Interjection from Abu Malik.

Abu Malik: ... But I would like to add a comment on the question of our brother Abu Abd al-Rahman. He said that, first, the punishment that befalls those sinners who entered the Fire—there, of course, the punishment varies in degrees—and we do not know how long the last one to come out of the Fire will remain in the punishment. I mean, first, this punishment that touched those people may remain or extend for a very long time, unknown... because Allah (Mighty and Majestic) did not specify the time for us, nor did the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) specify the times in which those coming out of the Fire vary, absolutely not. Therefore, do not those who tasted the touch of the Fire, may Allah protect us, and who are the last of the believers to come out of the Fire, is that punishment not sufficient for them? First, we ask Allah for well-being. Do we say that the eternalization of these people in the Fire is what we hope for them, or do we hope for those who say "There is no god but Allah" what we do not hope for those who say the testimony? And the testimony, as our Shaykh indicated, is sufficient in that it is, as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said, This is one point. As for the second issue, our Shaykh also referred to this issue, but I say, even in a different form or in other words, that the one who never did any good, meaning he did not do any righteous deed other than "There is no god but Allah"—"There is no god but Allah" is the deed that benefited him, and it is the statement that... because it is a tongue that moves with it, so it is a deed, and a heart that believes in it, so it is also a deed. But the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) meant that he did not do any good at all, meaning from the deeds that the other believers used to do, as our Shaykh said, which are the implications of their faith. This is a very important issue, in fact. And we Muslims, of course, should not be negligent, because every Muslim is exposed, may Allah protect us, to the possibility that if his affair turns bad in the beginning of his life, in the middle, or at the end, that nothing remains for him except what he says or this word he says, "There is no god but Allah." So how can we be satisfied with equating the one who says "There is no god but Allah" with the one who says something else, or the one who denies its truth, or the one who denies...?