greetings.
wow, that’s quite a bit of misinformation floating around about what the islamic view of salvation is. first let me start by commenting on some of the things ahimsa posted:
Ahimsa:
There’s nothing in the Qur’an that states that you have to be Muslim to enter salvation. Of course, you have to be small-m muslim, but not necessarily big-M Muslim.
By “small-m muslim”, I mean those who submit to God, but who don’t necessarily follow Muhammad’s particular teachings. To wit, from the Qur’an:
“The [Muslim] believers, the Jews, the Christians, and the Sabians – all those who believe in God and the Last Day and do good – will have their rewards with their Lord. No fear for them, nor will they grieve.” [II:68]
in this worldly life, there are only two categories for people as far as islam is concerned: muslim (one who submits) and kaafir (one who disbelieves). anyone who professes islam and does not have beliefs that effectively take them outside of its fold, is a muslim. anyone who does not profess islam or does profess islam but has beliefs that effectively take them out of its fold (i.e., n.o.i., ahmadis/qadiyanis, and others) is a kaafir. individuals in this life are judged according to what’s apparent from them and what is contained within their hearts is left for Allah to judge. so, if an individual outwardly professes islam, claims to believe in all its tenets and foundations (which includes believeing in prophet muhammad and following his teachings), then he is a muslim. if he doesn’t, then he is a kaafir.
with respect to the afterlife there is a distinction that is made between the muslim and the mu’min (believer). the one who is muslim in this worldly life may not necessarily be a believer in the next. for example, the munaafiqoon (hypocrites). they are those who professed islam outwardly in this wordly life, but disbelieved in their hearts. in this life they are treated as muslims, but in the afterlife they will have the worst of punishments and will abide in the lowest level of hell. this is the the same for the kaafir (i.e., that the kaafir in this worldly life might not necessarily be a kaafir in the next). for example, there are those who did not accept islam and lived this worldly life as a kaafir. some of these people never received the message of islam properly, only receiving a distorted version of it, or they never received it altogether. such people may have an excuse before Allah and will be tried accordingly on the day of judgement. some of these people may be believers in truth, but because they never received the message or received a distorted version of it, they didn’t accept islam. Allah says in the Quran, “
whoever is guided, then certainly he is guided for his self and whoever goes astray then certainly it is upon it (i.e., his self). no bearer of burdens bears the burden of another and We are not punishers until we have sent a messenger.” (17:15). this verse is proof that Allah will not punish anyone until they have received the message.
by the way, the reference ahimsa gave for the verse he/she posted is wrong, also the translation provided isn’t the greatest. the verse quoted is 2:62, not 2:68. and there is a similar verse with slightly different wording, 5:69.
2:62 states: “
indeed those who believed and those who were jews, christians and sabians, whoever believed in Allah, the last day and did righteous [deeds], then for them is their reward with their Lord and there is no fear upon them, and they will not grieve.”
5:69 states: “
indeed those who believed and those who were jews, as well as the sabians and the christians, whoever believed in Allah and the last day, and did righteous [deeds], then there is no fear upon them and they will not grieve.”
continued…
