00:00:00
This man is the founder of UNICEF.
00:00:02
Over the years, UNICEF has helped
millions of children around the world
00:00:05
in many areas like
education, health and poverty.
00:00:08
But despite all the good things he did,
just because he is not a Muslim,
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will he remain in Hell forever?
00:00:13
Or what about scientists
like Albert Einstein,
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Nikola Tesla or Isaac Newton
who greatly benefited humanity?
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Will all of them go to Hell
just because they weren't Muslims?
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In fact, let's make the question
even more difficult.
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Just because someone is Muslim,
no matter how bad he is as a person,
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after being punished for his sins,
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will he still eventually
go to Eternal Paradise?
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Doesn't it seem like an injustice?
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Today on Towards Eternity,
this tough question will be answered.
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I'm curious about your
thoughts after watching the video,
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because I'm pretty sure there will be a
big difference from what you think now.
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Now imagine that
you were born into a tribe.
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You live on a remote island
far away from the modern world,
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and you have never heard
of Islam in your entire life.
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And as a result, you died as a non-Muslim.
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Now, does that mean
you will be in Hellfire forever?
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In Islam, this situation is known as
being among the Ahl al-Fatrah,
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meaning "People of the Interval".
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According to the majority
of Islamic scholars,
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since these people never
received the message,
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they won't be held
accountable in the Hereafter.
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So, they will go to Paradise.
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This applies not only to
people living on a remote island,
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but to everyone who never came
into contact with Islam's message.
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About this issue, Allah says
the following in the Qur'an.
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"And We would never punish
until We have sent a messenger."
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So since they never received
the message of our Prophet (saw),
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they won't be held
responsible for believing in it.
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Now let's think of four
different individuals,
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each representing a group of people in
terms of being exposed to Islam's message.
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The first person receives
the message in the right way
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and chooses to believe in it.
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This person goes to Paradise.
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The second person,
like the one on the island,
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never heard about Islam.
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This person belongs to Ahl al-Fatrah,
and also goes to Paradise.
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The third person receives the message of
Islam properly but chooses to reject it.
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This person goes to Hell.
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In addition to these three,
there's a fourth type of person
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who is introduced to Islam,
but in the wrong way.
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According to Imam Al Ghazali,
one of the most renowned Islamic scholars
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in his book Fazilat Tafrika,
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this group is also from Ahl al-Fatrah.
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According to him, they should be
considered among the ones
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who have not received the message at all.
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He says, "It is hoped that they
will be among the Ahl an-Najat,
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the people who are saved."
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In other words, the people of Paradise.
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Now, the first three groups
can be easily understood,
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but how exactly does the fourth one work?
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How does someone receive the
message of Islam in the wrong way?
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Here the key term we come
across is the Arabic word taklif,
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which can be translated
as religious responsibility.
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For taklif to apply to a person,
he or she needs to be properly presented
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with the true message of Islam.
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Imagine that someone was told
something under the name of Islam,
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but what they were told was completely
false or had nothing to do with Islam.
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In this case, the requirements
of taklif are not fulfilled.
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In his work, Imam Al-Ghazali
says the following about this group.
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Even if they have heard
the name of the Prophet (saw),
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they haven't heard his
qualities and characteristics.
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More precisely,
they have known the Prophet
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since they were little children as,
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"Ma'zallah, a liar named Muhammad,
falsely claimed to be a prophet."
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In my opinion, their situation is like
the situation of those in the first group,
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i.e. those who have never heard of Islam.
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Because they have heard
the name of the Prophet (saw),
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but with the opposite
of his actual qualities.
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Such misinformation does not encourage a
person to think or search for the truth."
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Imagine that a terrorist group
with a strange name emerges
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and is responsible for the
brutal killing of dozens of people.
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Would you be interested in
this group or its founder at all?
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Would you ever think of
following their ideology,
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thinking that maybe they are the
ones who are on the right path?
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Would you start
looking into their beliefs?
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Would you even try to empathize with them?
I don't think so.
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That's why Imam Al-Ghazali said
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this doesn't encourage a person
to think or search for the truth.
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But even so, he chose
his words carefully and said,
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"It is hoped that they will be among
Ahl an-Najat, the people who are saved."
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Of course, only Allah knows who
belongs to Ahl al-Fatrah and who doesn't.
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And we definitely cannot
know what's in someone's heart,
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what they have been through,
what they have heard or not,
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or how they lived live their lives.
