This excerpt is taken from the book Aḥkām wa Masāʾil in the Light of the Qur’an and Sunnah by Shaykh Mubashshir Aḥmad Rabbānī.
Question
Is there any ḥadīth which states that if two or three minor children of a person pass away, Allah will grant their parents a place in Paradise? Kindly provide correct guidance.
Answer
If parents have to endure the grief of the death of their minor children, such parents are rewarded for bearing this calamity.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“When three minor children of a Muslim pass away, Allah will admit that Muslim into Paradise due to His mercy upon those children.”
A woman came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ carrying her child and said:
“O Messenger of Allah! Supplicate for this child, for I have already buried three children before him.”
The Prophet ﷺ asked:
“Have you buried three children?”
She replied:
“Yes.”
He ﷺ said:
“Then you have secured a very strong barrier against Hellfire.”
If two children of a Muslim pass away, they too can become a means of salvation for their parents.
The Prophet ﷺ once addressed women and said:
“Whichever one of you has three children who pass away, they will become a barrier from the Hellfire (on the Day of Judgment).”
A woman asked:
“What if someone has two children?”
He ﷺ replied:
“Yes, even two children will become a barrier from the Hellfire.”
Conclusion
From these clear and authentic aḥādīth, it is evident that if a Muslim endures the sorrow of losing two or three minor children, Allah Almighty rewards them for this painful and grievous trial. These children become a means of protection from Hellfire, and due to this calamity, Allah grants their parents Paradise.
The affair of a believer with Allah is truly beautiful:
He shows patience when afflicted with hardship, and he shows gratitude when blessed with ease. Both patience and gratitude are among the great blessings of Allah for a believer.
Therefore, a Muslim should remain patient in every trial and thankful in every moment of happiness, for in both states there is reward upon reward for him — In shāʾ Allāh.
