A Christian put this question to me, and I would like an answer to it so that I can send it to him: in Soorat Maryam it says (interpretation of the meaning): “There is not one of you but will come to it (Hell)” [Maryam 19:71], in the sense that all of mankind will enter Hell for some time, including the Muslims, without exception. Then we find that in Soorat Aal ‘Imraan it indicates that whoever is killed fighting in jihad is not subject to this ruling: “And if you are killed or die in the Way of Allah, forgiveness and mercy from Allah are far better than all that they amass (of worldly wealth, etc.)” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:157]. What is the sound view concerning these two verses? How can I respond to him regarding all these claims? I hope that you can provide me with a detailed answer.

Praise
be to Allah

There is no contradiction or conflict in the verses that he
has mentioned, or in any other verses of the Quran, praise be to Allah. The
words of Allah are far above such a thing. Rather this is applicable to the
words of human beings, because of their shortcomings, ignorance and
failings. As for the words of the All-Knowing, All Aware, they are far above
all faults and shortcomings. Rather the fault is in the understanding of the
reader and the mind of the one who says that. 

The response to that is that the verse in Aal ‘Imraan does
not contradict the verse in Maryam, and it does not mean at all that the
coming to Hell that is mentioned in Maryam is not real, because it is
certain truth, and will definitely happen. One of the things which indicate
that is the report narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with
him), from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), who said:
“No Muslim, three of whose children die, will come to the Fire, except for
the fulfilment of the oath.” 

Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1193) and Muslim (2632) 

Imam al-Bukhaari (may Allah have mercy on him) explained the
words “fulfilment of the oath” by quoting, at the end of the hadith, the
words: “There
is not one of you but will come to it (Hell)”
[Maryam 19:71]. 

An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The scholars
said: With regard to the words “fulfilment of the oath”, it was said in the
explanation of the hadith that what is referred to is the verse in which
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“There
is not one of you but will come to it (Hell)”
[Maryam 19:71]. This is
the view of Abu ‘Ubayd and the majority of scholars. What it means is: By
Allah, there is not one of you but will come to it. And it was said that
what is referred to is the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning): “So
by your Lord, surely, We shall gather them together, and (also) the Shayatin
(devils) (with them)” [Maryam
19:68].

End quote from Sharh Muslim (16/180). 

Once it is clear to us that there is no contradiction between
the verses, and that the coming to Hell is something that is applicable to
all of mankind, even if they are Muslims, then it remains for us to find out
what is meant by the “coming to” mentioned in the verse in Soorat Maryam. So
we say that the strongest views on the meaning of the “coming to” mentioned
in the verse in Soorat Maryam are two views, as follows: 

The first view is that what is meant is entering, and that
the righteous will be safe from its heat and flames, and the Lord of the
Worlds will leave in it the wrongdoers among the disbelievers and those
among the Muslims who deserve punishment in it. As for the disbelievers,
their punishment will last for ever, whereas the Muslims will be punished
for a limited time. The evidence for that is what is mentioned after this
verse, where Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Then
We shall save those who used to fear Allah and were dutiful to Him. And We
shall leave the Zalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers, etc.) therein
(humbled) to their knees (in Hell)”
[Maryam 19:72]. This is
the view of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him), and was regarded as
more likely to be correct by Shaykh ash-Shinqeeti. Anyone wishing to know
more may read his words in his tafseer, Adwa’ al-Bayaan (3/478-481). 

The second view is that it is a “coming to” that is only for
the Muslims who affirmed the Oneness of Allah, whether they were people who
did acts of obedience and worship, or they were people who did acts of
disobedience and committed sin. This “coming to” does not mean entering the
Fire; rather it means passing above it, and that will be by crossing over
the Siraat, which is a bridge that will be set up over Hell, that only the
Muslims will cross over, and some of them will be saved and some of them
will fall into the Fire. As for the disbelievers, they will not pass over
the Siraat, because they will enter Hell directly before that in
humiliation. This is the view of Ibn Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with him)
and was regarded as more likely to be correct by many of the scholars. 

Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

It should be understood that the people will be divided into
(two groups): believers who worshipped Allah alone and did not associate
anything with Him, and mushrikeen who worshipped others besides Allah. As
for the mushrikeen, they will not pass over the Siraat; rather they will
fall into Hell before the Siraat is set up.

End quote from at-Takhweef min an-Naar (p. 233) 

So the coming to Hell – according to this second view – when
mentioned with regard to the Muslims, as in the verse in Soorat Maryam where
Allah, may He be exalted, says, “There
is not one of you…”,
refers to passing over Hell. As for the “coming to” mentioned with regard to
the disbelievers, it means entering it. 

So the “coming to” [wurood] is of two types: coming to
and entering into a place, and coming to it whilst being close to it,
reaching it and looking into it, without entering it. Both meanings are
mentioned in the Book of Allah, may He be exalted. As for the former, it
appears with reference to the disbelievers and sinners who are subject to
the warning. Concerning this, Allah, may He exalted, says (interpretation of
the meaning):


“Certainly!
You (disbelievers) and that which you are worshipping now besides Allah, are
(but) fuel for Hell! (Surely), you will enter it [laha
waaridoon].


Had these (idols, etc.) been aliha (gods), they would not
have entered there [ma
waraduha] (Hell), and all of them will abide
therein”


[al-Anbiya’ 21:98, 99]


“He will go
ahead of his people on the Day of Resurrection, and will lead them [fa
awradahum] into the Fire, and evil indeed is the
place to which they are led”


[Hood 11:98].

 Ibn Rajab (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

If a person is put together in the punishment with the one
who was the cause of his punishment, that will exacerbate his pain and
regret.

End quote from at-Takhweef min an-Naar (p. 99) 

With regard to “coming to” [wurood] in the second
sense, examples of that include the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted,
says (interpretation of the meaning):


“And when he
arrived [warada]
at the water of Madyan (Midian) he found there a group of men watering
(their flocks)”


[al-Qasas 28:23].           

 As the verse in Soorat Maryam is applicable to all the
Muslims, in that case the “coming to” mentioned there is to be understood
according to the second meaning. As for the first meaning, it is not
applicable to all Muslims; rather it is applicable to those of them who
deserve to enter Hell, and is also applicable to the disbelievers. 

Shaykh ‘Umar Sulaymaan al-Ashqar (may Allah have mercy on
him) said: Some of the scholars are of the view that what is meant by coming
to the Fire, as mentioned in the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted,
says (interpretation of the meaning): “There
is not one of you but will come to it (Hell); this is, with your Lord, a
Decree which must be accomplished” [Maryam
19:71], is entering the
Fire. This is the view of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him), who
quoted as evidence for that the words of Allah, may He be exalted,
concerning Pharaoh (interpretation of the meaning):
“He
will go ahead of his people on the Day of Resurrection, and will lead them [fa
awradahum] into the Fire, and evil indeed is the
place to which they are led”
[Hood 11:98]; and the
verses in which Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And
We shall drive the Mujrimoon (polytheists, sinners, criminals, disbelievers
in the Oneness of Allah, etc.) to Hell, in a thirsty state (like a thirsty
herd driven down to water) [wirdan]”
[Maryam 19:86] and
“Had
these (idols, etc.) been aliha (gods), they would not have entered there
(Hell) [ma waraduha]” [al-Anbiya’
21:99]. And Muslim al-A‘war
narrated from Mujaahid concerning the words “There
is not one of you but will come to it (Hell)”
[Maryam 19:71] that he
said: He will enter it. 

Other scholars were of the view that what is meant by “coming
to” here is passing over the siraat. The commentator on at-Tahhaawiyyah
said: The mufassireen differed as to what is meant by coming to [wurood] in
the verse, “There
is not one of you but will come to it (Hell)”
[Maryam 19:71]. The
strongest view and the one that is most likely to be correct is that what is
meant is passing over the siraat. Allah, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning): “Then
We shall save those who use to fear Allah and were dutiful to Him. And We
shall leave the Zalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers, etc.) therein
(humbled) to their knees (in Hell)”
[Maryam 19:72]. 

In as-Saheeh it is narrated that the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: By the One in Whose hand is
my soul, no one will enter Hell who swore allegiance beneath the tree.”
Hafsah said: I said: O Messenger of Allah, didn’t Allah say,
“There
is not one of you but will come to it (Hell)”
[Maryam 19:71]? He said:
Did you not hear that He said: “Then
We shall save those who use to fear Allah and were dutiful to Him. And We
shall leave the Zalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers, etc.) therein
(humbled) to their knees (in Hell)”
[Maryam 19:72]? 

The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
indicated that coming to the Fire does not necessarily mean entering it, and
that being saved from its evil does not necessarily mean after entering it.
Rather it means that the reasons for entering it are there, but they will be
saved from it. If a person was pursued by his enemies, who wanted to kill
him, but they did not manage to do so, it may be said that Allah saved him
from them. Hence Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning): “And
when Our Commandment came, We saved Hood”
[Hood 11:58]; “So when Our
Commandment came, We saved Saalih”
[Hood 11:66]’ “And when Our
Commandment came, We saved Shu‘ayb”
[Hood 11:94]. The
punishment did not befall them, but it befell others. Were it not for the
fact that Allah made the means of salvation available to them only, the same
fate would have befallen them as befell others. The same applies to those
who come to the Fire and pass over it on the siraat, then Allah will save
those who feared Him, and will leave the wrongdoers therein (humbled) to
their knees. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
explained, in the hadith of Jaabir mentioned above, that “coming to” (wurood)
here refers to passing over the siraat. End quote. 

In fact, coming to the Fire means two things: the first of
which is the coming of the disbelievers, who are the inhabitants of the
Fire. In their case coming to means entering it, beyond any doubt, as Allah,
may He be exalted, says regarding Pharaoh (interpretation of the meaning):
“He
will go ahead of his people on the Day of Resurrection, and will lead them [fa
awradahum] into the Fire, and evil indeed is the
place to which they are led”
[Hood 11:98], that is,
evil indeed is the place which they will enter.

The second meaning of coming to the Fire is that of those who
affirmed the oneness of Allah. That is, their passing over the siraat in the
manner mentioned in the hadiths.

End quote from al-Qiyaamah al-Kubra (p. 267, 268) 

Whether we go by the first view or the second – which is more
likely to be correct in our opinion – there is no contradiction between the
texts of the revelation, praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. 

And Allah knows best.