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That's why we cannot point to anyone and
say this person is among Ahl al-Fatrah.
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Making such a claim
would be a huge mistake.
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Now, after saying all this,
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let's rephrase the question
we asked in the beginning.
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There's a person who has
done great things for humanity,
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and also Islam's message
has reached him correctly,
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but he didn't accept it.
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Will this person go to Hell for eternity?
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If he has already passed away,
then the answer is yes.
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But if he is still alive,
the answer is unknown.
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It might sound simple,
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but there is something important
we need to keep in mind here.
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We can never know if that person
will choose to believe later in life.
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Maybe 30 years later, or maybe
just three days before their death.
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There are many real life examples of it.
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Remember, what truly matters
is not their current state,
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but rather the belief they die with.
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Eternal Hell isn't the punishment
for having no faith at the moment.
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It is the consequence
of dying without faith.
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If someone still has the
essence of faith in their soul,
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Allah may somehow grant them the
opportunity to believe before they die.
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But if they die without faith,
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it means they have lost that essence
in their soul, that potential to believe.
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And that is why they never came to faith.
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And even if they had
been given an extra ten,
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twenty, or fifty years to live,
the result wouldn't change.
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In fact, some Islamic
scholars have explained
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why a non-believer remains in
Hell forever using this reasoning.
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As you know, the longer
people hold on to an idea,
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the harder it becomes
to change their mind.
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And over time, that idea becomes
such a big part of them that
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they cannot let it go.
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So about the people who died as
non-believers, those scholars said
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no matter how long
that person would have lived,
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they would never come to believe,
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because they have already
lost that essence, that potential.
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The reason they didn't believe isn't
because they didn't live long enough.
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It's because their actions caused them
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to permanently lose
the ability to accept faith.
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And that's why there is no way
out of Hell for that person.
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But of course, this perspective alone is
not enough to fully understand the issue.
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There are three more important details
we often miss when asking this question.
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As we explore them,
the issue starts to become much clearer.
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The first one.
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We don't realize that the good deeds
we do are not really ours. What do I mean?
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Have you ever seen
the first wireless phone?
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Now think about the person
who invented it, Martin Cooper.
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I say invent it, but in a way,
he only discovered it.
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Why? Because all he did was follow
the laws that Allah set in the universe
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and put together the materials
in the right way that Allah created.
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So he is not the actual designer.
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Let me explain more.
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Think about everything that was required
for the invention of the wireless phone.
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For example, the laws of the universe
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had to be set in a way
that made this possible.
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I mean, when you look at it,
is it normal for two pieces of metal
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to transmit sound waves
from one city to another?
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Of course not. For that to
happen, the laws of physics
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had to be properly
established and maintained.
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Additionally, electromagnetic waves
had to travel freely through the air.
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And then there is Martin Cooper himself.
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For him to even think of this invention,
his brain, his nervous system,
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and many other functions
in his body had to work perfectly.
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And all of these are maintained by Allah.
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Even the inspiration for the idea and the
motivation to act on it came from Allah.
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So doesn't that make Cooper's part
in this invention like 1 in 1,000,000?
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Imagine that you buy a gift for someone,
something they've always dreamed of,
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or something that would
make them very happy.
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And you send it to their address.
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Now, how would it make sense if
that person thanked the delivery guy
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when they received the
gift and said something like,
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"How thoughtful of you,"
but completely forgot about you?
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Wouldn't you feel bad
and disturbed by that?
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Our situation is very
similar to this example.
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Because in reality we are just like
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delivery people when
it comes to good deeds.
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If Allah didn't put
compassion in our hearts,
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if He didn't make us feel good
when we do good things,
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or if He didn't grant us wealth,
we wouldn't be able to do any of them.
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And that's exactly
why Allah says in Surah an-Nisa.
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"What comes to you of good is from Allah,
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but what comes to you
of evil is from yourself."
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So, this brings up another question.
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Even if someone's role in
a good deed is very small,
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he still chose to do it, didn't he?
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After all, he could have chosen not to.
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So won't those deeds be taken into
account on the Day of Judgement,
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even if he refuse to believe.?
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Of course they will be.
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Not everyone who ends up in
Hell will face the same punishment.
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Take Abu Talib and Abu Lahab,
for example.
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Both were uncles of the Prophet (saw).
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Both died without accepting Islam.
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However, one of them supported Muslims,
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while the other was
one of Islam's greatest enemies.
