The word · Belief

أَهْلُ الفَتْرَة

Ahl al-Fatrah

People who lived without a prophet's message reaching them, and the question of how they are judged.

Also written · Ahlul Fatrah · Ahl al-Fatra · Ahlulfatra · Fatrah · People of the interval · Those who never heard the message · Never received the message · What about people who never heard of Islam

The meaning

What Ahl al-Fatrah means in Islam

The Qur'an says We do not punish until We have sent a messenger (Qur'an 17:15), which every school takes as the starting point. The Ash'ari position is that such a person is not punished, because obligation begins when the message arrives, while Maturidis hold that reason alone still obliges a person to recognise the Creator. A well known group of hadiths describes them being tested on the Day of Judgement itself, and many scholars, including within the Hanbali tradition, hold that view. What all sides agree on is that these are cases for Allah to judge, and not a category for living people to sort each other into.

Evidence · Scholars differ · The scholars read this one differently