What is the ruling on the children of polytheists in the Hereafter?

The questioner: That is, in light of the previous hadiths, would this be an abrogation or an exception? No, never. Now, there is a hadith, Shaykh, in another matter concerning the children of polytheists in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad. It is narrated from Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: I asked Khadijah about the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding two children of hers who died in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: the polytheists and their children are in the Fire. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) recited: We know from you that you say that the children of polytheists are in Paradise. And I heard you once say, and I heard you once say, that they are the servants of the people of Paradise. As for the hadith, Shaykh Ahmad Shakir said in his commentary on the Musnad that it is hasan (good), that its chain is hasan. So what is your view first regarding the hadith, and if it is authentic, what is the explanation?

The Shaykh: Dear one, you are not in your right mind.

The questioner: It is not authentic.

The Shaykh: Later. The authentic hadith in al-Bukhari and Muslim is that he was asked about the children of polytheists, and he said: they will act,

The questioner: Yes, indeed, there are headings, yes.

The Shaykh: And thirdly and finally, the children of polytheists are like the people of the interval (ahl al-fatra) and like the old man who is reached by the call but does not understand it. These people are treated on the Day of Resurrection in that Allah the Exalted sends to them a messenger who commands them to throw themselves into the Fire. Whoever obeys the messenger enters Paradise, and whoever disobeys him enters the Fire. So the children of polytheists who died from polytheist parents are treated with this treatment, just as in this world: whoever believed was saved, and whoever did not believe entered the Fire.

The questioner: May Allah bless you. I mean, Subhan Allah, a great word.

The Shaykh: Great.

The questioner: Even the children. This

The Shaykh: This fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) resembles the fitnah of the Dajjal (the false messiah) when he comes at the end of time, accompanied by extraordinary matters before which those with weak faith will be tested. He says to the sky, "Rain," and it rains; to the earth, "Grow your vegetation," and it grows; to the ruin, "Bring out your treasures," and they come out, and he walks behind them. These are, I mean, great trials. Therefore, he (peace be upon him) said his sign is: No one of you will see his Lord until he dies. That is sufficient proof of his lie and deception against those deceptive Ibrahims. He says, "The sky, this is your Lord," so he is one-eyed, and your Lord is not one-eyed. And no one of you will see his Lord until he dies, and so on. It is a fitnah, yes, a fitnah. Why is the world not a fitnah? Our existence here is not a fitnah? Therefore, we ask Allah to make us firm.

The questioner: Does this apply to people who, for example, are in the forests of South America and have not heard anything about Islam? Does this apply to them?

The Shaykh: It certainly applies to them. Especially the Eskimos in the North Pole and their like in the South Pole. The truth is, the matter is clear from the Shari'ah perspective and contains extreme justice. Whereas we have heard, and still hear, from some people, even if they are from the people of knowledge, but sometimes some of them are afflicted with some heedlessness, saying that today there are no people of the period of ignorance (ahl al-fatra). Why? Because the Qur'an is broadcast on the radio and fills the names of the people of the earth. So I say, Glory be to Allah, the Qur'an was revealed in a clear Arabic language, and the Arabs themselves today do not understand it, so how can the Germans, Albanians, British, Americans, and so on understand what the reciter reads on the radio?
, and therefore it is obligatory, if there are Islamic governments, it is obligatory for Islamic governments to spread Islam with scholars, not students of knowledge who are called in the last times da'wah (calling others to Islam) workers, workers of the da'wah of Islam. They want to call to it because they do not know anything of Islam except brief phrases. If the doctors today who graduate students as doctors do not have anything of knowledge except a little, then the obligation of Muslims is very great in terms of conveying to the world the da'wah of Islam, the da'wah of truth. They hear the Qur'an, but do they understand it? They do not understand it. The people of the language of the Qur'an do not understand it, and therefore they have fallen into deviations and into shirk (associating partners with Allah) and into great and very great misguidance. And Allah is the Helper. Perhaps it is time for the announcement, let's go.

The questioner: Rather, I heard from you once, my Shaykh, a tape in which you mentioned that these people who claim to be Muslims, I mean, and who call the people of Europe and America to Islam and distort the true image of Islam, these people, even if they know about this Islam, they are still from the people of the covenant (ahl al-kuwwan).

The Shaykh: Yes, because the true da'wah of Islam has not reached them.

The questioner: Yes, so do we understand now, Shaykh, that they are the servants of the people of Paradise, the children of polytheists who passed the test?

The Shaykh: Ah, for the channel.

The questioner: I mean, after the test, if the test is necessary, then whoever passed it is from the servants of the people of Paradise.

The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.

The questioner: Shaykh, the hadith: If Allah wills, they will not be Magians, or born, or Christians. What do we understand from this statement?

Another questioner: The fitrah (the innate natural disposition). The fitrah of affirmation, would it not be that these are from the people of Paradise, for example?

The Shaykh: No, it is not a condition. If they were so, the Messenger of Allah would not have said, "Allah knows best what they were doing," because the fitrah that Allah implanted is not sufficient unless it is accompanied by action. And therefore he said, "Allah knows best what they were doing." So the action here, before reaching the age of accountability, does not appear; it appears there in another accountability, there in the open spaces of the Day of Resurrection.

Another questioner: But they are accountable in the open spaces, and they are resurrected upon the evidences.

The Shaykh: I bear witness that it is. Upon divorce. There is no power nor strength except with Allah. Goodbye. There is no power nor strength except with Allah. Upon the salam. There is no power nor strength except with Allah. Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. There is no god but Allah. There is no god but Allah. O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad. And bless upon Your mercy. As You sent blessings upon Ibrahim. Upon his family. O Allah, Lord of the worlds.