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Topic: Condition of the children of the believers and disbelievers after death
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 ifthikar.saifudeen
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Member
Posts: 70
Joined: Nov 2002
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assalaamualaikum,
Could someone reconcile the following two hadiths from Sahih Bukhari regarding the condition of children of believers and disbelievers who die young:
From a long hadeeth where the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) narrates a dream that he (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) had about visiting paradise and hell
Volume 9, Book 87, Number 171:
Narrated Samura bin Jundub:
...the tall man whom you saw in the garden, is Abraham and the children around him are those children who die with Al-Fitra (the Islamic Faith)." The narrator added: Some Muslims asked the Prophet, "O Allah's Apostle! What about the children of pagans?" The Prophet replied, "And also the children of pagans."
The second hadith:
Volume 8, Book 77, Number 597:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle was asked about the offspring of the pagans. He said, "Allah knows what they would have done (were they to live)."
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "No child is born but has the Islamic Faith, but its parents turn it into a Jew or a Christian. It is as you help the animals give birth. Do you find among their offspring a mutilated one before you mutilate them yourself?" The people said, "O Allah's Apostle! What do you think about those (of them) who die young?" The Prophet said, "Allah knows what they would have done (were they to live)."
I have also read somewhere that Allah (subhaana wa tala) would test them on the day of resurrection and whoever passes the test would be entered into Jannah. I cannot remember the reference to this, so I am not sure of it's authenticity.
I hope that inshallah someone can clarify this for me.
Jazakallah Khair,
wassalaam,
Ifthikar
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| Moosaa
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Member
Posts: 1280
Joined: Sep 2002
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wa 'alaykumus-salaamu wa rahmatullaah
About the children of the mushrikeen who die young (not the children of the muslims) -
This is an issue that the 'ulamaa' have differed over. I researched this issue last year. I will summarize my research below, mentioning the opinions, some of the evidence for each opinion, and my conclusion. (My original research has many more points of daleel, the sources for all of the positions of the various ulamaa, and a discussion of the authenticity of each proof)
The opinions:
1) At-Tawaqquf
Ibn Abbaas and the two Hammaads, Shaafi'ee, Bayhaqee, Ibn Abdil-Barr and others believed that we have to say "Allaah knows best" and not talk about this issue, based on the statement of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam, when he was asked about the children of the mushrikeen:
(( Allaah knows best about what they would have done ))
[Bukhaaree and Muslim]
I included those 'ulamaa who said that the children of the mushrikeen were under the Will of Allaah in this category, since their statement is identical with a different wording.
2) They are in the Hellfire
This is the position of Ibn Hazm and some of the Hanbalees.
They use the hadeeth of the Jewish boy who died after accepting Islaam. The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said about him "Praise to Allaah the One who saved him from the Hellfire," [Bukhaaree & Ahmad] meaning that if he had died without accepting Islaam, he would be in the Hellfire.
And they use the hadeeth about "every child being born on the fitrah" too, and many others.
3) They are in Jannah
Those who hold this position: Al-Qurtubee, Al-Bukhaaree, Ibn Hajr, An-Nawawee, Ibn Al-Jowzee, and others.
One of their proofs:
The aayah ( No soul shall bear the burden of another, and we are not to punish any people until after sending a messenger to them ) Israa':15
Other proofs they use briefly:
The hadeeth of Ibraaheem and the children around him from Bukhaaree, "And the children of the mushrikeen"
"The pen is lifted off of three... the boy until he becomes of age (reaches puberty)" At-Tirmithee
"There is no child except he is born upon the fitrah"
and many others
4) They will be tested
This is the position of Abul-Hasan Al-Ash'aree, Ibn Katheer, Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Qayyim, Al-Albaanee, and Ibn Baaz, and others.
They based their position on the hadeeth of the imtihaan, one of its wordings as found in the Mu'jam Kabeer of At-Tabaraanee:
"The incompetant one, the one who died in the period between messengers, and the one who died as a child will be brought forth on the Day of Judgement..."
Then the hadeeth mentions that they will be asked to enter a piece of the Hellfire as a test of their obedience to Allaah... "and if they enter it (the fire) it will be cool and calm on them" and in one narration, "So then these (those who refuse) will enter the Fire, and those (those who obeyed) will enter the Jannah."
This hadeeth has numerous routes and they are gathered and mentioned in Silsilatul-Ahaadeeth As-Saheehah #2468.
