You have in the past quoted a Hadith which states that children who die in their infancy try to get their parents admitted into heaven. May I ask how about parents who deliberately kill their children, either through abortion or some other way. Also what about the children of non-Muslim parents?
I have mentioned some of the Hadiths which clearly state that those who die in infancy will be of great help to their parents on the Day of Judgment. One Hadith suggests that such children will look for their parents among the masses of human beings who are all gathered on the Day of Judgment. When they find them they will lead them by the hand until they get them into heaven. They will entreat Allah on their behalf and will say to Him that their parents were deprived of the happiness and pleasure of having them when they were young. The children want their parents to have that happiness in the life to come.Another Hadith mentions that when children who die in their childhood are commanded to go into heaven, they will stop at its gate and make loud noises. They will protest that they will not enter until they have their parents with them [because whatever of pleasure of being together that either of them missed in this life was for no fault of theirs]. Allah will bestow His grace on both parents and children and order all of them to enter heaven together.
These Hadiths which speak of the Day of Judgment are to be understood within the general framework of the fundamental Islamic principles. A non-believer cannot be admitted into heaven, because Allah has so willed that heaven will be the abode of those who believe in Him. Therefore, even if a non-believer loses a child or more in infancy, his children would not be able to earn him reprieve. The children themselves will not be accountable, since they have died before they reached the age of accountability.
Similarly, if a parent has killed a child of his, the two will stand in front of Allah to judge between them. They will be opponents, since the child will have a grievance against the parent who had killed him. We know that Allah is the most Gracious and Merciful. But we also know that He does not allow the right of anyone of His servants to be wasted. Hence, He will judge between child and parent and will pass His fair judgment.
• Death: Janazah prayer for a child
In the case of a child’s death, from what age will it be required that the janazah prayer is offered for the deceased?
The janazah prayer should be offered for any Muslim who dies. It is a short prayer offered just before the body of the deceased person is taken for burial. It is a collective duty, which means that it is obligatory on community.
If a group of the community, or even one person offers it, the duty is deemed to have been fulfilled. If none does, then the whole community is at fault and will have to answer for its failure. This prayer may be offered at any time when the burial is about to take place, either in a mosque, or when the body is taken from the person’s home, or from the hospital. It should be offered in the same way for a deceased man or woman or child.
Any child who dies, whatever the age, should have the same prayer offered for its soul, regardless of its age. The janazah prayer should be offered even for a stillborn child.
Could you please explain what happens to believers and non-believers when they die?
Death is a stage which occurs when the spirit departs from the body to make it lifeless. As Muslims, we believe in the resurrection when the body and the spirit will be reunited in the hereafter. This life is a stage for action, but the life to come after the resurrection is a stage of reward. Human beings will either be in pure happiness or in total misery. It is part of the basic Islamic beliefs that after resurrection, we will account for our deeds and we will be judged accordingly. Those on whom Allah bestows His mercy will be in heaven, while those who are denied it will abide in hell, the place of absolute misery. It is also clearly stated by the Prophet that the deeds of even the best person will not be enough to send him to heaven without Allah's grace. Allah's grace is guaranteed by none other than Allah Himself to those who believe in Him and do well in their lives.
However, the time between a person's death and resurrection is an intermediate stage of life of "barzakh", which means intermediate stage. Relying on authentic Hadiths, scholars mention that angels are sent to people in their graves to question them about their beliefs.
In a Hadith related by Imam Ahmad, the Prophet tells us that when a believer is buried, his prayers sit over his head, fasting to his right, zakah to his left and other good deeds are positioned below his feet. Each prevent any harm from coming to him from that direction. He is then sat up and asked about his view of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. A believer will say: "Muhammad, peace be upon him, I believe that he was Allah's messenger who came with the message of the truth from Allah." He is then reassured of his fate by the questioning angels and his place is pointed out to him. A wide expanse is opened to him in his grave and he is given light. His body is then returned to its state.
The Hadith mentions the opposite of all this in the case of a non-believer. At the end, we are told that his grave is made too narrow for him that his ribs almost crack. That is the hard life mentioned in the Qur'an
All this applies to people who are buried, cremated, drowned or eaten up by wild beasts. It is easy for Allah to resurrect these in the same way as He resurrects those who are buried.
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