A Muslim is not Field Responsible for His Acts of the Time of Ignorance (Pre-Islamic Paganism)

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from ibn Mahbub from Jamil ibn Salih from abu ‘Ubaydah from abu Ja’far (a.s.) who has said the following: “Certain people came to the Messenger of Allah after accepting Islam and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, will any of us, after accepting Islam, be held responsible for what he had done in the time of ignorance?’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Whoever is good in his Islam and corrects the certainty of his belief is not held responsible for his acts in the time of ignorance in the judgment of Allah, the Most Blessed, the Most High. Whoever’s Islam is nonsense and has not corrected the certainty of his belief will be held responsible in the judgment of Allah, the Most Blessed, the Most High, for his past and later deeds.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

205. A number of our companions, from Sahl Bin Ziyad, from Ibn Mahboub, from Ali Bin Ra’ib, from Abu Ubeyda, who has narrated the following: Abu Ja’far (asws) said: ‘The Rasool Allah (saww) stood upon Al-Safa and said: ‘O Clan of Hashim (as)! O Clan of Abdul Muttalib (as)! I (saww) am the Rasool Allah (saww) to you all, and I (asws) am compassionate towards you, and for me (saww) are my (saww) deeds, and for every man among you are his deeds. Do not say that Muhammad (saww) is from us and so we shall be entering where he (saww) would be entering (The Paradise). So, no, by Allah (azwj)! There are no friends for me (saww) from among you, nor from the others. O Clan of Abdul Muttalib (as)! Except for the pious ones, otherwise I (saww) will not recognise you on the Day of Judgement. You will be coming carrying the ‘world’ (burden of the world) upon your backs and the people would be coming carrying the Hereafter. So I (saww) warn you with regards to what is between me (saww) and you all, and with regards to what is between myself (saww) and Allah (azwj) Mighty and Majestic with regards to you all’.

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad al- Jawhari from al-Minqari from Fudayl ibn al-‘Iyad who has said the following: “Once I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) ‘Will a man who is good in Islam be held responsible for his deeds in the time of ignorance?’ The Imam said, ‘The Holy Prophet has said, “Whoever is good in Islam will not be held responsible for his deeds in the times of ignorance and anyone who is not good in Islam will be held responsible for his acts of the past and those thereafter.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.