Can Non-Muslims Go To Heaven?

[Greg00]

I have heard conflicting answers to this question everywhere I go. So I am just asking for a straight answer here. Do Muslims believe it is possible for Non-Muslims to go to heaven and if so what are the prerequisites (if any)? I have heard people quote the Koran on this subject to support both side and am very confused.

 

[FuzzyBunny116]

Considering the disagreements on this, I doubt you’ll get a straight answer here. This question was brought up once, but there were still disagreements.

 

[r.gonzales]

Greg00:

I have heard conflicting answers to this question everywhere I go. So I am just asking for a straight answer here. Do Muslims believe it is possible for Non-Muslims to go to heaven and if so what are the prerequisites (if any)? I have heard people quote the Koran on this subject to support both side and am very confused.

asking whether muslims believe that it is possible for non-muslims to enter paradise or not is probably why you’re getting conflicting answers. by this i mean that there are many muslims who believe things that aren’t in accordance with what islam teaches.

as regards to whether islam teaches that “non-muslims” can enter paradise, in short, the answer is yes. this answer requires some detailed explanation though and understanding it revolves around understanding the term “kaafir” and its implications for this worldly life and for the life of the hereafter.

as i mentioned in another thread, the word kaafir (pl. kuffaar or kaafiroon) comes from the root word kafara, which means to cover or to hide. the unbeliever is called a kaafir because he hides or covers the truth with his falsehood and disbelief. in islamic terminology pertaining to the worldly life, the word kaafir refers to anyone who is not a muslim, or to someone who professes islam but holds beliefs that effectively take them out of the fold of it (i.e., the ahmadis/qadiyanis, the n.o.i., and others.)

with respect to the life of the hereafter, the true kaafir is the one who recognised and knew the truth while covering or hiding it, rejecting it and denying it. these are the ones Allah speaks of in the Quran; of spending eternity in the fire of hell, suffering tremendous and painful punishment.

as for non-muslims who did not recognise or know the truth, then they will have the excuse of ignorance with Allah. Allah says in the Quran that He will not punish a people until He has sent them a messenger and thus established the proof and evidence against them. these people who did not receive the message or who received a distorted version of it are called ahl al-fitrah. they include those who never heard the message at all, those who heard the message but did not accept it due to the fact that it was delievered in a distorted manner (i.e., they learned about islam through muslims who held deviant beliefs).

the most correct view held by the scholars of islam is that these people will be tested on the day of judgement, if they pass the test, they will be granted paradise, if they fail, they will be sent to the fire of hell.

 

[JimG]

So apparently, invincible ignorance comes into play.

 

[Greg00]

r.gonzales:

these people who did not receive the message or who received a distorted version of it are called ahl al-fitrah. they include those who never heard the message at all, those who heard the message but did not accept it due to the fact that it was delievered in a distorted manner (i.e., they learned about islam through muslims who held deviant beliefs).

This brings up another question. You said people who heard of it through Muslims who held deviant beliefs have a chance of paradise. Well, what about people who didn’t hear the message through deviant Muslims, but through honest Muslims trying to truthfully spread the faith. Such as the Muslims on this board. By now, everyone on this board almost has heard the message of Islam through people who didn’t hold devieant beliefs. What about those people?

 

[meedo]

Well i tell you it isnt of muslims to judge weather atth eend of the day we know if someone will go to heaven or not cause there is alot of things thaty can be taken as excuses as mentioned above. I mean there are people who were staunch christians and end up knowing the truth of islam from a small thing that one wouldnt notice. What i am trying to say is that we muslims do not have the authority to say to someone you are going to hell or you are going to heaven. This is omthing that God Only is able to do . All we can do basicly is present the proper belief. We identify what is correct and what is not . This issue is debatable among muslims themselves really so nobody can give you a straight answer.

 

[Greg00]

But aren’t there any verses in the Koran that would lead to to a certain belief on who gets into heaven or not? Didn’t God say in the Koran how to get to heaven and if you don’t do that then you don’t get into heaven?

 

[meedo]

Well God says that the Proper belief in Him will lead eventually into heaven . This Meaning to worship him alone without equal partners and dieties and intermediaries

simply there are two things

Creator ( God)

Creations ( everything else including Mohammed and Abraham, and Moses and Jesus and every single thing that exists )

To simplify for you , the faith of Moses and Abraham .

