He entered Paradise without making a single Prostration

Just prior to the conquest of khaybar, a black, Abyssinian slave who resided in Khaybar, was busy herding sheep for his master. ‎When he  saw the citizens of Khaybar taking their weapons, he ‎asked some of them, “What are you intending to do?” They said, "We are about to fight the one who claims he is a Prophet.”The slave suddenly remembered having heard about a prophet.

Being interested in the prophet's message, the slave secretly ‎steered his herd to the Muslim encampment and asked the ‎Messenger of Allah ( )“What do you say? and to what is the you are inviting (people) to follow?” The Prophet ()replied: “I am inviting ‎‎(people) to Islam, to bear witness that none has the right to be ‎worshiped but Allah, and that I am indeed the Messenger of ‎Allah, and to worship none save Allah.” The slave said, “What ‎will I have if I bear witness and believe in Allah The Possessor of Might and Majesty?” The Prophet ( )said: “If you die upon that (upon Islam), you will have Paradise.” The slave embraced Islam and said, “O Messenger of Allah, verily these sheep ‎are trust with me(i.e, they are not mine,so what should I do with them)". The Messenger of Allah ()said: “Release them from your care and send them off through Al-Hasbaa, verily Allah will then ‎fulfill your trust for you.” He did as he was told, and the ‎sheep returned to their master –  who correctly deduced that his ‎slave had embraced Islam and joined the ranks of Muslim army.

Prior to the commencement of the fighting, the Messenger of Allah( )stood up before the people,  admonished them and ‎encouraged them to perform Jihad. During the course of the fighting, one of the people who died was the black Abyssinian slave. The Muslims carried him to their encampment and he was ‎placed in a large tent. It is related that the Prophet ( ) said to his ‎Companions: “Verily, Allah has honored this slave and steered him to Khaybar (for a purpose); I indeed saw beside his ‎head two of the fair Maidens (Hoor al-Ayn who have wide beautiful eyes) of Paradise , and that despite the fact he ‎never performed a single prostration for Allah in prayer.”1

1: Refer to Zaad Al-Ma'ad (3/323, 324), As Seerah An-Nabawiyyah (3/39) and Ibn Katheer's Al Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah 

Examples of Taqwa in the Lives of Early Muslims

The early Muslim community was par excellence in terms of integrity, nobility of character, and engaging in commendable competition to earn the Satisfaction of Allah The Exalted. Taqwa (consciousness of Allah The Almighty) was a prominent and distinguished feature of the lives of the early Muslim community. This great Muslim generation dominated and subdued the whole world due to their courage and striving in the cause of Allah. Their noble morals and manners and virtues spread in the east and west. The Prophet, , the leader of the pious believers and the epitome of Taqwa, used to pray at night until his feet would crack. He used to cry out of his fear of Allah The Exalted and a sound would come from his breast like the rumbling of a mill owing to weeping, although his past and future sins were forgiven. 

Abu Bakr the successor and best friend of the Prophet, , used to say, “I wish I were a tree that is eaten from and then truncated!"

Once, a servant of Abu Bakr, , came to him with some food, and he, , ate some of it. Abu Bakr, , used to ask the servant each time about the origin of the food before eating, but this time he forgot to do so. The servant then asked him, "Why did you not ask me where this food came from?" Abu Bakr, , returned, "From where?" The servant responded, "I practiced fortune telling in the times of Jaahiliyyah (the Period of Ignorance before Islam) for some people and they paid me for it (today)." On hearing this, Abu Bakr, , put his finger into his mouth and forced himself to vomit up the food, until there was nothing left in his stomach. Then, he said, “By Allah, if getting this piece of bread out of my body meant my death, I would have got it out.”

This reflects his Taqwa and fear of Allah The Exalted. ‘Umar, , feared Allah The Almighty and his heart abounded with Taqwa beyond words. He once heard someone reciting the verse that reads (what means): {The Day they are thrust toward the fire of Hell with a [violent] thrust…} [Quran 52:13] On pondering over this verse, ‘Umar, , fell ill for three days and people visited him. Moreover, he once read the verse that reads (what means): {And stop them; indeed, they are to be questioned.} [Quran 37:24] This time he fell ill for a whole month and people visited him.

