Reward for Non-Muslims in the Hereafter
Question:
Many muslim scholars say that there is no reward or comfort for non-muslims in hereafter, no matter how much good deeds they have done in this world, beacuase "Imaan" is only condition for reward.
If it is true then there are millions of non-muslims who are not contacted/invited effectively towards educations of Islam or they are mis-informed about islam. do they all will be perished in judgment day?
Answer:
Belief is certainly one of the main criteria for success in the hereafter. However like most other criteria, there are conditions that need to be in place for this criteria to apply.
The main condition for this criteria to apply is 'Lack of Genuine Excuse'.
A good teacher does not penalize his student if the student has a genuine excuse for not completing his assignment in accordance to the specifications. This sense of fairness is not being taught to us. This is inbuilt in us because it is originated from our Creator. Our Creator does not punish those whose lack of belief was due to genuine excuses. A statement contrary to this will question the fairness of the Almighty.
If 'not having excuse' was not a condition then the messengers of God would not spend ages with their nations to make sure the message was delivered to them clearly.
In fact the whole Sunnah of the Almighty with regard to sending messengers is due to the above condition. Those who were among the direct addressees of the messengers of God, due to the God's direct support for His messengers, reached the situation where they no longer had any excuses not to believe. They reached a situation where not believing was not due to not being convinced. They knew the truth of the message yet they rejected it due to their arrogance.
If you look at the Qur'an carefully you will see that the criticism of the Qur'an on Kuffar is not just that they did not believe, but that they knew the truth yet did not believe in it. The Qur'an says that the message was made crystal clear for them (implying that they know it is the truth yet do not accept it). Look at 2:109, 2:256, 4:115, 8:6, 47:25, 47:32. The Qur'an says that they actually know the truth: 2:22, 2:42, 3:71, 61:5, 2:146, 6:20.
We obviously do not have the same direct support of the Almighty that the messengers of God had. The truth and the false are mixed together at our time. Followers of different faiths and different groups and sects within a faith each present their own version of the truth and often fight each other over it. To be more specific, not many Muslims at our time practically present a true image of Islam and not many Muslim counties show any advantages in following Islam. Non-believers at our time therefore are not comparable with those in Arabia at the time of the Prophet (pbuh) who rejected his message despite knowing its truth.
Looking at the condition that I mentioned above (lack of excuse) we can therefore understand that the most important thing in the path of success in the hereafter is to remain honest with oneself. This honesty will benefit any one in the hereafter. In the Sura of Ma'idah when God talks about the destiny of the followers of Jesus (pbuh), it does not say that they will all go to hell due to their wrong belief about Jesus (pbuh). The Book says:
... هَذَا يَوْمُ يَنفَعُ الصَّادِقِينَ صِدْقُهُمْ ...
"... This is the day that the honesty of the honest people will benefit them ..." (5:119)
I wrote above that Belief is in deed one of the criteria for success in the hereafter but a criteria that is conditional. In fact the Qur'an has given the core criteria for the success in the hereafter as well. A criteria that is absolute and not conditional. This is 'purification'.
God says:
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاها
"Verily the one who purifies (his soul) is successful (in the hereafter)" (91:9)
Based on the Qur'an the main objective of religion is to assist human being to purify his soul (62:2).
Obviously one who is in the path of purification does not reject what he finds to be the truth. However whether he would find the complete truth or not is not completely in his hands.
At the end of this writing let me summarize the criteria of salvation based on the Qur'an:
1. Generally and for all, the criteria for success is purification which normally results in doing righteous things as well as remaining open minded with regard to the truth (91:9)
2. Implication of the above for those who have the opportunity to see and recognise the clear signs of God, will be to believe in God, hereafter and to do better in doing righteous things (2:62, 2:82)
3. Implication of the above for those who are within the community of Muslims, as one of the chosen communities of God, is to follow the specific guidance of the Qur'an (2:3-5).
Please let me know if any of the above needs more explanation.
--------------
Related Topics:
- Is God Sadist (Follow Up: Honest Polytheism)?
