The ruling on testifying that a disbeliever is among the people of the Fire
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His Eminence the Shaykh: You mentioned that one who dies upon disbelief and has never said on any day: "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah," is a disbeliever, but we do not testify that he is eternally in the Fire. Does this pose a difficulty for us?
It does not pose a difficulty for you, may Allah bless you! Aisha asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about Abdullah ibn Jad'an; he used to feed people, honor guests, and do this and that of good deeds. Does that benefit him in the Hereafter?So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: It does not benefit him.
And likewise, the two men who came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him: that their mother used to maintain family ties, honor guests, and do this and that. Does that benefit her?He said: No.
So, doing good does not benefit the disbeliever in the Hereafter. Rather, if Allah (Mighty and Majestic) wills to benefit him with his good deeds, He gives him its reward in this world. As for the Hereafter, the disbelievers have no share in it.
As for testifying to disbelief, in this world we testify that this disbeliever who declares his disbelief and takes pride in it is a disbeliever, and we testify that he died upon disbelief, unless it becomes apparent to us that he repented. But we do not testify that he is in the Fire; because this is a matter of the unseen. He may have believed in the last moment, we do not know. But if we do not testify to it, does that benefit him and prevent him from the Fire? It does not benefit him. If he is in the Fire, he is in the Fire, whether we testify or not.So there is no benefit in saying: He is in the Fire or he is not in the Fire. We only judge according to the rulings of this world that he is a disbeliever, even if it is said: that he does good, and that he does this and that. This does not benefit him, especially if he does it in the name of a religion other than Islam.So you find, for example: He does good to people and the cross is hanging on his chest. What does this mean? Is he doing good in order to call people to Christianity and say: this is the practice of the Christians, or is he doing good for the sake of Allah? The apparent situation is the former, and that in this good deed he intends to deify the Christians.So praise be to Allah, if we say: He died upon disbelief. We do not send mercy upon him, nor do we ask Allah for his forgiveness. That is sufficient.As for saying: Whether he is in the Fire or not in the Fire, no.And for this reason, it is from the way of the people of the Sunnah and the community: They do not testify for a specific person to Paradise or the Fire, except for those whom the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) testified for.
Now, for example: We testify that every believer is in Paradise, is that not so? Yes. But can we testify for so-and-so who died upon Islam, knowing that he died, perhaps while praying,Do we say: that he is in Paradise? No, but we hope that he is among the people of Paradise.
But a person who died upon disbelief, we testify that he is a disbeliever, but we do not testify that he is in the Fire. And what does our testimony or lack of testimony for him benefit? If he is in the Fire, he is in the Fire, whether we testify or not.
The questioner: If we precede Allah in testifying for this man who died upon disbelief, does that mean he should repent to Allah and seek forgiveness from Allah?
The Shaykh: Perhaps in the last moment, we do not know.We do not know in any case: What is the benefit now, I mean: why do we insist on saying: this man is in the Fire? There is no need for it.
The questioner: O Shaykh! What is the athar that was reported: if you pass by the grave of a disbeliever?Answer: This is specific to the people of the period of ignorance from Quraysh; because the people of the period of ignorance from Quraysh, even if their fathers may not have been warned before, as Allah the Exalted said: [Surah al-Qasas: 46] But the Messenger testified that they are among the people of the Fire.
It does not pose a difficulty for you, may Allah bless you! Aisha asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about Abdullah ibn Jad'an; he used to feed people, honor guests, and do this and that of good deeds. Does that benefit him in the Hereafter?So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: It does not benefit him.
And likewise, the two men who came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him: that their mother used to maintain family ties, honor guests, and do this and that. Does that benefit her?He said: No.
So, doing good does not benefit the disbeliever in the Hereafter. Rather, if Allah (Mighty and Majestic) wills to benefit him with his good deeds, He gives him its reward in this world. As for the Hereafter, the disbelievers have no share in it.
As for testifying to disbelief, in this world we testify that this disbeliever who declares his disbelief and takes pride in it is a disbeliever, and we testify that he died upon disbelief, unless it becomes apparent to us that he repented. But we do not testify that he is in the Fire; because this is a matter of the unseen. He may have believed in the last moment, we do not know. But if we do not testify to it, does that benefit him and prevent him from the Fire? It does not benefit him. If he is in the Fire, he is in the Fire, whether we testify or not.So there is no benefit in saying: He is in the Fire or he is not in the Fire. We only judge according to the rulings of this world that he is a disbeliever, even if it is said: that he does good, and that he does this and that. This does not benefit him, especially if he does it in the name of a religion other than Islam.So you find, for example: He does good to people and the cross is hanging on his chest. What does this mean? Is he doing good in order to call people to Christianity and say: this is the practice of the Christians, or is he doing good for the sake of Allah? The apparent situation is the former, and that in this good deed he intends to deify the Christians.So praise be to Allah, if we say: He died upon disbelief. We do not send mercy upon him, nor do we ask Allah for his forgiveness. That is sufficient.As for saying: Whether he is in the Fire or not in the Fire, no.And for this reason, it is from the way of the people of the Sunnah and the community: They do not testify for a specific person to Paradise or the Fire, except for those whom the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) testified for.
Now, for example: We testify that every believer is in Paradise, is that not so? Yes. But can we testify for so-and-so who died upon Islam, knowing that he died, perhaps while praying,Do we say: that he is in Paradise? No, but we hope that he is among the people of Paradise.
But a person who died upon disbelief, we testify that he is a disbeliever, but we do not testify that he is in the Fire. And what does our testimony or lack of testimony for him benefit? If he is in the Fire, he is in the Fire, whether we testify or not.
The questioner: If we precede Allah in testifying for this man who died upon disbelief, does that mean he should repent to Allah and seek forgiveness from Allah?
The Shaykh: Perhaps in the last moment, we do not know.We do not know in any case: What is the benefit now, I mean: why do we insist on saying: this man is in the Fire? There is no need for it.
The questioner: O Shaykh! What is the athar that was reported: if you pass by the grave of a disbeliever?Answer: This is specific to the people of the period of ignorance from Quraysh; because the people of the period of ignorance from Quraysh, even if their fathers may not have been warned before, as Allah the Exalted said: