All praise belongs to Allāh ﷻ, the Lord of the worlds. We send our peace and blessings upon His final messenger Muḥammad ﷺ, upon his family and his Companions.
Allāh ﷻ has granted us many blessings. At times He, in His infinite wisdom, takes some of those blessings back. Know that He takes nothing from a believer except to compensate him with something far greater. When a trial befalls us, if we bear it with patience and remain content with His decree, He will reward us with what is far better than the adornments of this transient life, and grant us the success of Jannah and safety from the Fire.
Every soul has its abode after death. The soul of the disbeliever is in Jahannam; the soul of the believer is in Jannah. Allāh ﷻ has ordained Jannah for the souls of children1
حَدَّثَتْنَا حَسْنَاءُ بِنْتُ مُعَاوِيَةَ الصَّرِيمِيَّةُ، قَالَتْ حَدَّثَنَا عَمِّي، قَالَ قُلْتُ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم : مَنْ فِي الْجَنَّةِ قَالَ : “ النَّبِيُّ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَالشَّهِيدُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَالْمَوْلُودُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَالْوَئِيدُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ ”
She reported on the authority of her paternal uncle: I asked the Prophet ﷺ: Who are in Paradise? He replied: Prophets are in Paradise, martyrs are in Paradise, infants are in Paradise and children buried alive are in Paradise.
— Sunan Abī Dāwūd 2521
Such children will be under the guardianship of Prophet Ibrāhīm (ʿalayh al-salām) and his wife Sārah (ʿalayhā al-salām), on a mountain in Jannah, in a green garden adorned with every spring flower, playing and at ease beside two flowing rivers. Several narrations from the Prophet ﷺ establish this.
أطفالُ المؤمنينَ في جبلٍ في الجنةِ ، يكفلُهم إبراهيمُ و سارَّةُ ، حتى يردَّهم إلى آبائِهم يومَ القيامةِ
The children of the believers will be in a mountain in Jannah, under the guardianship of Ibrāhīm and Sārah, until they are returned to their parents on the Day of Judgement.
— al-Mustadrak ʿalā al-Ṣaḥīḥayn 1418
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 … وَأَمَّا الرَّجُلُ الطَّوِيلُ الَّذِي فِي الرَّوْضَةِ فَإِنَّهُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَأَمَّا الْوِلْدَانُ الَّذِينَ حَوْلَهُ فَكُلُّ مَوْلُودٍ مَاتَ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ ”
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… So we proceeded till we reached a garden of deep green dense vegetation, having all sorts of spring colours. 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, … the tall man whom you saw in the garden, is Ibrāhīm and the children around him are those children who die with al-fiṭrah (the Islamic faith).”
— Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 7047
عَنْ أَبُو أُمَامَةَ الْبَاهِلِيُّ قَالَ : سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ : بَيْنَا أَنَا نَائِمٌ إِذْ أَتَانِي رَجُلَانِ ، فَأَخَذَا بِضَبْعَيَّ ، فَأَتَيَا بِي جَبَلًا وَعْرًا ، فَقَالَا : اصْعَدْ ، فَقُلْتُ : إِنِّي لَا أُطِيقُهُ ، فَقَالَا : إِنَّا سَنُسَهِّلُهُ لَكَ ، فَصَعِدْتُ … ثُمَّ انْطَلَقَ بِي ، فَإِذَا أَنَا بِالْغِلْمَانِ يَلْعَبُونَ بَيْنَ نَهْرَيْنِ ، قُلْتُ : مَنْ هَؤُلَاءِ ؟ قَالَ : هَؤُلَاءِ ذَرَارِي الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
On the authority of Abū Umāmah al-Bāhilī: I heard the Prophet ﷺ say: whilst I was asleep two men came to me and took me by my arms, so they came with me to a rugged mountain, so they said: Ascend it. I said: I am unable to. They said: We will make it easy for you, so I ascended it. They proceeded with me until we came to children playing between two rivers. I said: Who are they? They said: These are the children of the believers.
— Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah 1865
The death of a young child is a shield from the Fire. Abū Hurayrah reports that a woman came to the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ with her child and said:
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ أَتَتِ امْرَأَةٌ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِصَبِيٍّ لَهَا فَقَالَتْ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ ادْعُ اللَّهَ لَهُ فَلَقَدْ دَفَنْتُ ثَلاَثَةً قَالَ ” دَفَنْتِ ثَلاَثَةً ” . قَالَتْ نَعَمْ . قَالَ ” لَقَدِ احْتَظَرْتِ بِحِظَارٍ شَدِيدٍ مِنَ النَّارِ ”
Allāh’s Apostle, invoke Allāh’s blessing upon him for I have already buried three. He said: You have buried three! She said: Yes. Thereupon he ﷺ said: You have, indeed, safeguarded yourself against the torment of Hell with a strong safeguard.
— Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2636a
It is also narrated on the authority of Abū al-Naḍr al-Salamī:
عَنْ أَبِي النَّضْرِ السَّلَمِيِّ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ” لاَ يَمُوتُ لأَحَدٍ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ ثَلاَثَةٌ مِنَ الْوَلَدِ فَيَحْتَسِبُهُمْ إِلاَّ كَانُوا جُنَّةً مِنَ النَّارِ ” . فَقَالَتِ امْرَأَةٌ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَوِ اثْنَانِ قَالَ ” أَوِ اثْنَانِ ” .
The Messenger of Allāh, may Allāh bless him and grant him peace, said: “If three of a Muslim’s children die, and he remains content with that, they will be a protection for him from the Fire.” A woman who was with the Messenger of Allāh, may Allāh bless him and grant him peace, said: “Or two, Messenger of Allāh?”, and he said: “Or two.”
— Muwaṭṭaʾ Mālik , Book 16, Ḥadīth 39
Among the mercies of Allāh ﷻ is that the death of children is itself a cause of the parents' entry into Jannah. The greater the parents' patience and contentment with His decree, the greater the reward.
Ibn Masʿūd narrates:
عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خَطَبَ النِّسَاءَ فَقَالَ لَهُنَّ : ” مَا مِنْكُنَّ امْرَأَةٌ يَمُوتُ لَهَا ثَلَاثَةٌ، إِلَّا أَدْخَلَهَا اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ الْجَنَّةَ “. فَقَالَتْ أَجَلُّهُنَّ امْرَأَةً : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، وَصَاحِبَةُ الِاثْنَيْنِ فِي الْجَنَّةِ ؟ قَالَ : ” وَصَاحِبَةُ الِاثْنَيْنِ فِي الْجَنَّةِ “.
The Prophet ﷺ addressed the womenfolk, and said to them: There is not from amongst you a woman that passes away for her three (children) except that Allāh ﷻ enters her into Jannah. So a woman said: O Prophet of Allāh ﷻ, and is the woman who has two children in Jannah. He said: The woman who has two children will be in Jannah.
— Musnad Aḥmad 3995
Some Companions of the Prophet ﷺ heard him say:
عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ : ” إِنَّهُ يُقَالُ لِلْوِلْدَانِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ : ادْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ “. قَالَ : ” فَيَقُولُونَ : يَا رَبِّ، حَتَّى يَدْخُلَ آبَاؤُنَا وَأُمَّهَاتُنَا “. قَالَ : ” فَيَأْتُونَ “، قَالَ : ” فَيَقُولُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ : مَا لِي أَرَاهُمْ مُحْبَنْطِئِينَ ؟ ادْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ “. قَالَ : ” فَيَقُولُونَ : يَا رَبِّ، آبَاؤُنَا “. قَالَ : ” فَيَقُولُ : ادْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ أَنْتُمْ، وَآبَاؤُكُمْ “
Indeed it will be said to the children on the day of judgement: Enter into Jannah. They will say: O lord (we will not go) until our fathers and mothers have entered. They will come forward, and He ﷻ will say: What is it that I see them hesitant2
— Musnad Aḥmad 16971
By a mercy that has no bound, the glad tidings given to a parent who endures the loss of three or two children are likewise given to the parent who endures the loss of one.
