far as I know, Allah's love for His creation is seventy times greater
than the love of a mother for her child, so why are the majority
non-Muslims? Is it true that no one will ever enter Paradise except
Muslims, and Ahl as-Sunnah in particular?If this is true, then that
means that no one who will enter Paradise except a percentage that is
very small in comparison to the total number of people on earth. So
why does Allahwant the majority of His creation to enter Hell?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
First of all we should point out that what the questioner mentioned
about Allah's love for His creation being "seventy times greater than
the love of a mother for her child" has no basis in theQur'an or
Sunnah. Allah, may He be exalted, does not love the transgressors, and
He does not love the evildoers, and He does not love the
disbelievers,so how can it be affirmed that Allah, may He be exalted,
loves all of His creation when the vast majority of them are these
types of people? Rather Allah, may He be exalted, loves those who do
good, and He loves the pious, and He loves those who repent, and He
loves those who purify themselves, and He lovesthose who are patient,
and He loves those who put their trust in Him, and He loves those who
are fair and just. These types of people are the ones for whom Allah,
may He be exalted, affirmed His love and they – naturally – cannotbe
any but those who affirm His Oneness and not those who associate
others with Him.
But despite all that, among the names of Allah, may He be glorified,
are the names ar-Rahmaan (the Most Gracious), ar-Raheem (the Most
Merciful); His mercy precedes His wrath, and His pardon precedes His
punishment, and He is more merciful to His slaves than a mother to her
child.
It was narrated that 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with
him) said:Some prisoners were brought to the Messenger of
Allah(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and there was a woman
among the prisoners who was searching for someone. When she found a
small boy among the prisoners, she clasped him to her and started to
breastfeed him. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) said to us: "Do you think that this woman would throw her
child into the fire?" We said: No, by Allah, she would never do that
if she is able not to. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said: "Allah is more merciful towards His slaves
than this woman is towards her child."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari,5999; Muslim, 2754.
There is a difference between mercy and love. Allah, may He be
glorified and exalted, has sent down a share ofHis mercy by virtue of
which people show compassion towards oneanother, He grants provision
to His slaves, gives them more time, is forbearing towards them and
bears patientlytheir disbelief and offensive words. All of that is in
this world; but in the hereafter, His mercy will be only for those who
believed in Him and submitted to Him.
Secondly:
With regard to the question, "Why are most people on earth
non-Muslims?" The answer to that is: because they are the ones who
have chosen disbelief over Islam. Herewe will set aside those who are
excused because the message didnot reach them, and let us ask: what is
the matter with those who read about Islam and whom the call reached,
and they saw thousands of their coreligionists race towards Islam, and
they saw the millions who follow this great religion, and they saw the
clear signs that pointto the truthfulness of theProphet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) and the truthfulness of his call, and the
truthfulness andmiraculous nature of theQur'an, and they heard the
debates in which theenemies of Islam were defeated and their specious
arguments refuted – yet despite all of that, and much more besides,
they did not believe in Islam and theydid not accept it as their
religion; rather billions of them were content to worship a cross that
theymade or an idol that they carved, or a grave that they built up,
or a cow that they worshipped instead of Allah. There is no power and
no strength except with Allah.
The truth is obvious and clear; the signs that point to the greatness
ofIslam are too many to becounted; no wise personcan argue against the
evidence that what these disbelievers are doing is false; sound human
nature and reasoning reject those (false) acts of worship and the
taking of other gods as lords instead of Allah, the One. Allah, mayHe
be exalted, has highlighted the evidence and has established proof
against them. Yet despite that, most people insist on disbelieving and
you willnot find most people to be grateful monotheists; rather they
are disbelievers and polytheists.
Thirdly:
As for the answer to the question, So why does Allah want the majority
of His creation to enter Hell?, The answer is that Allah, may He be
exalted,does not approve of the disbelief of these peopleand He does
not like it, but they liked it for themselves. The AlmightyLord, may
He be glorified and exalted, has stated in His holy Book that He is
not pleased with the disbelief of the disbelievers, as He says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"If you disbelieve, then verily, Allaah is not in need of you; He
likes notdisbelief for His slaves. And if you are grateful (by being
believers), He is pleased therewith for you"
[az-Zumar 39:7].
This is a clear statement that Allah, may He be exalted, does not like
disbelief for His slaves; rather He likes Tawheed (affirmation of the
Oneness of Allah) and Islam for them. Rather they are the ones who
like disbelief as a religion for themselves, and they refused to join
the ranks of those who affirm the Oneness of Allah. Allah, may He be
exalted, does not force anyone to become a Muslim or to become a
disbeliever; rather He, may He be glorified and exalted, has explained
the paths of truth and falsehood, right and wrong, Islam and
disbelief, then He has given people the choice, along with His promise
to the Muslims of rewardand His warning to the disbelievers of Hell.
Allah, may He be exalted,says (interpretation of the meaning):
"29. And say: 'The truth isfrom your Lord.' Then whosoever wills, let
him believe; and whosoever wills, let him disbelieve. Verily, We have
prepared for the Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers), a Fire whose
walls will be surrounding them (disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah).
