Journal of Islamic Studies > Volume 26, No. 1, 2014

The Fate of Children in the Hereafter / Abdullah Mohammed Romian Al – Romian

his research is concerned with the study of the fate of children in the Hereafter. It aims at identifying related statements in
the Qur’an and the Sunnah, discussing and weighing scholars’ views and supporting evidences in that regard and deciding on the worthiest
view. The research adopts a deductive approach. Among the research findings are the following: the Qur’an and the Sunnah’s statements reiterate
how Just Allah is and how He abhors injustices; Muslim scholars are in agreement that the children of Muslims are destined to
Heaven; as for the children of non-Muslims, the strongest views on their fate range between going to Heaven and being included in the
category of “ahl alfatrah” (the people in waiting, to whom no messengers/messages had been sent by Allah, to have their faith checked on
the Day of Judgment; according to several statements, the strongest view is that those children will go to Heaven. The research makes the
following recommendations: university departments concerned with beliefs should pay special attention to the belief issues on which Sunni
scholars differ, particularly the issue of the children of disbelievers, and how the status of such children differs from that of their disbelieving
parents.