❖ The Fate of a Disbeliever and the Importance of Repentance
Source: Fatawa Ameenpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Ameenpuri
❖ Question:
What is the ruling regarding the ultimate fate of a disbeliever?
❖ Answer:
If a disbeliever repents from disbelief before death, all of his past sins will be forgiven, and he will become deserving of Paradise.
However, if he dies upon disbelief, he will become fuel for Hellfire for eternity. He will never be removed from Hell.
❖ Scholarly Statements and Consensus:
❀ Imam Ibn ʿAṭiyyah رحمه الله (d. 542 AH) and
❀ Imam Ibn al-Faras al-Andalusi رحمه الله (d. 597 AH) said:
"كافر مات على كفره، فهذا مخلد فى النار بإجماع."
"A disbeliever who dies upon disbelief will remain eternally in the Hellfire. There is consensus on this."
(Tafsīr Ibn ʿAṭiyyah: 2/64; Aḥkām al-Qur’ān: 2/214)
❀ Imam Ibn Juzayy al-Gharnāṭī رحمه الله (d. 741 AH) stated:
"إن الكافر إذا تاب من كفره، غفر له بإجماع، وإن مات على كفره، لم يغفر له، وخلد فى النار بإجماع."
"If a disbeliever repents from disbelief, he is forgiven — and this is unanimously agreed upon. However, if he dies upon disbelief, he will not be forgiven and will remain in Hell for eternity — and this too is agreed upon."
(Tafsīr Ibn Juzayy: 1/196)
❀ Imam al-Shawkānī رحمه الله (d. 1250 AH) remarked:
"There is consensus among the Muslims that a polytheist who dies upon shirk is not among those whom Allah may forgive by His grace. However, a sinful Muslim who has not committed shirk will be under Allah’s will — He may either forgive him or punish him."
(Fatḥ al-Qadīr: 1/549)
✔ Conclusion:
① Repentance from disbelief before death guarantees forgiveness and entry into Paradise.
② Dying in a state of disbelief leads to eternal punishment in the Hellfire.
③ There is absolute scholarly consensus (ijmāʿ) on both these matters.
④ The gate of repentance is open, but only until death.
