Response: In
an answer published in your magazine regarding the fate of Non-Muslims
who do not believe in the Prophethood of Muhammad (sws), you have explained
the conditions for a person in order to enter Paradise. A friend of mine
is still arguing with me on this matter. He says that Allah is the most
Merciful and the most Gracious. Now if a non-Muslim doesn’t believe in
Muhammad (sws) in spite of being convinced of his Prophethood but does
something good with his most generous and sincere intentions, shouldn’t
Allah forgive him even though he is not a Muslim.
Answer: Knowingly
denying a truth is a big sin. This only means that a person has the arrogance
to deny something which in fact should have been his very quest. In other
words, in spite of recognizing a truth, he has the audacity to deny it.
This is something very condemnable before the Almighty. You see the Almighty
Himself has stipulated certain conditions for salvation in the Hereafter,
and has repeatedly warned that people who do not fulfill them will not
go to Heaven -- not only that, they will be condemned to Hell. Now, if
a person who knows all these things in advance and still does not fulfill
them is actually challenging the Almighty. Being not intellectually convinced
of the Prophethood of Muhammad (sws) may afford a person with some legitimate
plea for being excused, but denying it after being convinced about it is
unforgivable.
Also, if such people were let off, then this would not
be fair to people who are righteous -- for if the righteous and wrongdoers
are both to meet the same fate, then why should people do good deeds in
the first place. This can only be done by an unjust creator -- Is Allah
unjust then?
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