Answering Islam - A Christian-Muslim dialog

A Good Question:

Whom Exactly Does Allah Pay The Ransom to? Pt. 2

Sam Shamoun

We resume our discussion by taking the very objections which Shabir Ally raised against the Christian concept of atonement and applying them against the teachings of his own religious sources.


Allah and Satan – Partners in Salvation and Condemnation

According to the sound ahadith, or narratives attributed to Muhammad whose authenticity are unquestionable per the science of hadith classification, Allah will ransom the Muslims by sacrificing the Jews and Christians in hell for all the sins committed by the followers of Muhammad:

Superiority of the believers in the Oneness of Allah and the punishment of the Jews and Christians

8) Narrated Abu Musa: Allah’s Messenger said: On the Day of Resurrection, my Ummah (nation) will be gathered into three groups. One sort will enter Paradise without rendering an account (of their deeds). Another sort will be reckoned an easy account and admitted into Paradise. Yet another sort will come bearing on their backs heaps of sins like great mountains. Allah will ask the angels though He knows best about them: Who are these people? They will reply: They are humble slaves of yours. He will say: UNLOAD the sins from them AND PUT THE SAME OVER the Jews and Christians: then let the humble slaves get into Paradise by virtue of My Mercy.

(This Hadith IS SOUND and mentioned in Mustadrak of Hakim). (110 Hadith Qudsi (Sacred Hadith), translated by Syed Masood-ul-Hasan, revision and commentaries by Ibrahim m. Kunna [Darussalam Publishers and Distributors], pp. 19-20; capital and underline emphasis ours)

And:

432. Abu Musa al-Ash'ari reported that the Messenger of Allah said, “On the Day of Rising, Allah will hand over a Jew or a Christian to every Muslim and say, 'HERE IS YOUR REDEMPTION FROM THE FIRE.” [Muslim]

In another variant from him is that the Prophet said, “Some of the Muslims will be brought on the Day of Rising WITH SINS THE SIZE OF MOUNTAINS and Allah will forgive them.” (Al-Imam Abu Zakariya Yahya bin Sharaf An-Nawawi Ad-Dimashqi, Riyad as-Salihin (The Meadows of the Righteous), 51. Chapter: On Hope; capital and italic emphasis ours)

Here is one from the hadith collection of Imam Muslim:

(20) CHAPTER. Disbelievers are sent to Hell as SACRIFICE to the Muslims

1937. Abu Musa narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: “When it is the Day of Resurrection, Allah will deliver every Muslim a Jew or Christian and say: ‘THAT IS YOUR SACRIFICE FROM HELL-FIRE.’” (The Translation of the Meanings of Summarized Sahih Muslim (Arabic–English), Compiled by Al-Hafiz Zakiuddin Abdul-Azim Al-Mundhiri [Darussalam Publishers & Distributors, First Edition: February 2000], Volume 2, 62– The Book Of Repentance And Allah’s Great Mercy, pp. 1033-1034; capital emphasis ours)

And here is a different translation of the above hadith, along with a couple of others from Sahih Muslim:

Chapter 8: THROWING OF NON-BELIEVERS IN HELL-FIRE FOR BELIEVERS AS DIVINE GRACE AND MERCY

Abu Musa' reported that Allah's Messenger said: When it will be the Day of Resurrection Allah would deliver to every Muslim a Jew or a Christian and say: That is your RESCUE from Hell-Fire. (Sahih Muslim, Book 037, Number 6665)

Abu Burda reported on the authority of his father that Allah's Apostle said: No Muslim would die but Allah would admit IN HIS STEAD a Jew or a Christian in Hell-Fire. 'Umar b. Abd al-'Aziz took an oath: By One besides Whom there is no god but He, thrice that his father had narrated that to him from Allah's Messenger. (Sahih Muslim, Book 037, Number 6666)

