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Will children who die, go to the Jannah (heaven) or they'll go to another place? I have heard that children won't go to the heaven which Mo'menin will go (I mean the children who die before the age of puberty). In truth, they will go to another place which is not as fantastic as Jannah, but on the whole that is a good place and actually that is a better than this world.

  • My question is that firstly “is it a fact that they go to another place"?
  • Secondly if so, where is that place and what is its name?

(Note: I am looking for authentic hadith(s) regarding this matter)

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  • Other place such as what? It's either Heaven or Hell. Only Allah knows where we all go when we die.
    – Omar
    Oct 22, 2014 at 15:24
  • @Omar, I said that, since I have heard that children will go to a place like Jannah, but that is not as great as Jannah. because I think you agree with this point that it is not rational if they go to the same place with Momenin, since their files(records) are not full..., God knows. Oct 22, 2014 at 15:52
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  • @DearMartyrSheikhNimr-Al-Nimr, the last question is legit. How is this question different than the one he included in his comment? Please explain!
    – Atata
    Mar 8, 2016 at 14:03
  • @Atata, firstly I appreciate your attention ... / Secondly, I wrote one of them solely regarding the view of Shia, since occasionally (not always), it would be criticized by the moderators or ... to ask the questions by asking for both Shia and Sunni views in one question (due to conflict...) / (of course they don't always avoid writing such questions... / ______ Anyhow, on the whole, you are right. God bless you for mentioning that. Mar 8, 2016 at 14:16

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As a human you are not judge for your actions in Islam until puberty so before that age everyone is born on Fitra (temperament or nature) and there is a hadith from Mohammed peace up on him where he said: three will not be asked or judged a child tell puberty and an insan (human) tell the curd and a sleeping tell they wake and as Ali said there's only two places either hell or heaven so how is on Fitra go streat to heaven.

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Children are divided into two categories: children of Muslims and children of nonMuslims. I will start with the children of nonMuslims.

First Category:

In response to a question about the whereabouts of the dead children of nonMuslims, the Prophet ﷺ has given us a concise answer found in both Saheeh Muslim (2659) and Saheeh Al-Bukhari (1383)

حَدَّثَنَا حِبَّانُ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ أَبِي بِشْرٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهم ـ قَالَ سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ أَوْلاَدِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ اللَّهُ إِذْ خَلَقَهُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا كَانُوا عَامِلِينَ ‏"‏‏.‏

Narrated Ibn `Abbas: Allah's Messenger ﷺ was asked about the children of (Mushrikeen) pagans. The Prophet ﷺ replied, "Since Allah created them, He knows what sort of deeds they would have done." [Sahih al-Bukhari 1383]

Scholars explain this hadeeth stating that they will be tested on the day of Judgment along with three other types of people. They quote the following hadeeth as evidence:

عن أنس قال ، قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : "يؤتى بأربعة يوم القيامة : بالمولود ، والمعتوه ، ومن مات في الفترة ، والشيخ الفاني ، كلهم يتكلم بحجته ، فيقول الرب تبارك وتعالى لعُنُق من النار : أُبْرزْ ، ويقول لهم : إني كنت أبعث إلى عبادي رسلا من أنفسهم ، وإني رسول نفسي إليكم ، اُدخلوا هذه ( أي النار ) ، قال : فيقول من كتب عليه الشقاء : يا رب أنى ندخلها ومنها كنا نفرّ ، قال : ومن كتب عليه السعادة يمضي فيقتحم فيها مسرعاً ، قال : فيقول الله تعالى أنتم لرسلي أشد تكذيبا ومعصية ، فيدخل هؤلاء الجنة وهؤلاء النار" . الراوي : أنس بن مالك | المحدث : البوصيري | المصدر : إتحاف الخيرة المهرة الصفحة أو الرقم: 8/177 | خلاصة حكم المحدث : له شاهد

Anas reported that the Messenger of Allah said: “Four kinds of people will be brought on the Day of Judgment: the infant, the insane, the one who died during the Fatrah (the period between two prophets) and the very old man. All of them will speak in their own defense, then the Lord Almighty and Blessed will say to a neck of Hell, ‘Come forth’ and He will say to them, ‘I used to send Messengers to My slaves from amongst themselves. Now I am the Messenger of Myself to you. Enter this (meaning, the Fire).’ Those who are decreed to be among the doomed will say, ‘O Lord, how could we enter it when we are trying to escape it?’ And those who are decreed to be among the blessed will rush to enter it. And Allah will say: ‘You would have been more disobedient to My Messengers.’ So those (who obeyed) will enter Paradise and those (who disobeyed) will enter Hell.” Narrated by Abu Ya3laa, 4224. Blockquote

Although the above hadeeth has a weakness in its chain of narration, it is strengthened by corroborating reports which were mentioned by Ibn Katheer in his Tafseer.

Thus, we understand that some of the Non-Muslim children will be admitted to Paradise and some of them will be admitted to Hellfire.

Second Category:

As for the dead children of Muslims, the Prophet ﷺ has given his Ummah two great tidings of the mercy of Allah to their parents because of their parents’ belief: not only will they be admitted to Paradise, but they will be allowed to intercede for their parents as well. These are the parents who suffered the loss of their loved ones and were patient and believed in Allah’s reward.

