On Islam Online, Hossam asks Sheikh Muhammad Al-Mukhtar Al-Shinqiti about the fate of decent, good people who are not Muslims.
My question is about the People of the Book, like Christian and Jews. if they are committed to their religions and they refrain from most of the things which we see the majority of the non-Muslim do. I mean if they are truly good people and they did they best as regard their religion but they don’t convert to Islam, on the day of judgment, what will be their fate? Will they go to Heaven or Hellfire?
According to the Sheikh, the news is not good for us infidels.
We don’t judge the people’s faith, but we judge the concept itself. To believe in trinity or divinity of Jesus is, in fact, blasphemy and an act of shirk (associating other partners with Allah). We know from the Qur’an that Allah does not forgive shirk: “Allah forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him; but He forgiveth anything else, to whom He pleaseth; to set up partners with Allah is to devise a sin Most heinous indeed.” (An-Nisa’: 48)
Therefore, Islam is the only religion accepted by Allah and the only message that was protected from any act of distortion. Though some Christians and Jews might be excused for the lack of knowledge, Allah does not accept any other religion from anyone of them who knows of Islam.
Am I detecting a theme of intolerance here?
