All souls go to heaven if they are righteous
By Sardar Anees Ahmad
Waterloo, New York

Some time ago an influential Muslim cleric based out of Britain gave a discourse on Islamic soteriology. Among the issues discussed was the concept of heaven and hell, as well as an emphatic declaration that every non-Muslim is eternally Hell-bound.

Many Muslims do hold this view, but it does not follow that Islam does.

Similar to other religions, Islam argues that a person’s deeds, in spirit and action, will determine their end, “But they who believe and do good works — those are the dwellers of Heaven” (2:83). In the Bible we read, “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?” (James 2:14). The doctrine of reincarnation of Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism espouses a similar view.

The idea of an afterlife is intertwined with the purpose of our current life. The Qur’an (51:57) declares that the purpose of mankind’s creation is to obtain higher and higher stages of God consciousness. Just as the phenomenon of evolution occurs in the physical world, so too is the case in the spiritual world. Because the end goal – God consciousness – is limitless, our existence, both here and in the hereafter, is designed for perpetual development.

If we have been created for limitless development, Hell, too, must then be an abode of development and reformation for those whose bad deeds outweigh their good deeds. Hell, therefore, cannot be an eternal abode. Indeed, it violates God’s Nature to assume that once a person is ‘in’ Hell, only Attributes of wrath should exist and Attributes of mercy should be rendered void. The Qur’an echoes this idea, declaring Hell to be a “nursing mother” (101:10). The Qur’an argues that those in Hell will be punished, but the punishment itself will be remedial. Oftentimes a patient has to devour bitter medicine or undergo painful operations because these are the only remedies which can restore him to health. So too is the case with the punishment of Hell. Numerous Quranic verses  coincide with just as many declarations of Prophet Muhammad, depicting Hell as a temporary abode. For example, the Qur’an states that God said, “I will inflict My punishment on whom I will; but My mercy encompasses all things” (7:157). Prophet Muhammad declared, “Verily a day would come over hell when there shall not be a single human being in it” (Kanzul Ummal).

Hell, therefore, is also a manifestation of mercy, however harsh the experience may be. One may argue that if every soul will eventually ‘enter’ Heaven, what incentive remains to do good? Such an argument is tantamount to arguing what incentive remains to not commit a felony, as the individual will eventually gain his freedom.

It follows that Islam does not consider Muslims to be the only people capable of earning salvation. Nor does Islam argue that simply calling oneself a Muslim is enough. The Qur’an, on at least five  occasions, has explicitly declared that any righteous soul will ‘enter’ Heaven. For example, “Surely, those who believe and the Jews and the Christians and those of other paths – whichever party from among these truly believes in Allah and the Last Day and does good deeds, shall have their reward with their Lord, and no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve” (2:63). So an individual may be a believer or an atheist, but salvation will be attainable so long as they are righteous.

With the above in mind, if the Imam, or any other, is still occupied with pocketing people into Heaven or Hell, perhaps a non-believer’s opinion on the afterlife would help, “I am silent on the subject because of necessity. I have friends in both places” (Mark Twain).