Praise
be to Allah
Firstly:
This man,
‘Adnaan Ibraaheem, is not someone who is to be followed regarding religious
matters, and his talks should not be listened to, because of the corrupt
ideas and beliefs that he promotes.
He is not one of
the scholars to whom one should refer; rather his ideas are deviant in terms
of knowledge, methodology and belief, as the Ahl as-Sunnah of our time have
pointed out.
For more
information on him and what he promotes of deviant ideas, please click on
the following link:
http://sunnahway.net/node/1127
Secondly:
What is
indicated by the texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah, and the salaf (early
generations) of this ummah are unanimously agreed upon it, is that no one in
whose heart is an atom’s weight of faith will abide in Hell forever. Even if
he enters Hell because of his sin, he will remain there for as long as Allah
wills, then he will be brought forth therefrom to Paradise.
Al-Bukhaari (44)
and Muslim (193) narrated from Anas that the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever says Laa ilaaha ill-Allah and has in his
heart goodness the weight of a grain of barley will be brought out of Hell,
then whoever says Laa ilaaha ill-Allah and has in his heart goodness the
weight of a grain of wheat will be brought out of Hell, then whoever says
Laa ilaaha ill-Allah and has in his heart goodness the weight of an atom (or
a small ant) will be brought out of Hell.”
Shaykh Ibn Baaz
(may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Whoever dies
affirming the oneness of Allah (Tawheed) and not associating anything with
Allah will be one of the people of Paradise, even if he commits zina and
steals, and even if he commits other sins, such as defiance towards parents,
riba (usury), bearing false witness, and so on. For the sinner is subject to
Allah’s will; if our Lord wills, He will forgive him, and if He wills, He
will punish him according to his sins, if he dies without having repented.
And even if he enters Hell and is punished therein, he will not abide
therein forever; rather he will be brought forth therefrom to Paradise,
after he has been cleansed and purified.
End quote from
Fataawa Noor ‘ala ad-Darb (6/51).
See also the
answers to questions no. 112113,
147996 and 170526.
Thirdly::
For someone to
say, “All the Muslims will enter Paradise, so do whatever you want” is a
false statement and is contrary to what is well-known of the religion,
which calls and urges people to obey Allah, and warns them against
disobeying Him. In fact, it is contrary to the messages of all the Prophets,
which call on people to worship Allah and enjoin them to do so. Allah, may
He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And
We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], ‘Worship Allah
and avoid Taghut [false gods].’ And among them were those whom Allah guided,
and among them were those upon whom error was [deservedly] decreed. So
proceed through the earth and observe how was the end of the deniers”
[an-Nahl 16:36].
Allah sent the
Prophets to correct people’s beliefs, deeds and attitudes; the call of Islam
sets out guidelines and instructions for the rectification of every aspect
of human life:
It was narrated
that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of
Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “I have only been
sent to perfect good attitude and good manners.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani
in Saheeh al-Jaami‘ (2349).
The texts which
indicate that it is obligatory to obey Allah and obey His Messenger, and
warn against doing anything contrary to that, are too many to mention here.
For example:
Allah, may He be
exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And obey Allah
and the Messenger that you may obtain mercy”
[Aal ‘Imraan
3:132]
“And obey Allah
and obey the Messenger and beware. And if you turn away – then know that
upon Our Messenger is only [the responsibility for] clear notification”
[al-Maa’idah
5:92].
And He warns
against disobeying Allah and His Messenger, and neglecting His commands. He
says (interpretation of the meaning):
“So let those
beware who dissent from the Prophet’s order, lest fitnah strike them or a
painful punishment”
[an-Noor 24:63]
“And whoever
disobeys Allah and His Messenger and transgresses His limits – He will put
him into the Fire to abide eternally therein, and he will have a humiliating
punishment”
[an-Nisaa’ 4:14]
“It is not for a
believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have
decided a matter, that they should [thereafter] have any choice about their
affair. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly strayed
into clear error”
[al-Ahzaab
33:36].
Moreover, it is
also contrary to the reason for which Allah created the jinn and mankind.
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And
I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me”
[adh-Dhaariyaat
51:56].
