Reconciling: “My father and your father are in the Fire” with the ruling on the people of the period of ignorance

Our brother Muhammad 'Abd al-Hakim also asks and says: Allah the Exalted said in His noble Book: [Al-Isra: 15], and it has been reported in some hadiths that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) informed that his parents are in the Fire. The question is: Were they not from the people of the period of ignorance, and is the Qur'an not explicit that they are saved? Please inform us, may Allah reward you?
Answer: Regarding the people of the period of ignorance, there is nothing in the Qur'an indicating that they are saved or destroyed. Rather, Allah the Glorious and Exalted said: [Al-Isra: 15]. So, out of the perfection of His justice, Allah the Glorious and Exalted does not punish anyone except after the sending of a Messenger. Therefore, whoever the call did not reach is not punished until the proof is established against him. He, Exalted is He, informed that He does not punish them except after the establishment of the proof. And the proof may be established against them until the Day of Resurrection, as came in the Sunnah that the proof is established against the people of the periods of ignorance and they are tested on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever responds and obeys is saved, and whoever disobeys enters the Fire. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: to a man who asked him about his father, saying: . When he saw the change in his face, he said: so that he might be consoled by it and know that it is not specific to his father. Perhaps the proof reached these two, perhaps the proof reached the man's father and the Prophet's father (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he said: , he only said it with knowledge, peace and blessings be upon him. He does not speak from desire. Allah, Exalted is He, said: مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمْ وَمَا غَوَى ۝ وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَى [Al-Najm: 1-3]. And he only said that with knowledge from Allah . So, if the proof had not been established against 'Abdullah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, the father of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the Prophet would not have said about him what he said, peace and blessings be upon him. Perhaps he was reached by what necessitates the proof against him from the religion of Ibrahim (peace be upon him); for they were upon the religion of Ibrahim until 'Amr ibn Lu'ay al-Khuza'i introduced what he introduced, and what 'Amr introduced of spreading idols and calling upon them besides Allah spread among the people. Perhaps 'Abdullah was reached by what indicates that this is false and that what the Quraysh were upon of worshipping idols is false, so he followed them; therefore, the proof was established against him.
And so it is with what came in the hadith that he (peace and blessings be upon him) sought permission to seek forgiveness for his mother, but it was not permitted for him. So he sought permission to visit her, and it was permitted for him. The fact that it was not permitted for him to seek forgiveness for his mother is from this category; perhaps because what establishes the proof against her was reached to her, or because the people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance are treated as disbelievers in the rulings of this world, so they are not called upon and forgiveness is not sought for them; because they are in the appearance of disbelief, their appearance is with the disbelievers, so they are treated as disbelievers, and their affair is with Allah in the Hereafter. So, whoever the proof was not established against in this world is not punished until he is tested on the Day of Resurrection; because Allah, Exalted is He, said: [Al-Isra: 15]. So, if it is known that people were in a period where the call of a Prophet did not reach them, they are tested on the Day of Resurrection. If they respond, they go to Paradise, and if they disobey, they go to the Fire. And so it is with the old man who the call did not reach, the insane who the call did not reach, and their like, and children are tested – the children of disbelievers, according to the correct view; because when the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about them, he said: . So the children of disbelievers are tested on the Day of Resurrection like the people of the period of ignorance. If they respond with a correct response, they are saved, otherwise they are with the destroyed. So, praise be to Allah, regarding the parents of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), there is no difficulty in that for one who knows the Sunnah and the principle of the Shari'ah.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.