---------------
May 2013
Revised: October 2016
Farhad Shafti
Many muslim scholars say that there is no reward or comfort for non-muslims in hereafter, no matter how much good deeds they have done in this world, beacuase "Imaan" is only condition for reward.
If it is true then there are millions of non-muslims who are not contacted/invited effectively towards educations of Islam or they are mis-informed about islam. do they all will be perished in judgment day?
Answer:
Belief is certainly one of the main criteria for success in the hereafter. However like most other criteria, there are conditions that need to be in place for this criteria to apply.
The main condition for this criteria to apply is 'Lack of Genuine Excuse'.
A good teacher does not penalize his student if the student has a genuine excuse for not completing his assignment in accordance to the specifications. This sense of fairness is not being taught to us. This is inbuilt in us because it is originated from our Creator. Our Creator does not punish those whose lack of belief was due to genuine excuses. A statement contrary to this will question the fairness of the Almighty.
If 'not having excuse' was not a condition then the messengers of God would not spend ages with their nations to make sure the message was delivered to them clearly.
In fact the whole Sunnah of the Almighty with regard to sending messengers is due to the above condition. Those who were among the direct addressees of the messengers of God, due to the God's direct support for His messengers, reached the situation where they no longer had any excuses not to believe. They reached a situation where not believing was not due to not being convinced. They knew the truth of the message yet they rejected it due to their arrogance.
If you look at the Qur'an carefully you will see that the criticism of the Qur'an on Kuffar is not just that they did not believe, but that they knew the truth yet did not believe in it. The Qur'an says that the message was made crystal clear for them (implying that they know it is the truth yet do not accept it). Look at 2:109, 2:256, 4:115, 8:6, 47:25, 47:32. The Qur'an says that they actually know the truth: 2:22, 2:42, 3:71, 61:5, 2:146, 6:20.
We obviously do not have the same direct support of the Almighty that the messengers of God had. The truth and the false are mixed together at our time. Followers of different faiths and different groups and sects within a faith each present their own version of the truth and often fight each other over it. To be more specific, not many Muslims at our time practically present a true image of Islam and not many Muslim counties show any advantages in following Islam. Non-believers at our time therefore are not comparable with those in Arabia at the time of the Prophet (pbuh) who rejected his message despite knowing its truth.
Looking at the condition that I mentioned above (lack of excuse) we can therefore understand that the most important thing in the path of success in the hereafter is to remain honest with oneself. This honesty will benefit any one in the hereafter. In the Sura of Ma'idah when God talks about the destiny of the followers of Jesus (pbuh), it does not say that they will all go to hell due to their wrong belief about Jesus (pbuh). The Book says:
... هَذَا يَوْمُ يَنفَعُ الصَّادِقِينَ صِدْقُهُمْ ...
"... This is the day that the honesty of the honest people will benefit them ..." (5:119)
I wrote above that Belief is in deed one of the criteria for success in the hereafter but a criteria that is conditional. In fact the Qur'an has given the core criteria for the success in the hereafter as well. A criteria that is absolute and not conditional. This is 'purification'.
God says:
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاها
"Verily the one who purifies (his soul) is successful (in the hereafter)" (91:9)
Based on the Qur'an the main objective of religion is to assist human being to purify his soul (62:2).
Obviously one who is in the path of purification does not reject what he finds to be the truth. However whether he would find the complete truth or not is not completely in his hands.
At the end of this writing let me summarize the criteria of salvation based on the Qur'an:
1. Generally and for all, the criteria for success is purification which normally results in doing righteous things as well as remaining open minded with regard to the truth (91:9)
2. Implication of the above for those who have the opportunity to see and recognise the clear signs of God, will be to believe in God, hereafter and to do better in doing righteous things (2:62, 2:82)
3. Implication of the above for those who are within the community of Muslims, as one of the chosen communities of God, is to follow the specific guidance of the Qur'an (2:3-5).
Please let me know if any of the above needs more explanation.
--------------
Related Topics:
- Is God Sadist (Follow Up: Honest Polytheism)?
---------------
May 2013
Revised: October 2016
Farhad Shafti
