| Author | Topic |
almostaisha
CANADA
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 Topic initiated on Sunday, April 19, 2009 - 9:08 PM 
Babies on Judgement Day
Hello everyone! I have a question that has been bothering me, and I am hoping maybe someone here can give me a better understanding of the subject.
The following verse
quote:
He Who created Death and Life, that He may try which of you is best in deed: and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving (Al-Mulk 67:2)
indicates that the sole purpose of life and death is for us to perform the deeds by which we will be judged on the Day of Judgment. Allah already knew who would go to heaven and who to hell before he even created us, but this way it is said that the ultimate judgement is more 'fair' because we will have known our own deeds and will understand why we are in heaven/hell.
My question is:
According to Islam, would a baby who dies go to heaven or hell?
The baby has no deeds or decisions that it can be judged by, so does it automatically go to heaven? I can see no justifiable reason why the baby should go to hell, such a sentence would be the epitome of injustice.
The thing is... even if the baby is sent to heaven, this is very unjust. Why should any souls basically get a free pass to heaven without having been tested?
If the purpose of life and death is truly to test us, then how can souls who die as babies be judged? Does this indicate that God's testing system is not just when it comes to babies? |
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hkhan
UNITED KINGDOM
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Posted - Tuesday, April 21, 2009 - 4:48 AM 
Welcome 2 SI forums almostaisha.salam
"The thing is... even if the baby is sent to heaven, this is very unjust."
we'll come to what most scholars have explained about this; but before that let me know what do you think about this:
if you say, even if that baby (who was not given enough life to be tested basically) is sent to heaven, it will be unjust; would you also think that it is unjust that the baby did not get enough years in life to be tested?
(just like a candidate for exam who was never allowed to enter the examination hall, without any miscunduct on his/her part e.g. like being late etc.?) |
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aboosait
INDIA
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Posted - Tuesday, April 21, 2009 - 3:19 PM
quote:
..............If the purpose of life and death is truly to test us, then how can souls who die as babies be judged? Does this indicate that God's testing system is not just when it comes to babies?.............
It is not the baby that is put to test but the parents and all concerned elders. They are being tested for their patience.
The baby being innocent, will get its due share in the pleasures of Paradise Insha Allah and the parents will also be compensated for their sufferings Insha Allah.
I shall try to post the related Ahadith Insha Allah later. |
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almostaisha
CANADA
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Posted - Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - 11:16 PM
Hi, thanks very much for your replies
I just can't seem to find logic in this matter, and I appreciate your intent to clarify it.
hkhan, to answer your question: I do think that it is unjust that the baby did not get enough years in life to be tested, because he WILL be judged regardless right? To follow your analogy, it is like a student that does not get a chance to enter the examination hall. It would be unfair to fail this student, because it is not his fault that he could not perform the test. Similarly, it would be unfair to the other students that DID have to write the test that this student should pass, since he did not have to struggle with the examination the way that they did. This is why in this situation, the fair thing to do is to give the student a deferred exam. Does the baby get a test after death? How close in difficulty can such a test be to the many tests that we face in life? And if we can be tested outside of life, then what is the point of life and death?
If the purpose of life and death is to test us, as the Qur'an states, and it is God who controls when we die, why would He choose to take away this soul's chance to be tested... and how can he then judge the soul without a test? I understand aboosait that there is a test in the baby's death for its parents and others around him. But the fact remains that this untested soul will be judged, which troubles me.
Thank again for your explanations, I wish you well. |
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aboosait
INDIA
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Posted - Thursday, April 23, 2009 - 3:08 AM
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Ziyaad
SOUTH AFRICA
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Posted - Tuesday, October 23, 2012 - 5:49 AM
I know my post is very late but its here for anyone who stumbles across this page.
In Islam you are accountable for your actions from the time that you become physically mature i.e hair under the arms etc.
Anyone who passes before that time is granted Jannah. A baby is not tested, the analogy of a student not making it to an exam is not the correct analogy(with all due respect).
The baby is sinless, pure.
The soul is untested and will not be judged. There are many Hadith regarding what happens when a baby passes.
One of them, something to the affect that, when a chid passes the child is raised up through all seven Sam'as(Heavens), and plays around Allah's Arsh(throne)on a floor covered in musk powder. |
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student7
UNITED KINGDOM
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Posted - Sunday, February 23, 2014 - 4:29 AM
My understanding on the issue is:
1. This matter has not been addressed in Quran. Source of religion is Quran and Sunnah. So any opinion on this issue is a personal view of a scholar and not a Divine directive.
2. Allah is Most Wise, Merciful, just and All knowing. We must have complete Belief that His decision on this issue will be the Best possible.
3. I agree to the view that the child may have been sent in this world only to test others i.e. parents and the life given to them was a test for others and not for them. Hence for them to earn Paradise without test i.e. earning it seems debatable . Whether they have fulfilled their purpose and have no further role, also remains a possibility.
( Only Allah knows and He knows best) |
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student7
UNITED KINGDOM
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Posted - Sunday, February 23, 2014 - 4:29 AM
My understanding on the issue is:
1. This matter has not been addressed in Quran. Source of religion is Quran and Sunnah. So any opinion on this issue is a personal view of a scholar and not a Divine directive.
2. Allah is Most Wise, Merciful, just and All knowing. We must have complete Belief that His decision on this issue will be the Best possible.
3. I agree to the view that the child may have been sent in this world only to test others i.e. parents and the life given to them was a test for others and not for them. Hence for them to earn Paradise without test i.e. earning it seems debatable . Whether they have fulfilled their purpose and have no further role, also remains a possibility.
( Only Allah knows and He knows best) |
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student7
UNITED KINGDOM
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Posted - Sunday, February 23, 2014 - 4:29 AM
My understanding on the issue is:
1. This matter has not been addressed in Quran. Source of religion is Quran and Sunnah. So any opinion on this issue is a personal view of a scholar and not a Divine directive.
2. Allah is Most Wise, Merciful, just and All knowing. We must have complete Belief that His decision on this issue will be the Best possible.
3. I agree to the view that the child may have been sent in this world only to test others i.e. parents and the life given to them was a test for others and not for them. Hence for them to earn Paradise without test i.e. earning it seems debatable . Whether they have fulfilled their purpose and have no further role, also remains a possibility.
( Only Allah knows and He knows best) |
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