Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

I read your last email about the parents of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and I totally disagree with the "hadith" that you narrated. It is questioning the kindnes of Allah to imply that only a few Muslims will to to heaven and billions and billions of people (including the Parents of the Prophet himself) will burn in the fire of hell!!

Please revise your sources, even though they might come from "Sahih Bokharay"!

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Very few in paradise

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 32 Surah Sajdah verse 19:

19 For those who believe and do righteous deeds are Gardens as hospitable homes for their (good) deeds.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 42 Surah Shura verse 22:

22 Thou wilt see the wrongdoers in fear on account of what they have earned and (the burden of) that must (necessarily) fall on them. But those who believe and work righteous deeds will be in the luxuriant meads of the Gardens: they shall have before their Lord all that they wish for: that will indeed be the magnificent Bounty (of Allah).

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 30 Surah Rome verse 45:

45 That He may reward those who believe and work righteous deeds out of His Bounty: for He loves not those who reject Faith.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 31 Surah Luqmaan verses 8-9:

8 For those who believe and work righteous deeds there will be Gardens of Bliss.

9 To dwell therein. The promise of Allah is true: and He is Exalted in Power, Wise.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 47 Surah Muhammad verse 12:

12 Verily Allah will admit those who believe and do righteous deeds to Gardens beneath which rivers flow; while those who reject Allah will enjoy (this world) and eat as cattle eat; and the Fire will be their abode.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 18 Surah Kahf verse 107:

107 As to those who believe and work righteous deeds they have for their entertainment the Gardens of Paradise

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 85 Surah Buruj verse 11:

11 For those who believe and do righteous deeds will be Gardens Beneath which rivers flow: that is the Great Salvation

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verse 23:

23 Allah will admit those who believe and work righteous deeds to Gardens beneath which rivers flow: they shall be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and pearls; and their garments there will be of silk.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verse 56:

56 On that Day the Dominion will be that of Allah: He will judge between them: so those who believe and work righteous deeds will be in Gardens of Delight.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Mumin verse 40:

40 He that works evil will not be requited but by the like thereof: and he that works a righteous deed whether man or woman and is a believer such will enter the Garden (of Bliss): therein will they have abundance without measure.

Respected brother in Islam,The Lord All-Just All-Wise will not determine who deserves His Mercy or His Wrath depending on one’s race, or creed, or nationality, or color, or height, or one’s lineage or the quality of one’s ancestors, etc.….. the rather two absolutely inseparable pre-conditions the Lord Most High Most Wise has conveyed in His Message for one’s entry into the Eternal Gardens of Paradise are:

1. Belief, and
2. Righteous good deeds in accordance with the Quran and the Sunnah.

The Lord All-Knowing, All-Just, Most Majestic, Most Supreme Alone Will Judge with Absolute Knowledge and Justice who amongst His creation deserves His Mercy and who amongst His creation deserves His Wrath…..the number of those who are fortunate to enter Paradise or condemned to the Hell Fire by the Lord definitely does not depend on your and our whims and fancies, that is something the Lord Most Supreme Alone Will Judge with Absolute Knowledge and Justice on that Tumultuous Day of Judgment!

Your Question: I read your last email about the parents of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and I totally disagree with the "hadith" that you narrated.

Sahih Muslim Hadith 398 Narrated by Anas ibn Malik

A companion whose father had died in the ‘Days of Ignorance’ came and asked the Prophet (saws): ‘O Messenger of Allah (saws), where is my father?’ The Prophet (saws) replied: ‘He (you father) is in the Hell Fire.’ When the companion turned away, he (the Prophet (saws)) called him back and said: ‘Verily my father and your father are both in the Hell Fire!’

Abu Hurairah reported: "The Prophet (saws) visited his mother's grave and wept, and everyone there wept with him (saws). Then the Prophet (saws) said: 'I sought my Lord's permission to seek forgiveness for her, but He did not permit me. I then sought permission to visit her grave and He permitted me to visit her grave.’

Related by Muslim, Ahmad, and Abu Dawud.

If your aversion is only because of what is related in Truth by the Messenger of Allah (saws) and recorded in the authentic and established Sunnah regarding the final destination of the parents of the Last and Final Messenger of Allah (saws), then consider these Declaration which are not from the recorded Sunnah, but rather in the Very Words of the Lord Most High Himself:

Ref: Azar, the father of Prophet Ibraheem (a.s.)

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 19 Surah Maryam verses 41-47:

41 Also mention in the Book (the story of) Ibraheem (a.s.): he was a man of Truth, a Prophet.

42 Behold he said to his father (Azar): "O my father! Why worship that which hears not and see not, and can profit thee nothing?

43 O my father! To me hath come knowledge which has not reached thee: so follow me: I will guide thee to a Way that is even and straight.

