Muslim Opinion - Are Jews and Christians Hell-Bound?

Muslim Opinion – Are Jews and Christians Hell-Bound? Jeremy G Boulter 1 © Jeremy G Boulter, 2020 Ben Royston Publications ABSTRACT The Majority opinion of Muslim Scholars is that, indeed, Christians and Jews who adhere to their religious law and method will dwell in Hell if they fail to embrace Islam before they die. There are conditions to this overall disaster for non-Muslims. First, they must know that Prophet Muhammad presented himself as the Messenger of Allah. Second, they must know his overall message. Third, they must be aware that the Quran is revealed. Finally, despite knowing all these things, they must reject them and disbelieve in them. But what if they believe that Muhammed is a Prophet, a Messenger of Allah and taught from revelation? The scholars still assert that, unless they abandon their religion and adhere to the Prophet’s teaching, that is, accept Islam, they will still be heading for disaster. This paper presents the case of the Muslim Scholars but also critically examines some of their assumptions. It presents the case that every religion has a Law and Method which Allah sent down to them. If they adhere to that without distorting what was sent down, and acknowledge Muhammad as a Prophet and Messenger to Muslims, and the authority the Quran has over their scriptures in deciding cross-religious judgement, then there is no reason, according to the Quran, that Allah will let His displeasure cause them fear or grief in the hereafter. Rather, they would be judged as He judges the Hanif, land like the People of Fatrah. 2 Contents ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................ 1 Contents .............................................................................................................. 2 Dying Before Hearing the Call to Islam ........................................................ 3 Dissent ................................................................................................................ 4 The People of the Book - Their Law; Their Method .................................... 5 The Question ...................................................................................................... 5 The Muslim Majority Opinion ........................................................................ 5 Jews & Christians are Hell-bound. ............................................................. 5 A Critical Look at the Prevalent Muslim Opinion ....................................... 8 To Have no Fear and to Avoid Grieving ..................................................... 11 The Message with Which I was Sent ........................................................... 15 The Alternative ................................................................................................ 18 Linguistic Analysis of the Hadith ................................................................ 19 Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 20 References and Sources .................................................................................. 22 3 Dying Before Hearing the Call to Islam Allah, The Merciful, would not punish anyone who did not receive His message through the Messengers. Allah tells us in His book, “Whoever is guided is only guided for [the benefit of] his soul. And whoever errs only errs against it. And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. And never would We punish until We sent a messenger.” [Quran 17:15] There are numerous verses that have the same meaning. They all indicate that Allah would not admit anyone into Hell until He has sent him a Messenger. Allah The Almighty would never torture anyone unless He had sent him a Messenger to guide him to the right path, forbid him from deviation and inform him of Islam and its Shariah. This applies to the time of the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬as well as after him. Anyone who has not heard the message of the Prophet, (‫)ﷺ‬, regardless of where he lives, would have the same ruling of the People of Fatrah (those who did not receive the message). It was mentioned in a Hadith that such people will be tested on the Day of Judgment itself. The Prophet, (‫)ﷺ‬, mentioned that four people would be excused on the Day of Judgment: the deaf, the insane, the senile and a person from the People of Fatrah. They will argue that they did not believe because they were not sent any Messengers. 4 They will be told to pledge obedience to Allah The Almighty and He will then order them to enter the Fire; if they obey Him, that fire will be cool and peaceful for them. [Musnad Ahmad] Once anyone has been informed, however, he or she would then not be able to plead ignorance. Once they hear the message of the Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬, and choose not believe in it, they will have no excuse. It was narrated that the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬swore by Allah The Almighty that any Jew or Christian from among his Ummah who knew about his message and did not believe, and died in disbelief, will be among the dwellers of Hell. [Sahih Muslim] [Islam Web] Dissent Let us note the test: Obedience to Allah after swearing fealty to Him. People swore fealty to Allah before our Prophet. The Quran calls the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) the archetypal Hanif Muslim. And strive for Allah with the striving due to Him. He has chosen you and has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty. [It is] the religion of your father, Abraham. Allah named you ‘Muslims’ in antiquity and in the present that the Messenger may be a witness over you, and you may be witnesses over mankind. So, establish prayer and give the poor-due Charity and hold fast to Allah. He is your Protector; and excellent is the Protector, and excellent is the Helper. [Quran 22:78] So if you strive for Allah with due striving, should you have never met the Prophet or been part of his community, even though you heard of him, what would happen? Would you be bound for Hell? 5 The People of the Book - Their Law; Their Method Someone wrote into Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid at Islam Q&A, a Hanbali source of Islamic advice, asking about Jews and Christians and their status with Allah if they adhere to their own religion. The Question Question: If today there is a Jew or a Christian who believes in Allah and that he has no partner. He also believes in the prophethood of the Messenger of Allah. However, he chooses not to rule by the Quran even though he accepts it as being from Allah. Rather, he deems it permissible to rule by the original Torah. Is he a Muslim? May Allah Reward you with Good. The Muslim Majority Opinion The Answer he gave can be found at Islam Q&A, I am reproducing its salient points below. Shaykh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid chose not to give advice from himself but referred the question to his Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahman alBarrak. The salient points, below, are from his answer Praise be to Allah. Among the basic principles of faith are Belief in all the Books that have been revealed from Allah, and belief in all the Messengers. 6 These two principles include belief in the noblest of Books, which is the Quran, and the best of the Messengers, namely Muhammad (‫)ﷺ‬, the Seal of the Messengers and the Messenger of Allah to all of mankind from the time when Allah sent him until the time when the Hour will begin. Every person from every nation must believe in him and follow him and rule by his Shariah (laws). So, whoever claims to believe in him and in the Quran but does not rule according to it or follow him in everything that he brought and believe everything he told us, is not a Muslim or a believer. If he dies like this, then he will be one of the people of Hell. If he claims to believe in Allah Alone, with no partner or associate, and in all the Messengers, then belief in the Messenger (‫ )ﷺ‬and in the Quran does not only mean believing that they are true without following them and ruling according to what they say. Here, the Shaykh gave examples of pagans and Jews believing in the Messenger (‫)ﷺ‬, particularly his uncle and sponsor Abu Talib, and then not following him. It did not save him from the hell fire when he chose to stay on the religion of his forefathers. He claimed the same was true about the Christians and Jews from his community who refused to follow him, and even those he contacted. He argues that, as they were disbelievers, Allah made their blood and their wealth permissible for His Messenger (‫)ﷺ‬. Thus, he fought them, 7 and Allah caused him to prevail over them, and so His religion prevailed over all other religions. He then quoted the Quran, “It is He Who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, to make it superior over all religions, even though the polytheists hate (it).” [Quran, 9:33] Developing his argument, he says that every Jew and Christian has to enter the religion of Islam as revealed to His Prophet Muhammad (‫)ﷺ‬ because the Message he taught is the final Message, abrogating all previous religions. His proof is the Quran, which says, “And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him” [Quran, 3:85] He then quotes the hadith this article is the subject of, in which Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬said: “By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, there is no one among this ummah, Jew or Christian, who hears of me than dies without believing in that with which I have been sent, but he will be one of the people of Hellfire.” [Sahih Muslim, 218]. He concludes that the religion of any Jew or Christian will not be correct unless he believes in the Shariah of Islam and adheres to the rulings of the Holy Quran. To clinch the argument, he refers to Quran 5:48. The Quran is Muhaymin (i.e., it testifies to the truth that is in the previous scriptures and exposes the falsehood that has been added to them) and abrogates the previous 8 Books. The Torah and Gospel have therefore been abrogated because they have been changed and altered. And Allah knows best. Source: Islam Q&A - Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid A Critical Look at the Prevalent Muslim Opinion In my opinion, there are multiple issues with this reply. The statement, “Every person from every nation must believe in him and follow him and rule by his Shariah (laws)” contradicts the Quran, which says: “For each of you, We have assigned a law [shir’ah] and a method [minhaj]. Had Allah willed, He would have made you a single community, but He tests you through what He has given you.” The problem for me is that, if I deny what the Shaykh has said and avow that some People of the Book who do follow their own shir’ah and minhaj while adhering to the core message of the Quran are believers, then I will be labelled a kaffer myself by rigid Muslim puritans. I would rather not make label such people as disbelievers and leave their status to Allah. Secondly, the word ‘muhaymin’ does not mean ‘abrogating’, or even ‘superseding’, but means ‘dominating’, ‘guarding’ or ‘having authority over.’ Thirdly, his examples are from the Jews in Madinah and pagans in Makkah, who heard him (‫ )ﷺ‬directly and rejected what he preached and died upon that rejection. This does not include people from the nations of the globe. 9 Fourthly, the statement that “belief in the Messenger and in the Quran does not only mean believing that they are true without following them and ruling according to what they say.” This is contradicted by events recorded in Histories and Sahih books of Hadith. King Negus of Abyssinia was given the funeral rites of a Muslim even though he was Christian. [Sahih Muslim] and, according to the historian, Ibn Ishaq, a Rabbi Mukhayriq from the Tha’labah tribe of Jews fought with the prophet and died in Jihad during the Battle of Uhud. He was buried with the other martyrs.