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Last week, I was sitting in the lecture hall, attending my first uni's Islamiyat studies class, when during the lecture the teacher said something that would unsettle me for a long time:
"All the non-Muslims are going to hell, and all the Muslims are eventually going to heaven, because non-Muslims get their reward in this dunya (world), while Muslims receive theirs in the hereafter."
The teacher's words made me uncomfortable and made me question. Even with my limited world experience and exposure, a thought struck me: What about the people who, though not Muslim, are full of humanity? Those whose morals are pure and whose sense of justice is stronger than that of many of us? They may not have been born into the same faith environment, yet without the same concept of an afterlife as a motivator, they still step out of their homes to do good for their fellow human beings, often risking their own safety and well-being.
The only difference between me and a compassionate non-believer is the religion I was born into, a blessing I did nothing to earn.
True faith is not an accident of birth; it is a conscious, willing achievement of the heart and soul.
*A Living Example: Humanity in Gaza and Humanity for Gaza
And yet, in some corners, we are taught to judge them. To believe that because they are not Muslim, they are somehow less worthy of our genuine acknowledgement or Allah's mercy. This feels like a profound failure to recognize the goodness Allah has placed in all of His creation.
*What we didn't realize
We forget that being born into a faith is a blessing that comes with a double responsibility. We are given the truth, so the obligation to act with excellence falls upon us. Instead, many of us who are born Muslim never even open the Quran, let alone read, reflect, and act upon it. We operate under the dangerous assumption that our "Muslim identity card" is a guaranteed pass to Paradise on the Day of Judgment.
But this line of thinking ignores the very nature of God.
*Al- Adl
Allah Almighty is, without a doubt, the Most Merciful (Ar-Rahman). But He is also the Utterly Just (Al-Adl).
How could we think that He would do injustice to these people? How could Allah, the Greatest, let only the followers of one religion into His heavens?
This is where our understanding must deepen. Islam itself provides evidence that divine mercy extends beyond the Muslim community. The Quran states:
"Indeed, those who have believed and those who were Jews and the Sabians and the Christians and the Magians and those who associated with Allah - Allah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection. Indeed, Allah is, over all things, Witness."
(Quran 22:17)
This verse makes it clear that the final judgment rests solely with Allah, not with us.
Furthermore, there is a beautiful and well-known Hadith that shatters narrow-mindedness.
-It tells the story of a prostitute who saw a thirsty dog panting at the edge of a well. Moved with pity, she took off her shoe, lowered it into the well to fetch water, and gave the dog a drink. For this single act of mercy, Allah forgave all her sins and granted her Paradise.
(Sahih al-Bukhari)
Another powerful Hadith states:
"A person is brought forth on the Day of Resurrection and thrown into the Hellfire. His intestines immediately spill out. The people of the Fire ask him, 'Weren't you the one who enjoined good and forbade evil?' He will say, 'I used to enjoin good, but I did not do it myself, and I used to forbid evil, but I would do it myself.'"
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)
*Labels
This is a stark warning to those of us who carry the label of faith but fail in its essence.
*Our Role
Our Role is to Strive, Not to Judge
Being a Muslim requires a high degree of intellectual and spiritual maturity. It demands broad perspectives to appreciate the vastness of Allah's creation and His wisdom. In the end, we cannot decide who is going to Jannah or Jahannam. That is a judgment that belongs only to Allah, the All-Knowing, the Most Just.
Our responsibility is not to judge others, but to ensure our own actions align with the justice and mercy our faith teaches. We must strive to be among those who, through their belief and their righteous deeds, earn the pleasure of their Lord.
"Indeed, Allah does not wrong the people at all, but it is the people who are wronging themselves."
(Quran 10:44)