حَدَّثَنَا سُوَيْدُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى، - وَتَقَارَبَا فِي اللَّفْظِ - قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا الْمُعْتَمِرُ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي السَّلِيلِ، عَنْ أَبِي حَسَّانَ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لأَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ إِنَّهُ قَدْ مَاتَ لِيَ ابْنَانِ فَمَا أَنْتَ مُحَدِّثِي عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِحَدِيثٍ تُطَيِّبُ بِهِ أَنْفُسَنَا عَنْ مَوْتَانَا قَالَ قَالَ نَعَمْ ‏ "‏ صِغَارُهُمْ دَعَامِيصُ الْجَنَّةِ يَتَلَقَّى أَحَدُهُمْ أَبَاهُ - أَوْ قَالَ أَبَوَيْهِ - فَيَأْخُذُ بِثَوْبِهِ - أَوْ قَالَ بِيَدِهِ - كَمَا آخُذُ أَنَا بِصَنِفَةِ ثَوْبِكَ هَذَا فَلاَ يَتَنَاهَى - أَوْ قَالَ فَلاَ يَنْتَهِي - حَتَّى يُدْخِلَهُ اللَّهُ وَأَبَاهُ الْجَنَّةَ ‏"‏ ‏.

وَفِي رِوَايَةِ سُوَيْدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو السَّلِيلِ وَحَدَّثَنِيهِ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى - يَعْنِي ابْنَ سَعِيدٍ - عَنِ التَّيْمِيِّ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ وَقَالَ فَهَلْ سَمِعْتَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم شَيْئًا تُطَيِّبُ بِهِ أَنْفُسَنَا عَنْ مَوْتَانَا قَالَ نَعَمْ ‏.‏‏ >

Abu Hassan reported: I said to Abu Huraira that my two children had died. Would you narrate to me anything from Allah's Messenger ﷺ a hadith which would soothe our hearts in our bereavements? He said: Yes. Small children are the fowls of Paradise. If one of them meets his father (or he said his parents) he would take hold of his cloth, or he said with his hand as I take hold of the hem of your cloth (with my hand). And he (the child) would not take off (his hand) from it until Allah causes his father to enter Paradise. [Sahih Muslim 2635]

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Tamim with the same chain of transmitters. And he is reported to have said: Did you hear from Allah's Messenger ﷺ anything which may soothe our heart in our bereavements? He said: Yes.‏

These Muslim children will be joined by the children of the Non-Muslims who will pass the test mentioned in the first category. Indeed, the following hadeeth from Saheeh Al-Bukhari indicates that they were sitting in the company of Ibraheem ﷺ when Prophet Mohamed ﷺ saw them.

حَدَّثَنِي مُؤَمَّلُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ أَبُو هِشَامٍ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَوْفٌ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو رَجَاءٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سَمُرَةُ بْنُ جُنْدَبٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِمَّا يُكْثِرُ أَنْ يَقُولَ لأَصْحَابِهِ ‏"‏ هَلْ رَأَى أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ مِنْ رُؤْيَا ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ فَيَقُصُّ عَلَيْهِ مَنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَقُصَّ، وَإِنَّهُ قَالَ ذَاتَ غَدَاةٍ ‏"‏ إِنَّهُ أَتَانِي اللَّيْلَةَ آتِيَانِ، وَإِنَّهُمَا ابْتَعَثَانِي، وَإِنَّهُمَا قَالاَ لِي انْطَلِقْ‏.‏ وَإِنِّي انْطَلَقْتُ مَعَهُمَا،فَانْطَلَقْنَا فَأَتَيْنَا عَلَى رَوْضَةٍ مُعْتَمَّةٍ فِيهَا مِنْ كُلِّ نَوْرِ الرَّبِيعِ، وَإِذَا بَيْنَ ظَهْرَىِ الرَّوْضَةِ رَجُلٌ طَوِيلٌ لاَ أَكَادُ أَرَى رَأْسَهُ طُولاً فِي السَّمَاءِ، وَإِذَا حَوْلَ الرَّجُلِ مِنْ أَكْثَرِ وِلْدَانٍ رَأَيْتُهُمْ قَطُّ ـ قَالَ ـ قُلْتُ لَهُمَا مَا هَذَا مَا هَؤُلاَءِ قَالَ قَالاَ لِي انْطَلِقِ انْطَلِقْ‏.وَأَمَّا الرَّجُلُ الطَّوِيلُ الَّذِي فِي الرَّوْضَةِ فَإِنَّهُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَأَمَّا الْوِلْدَانُ الَّذِينَ حَوْلَهُ فَكُلُّ مَوْلُودٍ مَاتَ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ فَقَالَ بَعْضُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَأَوْلاَدُ الْمُشْرِكِينَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ وَأَوْلاَدُ الْمُشْرِكِينَ‏.

Narrated Samura bin Jundub: Allah's Messenger ﷺ very often used to ask his companions, "Did anyone of you see a dream?" So dreams would be narrated to him by those whom Allah wished to tell. One morning the Prophet ﷺ said, "Last night two persons came to me (in a dream) and woke me up and said to me, 'Proceed!' I set out with them … They said to me, 'Proceed! Proceed!' So we proceeded till we reached a garden of deep green dense vegetation, having all sorts of spring colors. In the midst of the garden there was a very tall man and I could hardly see his head because of his great height, and around him there were children in such a large number as I have never seen. I said to my companions, 'Who is this?' They replied, 'Proceed! Proceed!'… And the tall man whom you saw in the garden, is Abraham and the children around him are those children who die with Al-Fitra (the Islamic Faith). The narrator added: Some Muslims asked the Prophet, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! What about the children of pagans?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "And also the children of pagans." [Sahih al-Bukhari 7047]

In short, all Muslim children will go to Paradise, and non-Muslim children will be tested, some will go to Paradise, and some will not.

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  • But, why the dead non Muslim children will be tested? Here’s where I don’t get it. Why they can’t be among the Muslim children?
    – Alex A
    Nov 18, 2018 at 19:40

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