Abu Burda reported Allah's Messenger as saying: There would come people amongst the Muslims on the Day of Resurrection with AS HEAVY SINS AS A MOUNTAIN, and Allah would FORGIVE THEM and He would PLACE IN THEIR STEAD the Jews and the Christians. (As far as I think), Abu Raub said: I do not know as to who is in doubt. Abu Burda said: I narrated it to 'Umar b. 'Abd al-'Aziz, whereupon he said: Was it your father who narrated it to you from Allah's Apostle? I said: Yes. (Sahih Muslim, Book 037, Number 6668)

We are also told that on the Day of Judgment Allah will permit Muhammad to take his followers out of hell and bring them into paradise:

“‘… So they will come to me, and I will ask my Lord's permission to enter His House and then I will be permitted. When I see Him I will fall down in prostration before Him, and He will leave me (in prostration) as long as He will, and then He will say, “O Muhammad, lift up your head and speak, for you will be listened to, and intercede, for your intercession will be accepted, and ask (for anything) for it will be granted”: Then I will raise my head and glorify my Lord with certain praises which He has taught me. Allah will put a limit for me (to intercede for a certain type of people). I WILL TAKE THEM OUT and make them enter Paradise.’

“(Qatada said: I heard Anas saying that), the Prophet said, ‘I will go out and take them OUT OF HELL (Fire) and let them enter Paradise, and then I will return and ask my Lord for permission to enter His House and I will be permitted. When I will see Him I will fall down in prostration before Him and He will leave me in prostration as long as He will let me (in that state), and then He will say, “O Muhammad, raise your head and speak, for you will be listened to, and intercede, for your intercession will be accepted, and ask, your request will be granted.”’ The Prophet added, ‘So I will raise my head and glorify and praise Him as He has taught me. Then I will intercede and He will put a limit for me (to intercede for a certain type of people). I will take them out and let them enter Paradise.’

“(Qatada added: I heard Anas saying that) the Prophet said, ‘I will go out and take them OUT OF HELL (Fire) and let them enter Paradise, and I will return for the third time and will ask my Lord for permission to enter His house, and I will be allowed to enter. When I see Him, I will fall down in prostration before Him, and will remain in prostration as long as He will, and then He will say, “Raise your head, O Muhammad, and speak, for you will be listened to, and intercede, for your intercession will be accepted, and ask, for your request will be granted.” So I will raise my head and praise Allah as He has taught me and then I will intercede and He will put a limit for me (to intercede for a certain type of people). I will take them out and let them enter Paradise.’

“(Qatada said: I heard Anas saying that) the Prophet said, ‘So I will go out and take them out of Hell (Fire) and let them enter Paradise, till none will remain in the Fire except those whom Quran will imprison (i.e., those who are destined for eternal life in the fire).’

“The narrator then recited the Verse:-- ‘It may be that your Lord will raise you to a Station of Praise and Glory.’ (17.79) The narrator added: This is the Station of Praise and Glory which Allah has promised to your Prophet.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 93, Number 532v)

The following narration says that some of the Muslims who will be taken out will have had experienced poisoning and burning from having been in the fire and breathing in its air:

“Abu Huraira reported: The people said to the Messenger of Allah: Messenger of Allah, shall we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection? The Messenger of Allah said… They would say: Thou art our Lord. And they would follow Him, and a bridge would be set over the Hell; and I (the Holy Prophet) and my Ummah would be the first to pass over it; and none but the messengers would speak on that day, and the prayer of the messengers on that day would be: O Allah! Grant safety, grant safety. In Hell, there would be long spits like the thorns of Sa'dan. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Have you seen Sa'dan? They replied: Yes, Messenger of Allah. He said: Verily those (hooks) would be like the thorns of Sa'dan, but no one knows their size except Allah. These would seize people for their misdeeds. Some of them would escape for their (good) deeds, and some would be rewarded for their deeds till they get salvation. When Allah would finish judging His bondsmen and because of His mercy decide to take out of Hell such people as He pleases. He would command the angels to bring out those who had not associated anything with Allah; to whom Allah decided to show mercy, those who would say: There is no god but Allah. They (the angels) would recognise them in the Fire by the marks of prostration, for Hell-fire will devour everything (limb) of the sons of Adam except the marks of prostration. Allah has forbidden the Fire to consume the marks of prostration. They will be taken out of the Fire HAVING BEEN BURNT, and the water of life would be poured over them, and they will sprout as seed does in the silt carried by flood.

