Response: In an answer published in your magazine regarding the fate of Non-Muslims who do not believe in the Prophethood of Muhammad (sws), you have explained the conditions for a person in order to enter Paradise. A friend of mine is still arguing with me on this matter. He says that Allah is the most Merciful and the most Gracious. Now if a non-Muslim doesn’t believe in Muhammad (sws) in spite of being convinced of his Prophethood but does something good with his most generous and sincere intentions, shouldn’t Allah forgive him even though he is not a Muslim.

Answer: Knowingly denying a truth is a big sin. This only means that a person has the arrogance to deny something which in fact should have been his very quest. In other words, in spite of recognizing a truth, he has the audacity to deny it. This is something very condemnable before the Almighty. You see the Almighty Himself has stipulated certain conditions for salvation in the Hereafter, and has repeatedly warned that people who do not fulfill them will not go to Heaven -- not only that, they will be condemned to Hell. Now, if a person who knows all these things in advance and still does not fulfill them is actually challenging the Almighty. Being not intellectually convinced of the Prophethood of Muhammad (sws) may afford a person with some legitimate plea for being excused, but denying it after being convinced about it is unforgivable.

Also, if such people were let off, then this would not be fair to people who are righteous -- for if the righteous and wrongdoers are both to meet the same fate, then why should people do good deeds in the first place. This can only be done by an unjust creator -- Is Allah unjust then?