The ruling on declaring a specific disbeliever to be among the people of the Fire
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
I seek forgiveness from Allah. Does the ruling on a specific disbeliever after death indicate that he is among the people of the Fire?
Answer:
If you know that he died upon disbelief, such as when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) informed you that he died upon disbelief, or when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) testified for him regarding Paradise or the Fire, then we testify for him. As for the one regarding whom we have no evidence, Allah knows his state best. But we fear for the believer, we fear for the one who does evil, and we hope for the one who does good only. We do not assert for anyone Paradise or the Fire except for those for whom the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) testified.
Yes, but you say: whoever dies upon disbelief and shirk (associating partners with Allah) is among the people of the Fire, in a general sense. But if you say so-and-so is among the people of the Fire, or so-and-so is among the people of Paradise, you do not say that. You do not know; perhaps the one of whom you have a good opinion apostatized before death and became among the people of the Fire. And perhaps the one of whom you have a bad opinion repented, and Allah accepted his repentance, as in the hadith:Sahih Muslim 2643a And this is known only to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). We do not testify for a specific person that he is among the people of the Fire, nor for a specific person that he is among the people of Paradise. Rather, we fear for the one who does evil and hope for the one who does good. Yes. This is a chapter from the chapters of 'aqidah (creed), and they mention it in the books of creed. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you.
I seek forgiveness from Allah. Does the ruling on a specific disbeliever after death indicate that he is among the people of the Fire?
Answer:
If you know that he died upon disbelief, such as when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) informed you that he died upon disbelief, or when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) testified for him regarding Paradise or the Fire, then we testify for him. As for the one regarding whom we have no evidence, Allah knows his state best. But we fear for the believer, we fear for the one who does evil, and we hope for the one who does good only. We do not assert for anyone Paradise or the Fire except for those for whom the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) testified.
Yes, but you say: whoever dies upon disbelief and shirk (associating partners with Allah) is among the people of the Fire, in a general sense. But if you say so-and-so is among the people of the Fire, or so-and-so is among the people of Paradise, you do not say that. You do not know; perhaps the one of whom you have a good opinion apostatized before death and became among the people of the Fire. And perhaps the one of whom you have a bad opinion repented, and Allah accepted his repentance, as in the hadith:
that one amongst you acts like the people deserving Paradise until between him and Paradise there remains but the distance of a cubit, when suddenly the writing of destiny overcomes him and he begins to act like the denizens of Hell and thus enters Hell, and another one acts in the way of the denizens of Hell, until there remains between him and Hell a distance of a cubit that the writing of destiny overcomes him and then he begins to act like the people of Paradise and enters Paradise.
إِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ لَيَعْمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ حَتَّى مَا يَكُونَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَهَا إِلاَّ ذِرَاعٌ فَيَسْبِقُ عَلَيْهِ الْكِتَابُ فَيَعْمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ النَّارِ فَيَدْخُلُهَا وَإِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ لَيَعْمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ النَّارِ حَتَّى مَا يَكُونَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَهَا إِلاَّ ذِرَاعٌ فَيَسْبِقُ عَلَيْهِ الْكِتَابُ فَيَعْمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ فَيَدْخُلُهَاThe presenter:
May Allah reward you.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، 02 من 15 / شرح أصول الإيمان / سعة رحمة الله عز وجل/ صالح الفوزان / العقيدة/ كبار العلماء — youtube.com (1:02:08)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.