[Major-Screw-Loose]

As me and my watch filma shilma dramay shramay for entertainment and time passing reasons, quite often we see in movies/dramas where the hindu person is cremated after his death (his body is burnt). Now that's all fake in TV shows and we understand that. But in real life, this is what the Hindus, Sikhs and people from some other religions also do, i.e. cremate and burn the body to ash.

My wife asked me a question or made a comment, something like this: that the Hindus burn their body in this world and that they get burnt in the next life as well, (in other words, she thinks/thought that they punish themselves in this world and also get punished in the next life).

I explained to my wife that the hindus cremate the bodies because of their religious reasons and not because they are punishing themselves.

My 'village' wife also thinks/thought that the Hindus and non-muslims are more or less or likely/bound for hell simpley because they are not Muslims. So you see my wife is a bit confused.com. Just because someone is Hindu, Sikh or Christian, it doesn't mean they are bound for hell, because you never know, they might accept Islam in some point of their life even if it is after 50 years or 100 years of their life span.

As far as I understand, that the paradise is only and solely for Muslims and not designed for Non-Muslims. There is no doubt about that. Secondly, as I understand that the Hell is designed for the mushrikeen, idol worshipers, those who have rejected Islam and for those who do not follow Islam. And I am aware that hell is also created for sinners in which even some Muslims would have to attend and once their punishment is forgiven, they will then be sent to Paradise.

Is heaven another name for sky or skies/7 heavens or is it another name for paradise? What is 'heaven' by the way and what is 7 heavens?

Personally this is my understanding also:-

- it is up to Allah and He decides who goes to Paradise and who goes to Hell,

- Allah knows best who will go where (i.e. hell or paradise)

- If Allah wants, he can forgive a person or punish a person

- The jannati sect is Ahlus Sunnah W'al Jamat and other sects will go to Hell and once the other sects have done their time in hell, they might also go to paradise eventually.

- we can't go round pointing at every person and telling them where they will end up in. We don't know where we ourselves will end up in never mind other people's outcomes.

I'll be grateful if you can please clarify any issues in this topic that you feel it needs clarifying or if understandings needs correcting. Please do point us in the right direction.

Thenks (Jhelum and Sialkot way of saying thanks).

[Major-Screw-Loose]

No one interested to reply / take part in this taapik?

[sunniskeptic]

I think the orthodox Sunni belief is that eternal hell is for the kafirs but that some sinful Muslims will be punished in hell for
their sins or their heterodox beliefs but eventually everyone with even an atom's worth of faith or less will be taken out of hell and into
paradise.

if you are asking why kafirs must remain in hell forever then i also don't know why? forever is a very long time!

[sunniskeptic]

btw please stop adding this line to your posts -- (thenks --- XXX way of saying thanks) -- it is bloody annoying!!

[Fekay]

well according to hadith, nobody will enter paradise due to their deeds but only from mercy of god. so saying that hell is for sinners is kinda redundant,init?

[Cynical]

If you're asking is there a possibility of salvation outside of Islam, then all I can say is there have been a few scholars who believed that, In fact Sh Hamza Yusuf has reiterated it many times that like Imam al-Ghazali he believes that as well. But I don't really understand how that works because what I've learned is that paradise is a NO! NO! for you if you did not die believing in 'La Ilaha Ill Allah Muhammadur Rasool Allah'.

[Cynical]

Major-Screw-Loose, on 06 November 2012 - 12:27 PM, said:

Is heaven another name for sky or skies/7 heavens or is it another name for paradise? What is 'heaven' by the way and what is 7 heavens?

Yes, "It is He Who created everything on the earth for you and then directed His attention up to heaven and arranged it into seven regular heavens. He has knowledge of all things. (Qur'an, 2:29)"