[The Story of Mukhayriq] Perhaps the verse, “And there are, certainly, among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), those who believe in Allah and in that which has been revealed to you, and in that which has been revealed to them, humbling themselves before Allah” [Quran 3:199] describes them. “They do not sell the Verses of Allah for a little price, for them is a reward with their Lord. Surely, Allah is Swift in account.” [3:199] Fifthly, if it is true that ruling by the Torah or Gospel is forbidden to them and us, this imputes wrongdoing by the Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬, himself, on one occasion, and by the Sahaba he (‫ )ﷺ‬delegated on another. The books of hadith report the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬ruling by what was in the Torah in an adultery case the Jews brought before him, [Sahih Bukhari] and allowing a companion, Sa’ad ibn Mu’adh, to rule the fate of the Banu 10 Qurayzah, an entire Jewish Tribe [Sahih Bukhari], by the Torah’s codes of war. Fourthly, he quotes, And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, [Quran 3:85] without its context. The verse before it says, "We have believed in Allah and in what was revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Descendants, and in what was given to Moses and Jesus and to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [submitting] to Him." [Quran, 3:84] In this first instance, being Muslim is possible before hearing the message of Muhammad (‫)ﷺ‬, because all the prophets brought the same message. My favourite verse in the Quran has Christians or Jews saying, when they hear the Quran recited, “We have believed in it; indeed, it is the truth from our Lord. Indeed, even before [hearing] it, we were Muslims [submitting to Allah]." [Quran, 28:5] Furthermore, Allah indicates approval of the worship of Jews and Christians, as well as Muslims, in the Quran and jihad waged on their behalf: “Permission [to fight] has been given to those who are being fought, because they were wronged. And indeed, Allah is competent to give them victory. those who have been evicted from their homes without right - only because they say, "Our Lord is Allah." And were it not that Allah checks the people, some by means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, 11 churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of Allah is much mentioned. And Allah will surely support those who support Him. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might.” [Quran 22:39-40] The verse after it says, How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their belief and had witnessed that the Messenger is true and clear signs had come to them? And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.” [Quran, 3:86] Surely this can be said to apply specifically to those who actually heard and saw the Messenger (‫)ﷺ‬. Finally, the verse that some say this verse [Quran, 3:85] abrogated [IslamQA] in Quran, 2:62, says, “Verily! Those who believe and those who are Jews and Christians, and Sabaeans, whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and do righteous good deeds shall have their reward with their Lord, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.” If it is abrogated, why is it still in the Quran? And why is the mythical stoning verse of the Quran not abrogated but cannot be found anywhere therein? Again, my own personal opinion hinges on what is being a Muslim as the Quran specifies. To Have no Fear and to Avoid Grieving Below is an argument that allows for Christians and Jews who follow and adhere to what their prophets told them and rule by their Law and Method among themselves, to enter Paradise on condition that they do not associate partners with Allah and the acknowledge Mohammad (‫)ﷺ‬ as a prophet and the authority of the Quran over their own scriptures. 12 The Quran, after the unlocking, states that: “This is the Book wherein there is no doubt, and [in it is] guidance…” In order to be guided, a believer must not doubt the Quran. If he or she does not doubt the Quran, he or she will be guided by it (to true faith). “for those conscious of Allah;” True faith means God consciousness: Full awareness of Allah means knowing He sees you even though you do not see Him and tuning your speech and actions with that in mind and heart. Later, we will look at verses that amplify this meaning. “Who believe in the unseen,” This means all those things that Allah attests to and warns us of, such as the angels (that do His bidding) and the Jinn (who seek to subvert human beings). “And establish prayer,” This means making the habit to regular worship the One God for oneself and one’s wards – from your family (in your home) - to your subjects (in your kingdom). “and spend out of what We have provided for them,” This means to spend, without wasting it, from your wealth in charity on those needing support in society. “And who believe in what has been revealed to you,” Meaning, the Quran. “and what was revealed before you,” Meaning, principally, The Torah and Gospel. 13 “and of the Hereafter they are certain” The Hereafter means the resurrection after death, the Judgment (of God), the reward of Paradise and the punishment in the Fire (which are God’s to decree). Just as the largest and deepest chapter of the Quran begins, so does it end: “The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord,” The one (‫ )ﷺ‬whom Allah sent with His message is profoundly sincere in its propagation. “and [so have] the believers.” Those who accept him are equally sincere in their belief. “All of them have believed” That is, all the messengers of Allah and all who truly accepted their messengers. 1. in Allah This is the foundation: belief in the Only One worthy of your worship – Your Creator, Your Provider, Your Lord, Your Guide, Your Tester, Your Forgiver, 2. and His angels The Angels are unseen entities who do Allah’s bidding and convey His Word to human beings imparting everyone’s soul and informing Allah’s human warners. 3. and His books 14 These are the main sources of God’s Decrees and Warnings which provide a guide to human beings concerning the living of their life, a law by which they are governed and their prescribed belief system 4. and His messengers, They believe human beings are charged with implementing His books by Him. 5. "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." That is, they believe all the messengers came with the same message distinguishing right from wrong, conveying the message from the same Singular God. 6. And they say, "We hear, and we obey. Believers acknowledge the authority and Lordship of Allah and submit themselves to His Rule and Judgment through His messengers, whose roles are to administer His rule. 7. We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, By submitting themselves to Allah’s Rule and Judgement (through His Messengers) believers expect to be forgiven for their shortcomings. 8. and to You is the [final] destination." And they believe in the Resurrection, the Judgment and the Reward and Punishment in the Afterlife sourced in the Singular God. 15 The Message with Which I was Sent Is the message that Allah has sent with His messengers summarized anywhere in the Quran? In the first half of the Unlocking Allah summarises what He wants us to be aware of: 1. ‘In the name of Allah’ Everything we do must be done while God conscious, invoking His Name for a blessed outcome 2. ‘The Globally Merciful and Particularly Merciful’ One should expect the best from Allah in sustenance and forgiveness. 3. ‘All Praise be to Allah’ All laudatory worship and gratefulness should be directed at Allah 4. ‘Lord of the Worlds’ Know that Allah has dominion over every level of existence. 5. ‘The Globally Merciful and Particularly Merciful’ One should expect the best from Allah in sustenance and forgiveness. 6. King and Owner The Qualities of Mercy are the dominant characteristic of our Sovereign God and Master. 7. of the Promised Day (that all debts are paid) Allah Owns and Rules the Resurrection and Judgment, which is totally in His control and will happen as He warned. All debts between humans 16 will be fairly settled, and everything we owe to Allah and He owes us will also be fairly settled – tempered by His Mercy. 8. Only You do we worship We must single Allah out for worship - for directing our worship towards anything makes that thing a god. If we direct our worship to other than God, that is polytheism, or setting up partners in worship with Allah. 9. Only You do we beseech We must demand our needs and desires from Allah knowing that any good in our lives and in the hereafter comes only from Allah, and any avoidance of evil is only by seeking refuge in Him. To beseech other than Allah is polytheism - or setting up partners in worship with Allah. Every prophet preached the same core beliefs, the Oneness of God, worshipping of that one God, avoidance of idolatry and sin, and the belief in the Day of Resurrection or the Day of Judgement and life after death. And the central theme that all the prophets taught is also the same: They came to declare that there is One God, the Creator and Preserver and that human beings must worship Him, bowing to His Will. In Quran, 42:13 it says, "In matters of faith, He has laid down for you [people] the same commandment that He gave Noah, which We have revealed to you and which We enjoined on Abraham and Moses and Jesus: 'Uphold the faith and do not divide into factions within it'” In the same Surah, the Quran has the Prophets each admonishing their followers, 17 'fear God and Obey me!' These are: Noah [Quran, 42:108], Hud [42:126], Saleh [42:144], Lot [42:163] and Shu’ayb [42:179] The Quran also tells the story of the patriarch of Monotheism: “And (remember) Abraham, when he said to his people: ‘Worship Allah and fear Him; that is far better for you, if only you knew. Indeed, you only worship, apart from Allah, mere idols, and you invent falsehood. Surely, those you worship, apart from Allah, have no power to provide for you. So, seek provision from Allah, worship Him and give Him thanks. You shall be returned unto Him.’” [Quran, 29:16-17] And every community is held accountable to the message that came to them: For each of you, We have assigned a law and a method. Had Allah willed, He would have made you a single community, but He tests you through what He has given you. So compete in righteousness. To Allah is your return, all of you—then He will inform you regarding your differences [Quran, 5:48] And yet, preceding this statement in the same verse, The Quran says, And We revealed to you the Book, with the truth, confirming the Book that preceded it and superseding it. [Quran, 5:48] This statement introduces the reason why it was stated. It is giving Mohammed (‫ )ﷺ‬authority to judge in matters related to the religions of the Jews and Christians: So judge between them according to what Allah revealed. And do not follow their desires over the truth that has come to you. [Quran, 5:48] So, 18 All who obey Allah and the messenger are in the company of those on whom is the Grace of Allah – (they are in the company) of the prophets (who teach), the sincere (lovers of Truth), the witnesses (who testify), and the Righteous (who do good): Ah! what a beautiful fellowship! [Quran, 4:69] The Alternative This finally brings us to the topic question: Will Christians and Jews go to Hell if they have already heard about Muhammad (‫?)ﷺ‬ By Him in Whose hand is the life of Muhammad, he who amongst the community of Jews or Christians hears about me, but does not affirm his belief in that with which I have been sent and dies in this state (of disbelief), he shall be but one of the denizens of Hell-Fire. [Sahih Muslim] Who will be the denizen of the Hell-Fire? The one who does not believe in what Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬was sent with – the Quran. And what is the message of the Quran? Belief in the Oneness of God, the worshipping of that One God, avoidance of idolatry and sin, and the belief in the Day of Resurrection and Day of Judgement in the Life after Death. Additionally, they need to acknowledge Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬is the messenger of Allah with a book from Allah that affirms and has authority over the books they possess. Does it mean they must give up the way that was given to them? Only in matters of judgement by a Muslim judge when their affairs are brought to such a judge. 