And if they ask for help (relief, water), they will be granted water
like boiling oil, that will scaldtheir faces. Terrible is the drink,
and an evil Murtafaq (dwelling, resting place)!
30. Verily, as for those who believed and did righteous deeds,
certainly We shall not make the reward of anyone who does his
(righteous) deeds in the most perfect manner to be lost.
31. These! For them will be 'Adn (Eden) Paradise (everlasting
Gardens); wherein rivers flow underneath them; therein they will be
adorned with bracelets of gold, and they will wear green garments of
fine and thick silk. They will recline therein on raised thrones. How
good is the reward, and what an excellent Murtafaq (dwelling, resting
place)!"
[al-Kahf 18:29-31]
"2. Verily, We have created man from Nutfah (drops) of mixed semen
(sexual discharge of man and woman), in order to try him, so We made
him hearer and seer.
3. Verily, We showed himthe way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful.
4. Verily, We have prepared for the disbelievers iron chains, iron
collars, and a blazing Fire.
5. Verily, the Abraar (the pious believers of IslamicMonotheism) shall
drink of a cup (of wine) mixed with (water from a spring in Paradise
called) Kaafoor.
6. A spring wherefrom the slaves of Allah will drink, causing it to
gush forth abundantly."
[al-Insaan 76:2-6].
Here we will quote an example of how Allah offered guidance to people
by sending Messengers with clear signs, yet they chose disbelief over
Islam. They were the people of Thamood. Allah, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"17. And as for Thamood,We showed and made clear to them the Path
ofTruth (Islamic Monotheism) through Our Messenger (i.e. showed them
the way ofsuccess), but they preferred blindness to guidance; so the
Saa'iqah (a destructive awful cry, torment, hit, thunderbolt) of
disgracing torment seized them because of what they used to earn.
18. And We saved those who believed and used to fear Allaah, keep
theirduty to Him and avoid evil."
[Fussilat 41:17-18].
This is an example, and similar to these people are all those who
disbelieved in their Lord and rejected their Messengers, and were
content with disbelief in this world and eternity in the Fire in the
Hereafter. These moderndisbelievers have a precedent; messengers
brought the truth from their Lord to them, and Allah, may He be
exalted,made the Messenger to each people one of theirown, so that
they would recognise his truthfulness and honesty, and He gave each
one of them a sign that is enough proof for people, yet despite that,
they said that their Messengers were sorcerers or madmen. The
disbelievers of Quraysh demanded a sign from the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) so that they would believe. He showed
them the splitting of the moon, and they said that it was sorcery. So
the words of Allah concerning them are true (interpretation of the
meaning):
"and even if they see every one of the Ayaat (signs) they will not
believe therein"
[al-An'aam 6:25].
Those people did not stop at rejecting the Messengers of their
Lord;rather they conspired against them, to kill them or expel them
fromtheir lands. Allah, may Hebe exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"And those who disbelieved, said to theirMessengers: 'Surely, we shall
drive you out of our land, or you shall return to our religion.' So
their Lord revealed tothem: 'Truly, We shall destroy the Zaalimoon
(polytheists, disbelievers and wrongdoers)'"
[Ibraaheem 14:13].
And Allah, may He be exalted, tells us that the people of Ibraaheem
(peace be upon him) said:
"So nothing was the answer of [Ibraaheem's (Abraham's)] people except
that they said: 'Kill him or burn him.' Then Allah saved him from the
fire. Verily, in this are indeed signs for a people who believe"
[al-'Ankaboot 29:24].
And Allah, may He be exalted, says concerning our Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him):
"And (remember) when the disbelievers plotted against you (O
Muhammadصلى الله عليهوسلم( to imprison you, or to kill you, or to get
you out )from your home, i.e. Makkah("
[al-Anfaal 8:30].
If this was the case with regard to those to whomthe Messenger, whom
they knew, brought the message from his Lord, and they saw the signs
with their own eyes, then what about those Indians, Chinese and
Europeans, if the Arabian Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon them) came to them as a bringer of glad tidings and a
warner??
When some of the polytheists claimed that Allah, may He be
exalted,approved of their disbelief and that if that was not the case,
He would have diverted them from it, our Lord, may He be blessed and
exulted, showed them tobe liars and explained that they were only
following their whims and desires and their forefathers who had gone
astray. Allah, may He be exalted, said (interpretation of the meaning)
"And those who joined others in worship with Allah said: 'If Allah had
sowilled, neither we nor our fathers would have worshipped aught but
Him, nor would we have forbidden anything without (Command from) Him'"
[an-Nahl 16:35].
Then Allah, may He be exalted, refuted them bysaying:
"And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (community, nation) a
Messenger (proclaiming): 'Worship Allah (Alone), and avoid (or keep
away from) Taghoot (all false deities,i.e. do not worship Taaghoot
alongside Allah).' Then of them were some whom Allah guided and of
them were some upon whom the straying was justified"
[an-Nahl 16:36].
