❖ Question:
Regarding the verse:
﴿وَمَا يُؤْمِنُ أَكْثَرُهُم بِاللَّهِ إِلَّا وَهُم مُّشْرِكُونَ﴾
“Most of them do not believe in Allah except while associating partners with Him.”
→ (Sūrah Yūsuf: 106)
Are such people destined to remain in Hell forever on the Day of Judgment, or will the Prophet ﷺ's final intercession allow them entry into Paradise?
❖ Answer:
Alḥamdulillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh. Ammā baʿd:
To answer this, we must understand the types of shirk and the conditions of intercession.
Minor shirk refers to acts like showing off (riyā) in worship.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"The thing I fear most for you is minor shirk."
The companions asked: "O Messenger of Allah, what is minor shirk?"
He replied: "Showing off (riyā)."
→ (Musnad Aḥmad 5/429, Ḥadīth 24036 – Ḥasan)
Minor shirk does not take one out of Islam, but it nullifies reward and may lead to major shirk.
Major shirk is when anyone is associated with Allah in His Lordship, Attributes, or Worship.
Shaykh ʿAlā’uddīn al-Thanwī defined shirk as:
“Shirk occurs in four ways: in divinity, necessity of existence, divine control, and worship.”
→ (Kashshāf Iṣṭilāḥāt al-Funūn, 1/771)
Ibn Manẓūr (رحمه الله) said:
“Shirk is to associate a partner with Allah.”
→ (Lisān al-ʿArab, 10/449)
Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Ḥasan (رحمه الله) said:
“Associating anyone with Allah in acts of worship is major shirk.”
→ (Fatḥ al-Majīd, 1/308–309)
Allah clearly says:
﴿إِنَّهُ مَن يُشرِك بِاللَّهِ فَقَد حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيهِ الجَنَّةَ وَمَأوىٰهُ النّارُ﴾
“Indeed, whoever associates others with Allah – Allah has forbidden Paradise for him, and his abode is Hell…”
→ (Sūrah al-Māʾidah: 72)
Another verse says:
﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَغفِرُ أَن يُشرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغفِرُ ما دونَ ذٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشاءُ﴾
“Indeed, Allah does not forgive associating partners with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills.”
→ (Sūrah al-Nisāʾ: 48)
These verses clearly affirm that major shirk is unpardonable if a person dies upon it. Such a person will abide in Hell forever, and Jannah is forbidden for them.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"My intercession is for the major sinners of my Ummah."
→ (Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 4739 – Authentic)
This does not include mushrikīn, because they do not belong to the Ummah of Islam in belief, even if by lineage.
◈ There are two types of shirk:
➊ Minor shirk (riyā’, etc.) – not leading to eternal punishment.
➋ Major shirk – causes eternal Hellfire and excludes one from Islam.
◈ The one who dies upon major shirk will never enter Paradise, and Prophet ﷺ’s intercession will not benefit them.
◈ Intercession is only for believers who committed major sins, not for polytheists.
(Reference: al-Ḥadīth, Shahādat, June 2004)
وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
Regarding the verse:
﴿وَمَا يُؤْمِنُ أَكْثَرُهُم بِاللَّهِ إِلَّا وَهُم مُّشْرِكُونَ﴾
“Most of them do not believe in Allah except while associating partners with Him.”
→ (Sūrah Yūsuf: 106)
Are such people destined to remain in Hell forever on the Day of Judgment, or will the Prophet ﷺ's final intercession allow them entry into Paradise?
❖ Answer:
Alḥamdulillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh. Ammā baʿd:
To answer this, we must understand the types of shirk and the conditions of intercession.
✿ Types of Shirk (Polytheism):
① Minor Shirk (Shirk Asghar)
Minor shirk refers to acts like showing off (riyā) in worship.
The Prophet ﷺ said:"The thing I fear most for you is minor shirk."
The companions asked: "O Messenger of Allah, what is minor shirk?"
He replied: "Showing off (riyā)."
→ (Musnad Aḥmad 5/429, Ḥadīth 24036 – Ḥasan)
Minor shirk does not take one out of Islam, but it nullifies reward and may lead to major shirk.
② Major Shirk (Shirk Akbar)
Major shirk is when anyone is associated with Allah in His Lordship, Attributes, or Worship.
Shaykh ʿAlā’uddīn al-Thanwī defined shirk as:“Shirk occurs in four ways: in divinity, necessity of existence, divine control, and worship.”
→ (Kashshāf Iṣṭilāḥāt al-Funūn, 1/771)
Ibn Manẓūr (رحمه الله) said:“Shirk is to associate a partner with Allah.”
→ (Lisān al-ʿArab, 10/449)
Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Ḥasan (رحمه الله) said:“Associating anyone with Allah in acts of worship is major shirk.”
→ (Fatḥ al-Majīd, 1/308–309)
✿ Eternal Punishment for Major Shirk
Allah clearly says:﴿إِنَّهُ مَن يُشرِك بِاللَّهِ فَقَد حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيهِ الجَنَّةَ وَمَأوىٰهُ النّارُ﴾
“Indeed, whoever associates others with Allah – Allah has forbidden Paradise for him, and his abode is Hell…”
→ (Sūrah al-Māʾidah: 72)
Another verse says:﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَغفِرُ أَن يُشرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغفِرُ ما دونَ ذٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشاءُ﴾
“Indeed, Allah does not forgive associating partners with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills.”
→ (Sūrah al-Nisāʾ: 48)
These verses clearly affirm that major shirk is unpardonable if a person dies upon it. Such a person will abide in Hell forever, and Jannah is forbidden for them.✿ For Whom Is Intercession (Shafāʿah)?
The Prophet ﷺ said:"My intercession is for the major sinners of my Ummah."
→ (Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 4739 – Authentic)
This does not include mushrikīn, because they do not belong to the Ummah of Islam in belief, even if by lineage.
Conclusion:
◈ There are two types of shirk:
➊ Minor shirk (riyā’, etc.) – not leading to eternal punishment.
➋ Major shirk – causes eternal Hellfire and excludes one from Islam.
◈ The one who dies upon major shirk will never enter Paradise, and Prophet ﷺ’s intercession will not benefit them.
◈ Intercession is only for believers who committed major sins, not for polytheists.
(Reference: al-Ḥadīth, Shahādat, June 2004)وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
