Q. In a discussion with a friend, I mentioned that Muslims who commit sins go to Hell until their sins have been washed away and then they are transferred to Heaven.
He objected to that, saying that once a person is committed to Hell, he or she stays there for ever and ever. He would not accept the word of any scholar. Could you please confirm the correct view.
Thameem, Jeddah
A. I am always reluctant to discuss the point of who goes where in the life to come. Heaven and Hell belong to God, and He decides who goes where and for how long.
When we speak about this issue, we must not make any firm statement, because we do not know who earns God’s forgiveness, and who incurs His punishment. Even if we see someone committing many types of sin, we do not know how he will be and what he will do toward the end of his life.
He may do some good actions, with a pure heart and total dedication. That may earn him God’s forgiveness, and perhaps a rich reward.
In the Qur’an, God tells us that everyone, no matter who he is, will be certain to come close to Hell, but then people will be either saved or left there. “By your Lord, We shall most certainly bring them forth together with the evil ones, and then We shall most certainly gather them, on their knees, around Hell; and thereupon We shall drag out from every group those who had been most obstinate in their rebellion against the Most Gracious. For, indeed, We know best who most deserves to be burned in the fire of Hell. There is not one among you who shall not pass over it: this is, for your Lord, a decree that must be fulfilled. But We shall save those who are God-fearing, and leave the wrongdoers there, on their knees.”
There is a clear reference here to people going out of Hell after having gone into it. Moreover, the Prophet says: “A person with even an atom-weight of faith shall not remain in Hell.” This Hadith tells us that no matter how great one’s sins are and how weak one’s faith is, a person will not stay in Hell for ever, if he or she believe in God’s oneness.
Death and the period
Q. In my home country there was a sudden death of my baby cousin. My grandmother told me to go away from the scene, as I had my period. Is it true that when the death of a close relative occurs, a woman who is in her menstruation must not come close to the dead as it will give pain to the deceased person’s soul?
Nishath
A. No, there is absolutely no truth in that. It is an old wives tale based on superstition. Besides, it runs contrary to Islamic teachings. God tells us in the Qur’an that no one will ever be responsible for another person’s deeds. So, how can a dead person be made to suffer for a situation happening after his or her death, and done by another person?
Moreover, what is wrong with a woman being in the period? As described by the Prophet, this is a natural situation God has imposed on women. They have no control over it, and it changes nothing in their status. It has certain restrictions, but that is all there is to it. Furthermore, the Prophet has made it clear that “A believer is never impure.” This means that a woman in her period and a man in the state of janabah are not impure. The impurity is ceremonial, in the sense that they cannot pray until they have taken a shower, but this is a mental condition, not physical. It affects no one else.
