QUESTION

Do the non-Muslims' children who die before they reach puberty go to Paradise?

ANSWER by Shaykh Wasee Allaah 'Abbaas, lecturer at the Ka'bah, instructor at Umm Al-Quraa University in Makkah

Allaah will not punish them when they have not committed any sins [1]. So they will be in Paradise, either as dwellers of Paradise [2] or as servants of the dwellers of Paradise [3], and Allaah knows best.

FOOTNOTES

[1] Due to Allaah's Statement: ( And no one shall bear the burden of another, nor would We punish anyone without first sending a messenger ) [17:15]

[2] From the strongest proofs for this is when the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) described that he saw Ibraaheem in a garden in Paradise with a great number of children surrounding him. The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) informed the Companions that the children of the polytheists were included in them. See Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree #7047 (12/530-532 of Fat-hul-Baaree).

[3] The proof for this is the hadeeth of Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him), the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said when asked about them, "They have no sins to be punished for and thus become from the dwellers of the Hellfire, nor do they have any good deeds to be rewarded for and thus become from the dwellers of Paradise. They are the servants of the dwellers of Paradise." It was collected by Aboo Daawood At-Tayaalisee in his Musnad #2225 (3/580-581 of the Daar Hijrah printing). Its chain is weak, but some of the scholars considered it authentic by way of its numerous routes. See Silsilatul-Ahaadeethis-Saheehah #1468.

SOURCE

This was translated exclusively for www.bakkah.net from a handwritten answer provided by the shaykh, file no. AAWA018, dated 1423/7/20.

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