Explanation of Sunan Abi Dawud 4717
đSunan Abi Dawud 4717
The woman who buries alive her new-born girl and the girl who is buried alive both will go to Hell. This tradition has also been transmitted by Ibn Masâud from the Prophet (May peace be upon him) to the same effect through a different chain of narrators.
The Hadith: âThe woman who buries alive her newborn girl and the girl who is buried aliveâboth will go to Hell.â This narration has also been transmitted by Ibn Masâud from the Prophet (peace be upon him) through a different chain of narrators, Many people use this Hadith to question: âWhy would the child go to Hell?â The Hadith actually has different interpretations, but I donât want to go into the deeper explanations here, First of all, this Hadith refers to pre-Islamic times. When you read it, it might sound like the girl who was buried alive is also being condemned to Hell. That part of the Hadith has another interpretationâbut again, Iâm not going into that direction. What I do know, and what is supported by both the Qur’an and Hadith, is this: This Hadith is about pre-Islamic Arabia, when women used to bury their daughters alive. That was a major crime, and the woman who committed this act is clearly guilty. So she will be punished in Hell.
Why is the child mentioned too?
Related Article: Non-Muslim Children and Heaven
When the Prophet ï·ș was asked this question, he replied based on how the people asked it. The wording of the Hadith reflects their style of questioning, not necessarily a full judgment on the child’s afterlife, So, we cannot isolate this Hadith alone. You must combine it with other Hadith and Qurâanic verses to fully understand what happens to the child.
For that, you need to go back to the Qur’an:
đQuran 17:15
“And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger.”
This verse proves that the child cannot be punished, because she never received the message of Islam, However, Allah knows what each soul would have done if they had lived. So if the child had grown up and received the message, would she have believed or not? Only Allah knows the fate of each soul.
đQuran 6:59
“And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him.”
So the child will be judged based on that knowledge. For example, if she had grown up, received the message, and then diedâAllah already knows what choice she would have made.
Thatâs the simple explanation, based on the Qurâan and Hadith, without going into deeper theological debate.
Additional Information
Picking out just a single statement without reading the full message is either ignorance or a way to find faults and place blame. People often say, “Why this? Why that?” but before you react, calm your mind and read slowly. Understand whatâs actually written. If you’re struggling to grasp the point, maybe check your IQ level, because thatâs why you need to read again and again to fully understand.