Do we testify that a specific disbeliever is among the people of the Fire?
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The questioner : Shaykh, we know that the school of thought, after the Sunnah and the community, if one acknowledges that the specific person is under the will of Allah,
The Shaykh : No, no, we do not know this.
The questioner : We do not say that he is in the Fire.
The Shaykh : We do not say that a specific person is in the Fire. We do not say he is in the Fire, not because he is under the will of Allah, but because we do not know how his end was sealed. If we knew that his end was sealed with disbelief, we would not hesitate. So there is a difference between saying that he is under the will of Allah and saying that he is in the Fire, but we do not know how his end was sealed, because it is possible that he will believe before he dies by a minute. Is this reason clear? However, some scholars say: testify that the specific disbeliever, if he dies upon disbelief, is in the Fire, and do not worry about it. But this is not correct, because if we do not testify that a specific believer is in Paradise, even if we know he is a believer who prays, gives charity, fasts, performs Hajj, and does all good, we do not say this man is in Paradise. But praising him as a believer, there is no doubt that it is a strong indication that he is among the people of good, by the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Baqarah 2:143]
The questioner : And a fitnah, O Shaykh, a turban, meaning the Muslim and the believer, it is a fitnah for him that he testifies.
The Shaykh : Yes, do not be alarmed.
The questioner : You will finish.
The Shaykh : I testify for him, but I tell you, if he is among the people of Paradise, he is among the people of Paradise whether you testify or not, and if he is among the people of the Fire, he is among the people of the Fire whether you testify or not.
The Shaykh : No, no, we do not know this.
The questioner : We do not say that he is in the Fire.
The Shaykh : We do not say that a specific person is in the Fire. We do not say he is in the Fire, not because he is under the will of Allah, but because we do not know how his end was sealed. If we knew that his end was sealed with disbelief, we would not hesitate. So there is a difference between saying that he is under the will of Allah and saying that he is in the Fire, but we do not know how his end was sealed, because it is possible that he will believe before he dies by a minute. Is this reason clear? However, some scholars say: testify that the specific disbeliever, if he dies upon disbelief, is in the Fire, and do not worry about it. But this is not correct, because if we do not testify that a specific believer is in Paradise, even if we know he is a believer who prays, gives charity, fasts, performs Hajj, and does all good, we do not say this man is in Paradise. But praising him as a believer, there is no doubt that it is a strong indication that he is among the people of good, by the saying of Allah the Exalted:
And thus we have made you a just community that you will be witnesses over the people
وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِّتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِThe questioner : And a fitnah, O Shaykh, a turban, meaning the Muslim and the believer, it is a fitnah for him that he testifies.
The Shaykh : Yes, do not be alarmed.
The questioner : You will finish.
The Shaykh : I testify for him, but I tell you, if he is among the people of Paradise, he is among the people of Paradise whether you testify or not, and if he is among the people of the Fire, he is among the people of the Fire whether you testify or not.
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، 515 - هل نشهد للكافر المعين أنه من أهل النار؟ شرح تقريب التدمرية - ابن عثيمين — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.
