The Muslims do not rule that others are in the Fire except under a condition

The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta

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The fifth question of Fatwa No. ( 6397 ):

Q5: A young, educated Buddhist woman recently converted to Islam after a deep study of Islam that lasted seven years, and she is now active
in calling people to Islam, and some men and women have converted through her efforts. During one of her tours with some of those who found guidance to introduce Islam and call to it in one of the remote areas, a Buddhist posed this question to her: How do you rule that non-Muslims enter the Fire, while in this region we have not heard of Islam until now? Are our fathers in the Fire, and what is their sin, as long as you, the Muslims, have not conveyed the religion of truth to us? This converted sister has contacted us and wants a comprehensive answer to the question of the man who entered Islam after this meeting.
A5: The Muslims do not rule that others are in the Fire except under a condition, which is: that the Qur'an or an explanation of its meaning from the callers to Islam in the language of the people being called has reached them; for Allah the Exalted said:

And this Qur'an was revealed to me that I may warn you thereby and whomever it reaches.

وَأُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ هَذَا الْقُرْآنُ لأُنْذِرَكُمْ بِهِ وَمَنْ بَلَغَ

[Al-An'am 6:19]

and His saying, the Exalted:

And never would We punish until We sent a messenger.

وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولا

[Al-Isra 17:15]

So, if the Islamic call has reached the non-Muslims and they persist in their disbelief, they are among the people of the Fire, based on the two preceding verses, and based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):

By Him in Whose hand is the life of Muhammad, he who amongst the community of Jews or Christians hears about me, but does not affirm his belief in that with which I have been sent and dies in this state (of disbelief), he shall be but one of the denizens of Hell-Fire.

والذي نفسي بيده لا يسمع بي أحد من هذه الأمة يهودي ولا نصراني ثم يموت ولم يؤمن بالذي أرسلت به إلاَّ كان من أهل النار

Sahih Muslim 153

narrated by Muslim in his Sahih, and the evidence in this meaning from
There are many verses and hadiths on this. As for those to whom the call did not reach in a manner that establishes the argument against them, their affair is left to Allah (Mighty and Majestic). The most correct of the opinions of the scholars on this is that they will be tested on the Day of Resurrection; whoever obeys the commands will enter Paradise, and whoever disobeys will enter the Fire. Al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) clarified this meaning in his tafsir of the words of Allah (Mighty and Majestic):

And never would We punish until We sent a messenger.

وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولا

[Al-Isra 17:15]

And the scholar Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) did so in his book [Tariq al-Hijratayn], at the end of it, under the heading (The Ranks of Those Obligated to Obey). We advise you to review both books for further benefit. And success is from Allah. May Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.

Source www.alifta.gov.sa

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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