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What will happen to a person who commits adultery then dies?

Question

What is the ruling on a person who committed adultery then died before being punished?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

It was narrated on the authority of Abu Tharr  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam , said that "Jibreel (Gabriel) came to him and told him that any Muslim who died while believing in Allaah, without associating anything with him, would enter Paradise, even if that person committed adultery or theft". [Al-Bukhari & Muslim] Thus, any faithful Muslim will enter Paradise, although he may enter Hell then get out of it or not enter it at all.

If the person was not punished in this life by the prescribed (legal) punishment but he repented, fulfilling the Sharee’ah conditions for repentance, he will not enter Hell, based on the general evidence indicating that repentance is accepted.

This also applies to anyone who commits a sin and was punished by the prescribed punishment. It was narrated on the authority of ‘Ubaadah Ibn As-Saamit  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, told us that "if anyone who commits a sin that has a prescribed punishment was punished in this worldly life, then the punishment will be an atonement for him. However, if he died without being punished, the matter will depend on the will of Allaah - either to punish him or forgive him". [Al-Bukhari & Muslim] Al-Qaadhi ‘Iyaadh  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him said that most scholars use this Hadeeth to prove that prescribed punishments act as an atonement for sins.

Allaah Knows best.


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