Support IslamQA

Please contribute generously in order to ensure the continuity of our website InshaAllah.

Contribute

The meaning of the hadeeth which says that the sins of the Muslims will be placed on the kuffaar of the People of the Book

23-12-2000

Question 9488

We would like you to please explain for us the hadeeth qudsi that follows (some say that how can this be since there is injustive involved-wa 'iyaadhu billaah): 
In a book entitled 110 Hadith Qudsi, translated by Syed Masood-ul-Hasan, Revision and Commentaries by Ibrahim M. Kunna, published by Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 1996/1417H, appears a Qudsi Hadith No. 8 on page 19/20.
No. 8:    Narrated Abu Musa (r.a.): Allah's Messenger (s.a.s.) said: 
On the Day of Resurrection, my Ummah (nation) will be gathered into three groups, one sort will enter Paradise without rendering an account (of their deeds). Another sort will be reckoned on easy account and admitted into Paradise. Yet another sort will come bearing on their backs heaps of sins like great mountains. Allah will ask the angels though He knows best about them: Who are these people? They will reply: They are humble slaves of yours. He will say: Unload the sins from them and put the same over the Jews and Christians; then let the humble slaves get into Paradise by virtue of My Mercy. (This Hadith is sound and mentioned in Mustadrak of Hakim). 
Please help us ya shaykh to clarify the meaning of this hadeeth. We are doing as Allaah commanded us (meaning):ask those of knowledge if you do not know

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

This hadeeth is to be found in Saheeh Muslim (2767), narrated from Abu Moosa (may Allaah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who said: “On the Day of Resurrection, some of the Muslims will come with sins like mountains, but Allaah will forgive them and will put them (the sins) onto the Jews and Christians.” So this hadeeth is saheeh. 

With regard to its meaning, al-Nawawi said in his commentary: “The meaning of this hadeeth is the same as the hadeeth narrated by Abu Hurayrah: “For each person there is a place in Paradise and a place in Hell.” When the believer enters Paradise, his place in Hell is taken over by the kaafir because he deserves that because of his kufr. The meaning of the phrase “your ransom from the Fire” is that you could have entered Hell, but this is your ransom because Allaah has decreed a certain number to fill it; when the kuffaar enter Hell because of their kufr and sins, this is like a ransom for the Muslims. With regard to the report, “On the Day of Resurrection, some of the Muslims will come with sins” – Allaah will forgive the Muslims these sins and will absolve them of them, and He will put the like of those sins onto the Jews and Christians because of their kufr and sins. So they will enter Hell because of their own actions, not because of the sins of the Muslims. This report has to be interpreted in this manner, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And no bearer of burdens shall bear another’s burden” [Faatir 35:18]  

It may be that the meaning is: sins which the kuffaar innovated and initiated, because whoever starts a bad thing will bear a burden of sin like that of each person who does that thing.

Belief in the Last Day and the Signs of the Hour
Show on Islam Q&A website.