Komashisha
Who is a Non-Muslim?
He is the one who disbelieves in the Message of our Prophet Muhammad r or does not believe in a pillar of the Deen or something known by necessity therein. Legally, they are called: ‘Kaafir’.
Types of non-Muslims
First Type: A person who is non-Muslim openly and privately. They are known as ‘Obvious Kaafir’. Obvious Kaafirs can be categorized into two categories:
First Category: Original Kaafirs. They are the ones who have not accepted Islam previously. This category includes People of the Book, Majians, and others. They have specific rules which vary according to their religions.
Second Category: Apostates. They are the ones who accepted Islam, and then apostatized; whether they accepted Islam after the age of puberty or were raised as Muslims or their fathers were Muslims and then later, they apostatized.
Second Type: Those who openly show that they are Muslims, when in fact they conceal Kufr (disbelief) in their hearts. They are called hypocrites (munafiq).
- Rulings pertinent to the Hereafter.
The one who dies as a non-Muslim would be from either of the two types mentioned below:
First Type: One who is not charged with religious duties, such as the insane, and child who has not reached the age of puberty. The scholars are at variance regarding their rule in the Hereafter. Some of them stated that Allah would judge them according to His knowledge…for He indeed knows who of them would accept Islam, and who of them would reject it had they been sane or had they reached the age of puberty. This opinion is weak, for Allah only holds the slave accountable for that which he actually did.
Some scholars said that they would enter Jannah (Heavenly Abode) and would be treated similarly to insane Muslims and their children.
Other scholars said that they would be tested by Allah similar to the ‘People of Fatrah’ who lived in the period wherein Allah did not send a Prophet[1], neither was there a correct Deen. The last two opinions are more correct than the first opinion.
Second Type: He has reached the age of puberty, wherewith the duties of Islam would be charged upon him. These non-Muslims are of two categories.
First Category: Those who heard about Islam in an appropriate manner, such that they understand it, know its basic beliefs, and laws, and then refuse to accept it. These would enter the Fire and dwell therein forever. Allah Y says:
(Surely those who disbelieve from among the followers of the Book and the polytheists shall be in the Fire of Hell, abiding therein; they are the worst of men.) (98:6)
And He Y says:
(And (as for) those who disbelieve, for them is the fire of Hell. Neither will it have a complete killing effect on them so that they die, nor shall its torment be lightened for them. Thus do We requite every disbeliever.) (35:36)
Second Category: He who has not heard of Islam or it was conveyed to him in an inappropriate manner, such that he could not discern truth from falsehood, nor could he search for the truth. These people are called ‘Ahlul-Fatrah’ (i.e. People of the Period). Allah would test them in the Hereafter, by creating for them what seems to be Fire, which is in fact Jannah. He would ask them to enter it, whoever obeys Him would certainly be a Muslim, and would enter Jannah. Whoever disobeys Him is a disbeliever and would enter Hell-Fire. The proof of this is in the words of Allah Y:
(And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give warning).) (17:15)
Even though every Kaafir would dwell in Hell-Fire, their punishments vary according to the level of their disbelief, and enmity towards the Truth. Whoever’s enmity and disbelief is more relentless would be punished more severely.
The hypocrites would receive the most severe and painful torment in the Hereafter, due to the severity of their disbelief and their danger upon the Muslims. Allah Y says:
(Verily the hypocrites will be in the lowest depth of the Fire; no helper will you find for them.) (4:145)
[1] This is the period between P
.rophet Eesa (Jesus) u and Prophet Muhammad r.
