The Definition of the People of the Interval
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Q335: The listener S. S from the Arab Republic of Egypt says: Who are the people of the interval (al-fatra), are there people of the interval in our time, and what is the ruling regarding them?
A335: The people of the interval are those who live in a time when the call of a Messenger did not reach them and no Book came to them, such as the interval between Isa and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Ma'idah 5:19] .
The interval is the time in which there is no Messenger and no Book. One who is isolated from the world, or far from the Muslims, and has not heard anything, and to whom the call has not reached or arrived, is included among the people of the interval. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Isra 17:15] As for their ruling, that is up to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He).
A335: The people of the interval are those who live in a time when the call of a Messenger did not reach them and no Book came to them, such as the interval between Isa and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Allah the Exalted said:
O People of the Scripture, there has come to you Our Messenger to make clear to you [the religion] after a period [of suspension] of messengers, lest you say, "There came not to us any bringer of good tidings or a warner." But there has come to you a bringer of good tidings and a warner. And Allah is over all things competent.
يَاأَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولُنَا يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ عَلَى فَتْرَةٍ مِنَ الرُّسُلِ أَنْ تَقُولُوا مَا جَاءَنَا مِنْ بَشِيرٍ وَلاَ نَذِيرٍ فَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ بَشِيرٌ وَنَذِيرٌ وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌThe interval is the time in which there is no Messenger and no Book. One who is isolated from the world, or far from the Muslims, and has not heard anything, and to whom the call has not reached or arrived, is included among the people of the interval. Allah the Exalted said:
Whoever is guided is only guided for [the benefit of] his soul. And whoever errs only errs against it. And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. And never would We punish until We sent a messenger.
مَنِ اهْتَدَى فَإِنَّمَا يَهْتَدِي لِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ ضَلَّ فَإِنَّمَا يَضِلُّ عَلَيْهَا وَلاَ تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولاً
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.