What is the ruling on one who died before the mission?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : What did it mean that it was prolonged for the people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance?
The Shaykh : Whoever died before Islam, if the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) testified that he is in the Fire, then he is in the Fire. And if he was silent about him, then his affair is left to Allah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to a man when he asked about his father: "He is in the Fire."
Then he said: "My father and your father are in the Fire." This is clear: he is in the Fire. And like 'Amr ibn Luhay al-Khuza'i, whom the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw dragging his intestines in the Fire. And like the mother of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); he (peace and blessings be upon him) sought permission from his Lord to seek forgiveness for her, but He prevented him. He sought permission to visit her grave, and he visited it.
As for one about whom no specific report has come, we do not rule that he is in the Fire. As for the hadith: "Whoever passes by the grave of my uncle, or a word to that effect, is to be informed of the Fire," it is a weak hadith.
The questioner : This is what the teaching benefits us with. It is understood from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) that the teaching, if it is after the mission of the Messenger, benefits us regarding the one to whom the Messenger was sent and did not reach him.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is correct.
The questioner : Also the pre-Islamic age of ignorance after that.
The Shaykh : Yes, there is a remnant from the people of Ibrahim.
The questioner : And they are required to practice tawhid (the oneness of Allah).
The Shaykh : Yes, they are required to do this, but no specific messenger came to them after Isma'il except Muhammad (peace be upon him). The important point is that those who died before the mission and to whom the message did not reach, their affair in the Hereafter is left to Allah. As for in this world, we say they are mushrikin (those who associate partners with Allah).
The Shaykh : Whoever died before Islam, if the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) testified that he is in the Fire, then he is in the Fire. And if he was silent about him, then his affair is left to Allah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to a man when he asked about his father: "He is in the Fire."
Then he said: "My father and your father are in the Fire." This is clear: he is in the Fire. And like 'Amr ibn Luhay al-Khuza'i, whom the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw dragging his intestines in the Fire. And like the mother of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); he (peace and blessings be upon him) sought permission from his Lord to seek forgiveness for her, but He prevented him. He sought permission to visit her grave, and he visited it.
As for one about whom no specific report has come, we do not rule that he is in the Fire. As for the hadith: "Whoever passes by the grave of my uncle, or a word to that effect, is to be informed of the Fire," it is a weak hadith.
The questioner : This is what the teaching benefits us with. It is understood from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) that the teaching, if it is after the mission of the Messenger, benefits us regarding the one to whom the Messenger was sent and did not reach him.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is correct.
The questioner : Also the pre-Islamic age of ignorance after that.
The Shaykh : Yes, there is a remnant from the people of Ibrahim.
The questioner : And they are required to practice tawhid (the oneness of Allah).
The Shaykh : Yes, they are required to do this, but no specific messenger came to them after Isma'il except Muhammad (peace be upon him). The important point is that those who died before the mission and to whom the message did not reach, their affair in the Hereafter is left to Allah. As for in this world, we say they are mushrikin (those who associate partners with Allah).
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، 517 - ما حكم من مات قبل البعثة؟ شرح تقريب التدمرية - ابن عثيمين — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.