19 Linguistic Analysis of the Hadith I would like to break down the translation of the Arabic hadith at Sunnah.com. There are a number of words added in from interpretation. For example, using the verb ‘Affirm’ his belief suggests declaring their Shahada and becoming formally Muslim, and dies ‘in this state of disbelief’ implies dying without formally embracing Islam. This is the classic interpretation which I presented from Islam Q&A. But these words do not translate what is written. [‫ ]أ َ َح ٌد ِم ْن َه ِذ ِه األ ُ َّم ِة ا ِني‬actually means ‘anyone from this community’ and [‫]ا ِني‬ means ‘distancing (oneself) intentionally’ from, and [‫ص َر‬ ْ ‫ ]هُودِي َوالَ َن‬means ‘Jewish or Christian’. So, ‘anyone Jewish or Christian who deliberately distances himself from this community’ would be a better translation. Which community is that? I believe it to be the community of Madinah; the Community he was leader of: The community he (‫ )ﷺ‬ruled. The next sentence is [‫]ا ِني ث ُ َّم َي ُموتُ َولَ ْم يُؤْ ِم ْن ِبالَّذِي أ ُ ْر ِس ْلتُ ِب ِه‬. The first part of the sentence is [ ُ‫[ ]ث ُ َّم َي ُموت‬thumma yamoutu], which is ‘then dies’ The sense of intentionally keeping aloof continues into the next sentence due to the sequencing consequential conjunction [thumma] so it would be appropriate to add (in this state of abnegation) The next part is 20 [‫]ولَ ْم يُؤْ ِم ْن‬ َ ‘without they believe (i.e. not believing)’. Implying deliberate and conscious avoidance. [‫‘ ]بِالَّذِي أ ُ ْر ِس ْلتُ بِ ِه‬in that I was sent with it (in what I was sent with)’. This is the direct object, the thing they deliberately turn away from. [‫ب النَّار‬ ْ َ ‫‘ ] ِإالَّ َكانَ ِم ْن أ‬except he (or she) shall be a denizen of the Fire’. ِ ‫ص َحا‬ This is the result of the abnegation of the Muslim community by the Jews and Christians among them and its beliefs. Conclusion How does this square up with Quran, 2:62? “Those who believed, and those who are Jewish, and the Christians, and the Sabaeans - whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and acts righteously - will have their reward with their Lord. They have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve.” First of all, these are nations, or communities that are not part of ‘this community’ of the hadith. Secondly, the condition applies: belief in Allah and the Last Day (the Resurrection, the Day of Judgment and the afterlife. The verse is much like Quran, 5:48 which makes itself an authority over the books of the other nations. In its application to Jews and Christians outside the Muslim Community, the Home of Islam, it means accepting Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬was Allah’s messenger, and the Quran is the word of God. It also means asserting the core values, which are to abhor and disdain idolatry and hold singling 21 out the One True God for worship and believing in the Resurrection, Judgment and After Life destinations. The Quran suggests that, when approaching the people of the book, we should say, “Let us come to an equitable agreement between you and us: that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate nothing with Him, and that none of us takes others as lords besides Allah.” [Quran,] This will be enough to avoid the Fire the hadith warns you of, as agreement means you acknowledge the validity of our book and our Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬. However, if they do not, that is their look out. The verse continues: And if they refuse, say, “Be witness that we are Muslims.” 22 References and Sources Are Jews & Christians in the Hell-Fire? o [https://islamqa.info/en/answers/4322/] Can Jews & Christians go to Heaven? o [https://islamqa.org/hanafi/muftisays/10540] Musnad Ahmad o [https://sunnah.com/ahmad] Quran o [https://quran.com/] The Judgement of the Jewish Adulterers o [https://sunnah.com/bukhari/86/48] The Judgment on the Banu Qurayzah o [https://sunnah.com/bukhari/79/36] The People of Fatrah o [https://www.islamweb.net/en/fatwa/3191/] The Story of Rabbi Mukhayriq o [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mukhayriq#Story] 

Jeremy G Boulter 1 © Jeremy G Boulter, 2020 Ben Royston Publications ABSTRACT The majority opinion of Muslim Scholars is that, indeed, Christians and Jews who adhere to their religious law and method will dwell in Hell if they fail to embrace Islam before they die. There are conditions to this overall disaster for non-Muslims. First, they must know that Prophet Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬presented himself as the Messenger of Allah. Second, they must know his overall message. Third, they must be aware that the Quran is revealed. Finally, despite knowing all these things, they must reject them and disbelieve in them. A second case scenario is if they have never heard of Prophet Muhammad (‫)ﷺ‬, nor his message, nor the Quran, and so stick to whatever religion has come to them. Perhaps, no blame is placed on them and they undergo the interval (between prophets] test (AlFatrah) on the Day of Judgment. You can examine various opinions on this topic in the commentary on the Hadith ul-Fatrah in Musnad Ahmad. A third is that they have heard of the Messenger (‫ )ﷺ‬and know of his Book and his religion, but they have been misinformed about all three, and had it presented to them in a bad light. Scholars differ concerning such people. Did they try to reach The Truth despite the bad propaganda? Did the behaviour of Muslims they knew put them off? Do they have an excuse? The answers to these questions only Allah can decide. But what if they believe that Muhammed (‫ )ﷺ‬is a Prophet, a Messenger of Allah and taught from revelation? The scholars still assert that, unless they abandon their religion and adhere to the Prophet’s teaching, that is, formally accept Islam, they will still be heading for disaster. This paper presents the case of the Muslim Scholars that condemns the one who rejects the message of Islam despite knowing it, but also critically examines some of their assumptions. It presents the case that every religion has a Law and Method which Allah sent down to them. If they adhere to that without distorting what was sent down, and acknowledge Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬as a Prophet and Messenger to Muslims, and the authority the Quran has over their scriptures in deciding cross-religious judgement, then there is no reason, according to the Quran, for Allah to let them experience fear or grief in the hereafter. Rather, they would be judged as He judges the Hanif, like the People of Fatrah. 2 Contents ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................ 1 Contents .............................................................................................................. 2 Dying Before Hearing the Call to Islam ........................................................ 4 A Point of Dissent ............................................................................................. 5 The People of the Book - Their Law; Their Method .................................... 7 The Question ................................................................................................ 7 The Muslim Majority Opinion ........................................................................ 8 Jews & Christians are Hell-bound. ............................................................. 8 Praise be to Allah. ..................................................................................... 8 A Critical Look at the Prevalent Muslim Opinion ..................................... 11 Caveat ........................................................................................................... 11 Superseding?................................................................................................ 11 Witnesses ...................................................................................................... 11 Ruling by the Gospel or Torah.................................................................. 12 Actions of the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬and His Companions .................................. 12 Muslim .......................................................................................................... 13 Abrogation ................................................................................................... 14 To Have no Fear and to Avoid Grieving ..................................................... 15 The beginning and End of Surah Baqarah .............................................. 15 3 The Peak Within The Tent ......................................................................... 16 The Message with Which I was Sent ........................................................... 19 Five of the Seven Oft Repeated ................................................................. 19 The Core of Belief ........................................................................................ 20 The Central Theme ................................................................................. 20 The Patriarchal Muslim ......................................................................... 21 Singularity in Diversity – Shir’ah wa Minháj ....................................... 21 Judgement and Authority – Ahkam Walhayminan ............................. 22 The Alternative ................................................................................................ 23 The Hadith ................................................................................................... 23 The Key Analytical Point ....................................................................... 23 Addenda ................................................................................................... 23 Linguistic Analysis of the Hadith ........................................................ 24 Squaring the Circle ..................................................................................... 25 Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 26 References and Sources .................................................................................. 