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[MADRASA] Do non-muslims go to Hell?
Anonymous
07/10/01 at 01:11:06
If someone isn't muslim will he/she go to Hell? why?   Does one have to be muslim to get to Heaven? thanks

Re: Do non-muslims go to Hell?
jannah
10/21/00 at 23:26:07
At the same time we know from the Quran, the word of God, the final law that abrogates everything that came before it, what will make a person go to heaven and what will make a person go to hell. That's what it's all about eh... that's why we are muslims and do all the things we do, we don't want to be punished. So I think this question should be divided into two parts: a. Will those who don't do what the Quran tells them to do go to Hell?  yes because that's what the Quran says. b. What about those people who never heard about Islam, lived in jungles, are children, insane etc?  Allah is the final judge on these people and may even test them on the day of Judgement and decide where they should go.

Re: Do non-muslims go to Hell?
assing
10/22/00 at 11:42:07
Alhamdulillah, many muslims often ask; if Allah is the most-merciful how come is it  that {or what does He mean when He says}  "He leads astray whom He wants" or from the hadeeth of the rasul (saw) "whoever is lead astray there is no one who can  guide him." Thus I decided to try and shed some light on this issue {at the same time as an indirect answer to the question of "Do non-muslims go to Hell?"} using as a reference ibn Qayyim's enlightening book Madaarij As-Saalikeen bayna "iyaka na'budu wa iyaka nasta'een" {The stages of the traveler between "You [Alone] we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help"}, where he said:     Levels of guidance; the specific and the general   The first level; is the level where Allah talks to his servant while awake with no intermediary, and this is the highest level (of guidance), as Allah spoke to Musa ibn Imraan; "And Allah spoke to Musa"     The second level; is that of revelation restricted to the prophets, Allah says "Verily, We have inspired you (O Muhammad SAW) as We inspired Nűh (Noah) and the Prophets after him" {Al-Imran:162}  and "It is not given to any human being that Allâh should speak to him unless (it be) by Inspiration, or from behind a veil, or (that) He sends a Messenger to reveal what He wills by His Leave. Verily, He is Most High, Most Wise" {As-Shura:51}. Revelation (wahy) in the Arabic language means to information that comes quickly and subtly.   The third level; is by sending angelic messengers to (human) messengers, so he (the angelic messenger) reveals what Allah has commanded him to deliver. These three levels are solely restricted to the prophets, it cannot happen to other than them. Then the angelic messenger can take the form of a man, one see him and talks to him, or he can be seen in the form he was created, and all these place with our prophet (saw).   The fourth level; is what is called "at-tahdeeth", and this is lesser grade than that of revelation and of the "sidiqeen-the truthful ones", and this is what Umar ibn Al-Khattab (radiallah a'nhu) had, as Narrated Abu Huraira:  Allah's Apostle (saw) said, "Among the nations before you there used to {be people who were inspired} "Muhaddith" (though they were not prophets). And if there is any of such a persons amongst my followers, it is 'Umar." (Al-Buhkari). A "Muhaddith" is someone whose heart says something to him, and that thing will happen exactly as his heart indcated.  The fifth level, is the level of understanding, Allah says "And (remember) Dawűd (David) and Sulaimân (Solomon), when they gave judgement in the case of the field in which the sheep of certain people had pastured at night and We were witness to their judgement. (79). And We made Sulaimân (Solomon) to understand (the case), and to each of them We gave Hukman (right judgement of the affairs and Prophethood) and knowledge." {Al-Anbiya:78,79}, so Allah mentioned these two noble prophets, and He praised them both for their knowledge and wisdom, but however, He gave Sulaiman the true understanding in this particular situation. Ali ibn Abi Talib (radiallah a'nhu) was asked "did the rasul (saw) gave you all something which he did not gave others?", he said "La! by the one who split the seed, and created the human, except understanding Allah gives to His from His book", so therefore, understanding is a blessing from Allah upon His servant, a light Allah trows into his heart, he knows it, and he arrives at what others don't arrive at, therefore he understands from the Quran and sunnah  what others don't.   The sixth level; is the one of general clarity, and this is the ability to distinguish between truth and falsehood, by it signs, proofs and indications, to the point whrer the heart bears witness to it {the haqq} as the eye bears witness to something that it sees, and that is the proof Allah has against His creation, by which He does not punish nor lead anyone astray except after this {haqq} has reached them. Allah say "And Allâh will never lead a people astray after He has guided them until He makes clear to them as to what they should avoid. Verily, Allâh is the All-Knower of everything." {At-Tawbah:115}, thus this going astray is a punishment for them when the truth was made clear to them but the did not accept it, nor they applied it, so Allah penalised them by diverting them away from the guidance, and Allah has never misguided anyone except after making things clear to him.     Once you know this, the secret of qadr (predestination), then many doubts and misunderstanding {within you will} cease to exist, and one  realizes the wisdom of Allah misguiding whom He misguides from His servants, and many ayat in the Quran explains this, like Allah statement "So when they turned away (from the Path of Allâh), Allâh turned their hearts away (from the Right Path). And Allâh guides not the people who are Fâsiqűn (rebellious, disobedient to Allâh)." {As-Saff:5} and "and of their saying: "Our hearts are wrapped (with coverings, i.e. we do not understand what the Messengers say)" - nay, Allâh has set a seal upon their hearts because of their disbelief, so they believe not but a little." {An-Nisa:155}, therefore the first case is where the people disbelieved out of stubbornness and the second case of disbelief was because Allah sealed their hearts, and Allah also says "And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away (from guidance), as they refused to believe therein for the first time, and We shall leave them in their trespass to wander blindly." {Al-Ana'm:110}, so Allah punished for neglecting to believe in Him when they were convinced that He is their lord by turning their hearts and eyes away thus they will not be guided. Therefore ponder over this point for it is a great one indeed. Allah says about Thamud "And as for Thaműd, We showed and made clear to them the Path of Truth through Our Messenger, but they preferred blindness to guidance, so the Sâ'iqah (a destructive awful cry, torment, hit, a thunderbolt) of disgracing torment seized them, because of what they used to earn." {Al-Fussilat:17}   This guidance {of Allah} after clarifying things and providing it proofs is a condition (for guidance) and not necessarily the result i.e. being guided, for if Allah does not accompany this guidance with another type one will not have complete guidance; and that is the guidance of success and inspiration. Therefore, Allah makes things clear by two ways; by clarifying His signs which are recited and can be heard i.e. the Quran, and by clarifying his signs which can be seen. And both these two are indications that Allah is one in His names, attributes and characteristics, also a conformation that what His prophets came with is the truth, this is why Allah advises His servant through His recited signs to ponder about His witnessable signs, and He encourages them to think about this one and that one, and this is the clarity with which He sent the prophets, and made the scholars inherit it after them, and after that Allah leads astray whom He wants "And we have not sent a messenger except with the tongue of his people to explain to them, thus Allah guides whom He want and leads astray whom He wants. And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise." Therefore, the messengers role is to clarify the truth and Allah is the one who guides whom He wants and leads astray whom He wants by His might and His wisdom.  " Thus is the case judged concerning which you both did inquire." {Yusuf:41}

