become a muslimah). Her statement: 'A lot of others will never meet a
Muslim in person. Will they be held responsible for their ignorance?
What exactly does this mean: "After the revelation of the Quran who
ever receives this message & does not abide by it is a non-believer"?
i. Who is considered to have received the message?
ii. Isn't it possible for people to have not received the message even
though the Quran is in existence?'
Praise be to Allaah.
It is part of the justice of Allaah that He does not punish any people
until He has first sent a warning to them and unless there is evidence
against them. Allaah does not treat anybody unfairly. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): "… And We never punish until We have
sent a Messenger (to give warning)." [al-Israa' 17:15].
In his tafseer (commentary) on this aayah, Ibn Katheer (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said: "These words, '…And We never punish until We
have sent a Messenger (to give warning)' tell us of the justice of
Allaah, may He be exalted, and that He does not punish anyone until
after He has established evidence against him by sending aMessenger to
him. This islike the aayat (interpretation of the meaning): '… Every
time a group is cast therein [into Hell], its keeper willask, "Did no
warner come to you?" They will say, "Yes indeed; a warner did come to
us, but we belied him and said: 'Allaah never sent down anything (of
revelation), you are only in great error.'"' [al-Mulk67:8] and: 'And
those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in groups, till, when
they reach it, the gates thereof will be opened (suddenly like a
prison at the arrival of its prisoners). And its keepers will say,
"Did not the Messengers come to you from yourselves, - reciting to you
the Verses of your Lord, and warning you of the Meeting of this Day of
yours?" They will say: "Yes, but the Word of torment has been
justified against the disbelievers!"' [al-Zumar 39:71]…"
A person who has never heard of Islam or the Prophet SAWS (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), and who has never heard the message
in its correct and true form, will not be punished by Allaah if he
dies in a state of kufr (disbelief). If it were asked what his fate
will be, the answer will be that Allaah will test him on the Day of
Resurrection: if he obeys, he will enter Paradise and if he disobeys
he will enter Hell. The evidence (daleel) for this is the hadeeth of
al-Aswad ibn Saree', who reported that the Prophet of Allaah SAWS
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "There are four (who
will protest) to Allaah on the Day of Resurrection: the deaf man who
never heard anything, the insane man, the very old man, and the man
who died during the fatrah (the interval between the time of 'Eesaa
(Jesus, upon whom be peace) and the time of Muhammad SAWS (peaceand
blessings of Allaah be upon him)). The deaf man will say, 'O Lord,
Islam came but I never heard anything.' The insane man will say, 'O
Lord, Islam came but the children ran after me and threw stones at
me.'The very old man will say, 'O Lord, Islam came but I did not
understand anything.' The man who died during the fatrah will say, 'O
Lord, no Messenger from You came to me.' He will accept their promises
of obedience, then word will be sent to them to enter the Fire. By the
One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, if they enter it, it will
be cool and safe for them."
According to another report, he said: "Whoever enters it, it will be
cool and safe for him, and whoever does not enter it will be dragged
to it." (The hadeeth was reported by Imaam Ahmad and Ibn Hibbaan, and
deemed saheeh by al-Albaani, Saheeh al-Jaami', 881).
Everyone who hears the message of Islam in a sound and correct form
(and rejects it), will haveevidence aginst him. Whoever dies without
having heard the message, or having heard it in a distorted form, then
his case is in the hands of Allaah. Allaah knows best about His
creation, and He will never treat anyone unfairly. And Allaah is
All-Seer of His slaves.
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