This is generally is the one who will enter heaven as long as he dies and he has this belief in his heart.

The law of Moses and the Law of Muhammed are just legislations and the creed doesnt differ.

Every body who submits to the one true God will eventually enter heaven . If he has sinned so much to the extent that he should be punished then he is punished in hell for a certain time but he is eventually in heaven .

Peace

 

[Greg00]

Thank you meedo. I understand now.

 

[Sagefrakrobatik]

well there are 2 verses i remeber from quran that said

something aobut each to the religon and one that said there should be no compulsion in religion we can see that these two verse it can be infered to suggest religous pluralism

 

[Edris]

Greg00:

I have heard conflicting answers to this question everywhere I go. So I am just asking for a straight answer here. Do Muslims believe it is possible for Non-Muslims to go to heaven and if so what are the prerequisites (if any)? I have heard people quote the Koran on this subject to support both side and am very confused.

Peace be on all,
i think this verse should answer your question

“Verily! Those who believe and those who are Jews and Christians, and Sabians, whoever believes in Allâh and the Last Day and do righteous good deeds shall have their reward with their Lord, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve ]” (Qur’an 2:62)

 

[exoflare]

Edris:

Peace be on all,
i think this verse should answer your question

“Verily! Those who believe and those who are Jews and Christians, and Sabians, whoever believes in Allâh and the Last Day and do righteous good deeds shall have their reward with their Lord, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve ]” (Qur’an 2:62)

So how do you reconcile that with this?

*003.085 *
YUSUFALI: If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah), never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter He will be in the ranks of those who have lost (All spiritual good).
PICKTHAL: And whoso seeketh as religion other than the Surrender (to Allah) it will not be accepted from him, and he will be a loser in the Hereafter.
SHAKIR: And whoever desires a religion other than Islam, it shall not be accepted from him, and in the hereafter he shall be one of the losers.

 

[Edris]

Thanx brother for bringing up this verse,
but i wish that next time you don’t take a verse out of context, i’ll assume that u missed the verse before the one you quoted and didn’t ignore it.

   the verse u quoted was surah 3 verse 85 "If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah), never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter He will be in the ranks of those who have lost (All spiritual good)."

now the same surah the verse just before it surah 3 verse 84 says "Say (O Muhammad): "We believe in Allâh and in what has been sent down to us, and what was sent down to Ibrâhim (Abraham), Ismâ'il (Ishmael), Ishâque (Isaac), Ya'qûb (Jacob) and Al-Asbât [the twelve sons of Ya'qûb (Jacob)] and what was given to Mûsa (Moses), 'Iesa (Jesus) and the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between one another among them and to Him (Allâh) we have submitted (in Islâm)."

So if you read the verses as a whole it’s like this surah 3 verses 84 & 85 "Say (O Muhammad): “We believe in Allâh and in what has been sent down to us, and what was sent down to Ibrâhim (Abraham), Ismâ’il (Ishmael), Ishâque (Isaac), Ya’qûb (Jacob) and Al-Asbât [the twelve sons of Ya’qûb (Jacob)] and what was given to Mûsa (Moses), 'Iesa (Jesus) and the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between one another among them and to Him (Allâh) we have submitted (in Islâm) and If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah), never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter He will be in the ranks of those who have lost (All spiritual good)” (Qur’an 3:84,85)
So, to be a muslim you have to believe in the One true God (Allah), the Last Day, all the prophets (no distinction) and what God has given to them (revelations including the Qur'an, Torah, Injeel, Psalms, etc...).

 

[exoflare]

Edris:

So if you read the verses as a whole it’s like this surah 3 verses 84 & 85 "Say (O Muhammad): “We believe in Allâh and in what has been sent down to us, and what was sent down to Ibrâhim (Abraham), Ismâ’il (Ishmael), Ishâque (Isaac), Ya’qûb (Jacob) and Al-Asbât [the twelve sons of Ya’qûb (Jacob)] and what was given to Mûsa (Moses), 'Iesa (Jesus) and the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between one another among them and to Him (Allâh) we have submitted (in Islâm) and If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah), never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter He will be in the ranks of those who have lost (All spiritual good)” (Qur’an 3:84,85)

So, to be a muslim you have to believe in the One true God (Allah), the Last Day, all the prophets (no distinction) and what God has given to them (revelations including the Qur’an, Torah, Injeel, Psalms, etc…).