‘Ali, , used to grab his beard in the darkness of the night and say, “O, vicious world! Do you want to allure me? Go and try your allurements on somebody else. I do not desire to own you and do not want to have you. I have divorced you thrice, an irrevocable divorce. The life of pleasures that you offer is of a very little duration.”

Ibn Mas‘ood, , once went out with some people. He asked them, “Do you need anything from me?” They said, “No, but we love walking with you.” Ibn Mas‘ood, , said, “Go away! This is a humiliation for the follower and a trial for the one who is being followed.”

The great Abbasid Caliph Haaroon Ar-Rasheed, was a great Muslim Caliph who subdued the emperors of the Roman and Persian empires and whose kingdom reached the furthest countries east and west. He went out one day in his luxurious procession. A Jew said to him, “O Commander of the Believers, fear Allah!" Haaroon Ar-Rasheed descended from his mount and prostrated to Allah The Exalted in utter modesty and humility. Then, he talked to the Jew and commanded his men to fulfill his need. Haaroon Ar-Rasheed was then asked about his reaction, he said, “When I heard his words, I remembered the verse that reads (what means): {And when it is said to him, "Fear Allah," pride in the sin takes hold of him. Sufficient for him is Hellfire, and how wretched is the resting place.} [Quran 2:206] I feared that I would be meant by this verse.”

These days many people when they are told to fear Allah The Almighty would feel proud and angry, their eyes would become red with anger and their veins would pop out of their forehead! Ibn Mas‘ood, , said, “Enough is the sin of a man to whom people say, 'Fear Allah', and he would reply, 'Mind your own business, how can a man like you advise a man like me!’”

When the hearts of our predecessors were filled with Taqwa, Allah The Exalted united them, granted them glory and might after being humiliated, and enabled them to conquer countries in the course of fulfilling His promise to them. Allah The Exalted Says (what means): {And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allah, We would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth; but they denied [the messengers], so We seized them for what they were earning.} [Quran 7:96]

Source 

A loaf of bread is sufficient for him

There are numerous stories related concerning Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal's piety, which confirm each other. He would not accept money from governor or ruler due to his piety and when Al-Mutawakkil sent him ten thousand dirhams with one of his chamberlains, the chamberlain said to him: " He send salutations of peace to you and he says to you spend this." But he refused to accept it. The chamberlain said to him: "Oh, Abu 'Abdullah! I fear that your refusal will cause enmity between you and him, so it is in your interest to accept it." And he left it with him and departed. 

Then at the end of the night, Imam Ahmad called his family, his nephews and his dependents and said: "I have not slept this night because of this money." So they sat with him and they wrote the names of those in need among the followers of Hadeeth and others among the inhabitants of Baghdad and Al-Bashrah, then in the morning, he distributed it among the people in fifty, a hundred, and two hundred, leaving not even a dirham. Among those to whom he gave were Abu Kuraib and Abu Sa'red Al-Ashajj. He gave away the bag in which it came and did not give anything of it to his family even though they were in direst o straits and the most urged need. Then his son, Salih came and took a piece of it for his son, and Imam Ahmad- may Allah have mercy on him- said nothing.

The Caliph was informed that he had given the whole of this gift in charity, until nothing remained of it and that he had given the bag in charity. 'Ali bin Jhm said: "Oh, Commander of the faithful! He accepted it from you and gave it in charity on your behalf. What does Ahmad want with money? A loaf of bread is sufficient for him." Upon which, the Caliph replied: "That is true." 

Source: The biography of Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal by Salahuddin Ali Abdul Mawjood

How the Salaf gave importance to their Prayers

Allah Almighty Says  (what means): "And when you have completed the prayer, remember Allaah standing, sitting, or [lying] on your sides. But when you become secure, re-establish [regular] prayer. Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times." [Quran 4:103]

For forty consecutive years, Sa`eed Ibn Al-Musayyib (may Allah have mercy upon him) was to be found in the mosque before the Athaan (call to prayer) was made. `Umar may Allah be pleased with him became unconscious after he was stabbed, and according to Al-Miswar Ibn Makhramah may Allah have mercy upon him it was said: "Nothing would wake him up except the call to prayer, if he is still alive." So people said to him: "The prayer has finished, O Chief of the Believers!" He therefore awoke and said: "The prayer! I swear by Allah that there is no share of Islam for whoever abandons the prayer." He then performed the prayer while his wound was bleeding.