27 4 Dying Before Hearing the Call to Islam Allah, The Merciful, would not punish anyone who did not receive His message through the Messengers. Allah tells us in His book, “Whoever is guided is only guided for [the benefit of] his soul. And whoever errs only errs against it. And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. And never would We punish until We sent a messenger.” [Quran 17:15] There are numerous verses that have the same meaning. They all indicate that Allah would not admit anyone into Hell until He has sent him a Messenger. Allah The Almighty would never torture anyone unless He had sent him a Messenger to guide him to the right path, forbid him from deviation and inform him of Islam and its Shariah. This applies to the time of the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬as well as after him. Anyone who has not heard the message of the Prophet, ( ‫)ﷺ‬, regardless of where he lives, would have the same ruling of the People of Fatrah (those who did not receive the message). It was mentioned in the Hadith ul-Fatrah that such people will be tested on the Day of Judgment itself. The Prophet, (‫)ﷺ‬, mentioned that four people would be excused on the Day of Judgment: the deaf, the insane, the senile and a person from the People of Fatrah. They will argue that they did not believe because they were not sent any Messengers. They will be told to pledge obedience to Allah The Almighty and He will then order them to enter the Fire; if they obey Him, that fire will be cool 5 and peaceful for them. [Musnad Ahmad] : - see [Commentary on Hadith ul-Fatrah] Once anyone has been informed, however, he or she would then not be able to plead ignorance. Once they hear the message of the Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬ but choose not to believe in it, they will have no excuse. It was narrated that the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬swore by Allah The Almighty that any Jew or Christian from among his Ummah who knew about his message and did not believe, and died in disbelief, will be among the dwellers of Hell. [Sahih Muslim] [Islam Web] A Point of Dissent Let us note the test: It is Obedience to Allah after swearing fealty to Him. People swore fealty to Allah before our Prophet. The Quran calls the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) the archetypal Hanif Muslim, the friend of Allah who swore fealty to Him and attested to His right to be picked out for worship, alone. And strive for Allah with the striving due to Him. He has chosen you and has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty. [It is] the religion of your father, Abraham. Allah named you ‘Muslims’ in antiquity and in the present that the Messenger may be a witness over you, and you may be witnesses over mankind. So, establish prayer and give the poor-due Charity and hold fast to Allah. He is your Protector; and excellent is the Protector, and excellent is the Helper. [Quran 22:78] 6 So if you have striven for Allah with due striving, without ever meeting the Prophet or being part of his community, even though you heard of him, what would happen? Would you definitely be bound for Hell? 7 The People of the Book - Their Law; Their Method Someone wrote into Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid at Islam Q&A, a Hanbali source of Islamic advice, asking about Jews and Christians and their status with Allah if they adhere to their own religion. If today there is a Jew or a Christian who believes in Allah and that he has no partner. He also believes in the prophethood of the Messenger of Allah. However, he chooses not to rule by the Quran even though he accepts it as being from Allah. Rather, he deems it permissible to rule by the original Torah. Is he a Muslim? May Allah Reward you with Good. 8 The Muslim Majority Opinion The Answer he gave can be found at Islam Q&A, I am reproducing its salient points below. Shaykh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid chose not to give advice from himself but referred the question to his Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahman alBarrak. He began his response by saying in his heart and writing (in Arabic): Praise be to Allah. Then he introduced the topic: Among the basic principles of faith are Belief in all the Books that have been revealed from Allah, and belief in all the Messengers. These two principles include belief in the noblest of Books, which is the Quran, and the best of the Messengers, namely Muhammad (‫)ﷺ‬, the Seal of the Messengers and the Messenger of Allah to all of mankind from the time when Allah sent him until the time when the Hour will begin. Every person from every nation must believe in him and follow him and rule by his Shariah (laws). So, whoever claims to believe in him and in the Quran but does not rule according to it or follow him in everything that he brought and believe everything he told us, is not a Muslim or a believer. If he dies like this, then he will be one of the people of Hell. 9 If he claims to believe in Allah Alone, with no partner or associate, and in all the Messengers, then belief in the Messenger (‫ )ﷺ‬and in the Quran does not only mean believing that they are true without following them and ruling according to what they say. Here, the Shaykh gave examples of pagans and Jews believing in the Messenger (‫)ﷺ‬, particularly his uncle and sponsor Abu Talib, and then not following him: It did not save Abu Talib from the hell fire when he chose to stay on the religion of his forefathers. He claimed the same was true about the Christians and Jews from the community in Medina who refused to follow him, and even those he contacted in other lands. He argues that, as they were disbelievers, Allah made their blood and their wealth permissible for His Messenger (‫)ﷺ‬. Thus, he fought them, and Allah caused him to prevail over them, and so His religion prevailed over all other religions. He then quoted the Quran, “It is He Who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, to make it superior over all religions, even though the polytheists hate (it).” [Quran, 9:33] Developing his argument, he said: Every Jew and Christian has to enter the religion of Islam as revealed to His Prophet Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬because the Message he taught is the final Message, abrogating all previous religions. His proof is the Quran, which says, 10 “And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him” [Quran, 3:85] He then quotes the hadith this article is the subject of, in which Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬said: “By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, there is no one among this ummah, Jew or Christian, who hears of me than dies without believing in that with which I have been sent, but he will be one of the people of Hellfire.” [Sahih Muslim, 218]. He concluded: The religion of any Jew or Christian will not be correct unless he believes in the Shariah of Islam and adheres to the rulings of the Holy Quran. To clinch the argument, he referred to a statement in Quran, 5:48: The Quran is Muhaymin (i.e., it testifies to the truth that is in the previous scriptures and exposes the falsehood that has been added to them) and abrogates the previous Books. The Torah and Gospel have therefore been abrogated because they have been changed and altered. Then he finished his exposition by saying: And Allah knows best. Source: Islam Q&A - Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid 11 A Critical Look at the Prevalent Muslim Opinion In my opinion, there are multiple issues with this reply. The statement, “Every person from every nation must believe in him and follow him and rule by his Shariah (laws)” contradicts the Quran, which says: “For each of you, We have assigned a law [shir’ah] and a method [minhaj]. Had Allah willed, He would have made you a single community, but He tests you through what He has given you.” The problem for me is that, if I deny what the Shaykh has said and avow that some People of the Book, such as those who do follow their own shir’ah and minhaj while adhering to the core message of the Quran, are “believers”, then I will be labelled a kaffer myself by rigid Muslim puritans. I would rather not label such people as believers or disbelievers and leave their status to Allah. Secondly, the word ‘muhaymin’ does not mean ‘abrogating’, or even ‘superseding’, but means ‘dominating’, ‘guarding’ or ‘having authority over.’ Thirdly, his examples are from the Jews in Madinah and pagans in Makkah, who heard him (‫ )ﷺ‬directly and rejected what he (‫ )ﷺ‬preached and died upon that rejection. This does not include people from the nations of the globe. 12 Fourthly, concerning the statement, “belief in the Messenger and in the Quran does not only mean believing that they are true without following them and ruling according to what they say.” This is contradicted by events recorded in Histories and Sahih books of Hadith. King Negus of Abyssinia was given the funeral rites of a Muslim even though he was Christian. [Sahih Muslim] and, according to the historian, Ibn Ishaq, a ‘Rabbi Mukhayriq’ from the Tha’labah tribe of Jews fought with the prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬on his side and died in Jihad during the Battle of Uhud. He was buried with the other martyrs. [The Story of Mukhayriq] Perhaps the verse, “And there are, certainly, among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), those who believe in Allah and in that which has been revealed to you, and in that which has been revealed to them, humbling themselves before Allah” [Quran 3:199] describes them. “They do not sell the Verses of Allah for a little price, for them is a reward with their Lord. Surely, Allah is Swift in account.” [3:199] Fifthly, if it is true that ruling by the Torah or Gospel is forbidden to them and us, this imputes wrongdoing by the Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬, himself, on one occasion, and by the Sahaba he (‫ )ﷺ‬delegated on another. The books of hadith report the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬ruling by what was in the Torah in an adultery case the Jews brought before him, [Sahih Bukhari] 13 and allowing a companion, Sa’ad ibn Mu’adh, to rule the fate of the Banu Qurayzah, an entire Jewish Tribe [Sahih Bukhari], by the Torah’s codes of war. Sixthly, he quotes, And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, [Quran 3:85] without its context. The verse before it says, "We have believed in Allah and in what was revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Descendants, and in what was given to Moses and Jesus and to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [submitting] to Him." [Quran, 3:84] In this first instance, being Muslim is possible before hearing the message of Muhammad (‫)ﷺ‬, because all the prophets brought the same message. My favourite verse in the Quran has Christians or Jews saying, when they hear the Quran recited, where being Muslim before hearing the Quran is explicitly stated: “We have believed in it; indeed, it is the truth from our Lord. Indeed, even before [hearing] it, we were Muslims [submitting to Allah]." [Quran, 28:5] Furthermore, Allah indicates approval of the worship done by Jews and Christians, as well as Muslims, in the Quran, and recommends jihad waged on their behalf: 14 “Permission [to fight] has been given to those who are being fought, because they were wronged. And indeed, Allah is competent to give them victory. those who have been evicted from their homes without right - only because they say, "Our Lord is Allah." And were it not that Allah checks the people, some by means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of Allah is much mentioned. And Allah will surely support those who support Him. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might.” [Quran 22:39-40] The verse after it says, How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their belief and had witnessed that the Messenger is true and clear signs had come to them? And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.” [Quran, 3:86] Surely this can be said to apply specifically to those who actually heard and saw the Messenger (‫)ﷺ‬. Finally, the verse that some say this verse [Quran, 3:85] abrogated [IslamQA] in Quran, 2:62, is, “Verily! Those who believe and those who are Jews and Christians, and Sabaeans, whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and do righteous good deeds shall have their reward with their Lord, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.” If it is abrogated, why is it still in the Quran? And why is the mythical stoning verse of the Quran ‘not abrogated’ but cannot be found anywhere therein? Again, my own personal opinion hinges on what the Quran specifies as being ‘Muslim. ‘ 15 To Have no Fear and to Avoid Grieving Below is an argument that allows for Christians and Jews who follow and adhere to what their prophets told them and rule by their Law and Method among themselves, to enter Paradise on condition that they do not associate partners with Allah and the acknowledge Mohammad (‫)ﷺ‬ as a prophet and the authority of the Quran over their own scriptures. The Quran, after the unlocking, states that: “This is the Book wherein there is no doubt, and [in it is] guidance…” In order to be guided, a believer must not doubt the Quran. If he or she does not doubt the Quran, he or she will be guided by it (to true faith). “for those conscious of Allah;” True faith means God consciousness: Full awareness of Allah means knowing He sees you even though you do not see Him and tuning your speech and actions with that in mind and heart. Later, we will look at verses that amplify this meaning. “Who believe in the unseen,” This means all those things that Allah attests to and warns us of, such as the angels (that do His bidding) and the Jinn (who seek to subvert human beings). “And establish prayer,” 16 This means making the habit to regular worship the One God for oneself and one’s wards – from your family (in your home) - to your subjects (in your kingdom). “and spend out of what We have provided for them,” This means to spend, without wasting it, from your wealth in charity on those needing support in society. “And who believe in what has been revealed to you,” Meaning, the Quran. “and what was revealed before you,” Meaning, principally, The Torah and Gospel. “and of the Hereafter they are certain” The Hereafter means the resurrection after death, the Judgment (of God), the reward of Paradise and the punishment in the Fire (which are God’s to decree). Just as the deepest and largest chapter of the Quran begins, so does it end: “The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord,” The one (‫ )ﷺ‬whom Allah sent with His message is profoundly sincere in its propagation. “and [so have] the believers.” Those who accept him are equally sincere in their belief. “All of them have believed” 17 That is, all the messengers of Allah and all who truly accepted their messengers. 1. in Allah This is the foundation: belief in the Only One worthy of your worship – Your Creator, Your Provider, Your Lord, Your Guide, Your Tester, Your Forgiver, 2. and His angels The Angels are unseen entities who do Allah’s bidding and convey His Word to human beings imparting everyone’s soul and informing Allah’s human warners. 3. and His books These are the main sources of God’s Decrees and Warnings which provide a guide to human beings concerning the living of their life, a law by which they are governed and their prescribed belief system 4. and His messengers, They believe human beings are charged with implementing His books by Him. 5. "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." That is, they believe all the messengers came with the same message distinguishing right from wrong, conveying the message from the same Singular God. 6. And they say, "We hear, and we obey. 18 Believers acknowledge the authority and Lordship of Allah and submit themselves to His Rule and Judgment through His messengers, whose roles are to administer His rule. 7. We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, By submitting themselves to Allah’s Rule and Judgement (through His Messengers) believers expect to be forgiven for their shortcomings. 8. and to You is the [final] destination." And they believe in the Resurrection, the Judgment and the Reward and Punishment in the Afterlife sourced in the Singular God. 19 The Message with Which I was Sent Is the message that Allah has sent with His messengers summarized anywhere in the Quran? In the first half of the Unlocking Allah summarises what He wants us to be aware of: 1. ‘In the name of Allah’ Everything we do must be done while God conscious, invoking His Name for a blessed outcome 2. ‘The Globally Merciful and Particularly Merciful’ One should expect the best from Allah in sustenance and forgiveness. 3. ‘All Praise be to Allah’ All laudatory worship and gratefulness should be directed at Allah 4. ‘Lord of the Worlds’ Know that Allah has dominion over every level of existence. 5. ‘The Globally Merciful and Particularly Merciful’ One should expect the best from Allah in sustenance and forgiveness. 6. King and Owner The Qualities of Mercy are the dominant characteristic of our Sovereign God and Master. 7. of the Promised Day (that all debts are paid) 20 Allah Owns and Rules the Resurrection and Judgment, which is totally in His control and will happen as He warned. All debts between humans will be fairly settled, and everything we owe to Allah and He owes us will also be fairly settled – tempered by His Mercy. 8. Only You do we worship We must single Allah out for worship - for directing our worship towards anything makes that thing a god. If we direct our worship to other than God, that is polytheism, or setting up partners in worship with Allah. 9. Only You do we beseech We must demand our needs and desires from Allah knowing that any good in our lives and in the hereafter comes only from Allah, and any avoidance of evil is only by seeking refuge in Him. To beseech other than Allah is polytheism - or setting up partners in worship with Allah. Every prophet preached the same core beliefs, the Oneness of God, worshipping of that one God, avoidance of idolatry and sin, and the belief in the Day of Resurrection or the Day of Judgement and life after death. The Central Theme And the central theme that all the prophets taught is also the same: They came to declare that there is One God, the Creator and Preserver and that human beings must worship Him, bowing to His Will. 21 In Quran, 42:13 it says, "In matters of faith, He has laid down for you [people] the same commandment that He gave Noah, which We have revealed to you and which We enjoined on Abraham and Moses and Jesus: 'Uphold the faith and do not divide into factions within it'” In the same Surah, the Quran has the Prophets each admonishing their followers, 'fear God and Obey me!' These are: Noah [Quran, 42:108], Hud [42:126], Saleh [42:144], Lot [42:163] and Shu’ayb [42:179] The Patriarchal Muslim The Quran also tells the story of the patriarch of Monotheism: “And (remember) Abraham, when he said to his people: ‘Worship Allah and fear Him; that is far better for you, if only you knew. Indeed, you only worship, apart from Allah, mere idols, and you invent falsehood. Surely, those you worship, apart from Allah, have no power to provide for you. So, seek provision from Allah, worship Him and give Him thanks. You shall be returned unto Him.’” [Quran, 29:16-17] Singularity in Diversity – Shir’ah wa Minháj And every community is held accountable to the message that came to them: For each of you, We have assigned a law and a method. Had Allah willed, He would have made you a single community, but He tests you through what He has given you. So compete in righteousness. To Allah is your return, all of you—then He will inform you regarding your differences [Quran, 5:48] 22 Judgement and Authority – Ahkam Walhayminan And yet, preceding this statement in the same verse, The Quran says, And We revealed to you the Book, with the truth, confirming the Book that preceded it and superseding it. [Quran, 5:48] This statement introduces the reason why it was stated. It is giving Mohammed (‫ )ﷺ‬authority to judge in matters related to the religions of the Jews and Christians: So judge between them according to what Allah revealed. And do not follow their desires over the truth that has come to you. [Quran, 5:48] So, All who obey Allah and the messenger are in the company of those on whom is the Grace of Allah – (they are in the company) of the prophets (who teach), the sincere (lovers of Truth), the witnesses (who testify), and the Righteous (who do good): Ah! what a beautiful fellowship! [Quran, 4:69] 23 The Alternative This finally brings us to the topic question: Will Christians and Jews go to Hell if they have already heard about Muhammad (‫?)ﷺ‬ By Him in Whose hand is the life of Muhammad, he who amongst the community of Jews or Christians hears about me, but does not affirm his belief in that with which I have been sent and dies in this state (of disbelief), he shall be but one of the denizens of Hell-Fire. [Sahih Muslim] The Key Analytical Point Who will be the denizen of the Hell-Fire? The one who does not believe in what Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬was sent with – the Quran. And what is the message of the Quran? Belief in the Oneness of God, the worshipping of that One God, avoidance of idolatry and sin, and the belief in the Day of Resurrection and Day of Judgement in the Life after Death. Addenda Additionally, they need to acknowledge Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬is the messenger of Allah with a book from Allah that affirms and has authority over the books they possess. Does it mean they must give up the way that was given to them? Only in matters of judgement by a Muslim judge when their affairs are brought to such a judge. 24 Linguistic Analysis of the Hadith I would like to break down the translation of the Arabic hadith at Sunnah.com. There are a number of words added in from interpretation. For example, using the verb ‘Affirm’ his belief suggests declaring their Shahada and becoming formally Muslim, and dies ‘in this state of disbelief’ implies dying without formally embracing Islam. This is the classic interpretation which I presented from Islam Q&A. But these words do not translate what is written. [‫ ]أ َ َح ٌد ِم ْن َه ِذ ِه األ ُ َّم ِة ا ِني‬actually means ‘anyone from this community’ and [‫]ا ِني‬ means ‘distancing (oneself) intentionally’ from, and [‫ص َر‬ ْ ‫ ]هُودِي َوالَ َن‬means ‘Jewish or Christian’. So, ‘anyone Jewish or Christian who deliberately distances himself from this community’ would be a better translation. Which community is that? I believe it to be the community of Madinah; the Community he was leader of: The community he (‫ )ﷺ‬ruled. The next sentence is [‫]ا ِني ث ُ َّم َي ُموتُ َولَ ْم يُؤْ ِم ْن ِبالَّذِي أ ُ ْر ِس ْلتُ ِب ِه‬. The first part of the sentence is [ ُ‫[ ]ث ُ َّم َي ُموت‬thumma yamoutu], which is ‘then dies’ The sense of intentionally keeping aloof continues into the next sentence due to the sequencing consequential conjunction [thumma] so it would be appropriate to add (in this state of abnegation) The next part is 25 [‫]ولَ ْم يُؤْ ِم ْن‬ َ ‘without they believe (i.e. not believing)’. Implying deliberate and conscious avoidance. [‫‘ ]بِالَّذِي أ ُ ْر ِس ْلتُ بِ ِه‬in that I was sent with it (in what I was sent with)’. This is the direct object, the thing they deliberately turn away from. [‫ب النَّار‬ ْ َ ‫‘ ] ِإالَّ َكانَ ِم ْن أ‬except he (or she) shall be a denizen of the Fire’. ِ ‫ص َحا‬ This is the result of the abnegation of the Muslim community by the Jews and Christians among them and its beliefs. How does this square up with Quran, 2:62? “Those who believed, and those who are Jewish, and the Christians, and the Sabaeans - whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and acts righteously - will have their reward with their Lord. They have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve.” First of all, these are nations, or communities that are not part of ‘this community’ of the hadith. Second, conditions apply: Belief in Allah and the Last Day (the Resurrection, the Day of Judgment, and the afterlife. The verse is much like Quran, 5:48 which makes itself an authority over the books of the other nations. In its application to Jews and Christians outside the Muslim Community, the Home of Islam, it means accepting Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬was Allah’s messenger, and the Quran is the word of God. It also means asserting the core values, which are to abhor and disdain idolatry and hold singling out the One True God for worship and believing in the Resurrection, Judgment and After Life destinations. 26 Conclusion The Quran suggests that, when approaching the people of the book, we should say, “Let us come to an equitable agreement between you and us: that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate nothing with Him, and that none of us takes others as lords besides Allah.” [Quran, 3:64] This should be enough to avoid the Fire the hadith warns you of, as agreement means you acknowledge the validity of our book and our Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬. This is merely an opinion, and Allah knows better! However, if they do not come to such an agreement, that is their look out. The verse continues: And if they refuse, say, “Be witness that we are Muslims.” 