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Do you think their punishment
in the Hereafter will be the same?
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Definitely not.
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Everyone will be judged and
punished according to their actions.
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Additionally, the Prophet (saw)
once said in the hadith,
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"Indeed, Allah does not
treat a believer unjustly
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when it comes to their good deeds.
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He grants blessings to them in this world
and gives them reward in the Hereafter.
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As for a non-believer, they receive the
reward for their good deeds in this world.
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But when they reach the Hereafter,
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they will find nothing
left to be rewarded for."
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So the disbeliever will be
rewarded for his good deeds
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in this world before he dies.
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It could be through
fame, success or wealth.
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It could be many things.
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But when you think about it,
why do we only focus on
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what he will get in the future?
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Did this person do anything
to earn his eyesight?
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No. It's a priceless gift he was granted.
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And there are many
other countless blessings
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given to him throughout his life.
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These alone are more
than enough as rewards.
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He receives his reward in
advance from the very beginning.
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Also faith, on the other hand,
is like a means that transforms
00:09:07
the temporary things in this
world into eternal blessings.
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If the person has faith,
the real reward is given in the Hereafter,
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but if not, his reward is
limited only to this world.
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There is a main purpose that why
human beings were sent to this world.
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They were sent hear to be tested.
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And the primary condition to
enter paradise is faith, not humanism.
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Good deeds are also important,
but they are secondary.
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The second detail that
we often miss is that
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we don't truly understand the
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that disbelievers commit.
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What good deed done
by one creation to another
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can cover up for denying their Creator?
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This is exactly what denial means.
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We can think of it this way.
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Every religion has its own
definition of the Creator,
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and once you accept one,
you are basically accepting
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the entire package that comes with it.
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In every religion except Islam,
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there are false and corrupted
beliefs about the Creator.
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For example, some believe
that a man wrestled with God
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and that God won by cheating.
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Or that God can regret His actions,
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He cannot see or know
certain things or He can get tired.
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Others believe in a God who can die
or that He has equal partners.
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Some believe in a separate God
responsible for creating evil,
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while others believe that there are gods
who compete with each other and so on.
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And these are not beliefs
that have just a few followers.
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They are found in some of the world's most
widespread religions apart from Islam.
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In Islam, these are considered
slanders against God.
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According to the beliefs
that Islam teaches,
00:10:28
Allah is "Ahad,"
meaning He is uniquely one.
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There is no partner,
rival or equal to Allah whatsoever.
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Every one of His servants can
turn to Him directly at any time,
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without needing anyone in between
and pray to Him sincerely.
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Allah is also "as-Samad,"
meaning He needs no one and nothing.
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He is not dependent on anything,
while everything depends on Him.
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His power has no limits.
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His knowledge surrounds
and covers everything,
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and He is free from any attribute
that implies weakness or inability.
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To help us understand these truths,
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He provides us with clear
signs throughout the universe.
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Now let's think about
atheists or agnostics.
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They don't believe in God.
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Yet everything in the universe,
00:11:08
both the ones we can't see and
the ones that are in the unseen,
00:11:11
introduces us to Allah,
His names and His attributes.
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Denying His existence
means rejecting the testimony of
00:11:17
every being in the entire universe
and all the messages they convey.
00:11:21
It's like calling all of them a lie.
00:11:23
At the same time, each of them
was created with a purpose.
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But when their Creator is denied,
00:11:27
it's as if that person is claiming
that they are purposeless, random.
00:11:31
According to this view, everything
came into existence as a coincidence
00:11:34
and is nothing more
than meaningless matter.
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This is a slander against all of creation.
00:11:39
But more than that, it's also a huge
crime against their Creator, Allah.
00:11:43
Basically, it's like saying
"You didn't create this universe.
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It has no purpose and you cannot
punish me in Hell for saying that."
00:11:50
So when you think about it,
there can be no greater crime
00:11:53
than refusing to believe in Allah.
00:11:55
Because it means slandering a being
whose names and attributes are infinite.
00:12:00
And since His names
and attributes are infinite,
00:12:02
the crime committed
against Him is infinite as well,
00:12:05
and a criminal can only be released
after completing their time in prison.
00:12:10
But because the crime of a
person who denies Allah is infinite,
00:12:13
Hell becomes their eternal home.
00:12:15
And no good deed he or she
could have ever done in their lifetime
00:12:18
can ever make up for that crime.
