There is a Hadith which specifies certain types of people who enjoy God's shelter on the Day of Resurrection. Abu Hurayrah quotes the Prophet (peace be upon him) as saying: “Seven types shall enjoy God's shelter on the Day when there is no shelter other than what He provides: A just ruler; a young man who is brought up as a committed worshipper; a man whose heart always inclines toward mosques; two friends whose friendship is for God's service — it is uppermost in their minds when they meet and when they part; a man who resists seduction by a woman of power and beauty saying to her, “I fear God;” a man who gives something to charity in secret so as his left hand would not know what his right hand has given away; and a man who remembers God when alone and his eyes are tearful.” (Related by Al-Bukhari).
It should be clear that God's shelter is extended to other types of people, even though this Hadith mentions seven. The number is simply to highlight the importance of these seven categories. Others mentioned elsewhere by the Prophet include a person who gives grace to a debtor who is unable to repay his debt, or writes off his debt, a soldier fighting for God's cause and one who helps such fighters financially, a God-fearing businessman who gives sincere advice to his customers, etc.
The third type mentioned in this Hadith is a person who loves mosques, keen to offer his obligatory prayers with the congregation, and prefers to spend his free time in a mosque, engaged in worship. This quality applies to people of all ages. It is not specific to any age group. Some of us may wonder if it also applies to women. It certainly does, even though women have good reasons not to attend congregational prayers in the mosque, particularly when they have young children to look after. However, women who attend mosques as often as they can and are devoted to worship at home qualify under this heading.
The fourth type speaks of two people rather than one, because it highlights a bond that brings such people together. They are close friends, but their friendship has the best foundation, namely, serving God's cause. Therefore, when they meet they join their efforts in such service and when they leave each other, they do their best to ensure that they continue to follow the line that pleases God.
Next is the type who encounters strong temptation to indulge in sin — a man being seduced by a woman who combines beauty with power. Either one is sufficient to make most people yield to temptation, but this one is able to resist her because he is truly God-fearing.
The sixth type dedicates all his good actions to God. He does not like to be praised for what he does. On the contrary, he prefers to keep it secret so that it is genuinely sincere. Here we have a great picture of a man helping a poor person in such a way that his left hand is unaware of what his right hand is doing. Finally, we have the case of a man who is so conscious of God that when he praises God in private he is so fully aware of His power and his own need of God's forgiveness that his eyes are tearful. He remembers his sins and fears God's punishment, but he also remembers God's grace and he is so hopeful.
These are the ones enjoying God's shelter. It does not matter in which group we are as long as we ensure that at least one of these descriptions applies to us.
