Fatwa #1406517 March 2006United States of America
Do mentally affected people get forgiven by Allah on the day of judgment?
Question
Do mentally affected people get forgiven by Allah on the day of judgment?
Asalamalaykum my Muslim brother. My mother is English and my father is Egyptian. they are divorced and I am living with my father who is a practicing Muslim and teaches me right from wrong. allhamdulillah. my mother does not worship Allah(swt) and makes no prostration to God. however my mother has had an extremely terrible childhood involving rape and abuse and the thought alone is painful for me. my mother suffers from many illnesses now such as depression, social phobic disorder and many more affecting her well being and ability to talk to anybody. My mother has also suffered horrible experiences since then which added to the previous. basically my mother has been brought up in England by kafir family. when my mother married my father she took up Islam and was happy. she wore the burka and the complete hijab. but when she gave up Islam due to her troubles my father was forced to divorce her as he was living in haram with a non Muslim. she has since been in a terrible state. I cannot help but think of how Allah (swt) will judge her when she dies. PLEASE TELL ME THROUGH YOUR KNOWLEDGE; WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO HER ON THE DAY OF JUDGMENT, will she be judged like anyone else or will she be spared (like baby deaths and disabled people)??? may Allah reward you with the highest of rewards. and please pray for her guidance.
Answer
Your concern for your mother is commendable.
At the outset it is important to understand that whatever condition a person may experience, Allah is aware and has full knowledge of it. Allah is Al Hakeem- The Wise. He knows why He has put people in different conditions.
You state that your mother was a Muslim. Due to the marital dispute with your father and the subsequent divorce, she has renounced Islam. It is unfortunate that this happened. According to Shariah, whoever believes in the Oneness of Allah and Muhammed () to be the final Messenger will eventually enter Jannah.
Your mother has a medical disorder and suffers from depression. She is your mother and you are her son. Allah has blessed you with Hidaayat (guidance) and you should wish this good for your mum as well. The first step is that you should try to get medical advice and try to cure her from her sickness. Together with that you should strive in a very diplomatic and tactful way convince her to revert to Islam. You should be kind and compassionate towards her. Try to win her confidence as she may have nobody else besides you to support her. Once you will win her confidence and she knows that she has a pillar of support, she will be willing to listen to whatever you tell her. The love and softness a mother posses for her own child outweighs any love and kindness. This bond and link is placed by Allah. You should sieze this opportunity to call her and bring her close towards Islam and Deen. There can be no greater reward and joy for you in this world than you becoming a means of your mother accepting Islam.
and Allah Ta'ala Knows Best
Mufti Ebrahim Desai