Question

According to Islamic teachings, will a time come when the entire world accepts Islam and other religions cease to exist?

Answer

The idea that all of humanity will one day accept a single religion—whether Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, or any other worldview—is not supported by the Qur’anic conception of divine design. According to the Qur’an, religious and ideological diversity is not a flaw in the world order but a purposeful element of the divine scheme of trial and moral testing. The expectation that one religion will entirely prevail and all others will perish stems from a misunderstanding of this divine intent. The Qur’an views religious differences as a deliberate part of God’s plan for human moral testing.

Had your Lord willed, He would have made all humanity into one community [but He did not do this; in fact, He has given them the freedom to exercise their will. So, as a result,] they will always have differences among them except those on whom your Lord has mercy. He has created them for this very reason [that they exercise their freedom of will].

Qur’an 11:118-119

Religious plurality, therefore, serves a purpose: it tests people’s ability to seek the truth, live virtuously, and coexist peacefully. The desire to eliminate all other worldviews and impose uniformity risks disrupting this divine arrangement.

Some Muslims hold the belief that following the physical Second coming of Jesus (peace be upon him)— a belief that seems to be incongruent with the Qur’anic text — Islam will become universally accepted, while Christianity and Judaism will vanish. However, this notion appears inconsistent with both the Qur’an and authentic Hadith.

The Qur’an explicitly outlines God’s plan regarding Jesus and his followers in the following verse:

At that time when God said: “Jesus, I have decided to give you death and lift you up to Myself and I shall purify you from these who have disbelieved in you and shall grant your followers supremacy over these disbelievers until the Day of Judgement.

Qur’an 3:55

This verse suggests that the followers of Jesus (pbuh), interpreted broadly as those who associate themselves with him, namely Christians, will continue to exist and stay dominant over the Jews.¹ It implies that both Christians and those who disbelieved in Jesus (historically understood as many from among the Jews) will continue to exist as distinct religious groups until the Day of Judgement.

This perspective is further supported by a narration recorded in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim:

Al-Mustawrid reported: He said in front of Amr ibn al-‘As that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say, “The Hour will be established while the Romans [i.e., Christians] are the majority of people.” Amr replied, “Be careful what you say.” Al-Mustawrid insisted, “I have said what I heard from the Messenger of Allah.”
Amr then remarked, “If the Prophet said that, indeed, they possess four virtues: they are the most forbearing in tribulation, the quickest to recover from calamity, the most resilient in retreat, and the kindest to the poor, the orphan, and the vulnerable. A fifth quality is also praiseworthy: they are best at restraining the oppression of their rulers.”

Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Hadith 2898

This Hadith report not only confirms the continued presence and numerical strength of Christians near the end of time but also highlights the moral virtues that justify their endurance as a community.

In conclusion, both the Qur’an and authentic Hadith reports affirm that religious plurality is part of the divine plan and will persist until the Last Day. The belief that one religion will eradicate all others contradicts the very principle of divine trial, where humans are tested through choices amid diversity.

I hope this helps.

Mushfiq Sultan
Al-Mawrid

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1. This prophecy of the Qur’an has been strikingly affirmed by historical developments to this day. Even the survival of the State of Israel—widely regarded in the world as an occupying entity—is largely sustained by the strategic, political, and ideological support of the Christian West. ↩︎

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