Question

My concern is what will be criteria to ask question to the people of different mental level. For example villagers compared to highly qualified ones. I have noticed that many people in villages and especially women in villages are involved in polytheism and mostly they are just following the traditional acts of their parents and/or husbands. They even don’t have basic concept of Islam. Going to visit saints, graves and much more. So how will be those people treated?

Answer

We believe that God Almighty is the Most Merciful and He will consider the circumstances while deciding upon the fate of a person in the Afterlife. The Almighty is completely just and He will surely consider the circumstances one lives in. The basic thing that will be considered is the question how steadfastly one pursued the truth. Lets us consider a worse case. A follower of Christianity is required to consider the veracity of the religious truths. If he is convinced of the truth of the religion he follows and lives his life accordingly while he has never been exposed to the fact that Islam is the final religion reveled to the mankind he will surely checked according to the knowledge he was granted in this life. It can hardy be justified that we teach a certain class chemistry for a period of time and then give them test in literature. God will provide complete justice and complete and perfect justice means but complete and perfect justice. It is only the denial and rejection of the truth in whatever form it is revealed to us and arrogantly following what we know is falsehood that renders one a failure in the final test. A failure to be a born Muslim or to be born in a very pious and family with true Islamic knowledge does not mean a failure in the Last Day.

Therefore, being born among a Muslim family of sound religious knowledge is no merit and similarly being born to a family with less or distorted knowledge of Islam is no crime. It is only our deliberate following of any particular faith that counts and strictly to truth that merits the everlasting bliss. Those who are blessed with being born among the true followers of Islam are put under a severer kind of test. They have been burdened with a greater responsibility. A person living in a dark society may find valid pleas for committing a wrong which he commits without knowing its heinousness but a Muslim enlightened with the true knowledge will surely be strictly judged. If a leaned Muslim goes on to deny the truth and indulges in bad deeds without bothering about the afterlife may lie nearer to the hell than the person who was never disposed to the true teachings of Islam.

What these people basically do is to them a more accurate form of piety. They do this with utmost intent. I believe they will find a genuine plea before Almighty. It is however, out duty to spread the true teachings of Islam to our relations and to whoever we can reach. The Muslim scholars should present the true teachings of Islam in cogent way. It is only deliberate rejection from such a person after having convinced of the sinfulness of his previous behavior that is likely to render such people subject to divine wrath.

May Allah guide us all to the path of His liking.

Answered by: Tariq Mahmood Hashmi

Date: 2015-03-29