No One Gets There Without Their Actions

Now, in terms of whether we are predetermined for hell, or predetermined otherwise — which is obviously a question that students are going to ask — from the Muslim point of view: no one gets to paradise by their actions, but no one gets there without their actions.

There is an idea that we cannot be grateful enough for the gift of life, for the gift of sight, speech, hearing, power, volition, all of these things; and therefore anything that we do is still a shortcoming in relation to what we owe God. There is that idea. So there is definitely an idea, as in the Christian religion, of grace: that you are saved by grace. The Christians would see it as through the blood of Christ; the Muslims would see it as through the grace of God, by the raḥmah, the mercy of God. But the Qurʾān very clearly says that the human being has only what he strives for:

So you will see your actions, and you are taken into account for your actions.