44 O my father! Serve not the Shaytaan: for the Shaytan is a rebel against (Allah) Most Gracious.

45 O my father! I fear lest a Penalty afflict thee from (Allah) Most Gracious so that thou become to the Shaytaan a friend."

46 (His father) replied: "Dost thou hate my gods O Ibraheem? If thou forbear not, I will indeed stone thee: now get away from me for a good long while!"

47 Ibraheem (.a.s.) said: "Peace be on thee: I will pray to my Lord for thy forgiveness: for He is to me Most Gracious.”

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verse 114:

114 And Ibraheem (a.s.) prayed for his father's forgiveness only because of a promise he had made to him. But when it became clear to him that he was an enemy to Allah, he dissociated himself from him: for Ibraheem (a.s.) was most tender-hearted, forbearing.

Allah Subhanah Declares in Truth that Azar, the ‘father’ of the ‘father of the Prophets’, the father of ‘Khaleel ur-Rahmaan’ and the choicest ‘friend’ of Allah, Hadrat Ibraheem (a.s.) will be condemned to the Hell Fire!

Ref: the wives of the Noble Prophet Nuh (a.s.) and Prophet Lut (a.s.):

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 68 Surah Tahreem verse 10:

10 Allah sets forth for an example to the disbelievers: the wife of Nuh and the wife of Lut: they were (respectively) under two of Our righteous servants but they were false to their (husbands), and they (the wives) profited nothing before Allah on their (husband’s) account, but were told: "Enter ye the Fire along with (others) that enter!"

The Lord Most Supreme Most Majestic Declares in Truth that the wives of the Noble Prophets Nuh (a.s.) and Lut (a.s.) will be condemned to the Hell Fire!

Ref: the son of the Noble Prophet Nuh (a.s.)

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 11 Surah Hud verses 42-46:

42 So the Ark floated with them on the waves (towering) like mountains and Nuh (a.s.) called out to his son who had separated himself (from the rest): "O my son! Embark with us and be not with the disbelievers!"

43 The son replied: "I will be take myself to some mountain: it will save me from the water." Nuh (a.s.) said: "This day nothing can save from the Command of Allah any but those on whom He has Mercy!" and the waves came between them, and the son was among those overwhelmed in the Flood.

44 When the Word went forth: "O earth! Swallow up thy water, and O sky! withhold (thy rain)!" and the water abated and the matter was ended. The Ark rested on Mount Judi and the Word went forth: "Away with those who do wrong!"

45 And Nuh (a.s.) called upon his Lord and said: "O my Lord! Surely my son is of my family, and Thy Promise is True, and Thou art the Justest of all judges!"

46 He (Allah Subhanah) said: "O Nuh! He (your son) is not of thy family: for his conduct is unrighteous. So ask not of Me that of which thou hast no knowledge! I give thee counsel lest thou act like the ignorant!"

Ref: Abu Lahab ibn Abdul-Muttalib, the paternal uncle and the father’s brother of the Last and Final Messenger of Allah, Mohamed ar-Rasool Allah (saws):

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 111 Surah Lahab verses 1-5:

1 Perish the hands of Abi-Lahab! Perish he!

2 No profit to him from all his wealth and all his gains!

3 Burnt soon will he be in a Fire of blazing Flame!

4 His wife shall carry the (crackling) wood as fuel!

5 A twisted rope of palm-leaf fibre round her (own) neck!

Your Statement: Please revise your sources, even though they might come from "Sahih Bokharay"!
My respected brother in Islam, our only sources for determining the Truth from the falsehood is first and foremost the Guidance of the Glorious Quran, and the authentic and established Sunnah of the Last and Final Messenger of Allah (saws). Allah is our witness brother, if we were to take your advice and ‘revise our sources’ or seek guidance in the deen from any other source/s than that of the Quran and the Sunnah, we would be absolutely and utterly in manifest transgression of the Commands and Guidance of our Lord Creator!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imran verse 31-32:

O Prophet, tell the people, “If you sincerely love Allah, follow me. Then Allah will love you and forgive you your sins, for He is All Forgiving, All Merciful.” Also say to them, “Obey Allah and His Messenger.” And if, in spite of this, they do not accept your invitation, warn them that Allah does not love those, who refuse to obey Him and His Messenger.

Respected brother in Islam, we do understand and respect that your love and your desire to honor the parents of the Last and Final Messenger of Allah (saws) is only a derivative and an extension of your sincere love and respect for the Noble Prophet (saws)….but let not your love nor your desire to honor someone supersede what is related in Truth in the Quran and the Sunnah.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verse 113:

113 It is not fitting for the Prophet and those who believe that they should pray for forgiveness for the ‘mushriks’ (pagans), even though they be of kin (close relatives), after it is clear to them that they are companions of the Fire!

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan