Here, Allah uses the word, مُفَتَّحَةً, which means ‘held open.’ So the way Allah describes the gates of Jannah is that they are left open already, they won’t be opened on the Day of Judgment, they are already open. Allah doesn’t use the word مفتوح, which means just to leave open, He uses مُفَتَّحَةً which indicates that the door is open wide. It suggests that someone has been assigned to hold the door open.

Imagine this scenario. A guest comes over to your house and you’re so worried about making things convenient for them, you leave the door slightly open so they don’t have to wait outside. But even then, the guest might hesitate seeing the door slightly open. So, you assign one of your children to stand by the door to let them in, to make them feel more welcome, and so that there is no inconvenience for a wait. How would they feel? So much more honored and welcom right?

This is the Mercy of Allah towards us. This is what Allah does for us! He has kept the gates of Jannah open to make us feel more welcome and honored.

Now if we move on to the next Surah, Zumar, Allah talks about the people of the hell fire. He says:

وَسِيقَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَ زُمَرًا ۖ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءُوهَا فُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَا أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِنْكُمْ يَتْلُونَ عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِ رَبِّكُمْ وَيُنْذِرُونَكُمْ لِقَاءَ يَوْمِكُمْ هَٰذَا ۚ قَالُوا بَلَىٰ وَلَٰكِنْ حَقَّتْ كَلِمَةُ الْعَذَابِ عَلَى الْكَافِرِين

“And those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in groups until, when they reach it, its gates are opened and its keepers will say, ‘Did there not come to you messengers from yourselves, reciting to you the verses of your Lord and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours?'” 39:71

The word سِيقَ here means, rushed. The people of hellfire, they will be pushed towards Jahannam! The closer they get, the more reluctant they will be to go further. Allah says that these people will be separated into groups. People will be broken up according to their sins.

Then Allah says “Until, when they reach it.” So once the people get to the hellfire Allah says “its gates are opened.” What this indicates is that the gates of Jahnnam were not open already, they’re being opened now. Allah has left the gates of Jannah open because He wants us to go into Paradise, He wants to welcome us in! But because He doesn’t want people to go into the hellfire He keeps its gates closed. How beautiful is that?