5) They are the servants of the people of Jannah
Al-Hasan Al-Basree from the earlier scholars said this, as well as Al-Albaanee from the later ones.
They rely on the hadeeth of Anas:
The Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) was asked about the children of the Mushrikeen. He said:
"They have no sins to be punished for and thus become from the people of the Hellfire, nor do they have any good deeds to be rewarded for and become from the people of Jannah, they are the servants of the people of Jannah."
Hasan lighayrihi according to Al-Albaanee. See Silsilatul-Ahaadeeth As-Saheehah #1468.
6) They will be turned into dust (!)
This has been reported to be the position of Thamaamah ibn Ashras. This opinion has no clear evidence.
7) They are in LIMBO between Jannah and the Hellfire (!)
Some of the 'ulamaa' have mentioned this postion, however it also has no clear evidence.
These are the different positions that have reached me. As for the conclusion to my research, after discarding the weak narrations, and thinking carefully about the narrations, I saw a way to combine all of the authentic narrations within one answer, and that is:
1) They are from the mushrikeen in the dunyaa, and this explains the hadeeth: "They (the children of the mushrikeen) are from them (the mushrikeen)." As this was referring to their hukm in the dunyaa, ie if they are killed in a war unintentionally, then they are from them.
2) They will be tested in the Hereafter
3) Whoever disobeys Allaah in this test, will be from the people of the hellfire.
4) Whoever obeys Allaah in this test, they will go to the Jannah.
5) Whoever goes to the Jannah from them, they will be a servant to the people of Jannah.
6) We make tawaqquf about the specific individuals from them, ie we do not say that John the son of Henry Jones is in the Hellfire or the Jannah.
Then the last part of my research included refutations of each of the other statements.
I reviewed this research with Dr. Muhammad Baazmool who said, "You came to the right conclusion," except he said that I did not make a distinction between the boy who is mumayyiz and the boy who is too young to understand Islaam.
If anyone requests further evidences or other information on this subject, then they can purchase the CDs on this topic from TROID in shaa' Allaah:
http://www.troid.org/store/cds/
And Allaah knows best.
For further reading on this topic, I would suggest the following most important books of reference:
1) Ibn Katheer's tafseer of Soorah Israa':15
2) Fat-hul-Baaree 3/300 in explanation of the hadeeth of Ibraaheem and the children around him
3) At-Tathkirah of Al-Qurtubee (p.552)
4) At-Tamheed of Ibn Abdil-Barr (6/377)
5) Al-I'tiqaad of Al-Bayhaqee (p.195)
6) Sharh An-Nawawee, the relative chapters (8/428 and in that neighborhood)
7) Tareeq Al-Hijratayn of Ibn Al-Qayyim (p.584)
8) Majmoo' Al-Fataawaa of Ibn Taymiyyah (24/373)
The first four are the best by far in terms of gathering the statements of the 'ulamaa', and there are others like 'Awn Al-Ma'bood, Ash-Sharee'ah, Ma'aarij Al-Qabool, etc.
Moosaa
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سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك
أشهد أن لا إله إلا أنت
أستغفرك وأتوب إليك
This message was edited by Moosaa on 3-7-04 @ 3:51 AM
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| ifthikar.saifudeen
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Member
Posts: 70
Joined: Nov 2002
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Jazakallah Khair brother Moosa for a comprehensive answer to my question. May Allah guide you and all Muslims on the path of those that He has favored.
wassalaam,
Ifthikar
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| ummmusa88
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Member
Posts: 260
Joined: Sep 2008
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asalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh,
masha'Allah very valuable information.
i was wondering... the above discussion appears to pertain only to the
children of the mushrikeen. how about the children of the believers? do we
believe that they go straight to jannah or also face similar trials on the
day of judgment? i found this hadith in saheeh muslim and it appears as
though even the children of the believers would be tested? correct me if
i'm wrong insha'Allah:
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'A'isha, the mother of the believers, said that Allah's Messenger
(sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was called to lead the funeral prayer of a
child of the Ansar. I said: Allah's Messenger, there is happiness for this
child who is a bird from the birds of Paradise for it committed no sin nor
has he reached the age when one can commit sin. He (sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam) said: 'A'isha, per adventure, it may be otherwise, because Allah
created for Paradise those who are fit for it while they were yet in their
father's loins and created for Hell those who are to go to Hell. He created
them for Hell while they were yet in their father's loins
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barakAllahu feekum
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13-11-2002 @ 12:00 AM
