Non-Muslims not rewarded for the calamities they experience in the world
Fatwa No: 279565

Question

i have a question concerning calamities The prophet saws have told in a hadtih that calamaties are a test from Allah swt and that is a good thing because our sins get expiated by expering calamities, and when Muslims are experiencing severe calamities they are raised in status and their sins get expiated. The question is when non-muslims are experiencing calamities do the sins of the non-muslims also get expiated by Allah swt, or does this reward of calamities only count for Muslims or also for Non-muslims? and can you please quote from the Quran or the authentic hadiths if they say something about this question Thank you for you time, may Allah bless you

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

Allaah, The Exalted, is a Just Judge and He never wrongs anyone; Allaah says (what means): {…and injustice is not done to them, [even] as much as a thread [inside a date seed].} [Quran 4:49] A Qudsi (sacred) Hadeeth reads, "O My slaves, I have forbidden injustice to Myself and have made it forbidden to you, so do not be unjust to one another." [Muslim]

When a calamity befalls a non-Muslim in this worldly life, Allaah rewards him with extra worldly pleasures. Allaah may also forgive some of his sins other than Shirk (association of partners with Allaah), as scholars mentioned. Al-Munaawi quoted Al-Qurtubi as saying: "As for the disbeliever, he may be given more children and wealth when he experiences a calamity, and his punishment may be alleviated for sins other than Shirk.” [Faydh Al-Qadeer]

Your question: "Does this reward of calamities only count for Muslims or also for Non-Muslims?" If you mean having one's sins forgiven as a reward for enduring calamities, then we have explained that above. As for reward and raise of rank, this is exclusively for the Muslims. Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "On the Day of Resurrection, a great fleshy man will not weigh the wing of a mosquito in the sight of Allaah; recite (what means): {We will not assign to them on the Day of Resurrection any importance.} [Quran 18:105]" [Muslim]

Allaah Knows best.

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