What is the ruling on a Muslim who dies while in a state of disobedience?
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Question:
If signs of a bad ending appear on a Muslim person—such as singing—while the soul is departing, does this mean eternal abode in the Fire?
Answer:
Disobedience does not indicate a bad ending; it indicates a deficiency and weakness in faith. This is because faith increases and decreases, as previously mentioned. Therefore, singing and disobedience decrease faith. As the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 35b Faith has many branches, "seventy-odd branches," meaning parts. So prayer is a branch, fasting is a branch, Hajj is a branch, jihad is a branch, dutifulness to parents is a branch, enjoining good is a branch, and forbidding evil is a branch, and so on.
So if he dies while listening to singing or singing, this is a deficiency in faith, indicating weakness in faith. It does not indicate that he is a disbeliever; he does not become a disbeliever. He becomes one with weak faith and deficient faith, if he is a Muslim who affirms the oneness of Allah. He is under the will of Allah: if Allah wills, He will forgive him and pardon him, and if He wills, He will punish him according to the magnitude of the disobedience with which he died. As Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Nisa: 48]. So all disobedience other than associating partners with Allah is under the will of Allah. If he commits unlawful sexual intercourse, his faith decreases; if he steals, his faith weakens; if he lies, his faith decreases; if he backbites, his faith decreases; if he deals in usury or interest, his faith decreases and weakens. If he repents, his faith increases and returns to him, if he repents from these disobediences. If he dies while in a state of any of them, he becomes under the will of Allah, and he dies with deficient faith, but with the oneness of Allah and with Islam. He is under the will of Allah: if Allah wills, He will pardon him, and if He wills, He will punish him according to the magnitude of the disobedience with which he died. Then, after he is purified in the Fire and refined, Allah will take him out of the Fire into Paradise.
No one abides in the Fire eternally except the disbelievers. The disobedient Muslim does not abide in the Fire; eternal abode is for the disbelievers. He may abide for a temporary period that has an end, due to his many disobediences, such as the one who commits unlawful sexual intercourse and the killer. He may abide for a period that has an end, but the abode of the disbelievers has no end, but rather forever and ever. We seek refuge in Allah, and we ask Allah for well-being.
Q: As the scholars say: "Disobedience is the messenger of disbelief"?
The Shaykh: It is one of the causes of disbelief. That is, just as illness is the messenger of death, and disobedience is the messenger of disbelief, but it is not disbelief itself. One who dies in a state of disobedience is under the will of Allah, contrary to the Khawarij and the Mu'tazilah.
If signs of a bad ending appear on a Muslim person—such as singing—while the soul is departing, does this mean eternal abode in the Fire?
Answer:
Disobedience does not indicate a bad ending; it indicates a deficiency and weakness in faith. This is because faith increases and decreases, as previously mentioned. Therefore, singing and disobedience decrease faith. As the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Faith has over seventy branches or over sixty branches, the most excellent of which is the declaration that there is no god but Allah, and the humblest of which is the, removal of what is injurious from the path: and modesty is a branch of faith.
الإيمان بضعٌ وسبعون شعبة، فأفضلها قول: لا إله إلا الله، وأدناها إماطة الأذى عن الطريق، والحياء شعبةٌ من الإيمانSo if he dies while listening to singing or singing, this is a deficiency in faith, indicating weakness in faith. It does not indicate that he is a disbeliever; he does not become a disbeliever. He becomes one with weak faith and deficient faith, if he is a Muslim who affirms the oneness of Allah. He is under the will of Allah: if Allah wills, He will forgive him and pardon him, and if He wills, He will punish him according to the magnitude of the disobedience with which he died. As Allah the Exalted said:
Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُNo one abides in the Fire eternally except the disbelievers. The disobedient Muslim does not abide in the Fire; eternal abode is for the disbelievers. He may abide for a temporary period that has an end, due to his many disobediences, such as the one who commits unlawful sexual intercourse and the killer. He may abide for a period that has an end, but the abode of the disbelievers has no end, but rather forever and ever. We seek refuge in Allah, and we ask Allah for well-being.
Q: As the scholars say: "Disobedience is the messenger of disbelief"?
The Shaykh: It is one of the causes of disbelief. That is, just as illness is the messenger of death, and disobedience is the messenger of disbelief, but it is not disbelief itself. One who dies in a state of disobedience is under the will of Allah, contrary to the Khawarij and the Mu'tazilah.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.