The Wisdom Behind the Trial of Children and Their Fate in the Hereafter
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Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz! The first message in this episode is one that reached the program from Sulaymaniyah in Iraq, sent by our brother: Samir Muhammad Husayn.
Our brother says: People often talk about children, about their illnesses, and about their disabilities, and also about their fate in the Hereafter. What does Your Eminence the Shaykh say to correct the belief of some who err and say: "Children have no sin, so how do they get sick, and how do they suffer from disabilities, and what is their fate in the Hereafter?"
Answer: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance.
As for what follows: Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has informed us of Himself that He is Wise and All-Knowing, and that He, Exalted and Majestic, tests His servants with ease and hardship, and with evil and good. He tests their excellence and He tests their gratitude. Although children have no sin upon them, Allah tests them with what He wills for a profound wisdom. Among this wisdom is testing the patience of their fathers, mothers, and relatives, and testing their gratitude. It is also so that people know that He, Exalted and Majestic, is Wise and All-Knowing, and that He deals with His servants as He wills. No one can prevent Him from executing what He wills, Blessed and Exalted is He, whether in the young or the old, in animals or humans. In the illnesses and disabilities that befall them, there is a profound wisdom from Allah, through which people know His power over everything, and that He tests in ease and hardship. This is so that the one who is granted healthy children knows the excellence of Allah's blessing upon him, and so that the one who is tested with children afflicted by illnesses will be patient and seek reward, thereby attaining great reward and great virtue for his patience and seeking reward, and for his faith in the divine decree and destiny of Allah and His wisdom. As for their fate in the Hereafter, they follow their families. The children of the Muslims are in Paradise with their families. The people of the Sunnah and the community have agreed upon this. Imam Ahmad and others have narrated the consensus of the people of the Sunnah and the community that the children of the Muslims are in Paradise.
As for the children of the disbelievers, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about them, and it was said to him: The scholars said: Its meaning is that they will be tested on the Day of Resurrection until... Allah's knowledge of them on the Day of Resurrection is revealed. They are of the same kind as the people of the intervals (fatra) to whom the messengers did not come and to whom the messengers did not reach, and those similar to them to whom no messenger reached. They will be tested and examined on the Day of Resurrection with commands directed to them. If they respond, they will enter Paradise, and if they disobey, they will enter the Fire. This is established in authentic hadiths from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Thus, Allah's knowledge of them is revealed, and they will be according to what is revealed of Allah's knowledge of them. If they obey, they will enter Paradise, and if they disobey, they will enter the Fire. This is the relied-upon position regarding them, and this is the correct opinion regarding them.
A group of scholars said: They will be in Paradise because they have no sin upon them, so they will be in Paradise like the children of the Muslims. However, this is the weaker opinion, and the correct one is that they will be tested and examined on the Day of Resurrection. This is because Allah, Blessed and Exalted, said: [Surah al-Isra: 15]. He does not punish except for the disobedience of the one punished, or the disbelief of the one punished. Children have neither disobedience nor disbelief. Therefore, they will be tested on the Day of Resurrection, just as those to whom the call of the messengers did not reach are tested. They will be tested on the Day of Resurrection with what is revealed of Allah's command regarding them, whether obedience or disobedience. And success is from Allah.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Our brother says: People often talk about children, about their illnesses, and about their disabilities, and also about their fate in the Hereafter. What does Your Eminence the Shaykh say to correct the belief of some who err and say: "Children have no sin, so how do they get sick, and how do they suffer from disabilities, and what is their fate in the Hereafter?"
Answer: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance.
As for what follows: Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has informed us of Himself that He is Wise and All-Knowing, and that He, Exalted and Majestic, tests His servants with ease and hardship, and with evil and good. He tests their excellence and He tests their gratitude. Although children have no sin upon them, Allah tests them with what He wills for a profound wisdom. Among this wisdom is testing the patience of their fathers, mothers, and relatives, and testing their gratitude. It is also so that people know that He, Exalted and Majestic, is Wise and All-Knowing, and that He deals with His servants as He wills. No one can prevent Him from executing what He wills, Blessed and Exalted is He, whether in the young or the old, in animals or humans. In the illnesses and disabilities that befall them, there is a profound wisdom from Allah, through which people know His power over everything, and that He tests in ease and hardship. This is so that the one who is granted healthy children knows the excellence of Allah's blessing upon him, and so that the one who is tested with children afflicted by illnesses will be patient and seek reward, thereby attaining great reward and great virtue for his patience and seeking reward, and for his faith in the divine decree and destiny of Allah and His wisdom. As for their fate in the Hereafter, they follow their families. The children of the Muslims are in Paradise with their families. The people of the Sunnah and the community have agreed upon this. Imam Ahmad and others have narrated the consensus of the people of the Sunnah and the community that the children of the Muslims are in Paradise.
As for the children of the disbelievers, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about them, and it was said to him:
O Messenger of Allah! What do you say about the children of the polytheists? He said: Allah knows best what they were doing.
يا رسول الله! ما ترى في أولاد المشركين؟ قال: الله أعلم بما كانوا عاملينA group of scholars said: They will be in Paradise because they have no sin upon them, so they will be in Paradise like the children of the Muslims. However, this is the weaker opinion, and the correct one is that they will be tested and examined on the Day of Resurrection. This is because Allah, Blessed and Exalted, said:
And never would We punish until We sent a messenger.
وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولًاThe presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.