After Ar-Rabee` Ibn Khaytham (may Allah have mercy upon him) became partially paralyzed, he would go to the mosque helped by two men. He was told: "O Abu Yaazeed! You have been given permission to pray at home." He replied: "You have said the truth, but I heard the caller say: 'Hayya `ala al-falah' (rush to success), and so I thought that whoever hears this call should answer it, even by crawling."

'Uday Ibn Haatim (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "Every time the time for prayer arrives, it finds me eager and ready to perform it (i.e. in the state of ablution)."

Abu Bakr Ibn 'Abdullaah Al-Muzani (may Allaah have mercy upon him) said: "Who is like you, O son of Aadam? Whenever you desire, you use water and make ablution, go to the place of worship and thus enter the presence of your Lord (i.e. start praying) without a translator or barrier between you and Him!"

Abu Rajaa' Al-`Ataaridi may Allaah have mercy upon him said on his deathbed: "I am not grieved by leaving anything behind, except that I used to bow down on my face five times a day before my Lord, the Exalted and most Honoured."

Abul-'Aaliyah (may Allaah have mercy upon him) said: "I would travel for days to meet a man and the first thing I would note about him would be his prayer. If he was one who established the prayer perfectly and on time, I would stay with him and hear the knowledge he had to impart. If I found him to be careless concerning the prayer, I would leave him and say to myself that for things other than the prayer, he would be even more careless."

When 'Ali Ibn Al-Husayn (may Allaah have mercy upon him) would perform ablution, the colour of his face would change. His family asked him why this would always happen and he would reply: "Do you know before Whom I am about to stand (in prayer)?"

Yazeed Ibn 'Abdullaah (may Allaah have mercy upon him) was asked: "Should we make a roof for our mosque?" He replied: "Purify your hearts and your mosque (in its current state) will suffice you."

'Uday Ibn Haatim may Allaah be pleased with him said: "Ever since I became a Muslim, I always made sure to have ablution when the Athaan is called."

'Ubayd Ibn Ja`far may Allaah have mercy upon him said: "I never saw my uncle Bishr Ibn Mansoor miss the first Takbeer (that commences the congregational prayer in the mosque), and whenever any person stood up in our mosque to ask people for help, he would always give him something."

Ibn Sam`ah (may Allaah have mercy upon him) said: "For forty years, I only missed the first Takbeer once, and that was when my mother died. If you know of a man's disinterest in being present in the mosque for the first Takbeer, then wash your hands of him (i.e. know that there is no good in him)."

Sufyaan Ibn `Uyaynah (may Allaah have mercy upon him) said: "Honoring the prayer includes arriving before the Iqaamah (the call that establishes the prayer) is called."

Maymoon Ibn Mahraan (may Allaah have mercy upon him) was once delayed from coming to the mosque on time. When he did eventually arrive, he was told that the people had already concluded the prayer: "We all belong to Allah and to Him shall be our return! I value the congregational prayer more than being made governor of Iraq," he lamented.

Yoonus Ibn 'Abdullaah (may Allaah have mercy upon him) said: "What is the matter with me? If I lose a mere chicken I feel concerned, but when I miss a prayer in congregation it does not grieve me!"

`Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) once said while standing on the pulpit: "A man may have white hair in Islam (i.e. reach old age while being Muslim), but has not yet completed even a single prayer for Allah the Exalted!" He was asked: "Why is that?" He replied: "Because he does not perfect the prayer's required Khushoo` (solemness) and fails to be attentive to Allah with his heart."

Hammaad Ibn Salamah (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: "I have never stood up for prayer without imagining that the Hellfire is before my eyes."

