What is the meaning of the verse: “And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, to dwell therein,” and how is this reconciled with the statement of the people of the Sunnah that the perpetrators of major sins will not remain in the Fire forever?
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Question:
I read in books and hear from many shaykhs that the belief of the people of the Sunnah and the community is that monotheists, no matter how great or numerous their sins, will not remain in the Fire forever. How do we interpret this verse: “And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, to dwell therein, and the anger of Allah upon him and His curse, and He has prepared for him a great punishment”? Does this mean that the one who kills a soul becomes a disbeliever, or is this verse abrogated, or is it something else? We ask your honor to guide us. May Allah reward you with good and do you well.
Answer:
What you mentioned regarding the people of the Sunnah and the community, that a monotheist does not become a disbeliever due to sins less than shirk (associating partners with Allah) and does not remain in the Fire forever, is correct. This is the belief of the people of the Sunnah and the community: that a monotheist does not become a disbeliever due to sins, even if they are major sins less than shirk. Rather, he becomes an open sinner with deficient faith, exposed to the warning. If Allah wills, He will punish him; if He wills, He will forgive him. If he is punished in the Fire, he will not remain in it forever, but he will come out of it by the command of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) and His will, and he will enter Paradise by his tawhid (the oneness of Allah), his Islam, and his creed.
As for the verse[An-Nisa 4:93], it does not indicate that the killer is a disbeliever.
Allah the Exalted said:[An-Nisa 4:48]. And because of His saying: [Al-Hujurat 49:9] up to His saying: [Al-Hujurat 49:10], He called the killer and the killed “brothers,” meaning in Islam. This indicates that the killer does not become a disbeliever and that he is a brother in Islam. And Allah the Exalted said in the verse of retaliation: [Al-Baqarah 2:178], “from his brother,” meaning the one who was killed, so He called him the brother of the killer, which indicates that the killer is not a disbeliever, and praise be to Allah. Killing, whether in retaliation or aggression, is like other major sins under the will of Allah: if Allah wills, He forgives its perpetrator, and if He wills, He punishes him.
His saying, the Exalted:[An-Nisa 4:48] This includes killing; this is the correct view in this matter. Yes.
I read in books and hear from many shaykhs that the belief of the people of the Sunnah and the community is that monotheists, no matter how great or numerous their sins, will not remain in the Fire forever. How do we interpret this verse: “And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, to dwell therein, and the anger of Allah upon him and His curse, and He has prepared for him a great punishment”? Does this mean that the one who kills a soul becomes a disbeliever, or is this verse abrogated, or is it something else? We ask your honor to guide us. May Allah reward you with good and do you well.
Answer:
What you mentioned regarding the people of the Sunnah and the community, that a monotheist does not become a disbeliever due to sins less than shirk (associating partners with Allah) and does not remain in the Fire forever, is correct. This is the belief of the people of the Sunnah and the community: that a monotheist does not become a disbeliever due to sins, even if they are major sins less than shirk. Rather, he becomes an open sinner with deficient faith, exposed to the warning. If Allah wills, He will punish him; if He wills, He will forgive him. If he is punished in the Fire, he will not remain in it forever, but he will come out of it by the command of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) and His will, and he will enter Paradise by his tawhid (the oneness of Allah), his Islam, and his creed.
As for the verse
But whoever kills a believer intentionally - his recompense is Hell, wherein he will abide eternally, and Allah has become angry with him and has cursed him and has prepared for him a great punishment.
يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًا مُّتَعَمِّدًا فَجَزَاؤُهُ جَهَنَّمُ خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَغَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَلَعَنَهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُ عَذَابًا عَظِيمًاAllah the Exalted said:
Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاءُAnd if two factions among the believers should fight, then make settlement between the two
وَإِن طَائِفَتَانِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اقْتَتَلُوا فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَاThe believers are but brothers, so make settlement between your brothers
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْBut whoever overlooks from his brother anything, then there should be a suitable follow-up
فَمَنْ عُفِيَ لَهُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ شَيْءٌ فَاتِّبَاعٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِHis saying, the Exalted:
Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، ما معنى الآية﴿ومن يقتل مؤمنا متعمدا فجزاؤه جهنم خالدا فيها﴾وبين قول أهل السنة لا يخلد أصحاب الكبائر؟ — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.