Re: Do non-muslims go to Hell?
bhaloo
10/22/00 at 11:41:45
slm Jazak Allah khairen.  Alhumdullilah its always nice to read material from Ibn Qayyim (ra).  I look forward to seeing more works translated by you of his works up here in the future, insha'Allah.
NS

Re: Do non-muslims go to Hell?
assing
10/22/00 at 11:45:41
waw! that was quick i did not even have time complete the editing of the post and you read it already, subhhanallah!

Re: Do non-muslims go to Hell?
assing
10/22/00 at 17:15:59
As a follow up to the answer "wallahu a'lam " to the question "Do non-muslims go to Hell?", this is a misundersanding, for indeed Allahs says "And whoever seeks a religion other than Islâm, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:85]., and also "Those who disbelieve from among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) and Al‑Mushrikoon, were not going to leave (their disbelief) until there came to them clear evidence” [al-Bayyinah 98:1] , “Verily, those who disbelieve (in the religion of Islâm, the Qur’ân and Prophet Muhammad) from among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) and Al‑Mushrikoon will abide in the fire of Hell. They are the worst of creatures” [al-Bayyinah 98:6], and many other ayats to numerous to put on this post, in addition to the hadeeth reported in Saheeh Muslim that the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, no one among this nation, Jew or Christian, hears of me, then dies without having believed in that with which I was sent, but he will be one of the people of the Fire.”, thus all these are very clear proof of what will be the outcome of someone who rejects islam and dies in such a state. However, it is from the belief of the muslim, as imam Ahmad stated, in his book Usool As-Sunnah (principles of the sunnah)  that we do not testify for anyone from among the people of the qiblah {likewise on the opposite hand, people people who died as kuffars} on account of any action he has done, that he is a person from the people of paradise or hell, {EXCEPT there is an ayat or hadeeth to indicate likewise, as Allah informed us of Farua'n Abu Lahab, etc.... that they are people of the hellfire, and as the rasul (saw) told us who will be in the paradise from his companions like Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, ali and so forth}, therfore we have hope for the righteous one and we fear for him and we have fear for the evil and sinful {muslim} and we for hope for Allah's mercy for him."     So, in summary we know if any one dies rejecting islam he will go to hell, with out a doubt, as Allah says, however, to pinpoint individuals, like say such and such person is going to hell or to paradise, this is beyond our knowledge and we stop here, except if there is an ayat from the Quran or hadeeth from the rasul (saw) that inform us of that particular person's situation in the hereafter.
NS

