What is the ruling on the people of the period of interruption? Is the father of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) among them? And what is the authenticity of the hadith: “My father and your father are in the Fire”?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you. This person asks: What is the ruling of the Shari'ah regarding the people of the period of interruption between 'Isa (peace be upon him) and Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? Is the father of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) among the people of the period of interruption? And what is the authenticity of the hadith ?
The Shaykh : The people of the period of interruption are those between the message of 'Isa ibn Maryam (peace and blessings be upon him) and Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). The people of the period of interruption are divided into two categories: a category about whom there is silence, and their affair is left to Allah; it is not for us to speak about them, but rather we say their affair is left to Allah the Exalted. And a category about whom the Sunnah has clarified their ruling, and it is not for us to deviate from what the Sunnah has brought. Among this is the story of the man. It is not for us to deviate from what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said. Whoever claims otherwise has fabricated a lie. Whoever claims otherwise has committed the greatest slander against the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), because if he claims that the father of the Messenger is not in the Fire, then what is he describing the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) with? With lying and undutifulness to parents. With lying, because he said [the father] is in the Fire. With lying, because he said [the father] is in the Fire, and with undutifulness to parents, because any person who describes his father as being in the Fire when he is not among the people of the Fire, what is he? He is undutiful to his parents. There is no wonder that the father of the best of mankind is in the Fire; there is no wonder in that. This is the father of the Imam of the uprights, Ibrahim, who is in the Fire. Is that not so? Good, because Azar, the father of Ibrahim, was a polytheist and said to his son while admonishing him: [Maryam 19:46] What? I will stone you to death. And when he sought forgiveness for his father, Allah the Exalted excused him by saying: [At-Tawbah 9:114]. And do not be surprised, for this is the son of Nuh; Nuh is among the resolute ones, the best of the messengers, and his son, meaning one of his sons, what was he? A disbeliever. So there is no wonder that the son of the Prophet is a disbeliever, or that the father of the Prophet is a disbeliever.
The questioner : Did the call reach them?
The Shaykh : So based on this, we say: The people of the period of interruption are divided into two categories: a category whose ruling has become clear from the Sunnah, and it is not for us to deviate from what the Sunnah has brought. Another category about whom we know nothing, and their affair is left to Allah[Al-Baqarah 2:134]. And the same is said regarding the mother of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). The mother of the Messenger died before the Messenger was sent, so she is among the people of the period of interruption. And . Allahu Akbar! Why? Why was he not permitted? [At-Tawbah 9:113]. But does he visit her grave to supplicate for her? Answer. This seems a bit light.
The questioner : No.
The Shaykh : The answer is no, because he was not permitted to seek forgiveness for her, but he was permitted [to visit] for the sake of taking a lesson. For this reason, the scholars said that it is permissible for a person to visit the grave of a disbeliever for the sake of taking a lesson. And what the scholars said is correct, on the condition that there is no fitnah. So if a man wanted to visit the grave of a caller to disbelief or a leader of disbelief for the sake of taking a lesson, we would say: do not do it, because this leads to harm. But if there is no harm and he wants to visit the grave of a disbeliever to take a lesson, then there is nothing wrong with it.
My father and your father are in the Fire
أبي وأبوك في النارThe Shaykh : The people of the period of interruption are those between the message of 'Isa ibn Maryam (peace and blessings be upon him) and Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). The people of the period of interruption are divided into two categories: a category about whom there is silence, and their affair is left to Allah; it is not for us to speak about them, but rather we say their affair is left to Allah the Exalted. And a category about whom the Sunnah has clarified their ruling, and it is not for us to deviate from what the Sunnah has brought. Among this is the story of the man
The one who said, “O Messenger of Allah, where is my father?” He said, “Your father is in the Fire.” So the man seemed affected, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said to him, “My father and your father are in the Fire.”
الذي قال يا رسول الله أين أبي؟ قال : أبوك في النار فكأن الرجل تأثر فقال له النبي صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم : أبي وأبوك في النارIf you do not desist
لئن لم تنتهI will stone you
لأرجمنكAnd the request of forgiveness of Abraham for his father was only because of a promise he had made to him. But when it became apparent to Abraham that his father was an enemy to Allah, he disassociated himself from him. Indeed was Abraham compassionate and patient.
وما كان استغفار إبراهيم لأبيه إلا عن موعدة وعدها إياه فلما تبين له أنه عدو لله تبرأ منه إن إبراهيم لأواه حليمThe questioner : Did the call reach them?
The Shaykh : So based on this, we say: The people of the period of interruption are divided into two categories: a category whose ruling has become clear from the Sunnah, and it is not for us to deviate from what the Sunnah has brought. Another category about whom we know nothing, and their affair is left to Allah
That was a nation which has passed on. It will have [the consequence of] what it earned, and you will have what you have earned
وتلك أمة قد خلت لها ما كسبت ولكم ما كسبتمThe Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) sought permission from Allah to seek forgiveness for her, but He did not permit him
استأذن النبي صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم من الله أن يستغفر لها فلم يأذن لهIt is not for the Prophet and those who have believed to ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even if they were relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are companions of Hellfire.
ما كان للنبي والذين آمنوا أن يستغفروا للمشركين ولو كانوا أولي قربى من بعد ما تبين لهم أنه أصحاب الجحيمThen he sought permission from Allah to visit her grave, and He permitted him to visit the grave
ثم استأذن الله أن يزور قبرها فأذن له أن يزور القبرThe questioner : No.
The Shaykh : The answer is no, because he was not permitted to seek forgiveness for her, but he was permitted [to visit] for the sake of taking a lesson. For this reason, the scholars said that it is permissible for a person to visit the grave of a disbeliever for the sake of taking a lesson. And what the scholars said is correct, on the condition that there is no fitnah. So if a man wanted to visit the grave of a caller to disbelief or a leader of disbelief for the sake of taking a lesson, we would say: do not do it, because this leads to harm. But if there is no harm and he wants to visit the grave of a disbeliever to take a lesson, then there is nothing wrong with it.