Will we enter Jannah with only a faith in Allah and all the basic duties of Islam?

Question

If we believe in Allah and all his prophets and stuff, and we also perform the basic duties like Salah and Sawm, can we enter Jannah? I do all these, but I also play Minecraft, and do a bit of swearing, and some small sins, which I'm currently trying to stop, so will I go to Jannah?

Answer 1

You have two questions in one:

1. Will we [Muslims] enter Jannah based on faith and basic deeds?
2. "... so will I go to Jannah?"

For question #2, no one can tell you where you will go. This is a matter that only Allah knows, and only Allah decides. It is not possible to specify what the final destination of a specific person is without a direct revelation from Allah, which is not applicable to anyone after the death of the Prophet (ﷺ). For example, in his lifetime, the Prophet (ﷺ) has declared to us either through Qur'an or through hadith that some specific persons are in Jannah (e.g, Abu Bakr Al-Sedeeq, 'Umar ibn Al-Khattab, 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, 'Ali ibn Abu Talib, and others), and that some specific persons are in hell fire (e.g., Abu Lahab, Abu Jahl, 'Utba ibn Rabee'a, Al-Waleed ibn Al-Mogheera, etc.). Beyond specific names declared by the Prophet (ﷺ), it is not for us to make further declarations. In fact, it is prohibited (see hadith in Sahih Muslim 45/178).

For question #1, it is possible to make general declarations about groups based on what was revealed to us in Qur'an and Sunnah. One can specify the requirements for entering Jannah based on the Qur'an and Sunnah. For example, in Sahih Al-Bukhari 77/44, the Prophet (ﷺ) said that whoever declares that none has the right to be worshiped but Allah, and one dies while believing so, one will enter Jannah:

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مَعْمَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ، عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ يَعْمَرَ، حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّ أَبَا الأَسْوَدِ الدِّيلِيَّ حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّ أَبَا ذَرٍّ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ حَدَّثَهُ قَالَ أَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَعَلَيْهِ ثَوْبٌ أَبْيَضُ وَهْوَ نَائِمٌ، ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ وَقَدِ اسْتَيْقَظَ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ‏.‏ ثُمَّ مَاتَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ، إِلاَّ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ ‏"‏‏.‏ قُلْتُ وَإِنْ زَنَى وَإِنْ سَرَقَ قَالَ ‏"‏ وَإِنْ زَنَى وَإِنْ سَرَقَ ‏"‏‏.‏ قُلْتُ وَإِنْ زَنَى وَإِنْ سَرَقَ قَالَ ‏"‏ وَإِنْ زَنَى وَإِنْ سَرَقَ ‏"‏‏.‏ قُلْتُ وَإِنْ زَنَى وَإِنْ سَرَقَ قَالَ ‏"‏ وَإِنْ زَنَى وَإِنْ سَرَقَ عَلَى رَغْمِ أَنْفِ أَبِي ذَرٍّ ‏"‏‏.‏ وَكَانَ أَبُو ذَرٍّ إِذَا حَدَّثَ بِهَذَا قَالَ وَإِنْ رَغِمَ أَنْفُ أَبِي ذَرٍّ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ هَذَا عِنْدَ الْمَوْتِ أَوْ قَبْلَهُ، إِذَا تَابَ وَنَدِمَ وَقَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ‏.‏ غُفِرَ لَهُ‏.‏

Narrated by Abu Dharr: I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) while he was wearing white clothes and sleeping. Then I went back to him again after he had got up from his sleep. He said, "Nobody says: 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah' and then later on he dies while believing in that, except that he will enter Paradise." I said, "Even if he had committed illegal sexual intercourse and theft?" He said. 'Even if he had committed illegal sexual intercourse and theft." I said, "Even if he had committed illegal sexual intercourse and theft?" He said. 'Even if he had committed illegal sexual intercourse and theft." I said, 'Even it he had committed illegal sexual intercourse and theft?' He said, "Even if he had committed illegal sexual intercourse and theft, in spite of the Abu Dharr's dislike. Abu 'Abdullah said, "This is at the time of death or before it if one repents and regrets and says "None has the right to be worshiped but Allah. He will be forgiven his sins."

So we can declare that said declaration may result in being admitted into Jannah. In another example from Muwatta' Malik 7/268, the Prophet (ﷺ) said that whoever prays the five daily prayers without wasting any part of them has a covenant with Allah to be admitted into Jannah, and whoever does not then his matter is in the hands of Allah to either torture one or to forgive one and get admitted into Jannah:

خَمْسُ صَلَوَاتٍ كَتَبَهُنَّ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَلَى الْعِبَادِ فَمَنْ جَاءَ بِهِنَّ لَمْ يُضَيِّعْ مِنْهُنَّ شَيْئًا اسْتِخْفَافًا بِحَقِّهِنَّ كَانَ لَهُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ عَهْدٌ أَنْ يُدْخِلَهُ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَأْتِ بِهِنَّ فَلَيْسَ لَهُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ عَهْدٌ إِنْ شَاءَ عَذَّبَهُ وَإِنْ شَاءَ أَدْخَلَهُ الْجَنَّةَ

Allah the Majestic and Mighty has written five prayers for mankind, and whoever does them and does not waste anything of them by making light of what is due to them, there is a pact for him with Allah that He will admit him into the Garden.Whoever does not do them, there is no pact for him with Allah. If He wishes, He punishes him, and if He wishes, He admits him into the Garden.