How to Save Oneself from the Fire

As it is kufr that will condemn a person to eternal Hell, the way to be saved from Hell is through eemaan and righteous deeds. So the Muslims pray to their Rabb with faith to save them from the Fire:

"Those who say, "Our Rabb! We have indeed believed, forgive us then, our sins and save us from the agony of the Fire". (3:16)

"...Our Rabb! Not for naught have You created [all] this, glory to You! Give us salvation from the torment of the Fire. Our Rabb! Any whom You admit to the Fire, truly You cover with shame, and never will wrongdoers find any helpers. Our Rabb! We have heard the call of one calling [us] to faith: "Believe in your Rabb," and we have believed. Our Rabb! Forgive us our sins and blot out from us our inequities, and take to Yourself our souls in the company of the righteous [al-Abraar]. Our Rabb! Grant us what You did promise unto us through Your Messengers and save us from shame on the Day of Judgement, for You never break Your Promise". (3:191-194)

Many ahadith speak in detail about this matter and describe the deeds that will protect one from the Fire, for example, love of Allah (swt). In al-Haakim's al-Mustadrak, and Ahmad's al-Musnad, a report from Anas ibn Maalik (ra) states, "The Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "By Allah (swt), Allah will never thrown one whom He loves into the Fire" (sahih, See Sahih al-Jaami' 6/104)

Fasting is also a source of protection from the Fire, as Ahmad reports in al-Musnad and al-Bayhaqi in Shu'ab al-Imaan, with a hasan isnaad from Jaabir ibn 'Abdullaah: "The Prophet (saw) said, "Allah (swt) says, "Fasting is a shield with which one may protect oneself from the Fire". (Sahih al-Jaami, 4/114)

In Shu'ab al-Imaan, al-Bayhaqi reports from 'Uthmaan ibn Abil-Aas that the Prophet (saw) said, "Fasting is a shield from the punishment of Allah (swt)" It was reported by Ahmad, an-Nasaa'ee, Ibn Maajah and Ibn Khuzaymah and its isnaad is saheeh (Sahih al-Jaami' 3/264).

If fasting is accomplished at the time of jihaad against the enemy, then that is a great victory, as it was reported from Abu Sa'eed al-Khudree that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: "Whoever fasts for one day when he is engaged in jihaad for the sake of Allah, Allah will remove him [lit. his face] seventy years distance from the Fire". (Ahmad, al-Bukhaari, Muslim, at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasaa'ee - Sahih al-Jaami' 5/310)

Other means of salvation from the Fire are fear of Allah and jihaad for His sake:

"But for him who fears the standing before his Rabb, there will be two gardens [ie in Paradise]" (55:46)

at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasaa'ee reported from Abu Hurayrah (ra) that the Messenger of Allah(saw) said: "No one who weeps out of fear of Allah will enter Hell until the milk goes back into the breast [i.e. never] and a man will never have both the dust from fighting in the way of Allah (swt) and the smoke of Hell". (Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, 2/356, no. 3828, isnaad is sahih)

al-Bukhaari reports from Abu 'Abs that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "No two feet that get dusty for the sake of Allah (swt) will never meet in the Fire of Hell". (Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, 2/349, no. 3794)

Muslim reports from Abu Hurayrah (ra) that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "A Kaafir and the one who kills him will never meet in the Fire of Hell." (Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, 2/349, no. 3795)

We may also be shielded from the Fire by seeking protection with Allah from it:

"Those who say, "our Rabb! Avert from us the wrath of Hell, for its wrath is indeed an affliction grievous." Evil indeed is it as an abode and as a place to rest in". (25:64-65)

Ahmad, Ibn Maajah, Ibn Hibbaan, and al-Haakim report with a sahih isnaad from Anas, that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "No one asks Allah (swt)) for Paradise three times, but Paradise will say, "O Allah (swt) admit him to Paradise". And no Muslim asks Allah for protection from Hell three times, but Hell will say, "O Allah save him from me"" (Sahih al-Jaami, 5/145, no.5506)

al-Bukhaari and Muslim report from Abu Hurayrah (ra) that when the Prophet (saw) was discussing the angels who seek out gatherings of dhikr he said, "Allah (swt) asks them and He knows best, "What are they seeking protection from?" They tell Him, "From the Fire". He asks, "And have they seen it." They say, "No, by Allah, O Rabb, They have not seen it." He says, "How would it be if they had seen it?" They say, "They would be even more afraid and anxious to escape it". He (swt) says, "Bear witness that I have forgiven them"". (Sahih al-Jaami', 2/233, no. 2169)

Source: Al-Jannah Wa An-Naar by 'Umar Sulaiman al-Ashqar