27 References and Sources Are Jews & Christians in the Hell-Fire? o [https://islamqa.info/en/answers/4322/] Can Jews & Christians go to Heaven? o [https://islamqa.org/hanafi/muftisays/10540] Commentary on Hadith ul-Fatrah [Musnad Ahmad] o [https://islamqa.info/en/answers/98714/] Hadith ul-Fatrah [Musnad Ahmad] o [https://sunnah.com/ahmad] “Four types of people will be tested on the Day of Judgment: a profoundly deaf person, an insane fool, a senile person and someone who died during an interval (between messengers). The deaf one will say: “Oh Lord, Islam came while I was unable to hear anything!”. The insane one will say: “Oh Lord, Islam came while children threw dung at me!”. The senile one will say: “Oh Lord, Islam came while I was witless”. And the one who died in an interval will say: “Oh Lord, I did not witness any messenger from You.” So Allah will take a promise from them to obey Him. Then He will command them to enter The Fire; and whoever obeys will find it to be pleasure and peace but whoever disobeys will be dragged into it.” or o [https://islamweb.net/ar/library/index.php?page=bookcontents&flag=1& bk_no=130&ID=557] (Arabic) ‫‪28‬‬ ‫هرم ‪،‬‬ ‫أربعة يمتحنون يوم القيامة ‪ :‬رجل أصم ال يسمع شيئًا ‪ ،‬ورجل أحمق ‪ ،‬ورجل ِ‬ ‫ورجل مات في فترة ‪ ،‬فأما األصم فيقول ‪ :‬رب لقد جاء اإلسالم وما أسمع شيئًا ‪ ،‬وأما‬ ‫الهرم فيقول ‪ :‬رب‬ ‫األحمق فيقول ‪ :‬رب لقد جاء اإلسالم والصبيان يقذفوني بالبعر ‪ ،‬وأما ِ‬ ‫لقد جاء اإلسالم وما أعقل شيئًا ‪ ،‬وأما الذي مات في الفترة فيقول ‪ :‬رب ما أتاني لك رسول‬ ‫‪ ،‬فيأخذ مواثيقهم ليطيعونه ‪ ،‬فيرسل إليهم أن ادخلوا النار ‪ ،‬فمن دخلها كانت عليه بردا ً‬ ‫وسالما ً ‪ ،‬ومن لم يدخلها يسحب إليها‬ ‫‪Quran‬‬ ‫]‪o [https://quran.com/‬‬ ‫‪and‬‬ ‫]‪o [http://corpus.quran.com/‬‬ ‫‪The Judgement of the Jewish Adulterers‬‬ ‫]‪o [https://sunnah.com/bukhari/86/48‬‬ ‫‪The Judgment on the Banu Qurayzah‬‬ ‫]‪o [https://sunnah.com/bukhari/79/36‬‬ ‫‪The People of Fatrah‬‬ ‫]‪o [https://www.islamweb.net/en/fatwa/3191/‬‬ ‫‪The Story of Rabbi Mukhayriq‬‬ ‫]‪o [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mukhayriq#Story‬‬ 

Jeremy G Boulter 1 © Jeremy G Boulter, 2020 Ben Royston Publications ABSTRACT The majority opinion of Muslim Scholars is that, indeed, Christians and Jews who adhere to their religious law and method will dwell in Hell if they fail to embrace Islam before they die. There are conditions to this overall disaster for non-Muslims. First, they must know that Prophet Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬presented himself as the Messenger of Allah. Second, they must know his overall message. Third, they must be aware that the Quran is revealed. Finally, despite knowing all these things, they must reject them and disbelieve in them. A second case scenario is if they have never heard of Prophet Muhammad (‫)ﷺ‬, nor his message, nor the Quran, and so stick to whatever religion has come to them. Perhaps, no blame is placed on them and they undergo the test of Natural Disposition (Al-Fatrah) on the Day of Judgement. You can examine various opinions on this topic in the commentary on the Hadith ul-Fatrah in Musnad Ahmad. A third is that they have heard of the Messenger and know of His Book and His religion, but they have been misinformed about all three, and had it presented to them in a bad light. Scholars differ concerning such people. Did they try to reach the truth despite the bad propaganda? Did the behaviour of Muslims they knew put them off? Do they have an excuse? The answers to these questions only Allah can decide. But what if they believe that Muhammed (‫ )ﷺ‬is a Prophet, a Messenger of Allah and taught from revelation? The scholars still assert that, unless they abandon their religion and adhere to the Prophet’s teaching, that is, accept Islam, they will still be heading for disaster. This paper presents the case of the Muslim Scholars that condemns the one who rejects the message of Islam despite knowing it, but also critically examines some of their assumptions. It presents the case that every religion has a Law and Method which Allah sent down to them. If they adhere to that without distorting what was sent down, and acknowledge Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬as a Prophet and Messenger to Muslims, and the authority the Quran has over their scriptures in deciding cross-religious judgement, then there is no reason, according to the Quran, that Allah will let them experience fear or grief in the hereafter. Rather, they would be judged as He judges the Hanif, and like the People of Fatrah. 2 Contents ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................ 1 Contents .............................................................................................................. 2 Dying Before Hearing the Call to Islam ........................................................ 4 A Point of Dissent ............................................................................................. 5 The People of the Book - Their Law; Their Method .................................... 7 The Question ................................................................................................ 7 The Muslim Majority Opinion ........................................................................ 8 Jews & Christians are Hell-bound. ............................................................. 8 Praise be to Allah. ..................................................................................... 8 A Critical Look at the Prevalent Muslim Opinion ..................................... 11 Caveat ........................................................................................................... 11 Superseding?................................................................................................ 11 Witnesses ...................................................................................................... 11 Ruling by the Gospel or Torah.................................................................. 12 Actions of the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬and His Companions .................................. 12 Muslim .......................................................................................................... 13 Abrogation ................................................................................................... 14 To Have no Fear and to Avoid Grieving ..................................................... 15 The beginning and End of Surah Baqarah .............................................. 15 3 The Peak Within The Tent ......................................................................... 16 The Message with Which I was Sent ........................................................... 19 Five of the Seven Oft Repeated ................................................................. 19 The Core of Belief ........................................................................................ 20 The Central Theme ................................................................................. 20 The Patriarchal Muslim ......................................................................... 21 Singularity in Diversity – Shir’ah wa Minháj ....................................... 21 Judgement and Authority – Ahkam Walhayminan ............................. 22 The Alternative ................................................................................................ 23 The Hadith ................................................................................................... 23 The Key Analytical Point ....................................................................... 23 Addenda ................................................................................................... 23 Linguistic Analysis of the Hadith ........................................................ 24 Squaring the Circle ..................................................................................... 25 Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 26 References and Sources .................................................................................. 27 4 Dying Before Hearing the Call to Islam Allah, The Merciful, would not punish anyone who did not receive His message through the Messengers. Allah tells us in His book, “Whoever is guided is only guided for [the benefit of] his soul. And whoever errs only errs against it. And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. And never would We punish until We sent a messenger.” [Quran 17:15] There are numerous verses that have the same meaning. They all indicate that Allah would not admit anyone into Hell until He has sent him a Messenger. Allah The Almighty would never torture anyone unless He had sent him a Messenger to guide him to the right path, forbid him from deviation and inform him of Islam and its Shariah. This applies to the time of the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬as well as after him. Anyone who has not heard the message of the Prophet, (‫)ﷺ‬, regardless of where he lives, would have the same ruling of the People of Fatrah (those who did not receive the message). It was mentioned in the Hadith ul-Fatrah that such people will be tested on the Day of Judgment itself. The Prophet, (‫)ﷺ‬, mentioned that four people would be excused on the Day of Judgment: the deaf, the insane, the senile and a person from the People of Fatrah. They will argue that they did not believe because they were not sent any Messengers. They will be told to pledge obedience to Allah The Almighty and He will then order them to enter the Fire; if they obey Him, that fire will be cool 5 and peaceful for them. [Musnad Ahmad] : - see [Commentary on Hadith ul-Fatrah] Once anyone has been informed, however, he or she would then not be able to plead ignorance. Once they hear the message of the Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬ but choose not to believe in it, they will have no excuse. It was narrated that the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬swore by Allah The Almighty that any Jew or Christian from among his Ummah who knew about his message and did not believe, and died in disbelief, will be among the dwellers of Hell. [Sahih Muslim] [Islam Web] A Point of Dissent Let us note the test: It is Obedience to Allah after swearing fealty to Him. People swore fealty to Allah before our Prophet. The Quran calls the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) the archetypal Hanif Muslim, the friend of Allah who swore fealty to Him and attested to His right to be picked out for worship, alone. And strive for Allah with the striving due to Him. He has chosen you and has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty. [It is] the religion of your father, Abraham. Allah named you ‘Muslims’ in antiquity and in the present that the Messenger may be a witness over you, and you may be witnesses over mankind. So, establish prayer and give the poor-due Charity and hold fast to Allah. He is your Protector; and excellent is the Protector, and excellent is the Helper. [Quran 22:78] 6 So if you have striven for Allah with due striving, without ever meeting the Prophet or being part of his community, even though you heard of him, what would happen? Would you definitely be bound for Hell? 7 The People of the Book - Their Law; Their Method Someone wrote into Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid at Islam Q&A, a Hanbali source of Islamic advice, asking about Jews and Christians and their status with Allah if they adhere to their own religion. If today there is a Jew or a Christian who believes in Allah and that he has no partner. He also believes in the prophethood of the Messenger of Allah. However, he chooses not to rule by the Quran even though he accepts it as being from