How exactly does adding the surrounding verses change any of that? The contradiction is still there. That whole passage from verse 3 is stating that only Muslims go to heaven. Only Muslims believe anything about the Quran being from God or Ishmael being a prophet, among other things, while Christians outright reject those beliefs.

 

[jcaz]

This is the correct answer to the question.

Originally posted by r.gonzales
asking whether muslims believe that it is possible for non-muslims to enter paradise or not is probably why you’re getting conflicting answers. by this i mean that there are many muslims who believe things that aren’t in accordance with what islam teaches.

as regards to whether islam teaches that “non-muslims” can enter paradise, in short, the answer is yes. this answer requires some detailed explanation though and understanding it revolves around understanding the term “kaafir” and its implications for this worldly life and for the life of the hereafter.

as i mentioned in another thread, the word kaafir (pl. kuffaar or kaafiroon) comes from the root word kafara, which means to cover or to hide. the unbeliever is called a kaafir because he hides or covers the truth with his falsehood and disbelief. in islamic terminology pertaining to the worldly life, the word kaafir refers to anyone who is not a muslim, or to someone who professes islam but holds beliefs that effectively take them out of the fold of it (i.e., the ahmadis/qadiyanis, the n.o.i., and others.)

with respect to the life of the hereafter, the true kaafir is the one who recognised and knew the truth while covering or hiding it, rejecting it and denying it. these are the ones Allah speaks of in the Quran; of spending eternity in the fire of hell, suffering tremendous and painful punishment.

as for non-muslims who did not recognise or know the truth, then they will have the excuse of ignorance with Allah. Allah says in the Quran that He will not punish a people until He has sent them a messenger and thus established the proof and evidence against them. these people who did not receive the message or who received a distorted version of it are called ahl al-fitrah. they include those who never heard the message at all, those who heard the message but did not accept it due to the fact that it was delievered in a distorted manner (i.e., they learned about islam through muslims who held deviant beliefs).

the most correct view held by the scholars of islam is that these people will be tested on the day of judgement, if they pass the test, they will be granted paradise, if they fail, they will be sent to the fire of hell.

 

[cute2904]

Greg00:

I have heard conflicting answers to this question everywhere I go. So I am just asking for a straight answer here. Do Muslims believe it is possible for Non-Muslims to go to heaven and if so what are the prerequisites (if any)? I have heard people quote the Koran on this subject to support both side and am very confused.

NO. ABSOLUTELY NOT. We are non believers. Muslim should kill us rather than let us alive according to their quran. Kill non believer. Die in jihad so you can go to heaven, having sex with 70 virgins (forever virgins… hmm). Beside if they let us… ’ their heaven’ would be full with christians rather than terrorists

Note: do you know according to islam, their prophet is going to marry our Blessed mother Mary?? they are crazy!!!

 

[Hashi_Al-Eritre]

cute2904:

NO. ABSOLUTELY NOT. We are non believers. Muslim should kill us rather than let us alive according to their quran. Kill non believer. Die in jihad so you can go to heaven, having sex with 70 virgins (forever virgins… hmm). Beside if they let us… ’ their heaven’ would be full with christians rather than terrorists

Note: do you know according to islam, their prophet is going to marry our Blessed mother Mary?? they are crazy!!!

Wow! talk about ignorance.

Im Muslim, and im not a murderer, nor do i have any inclinations to murder christians :ehh: They say theres 1.3 Billion Muslims in the world or something? I think the world would be a very very scary place if all those Muslims started killing people

Mary marrying the Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon them) in Heaven? I would very much like you to tell me where in Islam you learned this from cause thats honestly news to me.

 

[cute2904]

At least where I stay I dont feel secure. They shut down churches, burn temples in the name of Allah. Chanting allahuakbar when terrorize people. Suicide bombing. Call us Kaffir, Non-believer, people of the book. Yes I would say you muslim are scary people to the non muslim . Do not call me ignorant if I can quote the information of your own religion below.