The Fate of Non-Muslims in the Afterlife
AbuKhaled
10/23/00 at 11:43:41
Bismillah Al-Rahman Al-Raheem, Assalam alaikum wa rahmatullah. I have a two part answer to offer. Because kuffar (i.e. non-Muslims) are essentially of two types and to answer such a question without admitting that very important dichotomy could be too simplistic to do justice in answering such a commonly-asked question. Of course, this answer is not from my ra'y [personal opinion], ma'adallah. Rather it is from what those who we have been commanded to turn to if we lack the knowledge, have said. Amidst kuffar, there are those who reject having been exposed to Islam correctly and shown it is indeed the Haqq, and those who have never encountered the Deen and so their unbelief is not based on rejection, yet they still have an aqeedah antithetical to the Islamic aqeedah. Please note that we are talking here about their shari'i [legal] status, and so it is not said in derogation. First I will open up what the Ulema have said about this matter regarding that part of your question which asked *why the non-Muslim would go to hell*, and then I will close by quoting for you the answer of Sheikh Nuh Ha Mim Keller in relation to the types of kuffar, in order that you may gain a more complete perspective, insha'Allah. And tawfeeq is through the help of Allah (swt) alone. Just by virtue of being kaffir does not destin one to hellfire. Yes, in generality if the state of the kufr of the kaffir (for Muslims can also lapse into kufr too) is one which does not admit of the excuse which the Ulema have stated, then in accordance with the nussus [texts] it is an acceptable thing to say. That, however, is a far cry from pointing the finger to some particular Joe Bloggs and informing him he is in the hellfire for being kaffir, a'uzubillah. A judgement about the set is not the same as a judgement about an individual (within that set) for the particular can be an exception to the general. In actuality the fuqaha [jurists] are in disagreement over this question. There are a number of opinions, and *none of us* should debate them without sufficient intimacy with why they differ, and the dalail [evidences] each adduces to support their view. (Just in case anyone protests their disagreement). For a fuller treatment of this question, from a scholarly perspective, I would recommend you read Professor Ahmad Hasan's "Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence." It is discussed on pages 272-277, under the section, 'Husuul al-Shart al-Shar'i' [Fulfilment of the Condition imposed by the Shar'iah for Legal Obligation]. The disagreement is about whether such people will be eligible for punishment, for both their belief and for not obeying the Shar'iah. Not as some of us mistakenly imagine today, that if they are accountable, then it is just for their (dis/un)belief. Professor Hasan's book bases itself solely on Classical sources, so it is not only reasonably comprehensive as a primer, but authoritative. So I quote: "There is NO disagreement among the jurists about the fact that the unbelievers are addressed to have faith [iman], and that the penalties prescribed by the Shar'iah relating to transactions [mu'aamalaat] are applicable to them, and that the Qur'anic pronouncements concerning the acts of devotion are addressed to them only to the extent of punishment in the hereafter because of their disbelief in those acts. The reason is that the divine message revealed to the Prophet (saw) was meant for all mankind" (p272) "What is disputed is whether they are legally required to perform the acts of devotion ['ibaadaat], and whether they will be called to account in the hereafter for the omission of those acts in this world." (p272) There are 4 opinions on this question. I will not go into them, because it will become a complex discussion, and if anyone is not duly familiar with first-principles relating to Usul al-Fiqh, they will have difficulty keeping up. That is not to insult anyone, but to caution that we need the requisite knowledge before we can suggest that we disagree with such-and-such. Lack of understanding is not an excuse for opposing the Sacred Law. But for anyone wishing a more detailed and intimate elaboration, feel free to email me. The basis for the ikhtilaf [difference of opinion] stems from whether iman is an essential shart [condition] for taklif [legal responsibility]. "The disagreement is about the punishment in the next world. According to the majority of the jurists, an unbeliever is liable to double punishment: one for abandonment of faith, and the other for neglecting the commands of the Shar'iah in questions of detail." (p277) PLEASE NOTE: This is in the case of rejection, say, for someone who was outside the bulugh al'dawah [reaching of the call], perhaps they are excused for their unbelief. Though for the sake of comprehensiveness it should be known that there was ikhtilaaf on this issue too. To cite some positions the various fuqaha held: some believed that by virtue of possessing aql [intellect] one was not excused from disbelief. Others disagreed with them and between themselves. Some argued that iman is obligated by the khitab [address] of Al-Shaari [The Legislator], and aql plays no part, whilst others said, no, the aql can perceive the obligation, but reason is not an obligating factor. Beyond this the discussion becomes technical. The only reason I mentioned it was so that we appreciate that not everything is black and white in this matter, and it is often our own ignorance that colours it so simply. For the purposes of your question, the best answer is: Allahu a'lam [Allah knows best]. The jumhoor [majority] say that unbelief based on other than rejection (e.g. someone who has never heard of Islam) is excused in the akhira. That is a general statement about the question. However, to then ask it about a particular person, well, as Sister Jannah rightly pointed out, that is the knowledge of Allah ta'ala, for who knows whether iman entered their heart just prior to the point of death? Now, moving onto what Sheikh Nuh had to say under the section of  "The Fate of Non-Muslims in the Afterlife," which is part of a larger article on a related question. It can be found online for those who want to read the complete piece. "This question is answered by traditional Islam according to two possibilities: (1) There are some peoples who have not been reached by the message of the Prophet of Islam (Allah bless him and give him peace) that we must worship the One God alone, associating nothing else with Him. Such people are innocent, and will not be punished no matter what they do. Allah says in surat al-Isra', "We do not punish until We send a Messenger" {Koran 17:15} These include, for example, Christians and others who lived in the period after the spread of the myth of Jesus godhood, until the time of the prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace), who renewed the call to pure monotheism. The great Muslim scholar, Imam Ghazali, includes in this category those who have only been reached with a distorted picture of the Messenger of Islam (Allah bless him and give him peace), presumably including many people in the West today who know nothing about Allah's religion but newspaper stories about Ayatollahs and mad Muslim bombers. Is it within such people's capacity to believe? In Ghazali's view, such people are excused until after they have had an opportunity to learn the undistorted truth about Islam (Ghazali: "Faysal al-tafriqa," Majmu'a rasa'il al-Imam al-Ghazali, 3.96). This of course does not alter our own obligation as Muslims to reach them with the da'wa. (2) A second group of people consists of those who turn away from God's divine message of Islam, rejecting the command to make their worship God's alone; whether because of blindly imitating the religion of their ancestors, or for some other reason. These are people to whom God has sent a prophetic messenger and reached with His message, and to whom He has given hearing and an intellect with which to grasp it but after all this, persist in associating others with Allah, either by actually worshipping another, or by rejecting the laws brought by His messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace), which associates their own customs with His prerogative to be worshipped as He directs. Such people have violated God's rights, and have accepted to go to hell, which is precisely what His messengers have warned them of, so they have no excuse: "Truly, Allah does not forgive that any be associated with Him; but He forgives what is less than that to whomever He wills" {Koran 4:48} In either case, Allah's mercy exists, though for non-Muslims unreached by the message, it is a question of divine amnesty for their ignorance, not a confirmation of their religions validity. It is worth knowing the difference between these two things, for one's eternal fate depends on it." --endquote-- That which was wrong was from my own unlearnedness and ignorance. Anything good was by the Hidayaah of Allah (swt). Astaghfirullah. Abu Khaled

