Question Summary:
If a non-believer’s child is born but passes away, does he/she go to hell or heaven?

Question Detail:

If a non-believer’s child is born but passes away, does he/she go to hell or heaven?

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
 
In principle, the issue of the hearafter is best known to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’alā. Rasullullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam has discouraged us from making absolute conclusions about the hearafter. We cannot say with certainty who is a Jannati or otherwise. In one Hadith it has been mentioned:
 
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ أُمِّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، قَالَتْ: دُعِيَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَى جَنَازَةِ صَبِيٍّ مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ، فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ طُوبَى لِهَذَا، عُصْفُورٌ مِنْ عَصَافِيرِ الْجَنَّةِ لَمْ يَعْمَلِ السُّوءَ وَلَمْ يُدْرِكْهُ، قَالَ: «أَوَ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ، يَا عَائِشَةُ إِنَّ اللهَ خَلَقَ لِلْجَنَّةِ أَهْلًا، خَلَقَهُمْ لَهَا وَهُمْ فِي أَصْلَابِ آبَائِهِمْ، وَخَلَقَ لِلنَّارِ أَهْلًا، خَلَقَهُمْ لَهَا وَهُمْ فِي أَصْلَابِ آبَائِهِمْ»  )صحيح مسلم (4/ 2050)
 
“Aishā Radiallahu Ta’alā Anha who is the mother of all the believers has said: The prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam was once invited to a funeral of a child from amongst the Ansār. I said: O Prophet of Allah, blessed be this child who is a sparrow from amongst a sparrows of Jannah. Neither has he commited any sins nor did he reach the age of committing sins. The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam said, “Could it be otherwise O Aisha? Allah has created the dwellers of Jannah (heaven) and he has created them while they were still in the backs of their fathers. And Allah has created the dwellers of Jahannam (hell) and he has created them while they were still in the backs of their fathers.” (Sahih Muslim 4/2050)
 
 
In this Hadith, it is clear that Rasullullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam prevented Aisha Radiallahu Ta’alā Anha from making an absolute conclusions of a child being a Jannati. It has been mentioned in the Hadith that the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam has said:
 
«مَا مِنْ مَوْلُودٍ إِلَّا يُولَدُ عَلَى الفِطْرَةِ، فَأَبَوَاهُ يُهَوِّدَانِهِ أَوْ يُنَصِّرَانِهِ، أَوْ يُمَجِّسَانِهِ، كَمَا تُنْتَجُ البَهِيمَةُ بَهِيمَةً جَمْعَاءَ، هَلْ تُحِسُّونَ فِيهَا مِنْ جَدْعَاءَ» ،)   صحيح البخاري (2/ 95)
 
“Every child is born on fitrah. His parents convert him into a Jew or a Christian or a Magian. This is very similar to an example of an animal that gives birth to its child without any deficiency. Do you see that it is born with broken horns? (Sahih Al-Bukhari 2/95)
 
 
This Hadith shows that a child is born on fitrah which means that he/she is born as a muslim or has the potential of being a muslim. As the child grows older, the child’s parents divert them to Christianity, Judaism or fire worshipping.
 
 
However, many scholars are of the opinion that children who pass away at a very young age will enter Jannah.[1] The Hadith is:
 
…..وَأَمَّا الرَّجُلُ الطَّوِيلُ الَّذِي فِي الرَّوْضَةِ فَإِنَّهُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَأَمَّا الوِلْدَانُ الَّذِينَ حَوْلَهُ فَكُلُّ مَوْلُودٍ مَاتَ عَلَى الفِطْرَةِ " قَالَ: فَقَالَ بَعْضُ المُسْلِمِينَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، وَأَوْلاَدُ المُشْرِكِينَ؟ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «وَأَوْلاَدُ المُشْرِكِينَ،…. )صحيح البخاري (9/ 45)
 
“…..The tall man who was in the garden, was Ibrahim Alaihis Salam. The children surrounding him were those who passed away on fitrah. The narrator says, the Sahabah asked, “O Prophet of Allah, were there children of disbelievers with him as well?” The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam replied, “The children of the disbelievers are also with him (in Jannah)…..” (Sahih Al-Bukhari 9/45)
 
 
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Abdul Hannan Nizami,

USA
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
www.daruliftaa.net