Shaykh Muhammad al-Ameen ash-Shanqeeti (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
In these verses, Allah explains that He did not approve of their
disbelief, and that He sent a Messenger to every nation, commanding
them on the Messenger's lips to worship Allah alone and to avoid
taaghoot (false gods), i.e., to keep away from the worship of any
deity besides Him. He also told them that Allah guided some of them to
worship Him alone, and that some of them went astray; in other words,
their disbelief and doomwere confirmed.
Allah, may He be exalted,says in Soorat al-An'aam (interpretation of
the meaning):
"Say: 'With Allah is the perfect proof and argument, (i.e. the Oneness
of Allaah, the sending of His Messengers and His Holy Books, to
mankind); had He so willed, He would indeed have guided you all'"
[al-An'aam 6:149].
The fact that He alone can help and guide people is the perfect proof
and argument against His creation. In other words: whoever We guide
and bless with Our help, that is grace and mercy from Us. And whoever
We do not do that for, that is justice and wisdom from Us, because he
was not owed that by Us and did not deserve it from Us. Rather if We
grant that, it is grace, and if we do not grant it, it is justice.
End quote fromAdwa' al-Bayaan, 7/95, 96.
Fourthly:
The questioner says: Is it true that no one will ever enter Paradise
except Muslims, and Ahl as-Sunnah in particular? That is subject to
further discussion:
Following the sending ofthe Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him), then yes, no one will enter Paradise except a Muslim,
becauseIslam abrogated all the previous religions; Allah, may He be
exalted, commanded all His creation to enter this religion, and stated
that He will never accept any other religion from anyone, and that
whoever meets Him withany other religion will be among the losers.
Allah, may He be exalted,says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be
accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers"
[Aal 'Imraan 3:85].
Because of that, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) instructed Bilaal to call out to the people: "No one will enter
Paradise except a Muslim."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari,3062; Muslim, 178.
With regard to the previous nations, everyone who believed in his
Prophet and Messenger will enter Paradise; they were the Muslims of
their time. Allah, may He be exalted,says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"Verily, those who believe and those who are Jews and Christians, and
Sabians, whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and does righteous
good deeds shall have their reward with their Lord, on them shall be
no fear, nor shallthey grieve"
[al-Baqarah 2:62].
With regard to the question of Paradise being for Ahl as-Sunnah in
particular, this is an incorrect view. None of the scholars have said
such a thing; rather all ofthe ummah of Muhammad (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) who responded to his call willenter Paradise; no
one will be deprived of it except those who turnedon their heels
(apostatized) and nullified their Islam by doing something that took
them out of Islam altogether, and those innovators who went against
sharee'ah and opposed Ahl as-Sunnah. They, like other sinners among
the monotheists, will be subject to the willof Allah, may He be
glorified and exalted: if He wills, He will punish them, and if He
wills, He will forgive them, then the final destination of any one of
them will be Paradise, if he died believing in Tawheed.
This also applies to thosewho committed some sins or fell into some
innovation, but were among Ahl as-Sunnah in general; they will also
besubject to the will of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted: if He
wills, He will punish them, and if He wills, He will forgive them.
However, adhering to the Sunnah, defending itand following it in word
and deed will increase the hope of entering Paradise and being saved
from the punishment of Allah.
Fifthly:
The one who understands from the hadeeth about divisions and from the
words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about
the seventy-two different sects who go against Ahl as-Sunnah, "All of
them will be in the Fire", that they will abide forever in the fire of
Hell, is mistaken and has gone against the consensus of the Muslims.
The fact that these sects have gone astray and have been given a
warning ofHellfire does not mean that they will abide therein forever.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Whoever says that the seventy-two sects have all committed kufr
(disbelief) in a way that puts them beyond the pale of Islam has gone
against the Qur'an, Sunnah and the consensus of the Sahaabah (may
Allah be pleased with them all), and also the consensus of the four
imams and others. There is no one among them who regarded each one of
the seventy-two sects as disbelievers.
End quote fromMajmoo' al-Fataawa, 7/218
Describing those who differ as disbelievers is the way of the
followers of innovation and misguidance; it is not the way of Ahl
as-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The Khaarijis were the first ones to regard the Muslims as
disbelievers, saying that they become disbelievers because of
committing sins. They also regarded as disbelievers those who
disagreed with their innovation and regarded it as permissible to kill
them and take their wealth. This is how the innovators are: they
introduce an innovation and regard as disbelievers those who differ
with them, concerning it. Ahl as-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah follow theQur'an
and Sunnah, and obey Allah and His Messenger; they follow the truth
and show compassion to all people.
End quote fromMajmoo' al-Fataawa, 3/279
And he said concerning the seventy-two sects: They regard one
anotheras disbelievers because of some of the ideas they believe in.
End quote fromMajmoo' al-Fataawa, 7/218
For reports of the hadeeth about division and some comments on it,
please see the answer to question no. 90112
For a description of Ahl as-Sunnah and the savedsect, please see the
answers to questions no. 10777and 206
Sixthly:
By the mercy of Allah, may He be exalted, to Hisslaves, He will not
punishwith Hell those whom the call of Islam did not reach. For those
who arealive at the present, or who lived before, whomnews of Islam
did not reach, they will be testedon the Day of Resurrection. And
Allah knows best.
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