As for this
baseless question, “why should we strive, so long as every Muslim will be in
Paradise?”,
It may be
answered from several angles.
-1-
The believer
will only attain Paradise by virtue of his own deeds, and not by virtue of
his name or heritage. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“And We will
have removed whatever is within their hearts of resentment, [while] flowing
beneath them are rivers. And they will say, ‘Praise to Allah , who has
guided us to this; and we would never have been guided if Allah had not
guided us. Certainly the messengers of our Lord had come with the truth.’
And they will be called, ‘This is Paradise, which you have been made to
inherit for what you used to do’”
[al-A‘raaf 7:43]
“The ones whom
the angels take in death, [being] good and pure; [the angels] will say,
‘Peace be upon you. Enter Paradise for what you used to do’”
[an-Nahl 16:32]
“[They will be
told], ‘Eat and drink in satisfaction for what you used to do’”
[at-Toor 52:19]
“Indeed, the
righteous will be among shades and springs
And fruits from
whatever they desire,
[Being told],
‘Eat and drink in satisfaction for what you used to do’”
[al-Mursalaat
77:41-43].
-2-
If we assume
that Allah, may He be exalted, has decreed that someone will enter Paradise,
he is also enjoined to strive, and it will be made easy for him to do the
deeds of the people of Paradise, so that he will enter it by virtue of his
deeds. There is no contradiction between the prior decree of Allah and the
religious duties. This is something that is well-known in the religion, that
Allah has commanded His slaves to believe in the divine decree
(predestination), but at the same time has also enjoined upon them that they
should strive.
It was narrated
that ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) was at a funeral, and he picked up something and
started to hit the ground with it, and said: “There is no one among you but
his place in Hell or his place in Paradise is already decreed.” They said: O
Messenger of Allah, then should we not rely on our destiny and give up
striving? He said: “Keep striving, for everyone will be helped to do that
for which he was created. As for the one who is among the blessed, he will
be helped to do the deeds of the blessed; as for the one who is among the
doomed, he will be helped to do the deeds of the doomed. Then he recited the
words: “As
for he who gives and fears Allah, And believes in the best [reward], We will
ease him toward ease”
[al-Layl 92:5-7].
Narrated by al-Bukhaari
(4949) and Muslim (2647).
-3-
It may be said:
Yes, no one will enter Paradise except a Muslim, and no one will remain in
Hell in whose heart is an atom’s weight of faith, but how can you be certain
that Allah will not cast into your heart fitnah, shirk, deviation and
misguidance, in requital for your deviating from what He has enjoined and
your failing to obey Him? Allah, may He be exalted, has warned those who
disobey him, as we have seen above. And Allah, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“And when they
deviated, Allah caused their hearts to deviate. And Allah does not guide the
defiantly disobedient people”
[as-Saff 61:5].
Each individual
should understand that his deeds and his status will only be judged
according to how his life ends, and who can guarantee him a good and
believing end, if he persists in his deviation and disobedience?
It was narrated
that ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told us, and
he is the most truthful one: “The creation of any one of you is put together
in his mother’s womb for forty days, then he becomes a ‘alaqah (a piece of
thick coagulated blood) for a similar period, then he becomes like a chewed
piece of flesh (mudghah) for a similar period, then Allah sends to him an
angel who is enjoined to write down four things; it is said to Him: Write
down his deeds, his provision, his lifespan, and whether he is doomed (to
Hell) or blessed (destined for Paradise). Then the soul is breathed into
him. One of you may strive until there is nothing between him and Paradise
but a cubit, then the decree overtakes him and he does a deed of the people
of Hell. Or he may strive until there is nothing between him and Hell but a
cubit, then the decree overtakes him and he does a deed of the people of
Paradise.” Agreed upon.
It was narrated
from Sahl ibn Sa‘d as-Saa‘idi (may Allah be pleased with him) that the
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: A man
may do the deeds of the people of Paradise, or so it appears to people,
although he is one of the people of Hell, and a man may do the deeds of the
people of Hell, or so it appears to people, although he is one of the people
of Paradise. Deeds are judged by how they end.” Agreed upon.
And Allah knows
best.