“Then Allah would finish judging amongst His bondsmen; but a man who will be the last to enter Paradise will remain facing Hell and will say: O my Lord I turn my face away from Hell, for its air has poisoned me and its blaze has burnt me… He would then say: O my Lord, admit me to Paradise. Allah. Blessed and Exalted, would say: Did you not give covenants and agreements that you would not ask for anything more than what I had granted you? Woe to you! son of Adam, how treacherous you are! And he would say: O my Lord, I do not wish to be the most miserable of Thy creatures. He would continue calling upon Allah till Allah, Blessed and Exalted, would laugh. When Allah would laugh at him, He would say: Enter the Paradise…” (Sahih Muslim, Book 001, Number 0349)

These same individuals will have had their skin color changed by the fire:

Narrated Anas bin Malik:

The Prophet said, "Some people will come out of the Fire after they have received a touch of the Fire, changing their color, and they will enter Paradise, and the people of Paradise will name them 'Al-Jahannamiyin' the (Hell) Fire people." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 76, Number 564)

The foregoing creates a major problem since the Quran clearly says that Allah will not allow any true believer to be harmed by hellfire, nor permit Muhammad or his followers to suffer disgrace on that day:

Those who remember Allah (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): “Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose, glory to You! (Exalted be You above all that they associate with You as partners). Give us salvation from the torment of the Fire. Our Lord! Verily, whom You admit to the Fire, indeed, You have disgraced him, and never will the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers) find any helpers. S. 3:191-192 Hilali-Khan

(It will be said in the Hereafter) O you who disbelieve (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism)! Make no excuses this Day! You are being requited only for what you used to do. O you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance! It may be that your Lord will remit from you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), the Day that Allah will not disgrace the Prophet (Muhammad) and those who believe with him, their Light will run forward before them and with (their Records Books of deeds) in their right hands they will say: "Our Lord! Keep perfect our Light for us [and do not put it off till we cross over the Sirat (a slippery bridge over the Hell) safely] and grant us forgiveness. Verily, You are Able to do all things." S. 66:7-8 Hilali-Khan

Since entering hell is a sign of disgrace how, then, could the sound ahadith speak of Muslims being taken out of hell after suffering poison and burning, when the Quran emphatically teaches that this can never happen to them?

There is a possible solution for this blatant contradiction, one which doesn’t fare too well for either Williams or Ally.

The Muslim scripture teaches that Allah will not allow his servants to be deceived and led astray by Satan:

He said: O Iblis! what excuse have you that you are not with those who make obeisance? He said: I am not such that I should make obeisance to a mortal whom Thou hast created of the essence of black mud fashioned in shape. He said: Then get out of it, for surely you are driven away: And surely on you is curse until the day of judgment. He said: My Lord! then respite me till the time when they are raised. He said: So surely you are of the respited ones Till the period of the time made known. He said: My Lord! because Thou hast made life evil to me, I will certainly make (evil) fair-seeming to them on earth, and I will certainly cause them all to deviate EXCEPT THY SERVANTS FROM AMONG THEM, THE DEVOTED ONES. He said: This is a right way with Me: Surely, as regards My servants, you have no authority over them except those who follow you of the deviators. And surely Hell is the promised place of them all: It has seven gates; for every gate there shall be a separate party of them. S. 15:32-44 Shakir

The above passage clearly says that Satan will only mislead those who deviate since he has no authority over Allah’s servants. Allah responds by saying that hell shall be the dwelling place for all of them. Similarly:

