❖ Warning for Wailing and Insulting a Muslim: Do These Deeds Lead to Eternal Hell? ❖
Source: Fatāwā ʿIlmiyyah, Vol. 1, Kitāb al-Janāʾiz, p. 561
Question:
A certain self-proclaimed scholar claimed during a mourning and condolence gathering:
➊ A Muslim woman who performs wailing (nawḥah).
➋ A Muslim who insults another Muslim.
He asserted that both will dwell in Hell forever, claiming this is supported by authentic ḥadīths and challenging others to confirm it with any scholar.
Is it true that these two categories of Muslims will remain in Hell for eternity?
Has the speaker lied intentionally?
Also, a certified scholar present in the gathering did not object to this claim—does this have any implication?
(Question by: Muḥammad Ṣiddīq Salafī, Abbottabad)
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ʾAmma baʿd!
✔ Wailing (نوحہ) and insulting a Muslim are undoubtedly grave sins, and there are severe warnings (waʿīd) in the Sharīʿah against them.
✔ However, declaring a Muslim as eternally condemned to Hell for such sins reflects a misunderstanding of core Islamic doctrines, akin to the erroneous methodology of the Khawārij, who issued blanket takfīr (excommunication) based on major sins.
✔ Mutawātir (widely reported) texts in Qur’ān and Sunnah confirm that:
A Muslim who holds correct beliefs (ṣaḥīḥ al-ʿaqīdah) but commits major sins may be punished temporarily in Hell but will eventually enter Paradise through Allah’s mercy.
✔ This is a well-established tenet of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamāʿah:
No true believer will remain in Hell forever, even if he has committed severe sins.
✔ The specific narration that the speaker cited—that two kinds of Muslims will remain eternally in Hell for wailing and insulting—is unknown to us and not found in authentic ḥadīth collections.
✔ Therefore, no such ḥadīth appears in the recognized sources with this explicit meaning or wording.
(Shahādat Magazine, October 2000 Edition)
✔ If the speaker fabricated or misquoted a ḥadīth knowingly, then this is a serious sin. However, intention cannot be judged unless confirmed.
✔ As for the silent scholar present at the gathering, his silence is not an endorsement unless he was directly asked and affirmed the statement. Sometimes scholars withhold correction due to the context, timing, or potential for greater harm.
❖ Wailing and insulting a Muslim are indeed major sins, but they do not render a believer an eternal resident of Hell, as long as he maintains correct belief in Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.
❖ The claim made by the speaker lacks textual support from authentic sources and contradicts the fundamental creed of Ahl al-Sunnah.
ھذا ما عندي واللہ أعلم بالصواب
Source: Fatāwā ʿIlmiyyah, Vol. 1, Kitāb al-Janāʾiz, p. 561
❖ The Claimed Ḥadīth Regarding Two Types of People in Eternal Hell
Question:
A certain self-proclaimed scholar claimed during a mourning and condolence gathering:
➊ A Muslim woman who performs wailing (nawḥah).
➋ A Muslim who insults another Muslim.
He asserted that both will dwell in Hell forever, claiming this is supported by authentic ḥadīths and challenging others to confirm it with any scholar.
Is it true that these two categories of Muslims will remain in Hell for eternity?
Has the speaker lied intentionally?
Also, a certified scholar present in the gathering did not object to this claim—does this have any implication?
(Question by: Muḥammad Ṣiddīq Salafī, Abbottabad)
❖ Response:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ʾAmma baʿd!
➊ Gravity of Wailing and Insulting a Muslim
✔ Wailing (نوحہ) and insulting a Muslim are undoubtedly grave sins, and there are severe warnings (waʿīd) in the Sharīʿah against them.
✔ However, declaring a Muslim as eternally condemned to Hell for such sins reflects a misunderstanding of core Islamic doctrines, akin to the erroneous methodology of the Khawārij, who issued blanket takfīr (excommunication) based on major sins.
➋ Ahl al-Sunnah Belief Regarding Sinful Muslims
✔ Mutawātir (widely reported) texts in Qur’ān and Sunnah confirm that:
A Muslim who holds correct beliefs (ṣaḥīḥ al-ʿaqīdah) but commits major sins may be punished temporarily in Hell but will eventually enter Paradise through Allah’s mercy.
✔ This is a well-established tenet of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamāʿah:
No true believer will remain in Hell forever, even if he has committed severe sins.
➌ Regarding the Claimed Ḥadīth
✔ The specific narration that the speaker cited—that two kinds of Muslims will remain eternally in Hell for wailing and insulting—is unknown to us and not found in authentic ḥadīth collections.
✔ Therefore, no such ḥadīth appears in the recognized sources with this explicit meaning or wording.
(Shahādat Magazine, October 2000 Edition)
➍ About the Speaker and the Silent Scholar
✔ If the speaker fabricated or misquoted a ḥadīth knowingly, then this is a serious sin. However, intention cannot be judged unless confirmed.
✔ As for the silent scholar present at the gathering, his silence is not an endorsement unless he was directly asked and affirmed the statement. Sometimes scholars withhold correction due to the context, timing, or potential for greater harm.
✔ Conclusion
❖ Wailing and insulting a Muslim are indeed major sins, but they do not render a believer an eternal resident of Hell, as long as he maintains correct belief in Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.
❖ The claim made by the speaker lacks textual support from authentic sources and contradicts the fundamental creed of Ahl al-Sunnah.
ھذا ما عندي واللہ أعلم بالصواب
