Journal of Islamic Studies (Feb 2014)
The Fate of Children in the Hereafter
Abstract
his research is concerned with the study of the fate of children in the Hereafter. It aims at identifying related statements in the Qur’an and the Sunnah, discussing and weighing scholars’ views and supporting evidences in that regard and deciding on the worthiest view. The research adopts a deductive approach. Among the research findings are the following: the Qur’an and the Sunnah’s statements reiterate how Just Allah is and how He abhors injustices; Muslim scholars are in agreement that the children of Muslims are destined to Heaven; as for the children of non-Muslims, the strongest views on their fate range between going to Heaven and being included in the category of “ahl alfatrah” (the people in waiting, to whom no messengers/messages had been sent by Allah, to have their faith checked on the Day of Judgment; according to several statements, the strongest view is that those children will go to Heaven. The research makes the following recommendations: university departments concerned with beliefs should pay special attention to the belief issues on which Sunni scholars differ, particularly the issue of the children of disbelievers, and how the status of such children differs from that of their disbelieving parents.