Jābir narrates:
وعن جابر رضي الله عنه قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: «من مات له ثلاثة من الولد فاحتسبهم دخل الجنة» قال: قلنا: يا رسول الله واثنان؟ قال: «واثنان» قال محمود: فقلت لجابر: أراكم لو قلتم وواحد لقال وواحد، قال: وأنا والله أظن ذاك
I heard the Prophet ﷺ say: whoever mourns the death of three of their children and is content upon it will enter Jannah. We said: O Prophet of Allāh ﷻ, (what about) two? He ﷺ (said): And (the parents who mourn) two (will enter Jannah). Maḥmūd said: I said to Jābir, “Do you think that if you were to ask regarding one, that the Prophet ﷺ would have said one also?” He, Jābir, said: I, swear by Allāh ﷻ, think that he would have said that.
— Musnad Aḥmad 14289; al-Adab al-Mufrad 146
The father of Muʿāwiyah b. Qurrah narrates:
أَنَّ رَجُلًا كَانَ يَأْتِي النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَمَعَهُ ابْنٌ لَهُ، فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : ” أَتُحِبُّهُ ؟ ” فَقَالَ : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، أَحَبَّكَ اللَّهُ كَمَا أُحِبُّهُ. فَفَقَدَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَ : ” مَا فَعَلَ ابْنُ فُلَانٍ ؟ ” قَالُوا : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، مَاتَ. فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِأَبِيهِ : ” أَمَا تُحِبُّ أَنْ لَا تَأْتِيَ بَابًا مِنْ أَبْوَابِ الْجَنَّةِ إِلَّا وَجَدْتَهُ يَنْتَظِرُكَ ؟ ” فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، أَلَهُ خَاصَّةً أَمْ لِكُلِّنَا ؟ قَالَ : ” بَلْ لِكُلِّكُمْ “.
A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and he had with him a boy. So the Prophet ﷺ said to him: Do you love him? He said: O Messenger of Allāh ﷻ, Allāh ﷻ loves you just as I love him. The Prophet ﷺ failed to find him after a while and said: What happened to the son of that man? They said: O Messenger of Allāh ﷻ, he has died. So the Prophet ﷺ said to his father: Do you not love that you do not enter a gate from the gates of Jannah, except that you find him waiting for you. The man said: O Messenger of Allāh ﷻ, is it for him specifically or for all of us. He ﷺ said: Rather it is for all of you.
— Musnad Aḥmad 15595
It was narrated from Muʿādh ibn Jabal that the Prophet ﷺ said:
عَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ “ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنَّ السِّقْطَ لَيَجُرُّ أُمَّهُ بِسَرَرِهِ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ إِذَا احْتَسَبَتْهُ ”
By the One in Whose Hand is my soul! The miscarried foetus will drag his mother by his umbilical cord to Paradise, if she (was patient and) sought reward (for her loss).
