Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
In Islam, Allah “seals hearts” only after a person knowingly rejects truth and persists in arrogance or denial. It is not imposed on those who never had a fair chance to learn about Islam. The sealing represents the spiritual consequence of deliberate disbelief, reflecting divine justice balanced with mercy and fairness.
Responding to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
Your questions are sincere. Many sincere Muslims have asked the same things. At the center of this inquiry is a simple comfort: Allah’s justice is flawless, and His mercy takes into account our limits, backgrounds, and struggles.
When the Quran states, “Allah has set a seal upon their hearts,” it refers to those who know the truth yet turn away out of pride or stubbornness—not to individuals who never had a chance to learn. Allah wrongs no one; that “sealing” occurs after a person’s own choice, never before (cf. Quran 4:48).
This underscores the fairness of Allah’s justice, providing you with a sense of security and confidence in your faith while reinforcing your trust in His divine justice.
Allah’s justice considers what a person actually knew and could do. “Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity” (Quran 2:286).
If someone never truly received the message of Islam or was conditioned by the distorted image portrayed in the media, they are not condemned for what they never had a fair chance to understand.
Scholars like Imam An-Nawawi and Ibn Taymiyyah have stated that those who never received a clear message are judged with “special mercy,” a divine compassion that takes into account their circumstances and intentions. Allah is Al-`Adl (Utterly Just) and Ar-Rahman (All-Merciful); He knows every heart, upbringing, intention, and step toward the truth.
The same mercy applies to those living in poverty or hardship. “We do not hold anyone accountable except for what is within their ability” (Quran 6:152). Allah weighs capacity, opportunity, and intention. Even small acts—an honest heart, a kind word, a quiet act of charity—carry tremendous weight with Him. At its core, faith is sincerity.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) told us, “Allah is more merciful to His servants than a mother is to her child.” According to scholars like Al-Ghazali and At-Tahawi, those who never received or understood the message are judged by Allah’s wisdom and compassion, not by our limited standards.
Our role is crucial in sharing the message gently and truthfully; judgment belongs only to Allah, who knows what lies in every heart. This emphasis on your role in sharing the message is intended to empower you and instill a sense of responsibility in your faith.
So be at ease: no one is punished for what they never had a fair chance to know. Allah judges each soul with perfect fairness and vast mercy. He considers intention and circumstance. Your genuine concern is a sign of a sincere heart. So, keep praying and trust that His mercy surpasses His wrath. This reiteration of the vastness of Allah’s mercy is meant to comfort and reassure you in your faith, reinforcing your trust in His divine justice.
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Almighty Allah knows best.