Fatwa: 260

Category: fatwas about Manhaj (the way)

The ruling regarding the Muslim lost groups

The question:

Will all the lost groups be doomed eternally to fire, or they will be punished, then they enter paradise?

The answer:

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon whom Allah sent as a mercy to the Worlds, upon his Family, his Companions and his Brothers till the Day of Resurrection.

If the error of the lost groups does not drive them out of Islam, they will be part of the nation of guidance. If they die on a state of perversity, they will enter hellfire and will not abide in it eternally, as they will come out of it thanks to the intercession of those who will intercede for them or thanks to Allah, the Lord of the universe, Who will drive out of hellfire those who have a degree of faith even as little as a small ant as it is mentioned in the authentic hadiths, in addition to the Messenger’s صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم saying, “Indeed, those who were before you among the People of the Book divided into seventy-two groups. This nation will divide into seventy-three groups, seventy-two of them will be in hellfire and one in paradise, which is the community.”⁽¹⁾ So the Muslim groups which deviated from the way of the people of the Sunna are threatened with perishment and hellfire. The ruling which applies to them is that applying on the people who are threatened with hellfire in general, except those who are disbelievers but hide their disbelief.

However, if their error brings them out of the circle of Islam and they apostatize after showing them the proof, then they will have the same ruling as the people of disbelief and they will be considered apostates. They will not be included by the verses concerning the will of Allah, such as:

﴿إِنَّ اللهَ لاَ يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَمَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللهِ فَقَدِ افْتَرَى إِثْمًا عَظِيمًا﴾ [النساء: 48].

The meaning of the verse:

﴾Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with him in worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases; and whoever sets up partners with Allâh in worship, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin.﴿ [An-Nissâ' (The Women): 48], in addition to other verses which threaten the disbelievers to be doomed eternally to hellfire.

The perfect knowledge belongs to Allah عزَّ وجلَّ. Our last prayer is all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon our Prophet, his Family, his Companions and Brothers till the Day of Resurrection.

Algiers, Jumâda Ath-Thâniya 8^th, 1426
Corresponding to, July 14^th, 2005