— Sunan Ibn Mājah , Book 6, Ḥadīth 1677
For the one whose children have not preceded him in death, and so does not have the honour of their intercession on his behalf, the Prophet ﷺ himself will intercede. Ibn ʿAbbās narrates:
عَنْ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ، يُحَدِّثُ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ” مَنْ كَانَ لَهُ فَرَطَانِ مِنْ أُمَّتِي أَدْخَلَهُ اللَّهُ بِهِمَا الْجَنَّةَ ” . فَقَالَتْ لَهُ عَائِشَةُ فَمَنْ كَانَ لَهُ فَرَطٌ مِنْ أُمَّتِكَ قَالَ ” وَمَنْ كَانَ لَهُ فَرَطٌ يَا مُوَفَّقَةُ ” . قَالَتْ فَمَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ فَرَطٌ مِنْ أُمَّتِكَ قَالَ ” فَأَنَا فَرَطُ أُمَّتِي لَنْ يُصَابُوا بِمِثْلِي ”
Ibn ʿAbbās narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allāh saying: “Whoever has two predecessors (in death) among my Ummah, then Allāh will admit them into Paradise.” So ʿĀʾishah said to him: “What about one from your Ummah who has one predecessor?” He ﷺ said: “And whoever has one predecessor, O Muwaffaqah!” So she said: “What about one who does not have a predecessor from your Ummah?” He said: “I am the predecessor for my Ummah: you will never suffer (in grief) for (the loss of) anyone similar to me.”
— Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī 1062
Praise Allāh ﷻ and say:
إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ
Indeed we belong to Allāh, and indeed to Him we will return.
— Qurʾān 2:156
Abū Sinān narrates:
حَدَّثَنَا سُوَيْدُ بْنُ نَصْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ، عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي سِنَانٍ، قَالَ دَفَنْتُ ابْنِي سِنَانًا وَأَبُو طَلْحَةَ الْخَوْلاَنِيُّ جَالِسٌ عَلَى شَفِيرِ الْقَبْرِ فَلَمَّا أَرَدْتُ الْخُرُوجَ أَخَذَ بِيَدِي فَقَالَ أَلاَ أُبَشِّرُكَ يَا أَبَا سِنَانٍ . قُلْتُ بَلَى . فَقَالَ حَدَّثَنِي الضَّحَّاكُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَرْزَبٍ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى الأَشْعَرِيِّ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ إِذَا مَاتَ وَلَدُ الْعَبْدِ قَالَ اللَّهُ لِمَلاَئِكَتِهِ قَبَضْتُمْ وَلَدَ عَبْدِي . فَيَقُولُونَ نَعَمْ . فَيَقُولُ قَبَضْتُمْ ثَمَرَةَ فُؤَادِهِ . فَيَقُولُونَ نَعَمْ . فَيَقُولُ مَاذَا قَالَ عَبْدِي فَيَقُولُونَ حَمِدَكَ وَاسْتَرْجَعَ . فَيَقُولُ اللَّهُ ابْنُوا لِعَبْدِي بَيْتًا فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَسَمُّوهُ بَيْتَ الْحَمْدِ ”
“I buried my son Sinān and Abū Ṭalḥah al-Khawlānī was sitting on the rim of the grave. When I wanted to leave he took me by my hand and said: ‘Shall I not inform you of some good news, O Abū Sinān?’ I said: ‘Of course.’ He said: ‘Al-Ḍaḥḥāk b. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. ʿArzab narrated to me, from Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī: The Messenger of Allāh said: When a child of the slave (of Allāh) dies, Allāh says to the angels: “Have you taken the soul of the child of My slave?” They reply: “Yes.” So He says: “Have you taken the fruit of his heart?” They reply: “Yes.” So He says: “What did My slave say?” They reply: “He praised you and said: ‘To You is the return.’” So Allāh says: “Build a house in Paradise for My slave, and name it ‘the house of praise.’”’”
— Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī 1021
Do not despair. Allāh ﷻ is most merciful to His believing servants, magnificent in His bestowal of virtue and blessing. He will multiply your good deeds, so that on the Day of Judgement you will be raised in peace and tranquillity, far from the Fire, joyful with your children, in eternal life. To Allāh belongs all praise. We ask Him to shower us with His kindness and mercy, and to grant us the strength to worship Him as He deserves to be worshipped. Peace and blessings upon our beloved master Muḥammad ﷺ.
Those who have passed away before reaching the age of puberty.
المُحْبَنْطِىء: المتغضب المستبطىء للشيء، وقيل: هو الممتنع امتناع طَلبة، لا امتناع إباء. (See al-Nihāyah 1/331.)