Allah. Rather, he deems it permissible to rule by the original Torah. Is he a Muslim? May Allah Reward you with Good. 8 The Muslim Majority Opinion The Answer he gave can be found at Islam Q&A, I am reproducing its salient points below. Shaykh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid chose not to give advice from himself but referred the question to his Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahman alBarrak. He began his response by saying in his heart and writing (in Arabic): Praise be to Allah. Then he introduced the topic: Among the basic principles of faith are Belief in all the Books that have been revealed from Allah, and belief in all the Messengers. These two principles include belief in the noblest of Books, which is the Quran, and the best of the Messengers, namely Muhammad (‫)ﷺ‬, the Seal of the Messengers and the Messenger of Allah to all of mankind from the time when Allah sent him until the time when the Hour will begin. Every person from every nation must believe in him and follow him and rule by his Shariah (laws). So, whoever claims to believe in him and in the Quran but does not rule according to it or follow him in everything that he brought and believe everything he told us, is not a Muslim or a believer. If he dies like this, then he will be one of the people of Hell. 9 If he claims to believe in Allah Alone, with no partner or associate, and in all the Messengers, then belief in the Messenger (‫ )ﷺ‬and in the Quran does not only mean believing that they are true without following them and ruling according to what they say. Here, the Shaykh gave examples of pagans and Jews believing in the Messenger (‫)ﷺ‬, particularly his uncle and sponsor Abu Talib, and then not following him: It did not save Abu Talib from the hell fire when he chose to stay on the religion of his forefathers. He claimed the same was true about the Christians and Jews from the community in Medina who refused to follow him, and even those he contacted in other lands. He argues that, as they were disbelievers, Allah made their blood and their wealth permissible for His Messenger (‫)ﷺ‬. Thus, he fought them, and Allah caused him to prevail over them, and so His religion prevailed over all other religions. He then quoted the Quran, “It is He Who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, to make it superior over all religions, even though the polytheists hate (it).” [Quran, 9:33] Developing his argument, he said: Every Jew and Christian has to enter the religion of Islam as revealed to His Prophet Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬because the Message he taught is the final Message, abrogating all previous religions. His proof is the Quran, which says, 10 “And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him” [Quran, 3:85] He then quotes the hadith this article is the subject of, in which Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬said: “By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, there is no one among this ummah, Jew or Christian, who hears of me than dies without believing in that with which I have been sent, but he will be one of the people of Hellfire.” [Sahih Muslim, 218]. He concluded: The religion of any Jew or Christian will not be correct unless he believes in the Shariah of Islam and adheres to the rulings of the Holy Quran. To clinch the argument, he referred to a statement in Quran, 5:48: The Quran is Muhaymin (i.e., it testifies to the truth that is in the previous scriptures and exposes the falsehood that has been added to them) and abrogates the previous Books. The Torah and Gospel have therefore been abrogated because they have been changed and altered. Then he finished his exposition by saying: And Allah knows best. Source: Islam Q&A - Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid 11 A Critical Look at the Prevalent Muslim Opinion In my opinion, there are multiple issues with this reply. The statement, “Every person from every nation must believe in him and follow him and rule by his Shariah (laws)” contradicts the Quran, which says: “For each of you, We have assigned a law [shir’ah] and a method [minhaj]. Had Allah willed, He would have made you a single community, but He tests you through what He has given you.” The problem for me is that, if I deny what the Shaykh has said and avow that some People of the Book, such as those who do follow their own shir’ah and minhaj while adhering to the core message of the Quran, are “believers”, then I will be labelled a kaffer myself by rigid Muslim puritans. I would rather not label such people as believers or disbelievers and leave their status to Allah. Secondly, the word ‘muhaymin’ does not mean ‘abrogating’, or even ‘superseding’, but means ‘dominating’, ‘guarding’ or ‘having authority over.’ Thirdly, his examples are from the Jews in Madinah and pagans in Makkah, who heard him (‫ )ﷺ‬directly and rejected what he (‫ )ﷺ‬preached and died upon that rejection. This does not include people from the nations of the globe. 12 Fourthly, concerning the statement, “belief in the Messenger and in the Quran does not only mean believing that they are true without following them and ruling according to what they say.” This is contradicted by events recorded in Histories and Sahih books of Hadith. King Negus of Abyssinia was given the funeral rites of a Muslim even though he was Christian. [Sahih Muslim] and, according to the historian, Ibn Ishaq, a ‘Rabbi Mukhayriq’ from the Tha’labah tribe of Jews fought with the prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬on his side and died in Jihad during the Battle of Uhud. He was buried with the other martyrs. [The Story of Mukhayriq] Perhaps the verse, “And there are, certainly, among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), those who believe in Allah and in that which has been revealed to you, and in that which has been revealed to them, humbling themselves before Allah” [Quran 3:199] describes them. “They do not sell the Verses of Allah for a little price, for them is a reward with their Lord. Surely, Allah is Swift in account.” [3:199] Fifthly, if it is true that ruling by the Torah or Gospel is forbidden to them and us, this imputes wrongdoing by the Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬, himself, on one occasion, and by the Sahaba he (‫ )ﷺ‬delegated on another. The books of hadith report the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬ruling by what was in the Torah in an adultery case the Jews brought before him, [Sahih Bukhari] 13 and allowing a companion, Sa’ad ibn Mu’adh, to rule the fate of the Banu Qurayzah, an entire Jewish Tribe [Sahih Bukhari], by the Torah’s codes of war. Sixthly, he quotes, And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, [Quran 3:85] without its context. The verse before it says, "We have believed in Allah and in what was revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Descendants, and in what was given to Moses and Jesus and to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [submitting] to Him." [Quran, 3:84] In this first instance, being Muslim is possible before hearing the message of Muhammad (‫)ﷺ‬, because all the prophets brought the same message. My favourite verse in the Quran has Christians or Jews saying, when they hear the Quran recited, where being Muslim before hearing the Quran is explicitly stated: “We have believed in it; indeed, it is the truth from our Lord. Indeed, even before [hearing] it, we were Muslims [submitting to Allah]." [Quran, 28:5] Furthermore, Allah indicates approval of the worship done by Jews and Christians, as well as Muslims, in the Quran, and recommends jihad waged on their behalf: 14 “Permission [to fight] has been given to those who are being fought, because they were wronged. And indeed, Allah is competent to give them victory. those who have been evicted from their homes without right - only because they say, "Our Lord is Allah." And were it not that Allah checks the people, some by means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of Allah is much mentioned. And Allah will surely support those who support Him. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might.” [Quran 22:39-40] The verse after it says, How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their belief and had witnessed that the Messenger is true and clear signs had come to them? And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.” [Quran, 3:86] Surely this can be said to apply specifically to those who actually heard and saw the Messenger (‫)ﷺ‬. Finally, the verse that some say this verse [Quran, 3:85] abrogated [IslamQA] in Quran, 2:62, is, “Verily! Those who believe and those who are Jews and Christians, and Sabaeans, whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and do righteous good deeds shall have their reward with their Lord, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.” If it is abrogated, why is it still in the Quran? And why is the mythical stoning verse of the Quran ‘not abrogated’ but cannot be found anywhere therein? Again, my own personal opinion hinges on what the Quran specifies as being ‘Muslim. ‘ 15 To Have no Fear and to Avoid Grieving Below is an argument that allows for Christians and Jews who follow and adhere to what their prophets told them and rule by their Law and Method among themselves, to enter Paradise on condition that they do not associate partners with Allah and the acknowledge Mohammad (‫)ﷺ‬ as a prophet and the authority of the Quran over their own scriptures. The Quran, after the unlocking, states that: “This is the Book wherein there is no doubt, and [in it is] guidance…” In order to be guided, a believer must not doubt the Quran. If he or she does not doubt the Quran, he or she will be guided by it (to true faith). “for those conscious of Allah;” True faith means God consciousness: Full awareness of Allah means knowing He sees you even though you do not see Him and tuning your speech and actions with that in mind and heart. Later, we will look at verses that amplify this meaning. “Who believe in the unseen,” This means all those things that Allah attests to and warns us of, such as the angels (that do His bidding) and the Jinn (who seek to subvert human beings). “And establish prayer,” 16 This means making the habit to regular worship the One God for oneself and one’s wards – from your family (in your home) - to your subjects (in your kingdom). “and spend out of what We have provided for them,” This means to spend, without wasting it, from your wealth in charity on those needing support in society. “And who believe in what has been revealed to you,” Meaning, the Quran. “and what was revealed before you,” Meaning, principally, The Torah and Gospel. “and of the Hereafter they are certain” The Hereafter means the resurrection after death, the Judgment (of God), the reward of Paradise and the punishment in the Fire (which are God’s to decree). Just as the deepest and largest chapter of the Quran begins, so does it end: “The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord,” The one (‫ )ﷺ‬whom Allah sent with His message is profoundly sincere in its propagation. “and [so have] the believers.” Those who accept him are equally sincere in their belief. “All of them have believed” 17 That is, all the messengers of Allah and all who truly accepted their messengers. 1. in Allah This is the foundation: belief in the Only One worthy of your worship – Your Creator, Your Provider, Your Lord, Your Guide, Your Tester, Your Forgiver, 2. and His angels The Angels are unseen entities who do Allah’s bidding and convey His Word to human beings imparting everyone’s soul and informing Allah’s human warners. 