Muslim Leaders: Bin Laden Headed To Hell — Probably

27 December 2011

By Raymond Billy | ResonateNews.com

“Rot In Hell,” a Toronto Sun headline admonished after the killing of former Al Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden, who died in May. “BLASTED TO HELL,” the New York Post declared after violence- fomenter Anwar al-Awlaki was struck down last fall. The fate of the self-styled Muslim leaders’ souls became a topic of discussion among mainstream media outlets such as CNN this year and Christian websites. But the teachings of Islam regarding divine judgment and the afterlife are decidedly more nuanced than some provocative headlines would suggest, Muslim leaders say.

Mohammad Elfarra, imam at the Islamic Center of Menteca, Calif., said there’s no way to tell whether those such as bin Laden who encourage murder will end up in hell. But he said such a fate would be justified based on the teachings of the Quran.

Bin Laden and al-Awlaki “were the encouragement behind evil acts, so they will be in hell based on my understanding,” Elfarra said.

Hell is not the only source of divine punishment in the afterlife, Elfarra said. According to Islam, on the “day of judgment” — a metaphorical “day” which actually lasts 50,000 years — murderous militants will be repeatedly resurrected doing exactly what they were doing when they died. A suicide bomber will be resurrected and blown up anew, Elfarra said, while someone who died in a state of peaceful meditation will arise in that posture repeatedly until God renders his divine verdict on the fate of the person’s soul.

Although Muslim scholars agree that militants who commit murder — as well as those who foment such behavior — are guilty of damnable offenses, some believe the way militants die might alter how God judges them. Some believe in an eternal “double jeopardy” protection, meaning someone punished in this life for hell-worthy sins won’t also be judged by God for the same iniquities. Militant and their leaders such as bin Laden and al-Awlaki — both of whom were killed in U.S. Military strikes — might be pardoned by God on the day of judgment because they’ve already been punished temporally.

“Should we pray that bin Laden receive mercy? I would say no. I would say, ‘God, I trust your divine judgment. Treat bin Laden the way he deserves to be treated.’”
— Yahya Hendi

Other Muslim scholars believe that those whose actions are deemed condemnable could be pardoned by people in heaven who were harmed by the person’s offenses. God might increase the reward of people in heaven who are forgiving, said Yahya Hendi, Muslim chaplain at Georgetown University. But, Hendi said he’d want to leave the matter entirely to God.

“Should we pray that bin Laden receive mercy? I would say no. I would say, ‘God, I trust your divine judgment. Treat bin Laden the way he deserves to be treated,’” Hendi said. “If God wants to condemn him, who am I to question God? If God wants to show him mercy, who am I to question?”

Mustafaa Carroll, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations branch in Houston, also suggested God’s mercy could reach far enough to pardon the sins of Islamic militants — even those who have neither repented nor sought to make restitution for their actions.

“God has a level of mercy that we can’t understand. He can forgive people for anything,” Carroll said. “We as humans are quick to want to condemn people to hell. But God is above human understanding and far more merciful than we are as people.”

Islam teaches that hell — or divine punishment — does not last for eternity. Those who are condemned will eventually be reconciled to God, Carroll said. The length of their punishments might correlate directly to the severity of their sin.

“In my opinion, suicide bombers will spend a lot of time in hell before they get out. But we should never claim to know for certain that anyone is in heaven or hell no matter what they do because only God can judge that,” Carroll said.

Unlike Christianity, which teaches a clear path to heaven — accepting Christ as lord and savior — and Buddhism, which teaches everyone will experience hell on some level, Muslims believe no human can know whether they are going to be sent for punishment or to rewarded on the day of judgment.

“In Islam, on the day of judgment, what comes to your defense before God is your good deeds, witnesses on your behalf” such as the appraisals of friends, family members and acquaintances “and the mercy of God,” Hendi said. “If you had 49 bad deeds and 51 good deeds during your lifetime, God might show you mercy even though your bad deeds outweigh your good ones.

“I believe in God’s divine mercy and that he will allow me in paradise,” Hendi said. “But he might punish me for my bad deeds. He is all-knowing and just, so I have to know he’ll do what is just where I’m concerned.”

Hendi also said that hell isn’t necessarily a place, but simply someone’s location in relation to God.

“To me, hell is not being in the presence and mercy of God, cut off from God,” he said. “But I don’t know that hell is a place.”