---

Here is a quotation from Ibn Kathir which helps to put things in perspective:

“The Messenger of God … said, ‘God MARRIED ME IN PARADISE TO MARY THE DAUGHTER OF 'IMRAN and to the wife of Pharaoh and the sister of Moses.’ (Tabarani)” (Ibn Kathir, Qisas al-Anbiya [Cairo: Dar al-Kutub, 1968/1388], p. 381- as cited in Aliah Schleifer’s Mary The Blessed Virgin of Islam [Fons Vitae; ISBN: 1887752021; July 1, 1998], p. 64; bold and capital emphasis ours)

According to the Quran, Mary’s father is called Imran:

“Behold! a wife of Ìmrán said: ‘O my Lord! I do dedicate into Thee what is in my womb for Thy special service: So accept this of me: For Thou hearest and knowest all things.’ When she was delivered, she said: ‘O my Lord! Behold! I am delivered of a female child!’ - and Allah knew best what she brought forth - ‘And no wise is the male like the female. I have named her Mary, and I commend her and her offspring to Thy protection from Satan, the Rejected.’” S. 3:35-36

Compare:

Narrated Said bin Al-Musaiyab:

Abu Huraira said, “The Prophet said, ‘No child is born but that, Satan touches it when it is born where upon it starts crying loudly because of being touched by Satan, except Mary and her Son.’” Abu Huraira then said, "Recite, it you wish: ‘And I seek Refuge with You (Allah) for her and her offspring from Satan, the outcast.’ (3.36) (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 60, Number 71)

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet said, “When any human being is born. Satan touches him at both sides of the body with his two fingers, except Jesus, the son of Mary, whom Satan tried to touch but failed, for he touched the placenta-cover instead.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 54, Number 506)

And:

“And Mary the daughter of Ìmrán, who guarded her sexual organ; and We breathed into it of Our spirit; and she testified to the truth of the words of her Lord and of His Revelations, and was one of the devout (servants).” S. 66:12

The late Iranian Islamic scholar, Ali Dashti, wrote:

… According to the Cambridge Tafsir, the word thayyebat (widows or divorcees) refers to Pharaoh’s wife Asiya, and the word virgins (abkar) refers to Jesus’ mother Mary, both of whom are waiting to be married to the Prophet Mohammad in heaven. (Dashti, 23 Years: A Study of the Prophetic Career of Mohammad [Mazda Publishers, Costa Mesa, CA 1994], p. 138)

And:

… It has already been mentioned that one Qor’an-commentary takes “widowed” to mean Pharaoh’s wife Asiya and “virgin” to man Jesus’ mother Mary, and states that both will be married to the Prophet in heaven; since the Qor’an says nothing to this effect, the only significance of the statement is that it illustrates the mentality of the commentator. (Ibid., p. 144)There is a note indicating what the Cambridge Tafsir is:

43 The Library of the University of Cambridge possesses the unique manuscript of the third part of a Persian Tafsir (Qor’an commentary and translation) written by an unknown author probably ca. 1000 A.D. and copied in 628/1231. It covers suras 19-114 and is the only surviving part. It is thought to be the oldest work of its kind in the Persian language. The text was printed by the Bonyad-e Farhang-e Iran, Tehran , 1349/1970 (2 vols, ed. and introd. by Jalal Matini)

This means that Muhammad believed that he would be married to our blessed Lord’s mother and have sexual intercourse with her in Paradise! Such an idea not only shocks Christians, but actually exposes the sick perversions of this religion. We are thankful to God that Islam is not true and Muhammad is not God’s prophet. Mary will never be married to Muhammad, nor will she be married to anyone else in Paradise, since the Holy Bible, God’s true and pure word, teaches:

“Jesus replied, ‘The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection.’” Luke 20:34-36

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 14:17

 

[r.gonzales]

cute2904:

NO. ABSOLUTELY NOT. We are non believers. Muslim should kill us rather than let us alive according to their quran. Kill non believer. Die in jihad so you can go to heaven, having sex with 70 virgins (forever virgins… hmm). Beside if they let us… ’ their heaven’ would be full with christians rather than terrorists

i think hashi’s right about you being ignorant of what we believe. i suggest you read the post i put up and that was quoted by jcaz, which is just above your post.

 

[exoflare]

Hashi Al-Eritre:

Mary marrying the Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon them) in Heaven? I would very much like you to tell me where in Islam you learned this from cause thats honestly news to me.

Yeah, cute, where on earth did you hear this? I don’t know what on earth you’re talking about.