and an encouragement to be patient with the hardships, as they are the way to Paradise. In this hadith, there is a demonstration of the eloquence and comprehensiveness of the Prophet’s words (peace be upon him) and his amazing rhetoric. It commands us to stay away from the temptations, as they are the way to Hellfire, and to be patient with the hardships, as they are the way to Paradise.