He said: O Iblis! what prevented you that you should do obeisance to him whom I created with My two hands? Are you proud or are you of the exalted ones? He said: I am better than he; Thou hast created me of fire, and him Thou didst create of dust. He said: Then get out of it, for surely you are driven away: And surely My curse is on you to the day of judgment. He said: My Lord! then respite me to the day that they are raised. He said: Surely you are of the respited ones, Till the period of the time made known. He said: Then by Thy Might I will surely make them live an evil life, all, EXCEPT THY SERVANTS FROM AMONG THEM, THE PURIFIED ONES. He said: The truth then is and the truth do I speak: That I will most certainly fill hell with you and with those among them who follow you, all. S. 38:75-85

In this account Satan says he will not cause Allah’s servants to live an evil life, which means that he will not seek to tempt them from living contrary to Allah’s will. Once again:

Behold! We said to the angels: "Bow down unto Adam": They bowed down except Iblis: He said, "Shall I bow down to one whom Thou didst create from clay?" He said: "Seest Thou? this is the one whom Thou hast honoured above me! If Thou wilt but respite me to the Day of Judgment, I will surely bring his descendants under my sway - all but a few!" (God) said: "Go thy way; if any of them follow thee, verily Hell will be the recompense of you (all)- an ample recompense. Lead to destruction those whom thou canst among them, with thy (seductive) voice; make assaults on them with thy cavalry and thy infantry; mutually share with them wealth and children; and make promises to them." But Satan promises them nothing but deceit. "As for My servants, no authority shalt thou have over them:" Enough is thy Lord for a Disposer of affairs. S. 17:61-65 Y. Ali

Here Satan explicitly says to Allah that if he grants the devil respite then he will seek to possess all of Adam’s progeny with the exception of a few. Instead of refusing him this grace period, Allah acquiesces to his demands, which means that Allah wanted the enemy to gain control over the vast majority of Adam’s seed. In fact, it is Allah who tells Satan how to go about destroying mankind, offering him a variety of options which he can use to accomplish his aim! Yet even here Allah says that Satan will have no authority over his servants.

In fact, believers are specifically promised that nothing can hurt them, not even Satan, since he only has power over those who choose to befriend him and who take other gods besides Allah:

O you who believe! take care of your souls; he who errs cannot hurt you WHEN YOU ARE ON THE RIGHT WAY; to Allah is your return, of all (of you), so He will inform you of what you did. S. 5:105 Shakir

And when thou recitest the Qur'an, seek refuge in Allah from Satan the outcast. Lo! he hath no power over those who believe and put trust in their Lord. His power is ONLY over those who make a friend of him, and those who ascribe partners unto Him (Allah). S. 16:98-100 Pickthall

What this basically means is that those Muslims who went to hell actually belonged to Satan, since the only ones who end up in the fire are those who are from the party of Satan, his friends and hosts, and therefore belong to those that have been destined for destruction:

Those who believe fight in the cause of God, and those who reject Faith Fight in the cause of Evil: So fight ye against the friends of Satan: feeble indeed is the cunning of Satan. S. 4:76 Y. Ali

(Iblis) said: "Because You have sent me astray, surely I will sit in wait against them (human beings) on Your Straight Path. Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them as thankful ones (i.e. they will not be dutiful to You)." (Allah) said (to Iblis) "Get out from this (Paradise) disgraced and expelled. Whoever of them (mankind) will follow you, then surely I will fill Hell with you all." S. 7:26-28

Then they will be thrown on their faces into the (Fire), They and the Ghawun (devils, and those who were in error). And the whole hosts of Iblis (Satan) together. S. 26:94-95 Hilali-Khan

Hast thou not seen those who take for friends a folk with whom Allah is wroth? They are neither of you nor of them, and they swear a false oath knowingly. Allah hath prepared for them a dreadful doom. Evil indeed is that which they are wont to do. They make a shelter of their oaths and turn (men) from the way of Allah; so theirs will be a shameful doom. Their wealth and their children will avail them naught against Allah. Such are rightful owners of the Fire; they will abide therein. On the day when Allah will raise them all together, then will they swear unto Him as they (now) swear unto you, and they will fancy that they have some standing. Lo! is it not they who are the liars? The devil hath engrossed them and so hath caused them to forget remembrance of Allah. They are the devil's party. Lo! is it not the devil's party who will be the losers? Lo! those who oppose Allah and His messenger, they will be among the lowest. S. 58:14-19 Pickthall – cf. 35:6

