#863: Ruling on the First Three Sets of People that will be thrown into Hell on the Day of Judgement and the Consequence of Minor Shirk
863. QUESTION:
Question: Sallam alaykum warahmatullah Ya Shiek,pls with regarding to the First three people”the Scholar, the martyr,the Wealthy generous individual to be thrown in the Hell Fire(may ALLAH Protect Us).Are they going to dwell in Hell fire forever or for sometime,thus does minor shirk leads to everlasting stay in Hell Fire(May ALLAH Protect Us),Jazakumullahu khyran
ANSWER:
Alhamdulillāhi!
Know verily – may the blessings of Allāh Ta’āla be upon You – that, Shirk are of two major types; Major and Minor.
In this context, As-shaykh Al-‘allāmah Hāfidh Ibn Ahmad Al-Hakami'(1342-1377Hijrah) said in His mandhūmah; ” Sullamu Al-Wusūl Ilā ‘Ilm Al-Usūl
والشرك نوعان : فشرك أكبر # به خلود النار إذ لا يغفر
وهو اتخاذ العبد غير الله # ند به مسويا مضاهي
To the point where he said:
والثان شرك أصغر وهو الريا # فسره به ختام الأنبيا
ومنه إقسام بغير الباري# كما أتى فى محكم الأخبار
And Shirkh are of two kinds: Major Shirk # with it its doer dwells in Hell forever since it’s not forgiven.
It is for a servant to take other than Allāh # rival equating it with Him.
And the second is the Minor Shirk which is showoff# as defined by the last of the prophets. And of it is swearing by other than the creator # as explained in a sound narration.
Hence, Major Shirk is for a servant to associate partners with Allāh, making them equal with Allāh, loving it the way he loves Allāh, and he has awe of it like that of Allāh, he obeys it in the disobedience of Allāh.
For the major Shirkh , Allāh says:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَالًا بَعِيدًا
Surely Allah does not forgive that anything should be associated with Him, and He forgives what is besides this to whom He pleases; and whoever associates anything with Allah, he indeed strays off into a remote error.
Sūratu An-Nisa, Verse 116.
This verse shows that whoever dies while associating partner with Allāh will never be forgiven.
It is reported from Mu’ādh Radiyallāhu anhu who said:
I was a companion rider of the Prophet Salallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam on a donkey called ‘Ufair. The Prophet Salallāhu’alayhi wasallam asked: Oh Mu’ādh! Do you know what Allah’s right on His slaves is, and what the right of His slaves on Him is?” I replied, “Allah and His Messenger know better.” He said, “Allah’s right on His slaves is that they should worship Him (Alone) and should not worship any besides Him. And slave’s right on Allah is that He should not punish him who worships none besides Him.” I said, “O Allah’s Messenger salallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam Should I not inform the people of this good news?” He said, “Do not inform them of it, lest they should depend on it.
Transmitted by Imām Al-Bukhārī#2856 and Imām Muslim#30.
As for the Minor Shirk, is for one to showoff in one’s good deeds in order to gain reputations and praises from others and this act doesn’t take a servant out of the fold of Islām since it’s not a major Shirk. Hence, its doer doesn’t dwell in Hell forever.
Allāh Ta’āla says:
فَمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو لِقَاءَ رَبِّهِ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًا
… therefore whoever hopes to meet his Lord, he should do good deeds, and not join any one in the service of his Lord.
Sūratu Al-Kahf, Verse 110.
It was reported that the Rasūl salallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam said:
“أخوف ما أخاف عليكم الشرك الأصغر”. قالوا وما الشرك الأصغر يا رسول الله؟ قال: الرياء”
The thing that I fear for you the most is the Minor Shirk. They asked: what’s minor shirk Oh the Rasūl of Allāh? He said: Showoff.
Transmitted by Imām Ahmad in his ” Musnad”(5/429). And shaykh Al-Albānī declared it as Sahih in “Sahīhu Al-Jāmi'” (1555).
Amongst the Minor Shirk, is for one to swear by other than Allāh like swearing by parents, Ka’abah and the likes.
The Rasūl salallāhu’alayhi wasallam said:
لا تحلفوا بآبائكم ولا بأمهاتكم ولا بالأنداد
Do not swear by your father’s nor your mother’s nor rivals.
Transmitted by Abū Dāwūd#3248.
That said. The Hadīth which you refer to regarding the three sets of people; the scholars, matryrs and wealthy generous individuals who carried out their deeds mainly for showoff and reputations is reported from Abū Hurairah Radiyallāhu anhu who said:
I heard the Messenger of Allah salallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam said: The first of people against whom judgment will be pronounced on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who died a martyr. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His favours and he will recognize them. [ The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I fought for you until I died a martyr. He will say: You have lied – you did but fight that it might be said [of you]: He is courageous. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire. [Another] will be a man who has studied [religious] knowledge and has taught it and who used to recite the Quran. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His favours and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I studied [religious] knowledge and I taught it and I recited the Quran for Your sake. He will say: You have lied – you did but study [religious] knowledge that it might be said [of you]: He is learned. And you recited the Quran that it might be said [of you]: He is a reciter. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire. [Another] will be a man whom Allah had made rich and to whom He had given all kinds of wealth. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His favours and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I left no path [untrodden] in which You like money to be spent without spending in it for Your sake. He will say: You have lied – you did but do so that it might be said [of you]: He is open-handed. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire.
It is transmitted by Imām Muslim#1905, At-tirmidhī, An-Nasāī.
In this Hadīth, these ‘Ulama, the matryrs and the rich men did these acts mainly for showoff and not for the sake of Allāh alone and this is a form of Minor Shirk as we mentioned above and this act itself doesn’t make its doer to take his seat in Hell forever. Rather, they are under the will of Allāh, if He wishes, He forgives them out of His infinite mercy, and if He wishes, He punishes them out of justice.
May Allāh protect us from the Major and Minor Shirk.
Allāhu A’alām.
Bārakallāhu fīkum.
Jazākumullahu Khayran.
Abū Yahya
30th Safar, 1441AH.
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