Source: Fatāwā Amunpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amunpuri
When the minor children of idolaters die, will they enter Paradise or Hell?
Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar رحمه الله has mentioned ten different opinions regarding the fate of the minor children of the polytheists.
(Fatḥ al-Bārī: 3/246–247)
The strongest and most authentic opinion, supported by the Qur’an and Sunnah, is that they will be in Paradise.
❀ Allah ﷻ says:
وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّىٰ نَبْعَثَ رَسُولًا
(Al-Isrāʾ: 15)
“And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger.”
❀ Imām al-Nawawī رحمه الله (d. 676 AH) said:
A child is not held accountable until reaching maturity, nor is he obliged to act upon the statements of the Messenger ﷺ. This is agreed upon by the scholars.
(Sharḥ Muslim: 16/208)
❀ Imām al-Qurṭubī رحمه الله, commenting on Allah’s saying:
بِأَيِّ ذَنْبٍ قُتِلَتْ (Al-Takwīr: 9)
“For what sin was she killed?”
He writes:
This verse is a clear proof that the children of the polytheists will not be punished, and that punishment is only deserved due to sin.
(Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī: 19/234)
❀ Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“كل مولود يولد علىٰ الفطرة فأبواه يهودانه، أو ينصرانه، أو يمجسانه”
Every child is born upon the natural disposition (fiṭrah), then his parents make him a Jew, Christian, or Magian.
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1385; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 2658)
❀ Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها narrates:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was called for the funeral of an Anṣārī child. She said: “Glad tidings for him, O Messenger of Allah! He is a little bird among the birds of Paradise, he neither committed sins nor reached the age to commit them.”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied: “It is not as you think, ʿĀʾishah. Allah created some for Paradise while they were still in the loins of their fathers, and He created others for Hell while they were still in the loins of their fathers.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 2662)
Imām al-Nawawī رحمه الله explains:
The scholars agreed that the children of Muslims are in Paradise. As for the hadith mentioned to ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها, it is possible that the Prophet ﷺ only forbade her from giving a decisive ruling without clear evidence, or he said this before revelation clarified that the children of the Muslims are in Paradise.
(Sharḥ Muslim: 16/207)
❀ Sayyidunā Samurah ibn Jundub رضي الله عنه narrates:
The Prophet ﷺ said: “In my dream, I saw a tall man in a garden, and around him were children who had died upon the fiṭrah.”
A Muslim asked: “O Messenger of Allah, were these the children of the polytheists?”
The Prophet ﷺ replied: “Yes, the children of the polytheists.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 7047)
Imām Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله (d. 751 AH) said:
This authentic hadith clearly indicates that the children of the polytheists are in Paradise, and the dreams of the Prophets are revelation.
(Ṭarīq al-Hijratayn: 391)
❀ Imām al-Nawawī رحمه الله states:
The correct opinion chosen by the scholars of verification is that the children of the polytheists will be among the people of Paradise.
(Sharḥ Muslim: 16/208)
❀ Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar رحمه الله (d. 852 AH) also declared this view to be the soundest and most correct.
(Fatḥ al-Bārī: 3/247)
❀ ʿAllāmah Abū al-Ḥasan ʿUbaydullāh Mubārakpūrī رحمه الله (d. 1414 AH) said:
The children of the polytheists will also be in Paradise. This is the sound and authentic position supported by the Qur’an and Sunnah. As for the hadith of ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها and similar narrations, they were spoken before the Prophet ﷺ was informed by revelation of their status in Paradise.
(Mirʿāt al-Mafātīḥ: 1/199)
Conclusion:
The strongest and most correct opinion, supported by Qur’an, Sunnah, and the statements of the scholars, is that the minor children of polytheists and disbelievers will be in Paradise.
✦ Question:
When the minor children of idolaters die, will they enter Paradise or Hell?
✦ Answer:
Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar رحمه الله has mentioned ten different opinions regarding the fate of the minor children of the polytheists.
(Fatḥ al-Bārī: 3/246–247)
The strongest and most authentic opinion, supported by the Qur’an and Sunnah, is that they will be in Paradise.
❀ Allah ﷻ says:
وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّىٰ نَبْعَثَ رَسُولًا
(Al-Isrāʾ: 15)
“And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger.”
❀ Imām al-Nawawī رحمه الله (d. 676 AH) said:
A child is not held accountable until reaching maturity, nor is he obliged to act upon the statements of the Messenger ﷺ. This is agreed upon by the scholars.
(Sharḥ Muslim: 16/208)
❀ Imām al-Qurṭubī رحمه الله, commenting on Allah’s saying:
بِأَيِّ ذَنْبٍ قُتِلَتْ (Al-Takwīr: 9)
“For what sin was she killed?”
He writes:
This verse is a clear proof that the children of the polytheists will not be punished, and that punishment is only deserved due to sin.
(Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī: 19/234)
❀ Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“كل مولود يولد علىٰ الفطرة فأبواه يهودانه، أو ينصرانه، أو يمجسانه”
Every child is born upon the natural disposition (fiṭrah), then his parents make him a Jew, Christian, or Magian.
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1385; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 2658)
❀ Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها narrates:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was called for the funeral of an Anṣārī child. She said: “Glad tidings for him, O Messenger of Allah! He is a little bird among the birds of Paradise, he neither committed sins nor reached the age to commit them.”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied: “It is not as you think, ʿĀʾishah. Allah created some for Paradise while they were still in the loins of their fathers, and He created others for Hell while they were still in the loins of their fathers.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 2662)
Imām al-Nawawī رحمه الله explains:
The scholars agreed that the children of Muslims are in Paradise. As for the hadith mentioned to ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها, it is possible that the Prophet ﷺ only forbade her from giving a decisive ruling without clear evidence, or he said this before revelation clarified that the children of the Muslims are in Paradise.
(Sharḥ Muslim: 16/207)
❀ Sayyidunā Samurah ibn Jundub رضي الله عنه narrates:
The Prophet ﷺ said: “In my dream, I saw a tall man in a garden, and around him were children who had died upon the fiṭrah.”
A Muslim asked: “O Messenger of Allah, were these the children of the polytheists?”
The Prophet ﷺ replied: “Yes, the children of the polytheists.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 7047)
Imām Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله (d. 751 AH) said:
This authentic hadith clearly indicates that the children of the polytheists are in Paradise, and the dreams of the Prophets are revelation.
(Ṭarīq al-Hijratayn: 391)
❀ Imām al-Nawawī رحمه الله states:
The correct opinion chosen by the scholars of verification is that the children of the polytheists will be among the people of Paradise.
(Sharḥ Muslim: 16/208)
❀ Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar رحمه الله (d. 852 AH) also declared this view to be the soundest and most correct.
(Fatḥ al-Bārī: 3/247)
❀ ʿAllāmah Abū al-Ḥasan ʿUbaydullāh Mubārakpūrī رحمه الله (d. 1414 AH) said:
The children of the polytheists will also be in Paradise. This is the sound and authentic position supported by the Qur’an and Sunnah. As for the hadith of ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها and similar narrations, they were spoken before the Prophet ﷺ was informed by revelation of their status in Paradise.
(Mirʿāt al-Mafātīḥ: 1/199)
Conclusion:The strongest and most correct opinion, supported by Qur’an, Sunnah, and the statements of the scholars, is that the minor children of polytheists and disbelievers will be in Paradise.