3. and His books These are the main sources of God’s Decrees and Warnings which provide a guide to human beings concerning the living of their life, a law by which they are governed and their prescribed belief system 4. and His messengers, They believe human beings are charged with implementing His books by Him. 5. "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." That is, they believe all the messengers came with the same message distinguishing right from wrong, conveying the message from the same Singular God. 6. And they say, "We hear, and we obey. 18 Believers acknowledge the authority and Lordship of Allah and submit themselves to His Rule and Judgment through His messengers, whose roles are to administer His rule. 7. We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, By submitting themselves to Allah’s Rule and Judgement (through His Messengers) believers expect to be forgiven for their shortcomings. 8. and to You is the [final] destination." And they believe in the Resurrection, the Judgment and the Reward and Punishment in the Afterlife sourced in the Singular God. 19 The Message with Which I was Sent Is the message that Allah has sent with His messengers summarized anywhere in the Quran? In the first half of the Unlocking Allah summarises what He wants us to be aware of: 1. ‘In the name of Allah’ Everything we do must be done while God conscious, invoking His Name for a blessed outcome 2. ‘The Globally Merciful and Particularly Merciful’ One should expect the best from Allah in sustenance and forgiveness. 3. ‘All Praise be to Allah’ All laudatory worship and gratefulness should be directed at Allah 4. ‘Lord of the Worlds’ Know that Allah has dominion over every level of existence. 5. ‘The Globally Merciful and Particularly Merciful’ One should expect the best from Allah in sustenance and forgiveness. 6. King and Owner The Qualities of Mercy are the dominant characteristic of our Sovereign God and Master. 7. of the Promised Day (that all debts are paid) 20 Allah Owns and Rules the Resurrection and Judgment, which is totally in His control and will happen as He warned. All debts between humans will be fairly settled, and everything we owe to Allah and He owes us will also be fairly settled – tempered by His Mercy. 8. Only You do we worship We must single Allah out for worship - for directing our worship towards anything makes that thing a god. If we direct our worship to other than God, that is polytheism, or setting up partners in worship with Allah. 9. Only You do we beseech We must demand our needs and desires from Allah knowing that any good in our lives and in the hereafter comes only from Allah, and any avoidance of evil is only by seeking refuge in Him. To beseech other than Allah is polytheism - or setting up partners in worship with Allah. Every prophet preached the same core beliefs, the Oneness of God, worshipping of that one God, avoidance of idolatry and sin, and the belief in the Day of Resurrection or the Day of Judgement and life after death. The Central Theme And the central theme that all the prophets taught is also the same: They came to declare that there is One God, the Creator and Preserver and that human beings must worship Him, bowing to His Will. 21 In Quran, 42:13 it says, "In matters of faith, He has laid down for you [people] the same commandment that He gave Noah, which We have revealed to you and which We enjoined on Abraham and Moses and Jesus: 'Uphold the faith and do not divide into factions within it'” In the same Surah, the Quran has the Prophets each admonishing their followers, 'fear God and Obey me!' These are: Noah [Quran, 42:108], Hud [42:126], Saleh [42:144], Lot [42:163] and Shu’ayb [42:179] The Patriarchal Muslim The Quran also tells the story of the patriarch of Monotheism: “And (remember) Abraham, when he said to his people: ‘Worship Allah and fear Him; that is far better for you, if only you knew. Indeed, you only worship, apart from Allah, mere idols, and you invent falsehood. Surely, those you worship, apart from Allah, have no power to provide for you. So, seek provision from Allah, worship Him and give Him thanks. You shall be returned unto Him.’” [Quran, 29:16-17] Singularity in Diversity – Shir’ah wa Minháj And every community is held accountable to the message that came to them: For each of you, We have assigned a law and a method. Had Allah willed, He would have made you a single community, but He tests you through what He has given you. So compete in righteousness. To Allah is your return, all of you—then He will inform you regarding your differences [Quran, 5:48] 22 Judgement and Authority – Ahkam Walhayminan And yet, preceding this statement in the same verse, The Quran says, And We revealed to you the Book, with the truth, confirming the Book that preceded it and superseding it. [Quran, 5:48] This statement introduces the reason why it was stated. It is giving Mohammed (‫ )ﷺ‬authority to judge in matters related to the religions of the Jews and Christians: So judge between them according to what Allah revealed. And do not follow their desires over the truth that has come to you. [Quran, 5:48] So, All who obey Allah and the messenger are in the company of those on whom is the Grace of Allah – (they are in the company) of the prophets (who teach), the sincere (lovers of Truth), the witnesses (who testify), and the Righteous (who do good): Ah! what a beautiful fellowship! [Quran, 4:69] 23 The Alternative This finally brings us to the topic question: Will Christians and Jews go to Hell if they have already heard about Muhammad (‫?)ﷺ‬ By Him in Whose hand is the life of Muhammad, he who amongst the community of Jews or Christians hears about me, but does not affirm his belief in that with which I have been sent and dies in this state (of disbelief), he shall be but one of the denizens of Hell-Fire. [Sahih Muslim] The Key Analytical Point Who will be the denizen of the Hell-Fire? The one who does not believe in what Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬was sent with – the Quran. And what is the message of the Quran? Belief in the Oneness of God, the worshipping of that One God, avoidance of idolatry and sin, and the belief in the Day of Resurrection and Day of Judgement in the Life after Death. Addenda Additionally, they need to acknowledge Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬is the messenger of Allah with a book from Allah that affirms and has authority over the books they possess. Does it mean they must give up the way that was given to them? Only in matters of judgement by a Muslim judge when their affairs are brought to such a judge. 24 Linguistic Analysis of the Hadith I would like to break down the translation of the Arabic hadith at Sunnah.com. There are a number of words added in from interpretation. For example, using the verb ‘Affirm’ his belief suggests declaring their Shahada and becoming formally Muslim, and dies ‘in this state of disbelief’ implies dying without formally embracing Islam. This is the classic interpretation which I presented from Islam Q&A. But these words do not translate what is written. [‫ ]أ َ َح ٌد ِم ْن َه ِذ ِه األ ُ َّم ِة ا ِني‬actually means ‘anyone from this community’ and [‫]ا ِني‬ means ‘distancing (oneself) intentionally’ from, and [‫ص َر‬ ْ ‫ ]هُودِي َوالَ َن‬means ‘Jewish or Christian’. So, ‘anyone Jewish or Christian who deliberately distances himself from this community’ would be a better translation. Which community is that? I believe it to be the community of Madinah; the Community he was leader of: The community he (‫ )ﷺ‬ruled. The next sentence is [‫]ا ِني ث ُ َّم َي ُموتُ َولَ ْم يُؤْ ِم ْن ِبالَّذِي أ ُ ْر ِس ْلتُ ِب ِه‬. The first part of the sentence is [ ُ‫[ ]ث ُ َّم َي ُموت‬thumma yamoutu], which is ‘then dies’ The sense of intentionally keeping aloof continues into the next sentence due to the sequencing consequential conjunction [thumma] so it would be appropriate to add (in this state of abnegation) The next part is 25 [‫]ولَ ْم يُؤْ ِم ْن‬ َ ‘without they believe (i.e. not believing)’. Implying deliberate and conscious avoidance. [‫‘ ]بِالَّذِي أ ُ ْر ِس ْلتُ بِ ِه‬in that I was sent with it (in what I was sent with)’. This is the direct object, the thing they deliberately turn away from. [‫ب النَّار‬ ْ َ ‫‘ ] ِإالَّ َكانَ ِم ْن أ‬except he (or she) shall be a denizen of the Fire’. ِ ‫ص َحا‬ This is the result of the abnegation of the Muslim community by the Jews and Christians among them and its beliefs. How does this square up with Quran, 2:62? “Those who believed, and those who are Jewish, and the Christians, and the Sabaeans - whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and acts righteously - will have their reward with their Lord. They have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve.” First of all, these are nations, or communities that are not part of ‘this community’ of the hadith. Second, conditions apply: belief in Allah and the Last Day (the Resurrection, the Day of Judgment and the afterlife. The verse is much like Quran, 5:48 which makes itself an authority over the books of the other nations. In its application to Jews and Christians outside the Muslim Community, the Home of Islam, it means accepting Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬was Allah’s messenger, and the Quran is the word of God. It also means asserting the core values, which are to abhor and disdain idolatry and hold singling out the One True God for worship and believing in the Resurrection, Judgment and After Life destinations. 26 Conclusion The Quran suggests that, when approaching the people of the book, we should say, “Let us come to an equitable agreement between you and us: that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate nothing with Him, and that none of us takes others as lords besides Allah.” [Quran, 3:64] This should be enough to avoid the Fire the hadith warns you of, as agreement means you acknowledge the validity of our book and our Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬. This is merely an opinion, and Allah knows better! However, if they do not come to such an agreement, that is their look out. The verse continues: And if they refuse, say, “Be witness that we are Muslims.” 27 References and Sources Are Jews & Christians in the Hell-Fire? o [https://islamqa.info/en/answers/4322/] Can Jews & Christians go to Heaven? o [https://islamqa.org/hanafi/muftisays/10540] Commentary on Hadith ul-Fatrah [Musnad Ahmad] o [https://islamqa.info/en/answers/98714/] Hadith ul-Fatrah [Musnad Ahmad] o [https://sunnah.com/ahmad] “Four types of people will be tested on the Day of Judgment: a deaf man who cannot hear anything, a madman, a senile man and a man who died during in an interval (between messengers). The deaf man will say: “Oh Lord, Islam came while I was unable to hear anything!”. The insane one will say: “Oh Lord, Islam came while boys threw dung at me!”. The one who is senile will say: “Oh Lord, Islam came while I was witless”. And the one who died in an interval will say: “Oh Lord, I did not witness any messenger from You.” So Allah will take a promise from them to obey Him. Then He will command them to enter the fire; obeys will find it pleasure and peace, and whoever disobeys will be dragged into it.” or o [https://islamweb.net/ar/library/index.php?page=bookcontents&flag=1& bk_no=130&ID=557] (Arabic) ‫‪28‬‬ ‫هرم ‪،‬‬ ‫أربعة يمتحنون يوم القيامة ‪ :‬رجل أصم ال يسمع شيئًا ‪ ،‬ورجل أحمق ‪ ،‬ورجل ِ‬ ‫ورجل مات في فترة ‪ ،‬فأما األصم فيقول ‪ :‬رب لقد جاء اإلسالم وما أسمع شيئًا ‪ ،‬وأما‬ ‫الهرم فيقول ‪ :‬رب‬ ‫األحمق فيقول ‪ :‬رب لقد جاء اإلسالم والصبيان يقذفوني بالبعر ‪ ،‬وأما ِ‬ ‫لقد جاء اإلسالم وما أعقل شيئًا ‪ ،‬وأما الذي مات في الفترة فيقول ‪ :‬رب ما أتاني لك رسول‬ ‫‪ ،‬فيأخذ مواثيقهم ليطيعونه ‪ ،‬فيرسل إليهم أن ادخلوا النار ‪ ،‬فمن دخلها كانت عليه بردا ً‬ ‫وسالما ً ‪ ،‬ومن لم يدخلها يسحب إليها‬ ‫‪Quran‬‬ ‫]‪o [https://quran.com/‬‬ ‫‪and‬‬ ‫]‪o [http://corpus.quran.com/‬‬ ‫‪The Judgement of the Jewish Adulterers‬‬ ‫]‪o [https://sunnah.com/bukhari/86/48‬‬ ‫‪The Judgment on the Banu Qurayzah‬‬ ‫]‪o [https://sunnah.com/bukhari/79/36‬‬ ‫‪The People of Fatrah‬‬ ‫]‪o [https://www.islamweb.net/en/fatwa/3191/‬‬ ‫‪The Story of Rabbi Mukhayriq‬‬ ‫]‪o [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mukhayriq#Story‬‬