Hence, the Muslims whom Allah ransoms by sending Jews and Christians in hell to suffer for their wickedness and crimes are actually Satan’s children:

And (remember) when We said to the angels; "Prostrate to Adam." So they prostrated except Iblis (Satan). He was one of the jinns; he disobeyed the Command of his Lord. Will you then take him (Iblis) and his offspring as protectors and helpers rather than Me while they are enemies to you? What an evil is the exchange for the Zalimun (polytheists, and wrong-doers, etc). I (Allah) made them (Iblis and his offspring) not to witness (nor took their help in) the creation of the heavens and the earth and not (even) their own creation, nor was I (Allah) to take the misleaders as helpers. And (remember) the Day He will say: "Call those (so-called) partners of Mine whom you pretended." Then they will cry unto them, but they will not answer them, and We shall put Maubiqa (a barrier, or enmity, or destruction, or a valley in Hell) between them. And the Mujrimun (criminals, polytheists, sinners), shall see the Fire and apprehend that they have to fall therein. And they will find no way of escape from there. S. 18:50-53 Hilali-Khan

After all, had they been Allah’s servants from the very start then they would have never spent some time burning in hell.

In light of this fact, we need to ask the following questions:

To whom did Allah pay the ransom? Since we have established that the Muslims who were taken out of hell must have belonged to Satan, doesn’t this prove that the ransom was paid to the Devil? Or should we assume that a part of the ransom was paid to Satan, since not all the Muslims who Allah has ransomed by the sacrifice of the Jews and Christians actually go to hell.

Now if Allah did pay the ransom, or at least a part of it, to the Devil then doesn’t this show that Satan is on equal bargaining terms with the Muslim god since he is able to lay claim on the Jews and Christians whom Allah tortures in hellfire in order to let Muslims go free as Allah desires?

If, however, Allah paid the ransom to himself, then Allah ends up looking like a sadistic, despotic ruler who has to eternally torture Jews and Christians in order to let sinful and wicked Muslims go free, whereas he could have done that anyway by simply forgiving his followers.

After all, according to Ally’s logic, nobody has to be tormented, especially forever, for someone to be forgiven, because if somebody is punished for someone else’s sins then there is no real forgiveness. This means that Allah took his full price, and must therefore be a cruel judge for demanding that somebody suffers eternal torture in order to be happy. It further shows just how wicked and cruel of a judge Allah truly is, since no sane and morally upright judge would punish Jews and Christians for their own sins, as well as for the crimes and wickedness committed by others. If Allah was truly just and loving, then he should either make Muslims suffer for their own sins, or be loving and kind to the Jews and Christians as well, and save them from having to experience sadistic tortures in hell, especially for the transgressions of the Muslims. If Allah was really perfect in his love and mercy then he should have found some other way to ransom Muslims from all their evil and wickedness.

So much for the arguments of Ally. It is time for him to find another line of work since attacking the Christian faith isn’t cutting it for him. He also needs to abandon his religion and come out and condemn Muhammad as a false prophet and antichrist, which is what he truly was. After all, if Ally is going to be consistent, as well as honest, then he has no choice but to turn his own objections against his own deity and prophet. Once he finds the integrity to do so then he has no choice but to apostatize. The same goes for his fanboy, Paul Bilal Williams.


Related Articles

The Quran on Muslims Entering Hell
Qur'an Contradiction: Will all Muslims go to Hell?
Will Muslims Enter Hell? An Analysis of the Conflicting Hadith Reports
Will All Muslims Go To Hell?
Will All Muslims Go To Hell According To The Quran?
The Problem with the Islamic Doctrine of Atonement [Part 1], [Part 2], [Part 3], [Part 4]