00:12:20
As humans, we have the potential to turn
our attention and focus on the smallest,
00:12:24
most trivial and meaningless things.
00:12:26
Yet, on the other hand, there are far
greater issues that we have to deal with,
00:12:30
such as the purpose of our creation,
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or the reason why
the universe was created.
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There's a reality called death,
00:12:35
which happens to 250,000
people every single day,
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and we are all being
directed towards a destination.
00:12:42
When that is the case,
the excuses of someone who spends
00:12:44
hours or even months on trivial,
unimportant things cannot be accepted.
00:12:49
And finally, the third detail
that is often overlooked.
00:12:52
Not everyone who claims to be
Muslim will enter Paradise.
00:12:55
At the moment of death, when the soul
is about to be taken by the angel,
00:12:59
the Devil approaches the Muslim.
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He has been waiting for this very moment,
00:13:03
and now he uses his final trick to
try to lead that person into disbelief.
00:13:07
Do you know what can save us
at that crucial moment?
00:13:10
A deeply rooted faith,
00:13:11
an iman that is firmly
established in the heart.
00:13:14
If a person's spiritual side is very weak,
00:13:16
then their situation
will be very difficult.
00:13:19
That is why the greatest
concern of Islamic scholars
00:13:21
has always been to protect their
faith and enter the grave in this state.
00:13:25
One of the great Islamic scholars
Bediuzzaman Said Nursi said,
00:13:28
"Not denying is one thing, but believing
is something entirely different."
00:13:32
Believing in Allah means
wholeheartedly affirming Him
00:13:35
with His attributes and His names
00:13:37
as taught by the Qur'an and
based on the testimony of the universe.
00:13:40
And recognizing the commands
He has sent through His messengers,
00:13:44
and sincerely regretting and repenting
when you sin or disobey His orders.
00:13:48
Otherwise committing major sins freely,
00:13:50
but not asking for forgiveness
and showing no care,
00:13:53
is evidence that he doesn't
have a type of faith
00:13:55
that will really benefit
him in the Hereafter.
00:13:57
In other words, just accepting
faith isn't enough to enter Paradise.
00:14:01
To achieve this,
we must live by our faith,
00:14:04
protect it, and die in that state.
00:14:06
This means that on the one hand,
someone who belongs to Ahl al-Fatrah,
00:14:09
who has never heard of Islam
can still enter Paradise.
00:14:13
And on the other, a person
who is only Muslim by name,
00:14:16
who never lives according
to the teachings of Islam,
00:14:18
can end up in eternal Hell.
00:14:20
When you look at your own life,
00:14:21
if you cannot bring any proof for
the existence of Allah and the Hereafter,
00:14:25
the very things you claim to believe in,
00:14:27
and if your life lacks the religious
practices that should be there,
00:14:30
like Salah, zakat and fasting,
00:14:32
but is filled with
things that shouldn't be,
00:14:35
like lying, backbiting,
adultery or cheating others,
00:14:38
then maybe simply saying "I believe,"
00:14:40
will not be enough for you
to enter the grave with faith.
00:14:43
But beyond all these explanations,
there is one more thing we often forget.
00:14:47
What makes us question why
those people will go to Hell for eternity?
00:14:50
It is our sense of
mercy and justice, right?
00:14:53
But who gave them to us
in the first place? Allah.
00:14:56
From a mother's love
and compassion for her child,
00:14:58
to the love and care we see in millions
of mother animals for their young.
00:15:02
Allah is the source of it all.
00:15:04
Do you think it's possible for the one
who gave us such immense mercy
00:15:07
to be less merciful than us?
Of course not.
00:15:09
The same applies to our sense of justice.
00:15:12
Allah would never give such a
punishment unless it was truly deserved.
00:15:16
Even if we didn't know any of the
explanations we have talked about so far,
00:15:19
this one fact alone would still be
enough to understand this issue.
00:15:23
Allah, who created the founder of UNICEF
and all the other non-Muslims
00:15:27
will surely treat them with
His infinite justice and mercy.
00:15:30
That is His decision.
00:15:32
What we are responsible for and
have to do is to strengthen our faith,
00:15:35
worship and serve Allah
sincerely and in the right way,
00:15:38
and to show the beauty of Islam
to humanity through our actions.
00:15:42
Now ask yourself, do you truly believe
that you are fulfilling your duty
00:15:46
the way you should?
