How do we reconcile the hadith: (Every child is born on the fitrah (the innate natural disposition)
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The Shaykh : How do we reconcile the hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 1385 to its end, with Qabil, the son of our master Adam, and his killing of his brother Habil, whose father was a prophet, and likewise the son of our master Noah (peace and blessings be upon him) to its end?
I do not know; the questioner seems not to have understood the meaning of the hadith "Every child is born on the fitrah (the innate natural disposition)," or if he did understand it in some way, it seems he understood it to mean that every child is born on the fitrah, reaches the age of accountability, becomes a man, and also dies on the fitrah. This is, of course, a very strange understanding. The intended meaning is that the child, when born, is born on the fitrah, and then his parents make him a Jew or a Christian or a Magian while he is not yet accountable and has not reached the age of accountability. But when he reaches the age of accountability, at that time he must use his intellect and understanding and choose good over evil, faith over disbelief, and guidance over misguidance. If this is the meaning of the hadith, what is the meaning of this objection? How was the son of our master Noah (peace be upon him) a disbeliever? It is because he reached the age of accountability and disbelieved in his father. Likewise, when Qabil killed his brother Habil, he killed him because he had reached the age of accountability, so he bore the sin of the killer and the sin of every killer after him, because it is the age of killing, as came in the authentic hadith. So there is no contradiction between these events and occurrences and the hadith, because the hadith does not mean that this child who was born on the fitrah remains on the fitrah; rather, he is generally influenced by the environment in which he lives until he reaches the age of accountability. When he reaches the age of accountability, he must plan for himself and choose the good over the bad.
The questioner : The intent of the question is: his parents make him a Jew or a Christian, our master Noah ... .
The Shaykh : I answered this by saying: his parents make him a Jew or a Christian or a Magian in the state of being before the age of accountability. So when he reaches the age of accountability, at that time he must plan for himself.
The questioner : ... He fulfilled his duty before accountability; he fulfilled his duty. It is possible that after accountability he changes his father's religion and directs him to
The Shaykh : How is this possible? Like the opposite: his father is a Jew and directed him to Judaism; is it not possible for him to turn to Islam?
The questioner : With the success of Allah, of course.
The Shaykh : Except after the success of Allah and His pleasure, is it possible for him to turn to Islam, or not?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : ... .
Every child is born with a true faith of Islam (i.e. to worship none but Allah Alone) and his parents
كل مولود يولد على الفطرة فأبواهI do not know; the questioner seems not to have understood the meaning of the hadith "Every child is born on the fitrah (the innate natural disposition)," or if he did understand it in some way, it seems he understood it to mean that every child is born on the fitrah, reaches the age of accountability, becomes a man, and also dies on the fitrah. This is, of course, a very strange understanding. The intended meaning is that the child, when born, is born on the fitrah, and then his parents make him a Jew or a Christian or a Magian while he is not yet accountable and has not reached the age of accountability. But when he reaches the age of accountability, at that time he must use his intellect and understanding and choose good over evil, faith over disbelief, and guidance over misguidance. If this is the meaning of the hadith, what is the meaning of this objection? How was the son of our master Noah (peace be upon him) a disbeliever? It is because he reached the age of accountability and disbelieved in his father. Likewise, when Qabil killed his brother Habil, he killed him because he had reached the age of accountability, so he bore the sin of the killer and the sin of every killer after him, because it is the age of killing, as came in the authentic hadith. So there is no contradiction between these events and occurrences and the hadith, because the hadith does not mean that this child who was born on the fitrah remains on the fitrah; rather, he is generally influenced by the environment in which he lives until he reaches the age of accountability. When he reaches the age of accountability, he must plan for himself and choose the good over the bad.
The questioner : The intent of the question is: his parents make him a Jew or a Christian, our master Noah ... .
The Shaykh : I answered this by saying: his parents make him a Jew or a Christian or a Magian in the state of being before the age of accountability. So when he reaches the age of accountability, at that time he must plan for himself.
The questioner : ... He fulfilled his duty before accountability; he fulfilled his duty. It is possible that after accountability he changes his father's religion and directs him to
The Shaykh : How is this possible? Like the opposite: his father is a Jew and directed him to Judaism; is it not possible for him to turn to Islam?
The questioner : With the success of Allah, of course.
The Shaykh : Except after the success of Allah and His pleasure, is it possible for him to turn to Islam, or not?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : ... .