I have seen this question before from many people; "You don't think any one other than a Muslim will go to heaven, right? I see the Muslim clerics telling their people to kill the non-Muslims; we Christians are the infidels according to them!" And it's true, we have all seen this. Indeed, it is a shocking statement which deserves a second look.

After all, these leaders are representing a whole religion when they make these statements in the name of Islam. We need to discern the extent of the truth behind this claim. We can look to the Quran, God's final and proven scripture, to see how the non-Muslims are addressed. Does God tell us that they may experience the final peaceful and joyous abode of heaven, or are they truly all destined for a miserable, bitter end?

Upon referencing the English Quran translation by Rashad Khalifa, we can clearly see the truth. Yes, God does assure us that there are believers destined for heaven in all different groups. We find that the words Islam and Muslim are more than just a name. They are a description of performing total devotion to God alone. The equivalent English word for Islam is Submission, which is practiced by a Submitter to God alone [1]. There are submitters who are Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, or from other backgrounds. All submitters who are devoted to God alone without setting up any idols are redeemed by God [2]. Thus, God’s scripture, the Quran, tells us that His devoted worshippers, no matter what they call themselves, will go to heaven.

Relevant Quran Verses: [1] 2:207-208, 3:19, 10:28-29; [2] 2:62, 5:69, 3:84-85.

Kris A. O. works for Abe's column. Abe's column from God's Mosque.org utilizes the Quran as a guidebook and reference to answer prevalent questions and apply it to real life issues. The referenced Quran translation is by Dr. Rashad Khalifa. Come see other interesting Q&A at http://www.godsmosque.org

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