A: The religious ruling on any person who supplicates to idols, asks them for help and the like is obviously decided. This act is major Kufr (disbelief), unless the doer of it assumes that their circumambulation around graves is devoted to the worship of Allah (Exalted be He) just as when they circumambulate around the Ka' bah out of wrong belief in the permissibility of circumambulating around the graves. If they do not mean by this act to draw themselves closer to their dwellers; rather they mean to draw closer to Allah Alone, in such a case the doer is considered a Mubtadi' (one who introduces innovations in religion), not a Kafir (disbeliever). Circumambulating around graves is a condemned Bid'ah (innovation in religion) just like offering Salah (Prayer) at the graves. All such acts are means leading to Kufr. In most cases, people who worship at graves aim at drawing closer to their dwellers by circumambulating around them. They sacrifice animals and vow for their sake in order to draw closer to them. Such acts are major Shirk (associating others with Allah in His Divinity or worship).
Anyone who dies while persisting in doing such acts is a Kafir, i.e. they should neither be washed nor have the Funeral Prayer performed for them or be buried in Muslims' graveyard. In the Hereafter their case is for Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) to judge. If they are one of those to whom Da'wah (calling to Islam) has not reached, they will have the same ruling as that of AhlulFatrah (those to whom Da'wah has not reached in an uncorrupted manner). The evidence for this is drawn from what happened to the Prophet's (peace be upon him) mother, as she died before she witnessed the era of prophethood while embracing the religion of her people. The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked the Permission of his Lord to seek forgiveness for his mother, but he (peace be upon him) was not permitted to ask forgiveness for her; because she died while embracing the religion of Jahiliyyah (preIslamic time of ignorance) and so was his father. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked by some person about his father, he said: "Verily my father and your father are in the Fire." His father died in Jahiliyyah while embracing the religion of his people, so he was judged as a Kafir (disbeliever). But anyone who has not received the Da'wah in the life of this world and died while ignorant of Al Haqq (the Truth) will be tried on the Day of Resurrection according to the soundest opinion of scholars if they succeed in saying the Truth, they will be admitted into Paradise. But if they oppose the Truth, they will be cast into the Fire.
This applies to all people of AhlulFatrah to whom Da'wah has not reached, according to the Saying of Allah (Exalted be He), And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give warning).
Regarding those whom the Qur'an or the mission of the Messenger (peace be upon him) reached but they did not respond, the evidence that leaves no excuse for those who reject it has been established against them. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says, this Qur'ân has been revealed to me that I may therewith warn you and whomsoever it may reach. This Ayah (Qur'anic verse) means that whomsoever the Qur'an has reached, they have been warned thereby.
Allah (Exalted be He), says, This (Qur'an) is a Message for mankind (and a clear proof against them), in order that they may be warned thereby Therefore, those to whom the Qur'an and Islam have reached but they did not embrace it, will come under the same ruling as Kafirs. It has been authentically reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "By Him in whose Hand my soul is, any Jew or Christian of this nation who hears about me and dies unbelieving in what I have been sent with, will be among the inhabitants of the Hellfire." (Reported by Muslim in his Sahih [authentic Book of Hadith])In this Hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) regarded the fact of hearing about his mission as an evidence against the hearer (who rejects it).
To sum up, whoever shows any signs of Kufr while in Muslim lands will come under the same ruling as Kafirs. As to whether or not they shall be saved on the Day of Resurrection, this is in the Hand of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He). If they are one of those to whom the Da'wah has not reached or have not heard about the mission of the Messenger (peace be upon him), they will be tried on the Day of Resurrection.
According to a Hadith narrated by AlAswad Ibn Sari', a necklike flame of fire will be presented to them, then it will be said to them, "Get into it." If they agree to enter the fire, the flame of fire will turn into coolness and safety for them. However, if they refuse, the flame of fire will coil around them and they will be taken into the Fire, may Allah safeguard us!
In conclusion, whoever did not know about the Da'wah whether for having been in the distant outskirts of this world or was born and died before the time of the Da'wah or whoever knew about the Da'wah but was insane, absentminded or too old to perceive it; they and those like them and the children of the Mushriks who died in their childhood before reaching the age of puberty, will be in the Hands of Allah. Verily, Allah (Exalted be He) knows well what they would do (during their life). That was the answer of the Prophet (peace be upon him) when he was asked about such people. On the Day of Resurrection, Allah (Exalted be He) will make His knowledge about them evident by testing them; whoever succeeds will be admitted into Paradise and whoever fails will be admitted into Hellfire. Verily, there is neither might nor power except with Allah!