Re: Do non-muslims go to Hell?
SA
10/23/00 at 22:10:12
assalaamu alaikum wa rahmatullah not that i know very much about this subject, but surah al 'imran and ma'idah are extremely relevant to this topic as has been pointed out w/ some ayahs above & below. Surah al-Imran (3:113-115) "Not all of them are alike: a party of the People of the Scriptures stand for the right; they recite the verses of Allah during the hours of the night, prostrating themselves in prayer. They believe in Allah and the last Day; they enjoin al-Ma'ruf and forbid al-Munkar, and they hasten in (all) good works; and they are among the righteous. And whatever good they do, nothing will be rejected of them; for Allah knows well those who are the pious." Surah al-Maidah (5:66) "And if only they had acted according to the Torah and the Gospel, and what has (now) been sent down to them from their Lord, they would surely have gotten provision from above them and from underneath their feet.  There are from among them people who are on the right course, but many of them do evil deeds." Of course, one should never take only a few ayahs into consideration, we have to try to understand the entirety of the Qur'an & Sunnah (or try to, anyways).  this post is meant to be supplemental to the previous ones.  there is nothing contradictory in Islam, it is our own failure to understand (for ex/, the above ayahs obviously don't mean just any Person of the Book can enter Jannah, there are qualifiers clearly laid out in the Book & ahadith).  Saying definitively one way or the other is inadequate, as already aptly pointed out. wAllahu'alim.
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