Said requirements do not automatically guarantee Jannah on their own. In Sahih Muslim 1/173, the Prophet (ﷺ) said that whoever has an atom's weight of arrogance in his heart will not be admitted into Jannah:

لاَ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ مَنْ كَانَ فِي قَلْبِهِ مِثْقَالُ ذَرَّةٍ مِنْ كِبْرٍ

He who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of pride shall not enter Paradise.

There are many other hadiths that mention prohibitories. The requirements or conditions need to be fulfilled, and the prohibitories, which stop the fulfilled conditions from being compelling reasons to enter Jannah, must be avoided.

Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya said in his book Zad al-Ma'ad Vol. 4, p. 249, Maktabat Al-Mannar, 27th Ed., 1994 (زاد المعاد في هدي خير العباد)

فَالْجَوَابُ أَنَّ السَّبَبَ قَدْ يَتَخَلَّفُ عَنْهُ مُسَبِّبُهُ لِفَوَاتِ شَرْطٍ، أَوْ لِوُجُودِ مَانِعٍ

... and the answer is that a qualifying reason may fail to produce the required effect due to missing a condition or the presence of an prohibitions.

NOTE: My own translation, so treat with care.

Similarly, Al-Shatibi said in his book Al-Muwafaqaat fi Usool Al-Sharia, Vol. 1, p. 345 (الموافقات في اصول الشريعة)

فَإِنَّ الشَّارِعَ لَمْ يَجْعَلْهَا أَسْبَابًا مُقْتَضِيَةً إِلَّا مَعَ وُجُودِ شَرَائِطِهَا وَانْتِفَاءِ مَوَانِعِهَا، فَإِذَا لَمْ تَتَوَفَّرْ؛ لَمْ يَسْتَكْمِلِ السَّبَبُ أَنْ يَكُونَ سَبَبًا شرعيا

The Legislator [Allah] did not make compelling reasons [for an outcome] except with the presence of conditions [that must be fulfilled] and absence of prohibitions [that disqualify the compelling reasons]; the absence of either does not constitute the reason to be compelling legislatively.

NOTE: My own translation, so treat with care.

In Sahih Al-Bukhari 52/48, the Prophet (ﷺ) said that although that he was the messanger of Allah, he would attest to his final destination. Um Al-Ala, the narrator of the hadith, followed by saying that she would not attest the piety of anybody afterwards:

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي خَارِجَةُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ الأَنْصَارِيُّ، أَنَّ أُمَّ الْعَلاَءِ، امْرَأَةً مِنْ نِسَائِهِمْ قَدْ بَايَعَتِ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَخْبَرَتْهُ أَنَّ عُثْمَانَ بْنَ مَظْعُونٍ طَارَ لَهُ سَهْمُهُ فِي السُّكْنَى حِينَ أَقْرَعَتِ الأَنْصَارُ سُكْنَى الْمُهَاجِرِينَ‏.‏ قَالَتْ أُمُّ الْعَلاَءِ فَسَكَنَ عِنْدَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ مَظْعُونٍ، فَاشْتَكَى، فَمَرَّضْنَاهُ حَتَّى إِذَا تُوُفِّيَ وَجَعَلْنَاهُ فِي ثِيَابِهِ دَخَلَ عَلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقُلْتُ رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكَ أَبَا السَّائِبِ، فَشَهَادَتِي عَلَيْكَ لَقَدْ أَكْرَمَكَ اللَّهُ‏.‏ فَقَالَ لِي النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ وَمَا يُدْرِيكِ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَكْرَمَهُ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ لاَ أَدْرِي بِأَبِي أَنْتَ وَأُمِّي يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ أَمَّا عُثْمَانُ فَقَدْ جَاءَهُ ـ وَاللَّهِ ـ الْيَقِينُ وَإِنِّي لأَرْجُو لَهُ الْخَيْرَ، وَاللَّهِ مَا أَدْرِي وَأَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَتْ فَوَاللَّهِ لاَ أُزَكِّي أَحَدًا بَعْدَهُ أَبَدًا، وَأَحْزَنَنِي ذَلِكَ قَالَتْ فَنِمْتُ فَأُرِيتُ لِعُثْمَانَ عَيْنًا تَجْرِي، فَجِئْتُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ ذَلِكَ عَمَلُهُ ‏"‏‏.‏

Narrated by Um Al-Ala: That when the Ansar drew lots as to which of the emigrants should dwell with which of the Ansar, the name of 'Uthman bin Mazun came out (to be in their lot). Um Al-Ala further said, "Uthman stayed with us, and we nursed him when he got sick, but he died. We shrouded him in his clothes, and Allah's Apostle came to our house and I said, (addressing the dead 'Uthman), 'O Abu As-Sa'ib! May Allah be merciful to you. I testify that Allah has blessed you.' The Prophet (ﷺ) said to me, "How do you know that Allah has blessed him?" I replied, 'I do not know O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! May my parents be sacrificed for you.' Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'As regards 'Uthman, by Allah he has died and I really wish him every good, yet, by Allah, although I am Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), I do not know what will be done to him.' Um Al- Ala added, 'By Allah I shall never attest the piety of anybody after him. And what Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)s said made me sad." Um Al-Ala further said, "Once I slept and saw in a dream, a flowing stream for 'Uthman. So I went to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and told him about it, he said, 'That is (the symbol of) his deeds."

When it comes to specifying a person by name (you, in your question), this is something that only Allah knows. Likewise, only Allah knows whether the sins you mentioned are prohibitories or not. The action that is required from your side is to strive to do the acts that will admit you into Jannah, and to strive to stay away from the acts that may be prohibitories.