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As for the time before the mission of the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him), everyone who believed in the previous Messengers, is one of the people of Paradise. Whoever believed in Moosa, ‘Eesa, Hood, Saalih, in all the Messengers, was one of the people of Paradise if he died believing in that. But after the mission of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him), no one is among the people of Paradise except those who followed Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him). All of the people of Earth after the sending of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) have no way of salvation except by following Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) said: “All of my ummah will enter Paradise except those who refuse.” It was said: O Messenger of Allaah, who refuses? He said: “Those who obey me will enter Paradise, and those who disobey me have refused.” So the followers of the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) are those who will enter Paradise, to the exclusion of others. And the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) said: “By the one in whose hand is my soul, no one of this nation hears of me, Jew or Christian, then dies without believing in that with which I have been sent, but he will be one of the people of the Fire.” So after the sending of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him), no one can be one of the people of Paradise except those who follow him. As for those who hear about him and disbelieve in him, and do not believe in him, they are people of the Fire. As for those who do not hear about the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) or the Messenger or of the Qur’aan, they come under the same ruling as those who lived in the intervals between Prophets. Their case will be up to Allaah on the Day of Resurrection; Allaah will test them and those who pass the test will enter Paradise, and those who do not pass the test will enter Hell -- we ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound. As for those who hear about the message of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) and hear about the Qur’aan and do not believe, they will be among the people of the Fire. The one who does not regard the disbelievers as disbelievers is like them. It is essential to regard as disbelievers the one who does not believe in Allaah, and to regard as a disbeliever the one who disbelieves in Him. Hence it is proven in the saheeh hadeeth that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) said: “The one who believes in the oneness of Allaah and disbelieves in that which is worshipped instead of Allaah, his wealth and his blood become haraam, and his reckoning will be with Allaah.” And Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Whoever disbelieves in Taaghoot [false gods etc.] and believes in Allaah, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break. And Allaah is All-Hearer, All-Knower”
[al-Baqarah 2:256]
So it is essential to believe in Allaah, believe in his Oneness, and be sincere towards Him, and to believe that the believers are following the true faith. And it is essential to regard as disbelievers those disbelievers who heard of sharee’ah but did not believe, like the Jews, the Christians, the Magians, the Communists and others who exist today or who existed previously. Whoever hears the message of Allaah and does not believe is one of the people of Hell -- we ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound. End quote.