More about the age of 40
We notice that there are no direct words in the Quran that say:
“All who die before 40 will go to Paradise no matter what they have done”
Yet, this is a deduction which all who believe in God’s immense mercy will derive from a number of Quranic words. People who find it difficult to accept that God is infinitely more merciful than the human being will find it hard to accept the rule of the age of 40.
First, we may inquire: Why did God not say the above words in black and white?
To analyse this valid question we must be aware that the rule of the age of 40 is not related to our rituals or our religious practices. It is not like observing the Salat or paying the Zakat. It is only a piece of information which speaks of God’s mercy. And since this rule is not related to our accountability or our duties, then it does not need to be spelt out in black and white. It is God’s deliberate intention that such a sign is left to every person’s perception of God’s mercy.
In 46:15 God tells us that the human being reaches maturity at the age of 40. Why is God telling us this fact? Surely it is not just idle talk!
Without any doubt God is telling us this piece of information so that we would realise that God does not consider anyone under the age of 40 to be mature yet. This is confirmed in the same verse where God says that He expects the human being to submit to Him by the age of 40 (if he has not already done so before). If the human being lives beyond the age of 40 then he/she is given all the rest of their lives to submit to God.
What if a person dies before 40?
According to 46:15, he would have died before reaching maturity. Would such a person be judged the same as someone who was given the full chance to become mature?
To shed more light over this question, let us consider the following example:
500 Students sit for an end of year exam, and they are seated in 10 separate halls.
There are 50 students in every hall. The duration of the exam is 3 hours for all students.
In 9 of the 10 halls the students sit for their exams and their papers are collected successfully at the end of the 3 hours. However in hall number 10 there is a power cut after 2 hours and 20 minutes, thus the students do not have a chance to finish the exams. Their uncompleted papers are handed in just the same.
What will happen to the 50 students who were in hall number 10? Their papers are incomplete and do not justify a pass mark. Should they be given a 'fail' mark in their exam because their answers were incomplete? Naturally not, they should not be given a fail mark because they were not given the full length of time given to the other students.
Now consider the following additional fact:
What if someone has a look at some of the papers of the students in hall 10 and finds that the answers to the questions they completed were incorrect answers, should they in that case be given a 'fail' mark?
Once again, the answer is no, for even if everything they wrote on their papers was wrong, the mere fact that they did not get an equal opportunity (time wise) as the other students means that they cannot receive a 'fail' mark.
Now let us compare this to the issue of the age of 40.
1- Those who die before 40 (reaching maturity) are in the same position as those who were in hall number 10 and could not complete their exam because of the power cut. They ended their test on earth without being given the same opportunity given to others who sat the same test.
2- Now let us consider the case of someone who died before the age of 40 and who has done numerous sins in his life, would he still go to Paradise? Some will say: This is not fair!
Well, we just concluded that if someone in hall 10 filled their uncompleted papers with all the wrong answers that they would still not receive a 'fail' mark. This is not any different from the one who commits many sins then dies before 40.
If the human being is able to make such concessions to fellow humans, are we more merciful than God Himself?
3- The students in hall 10 would probably be given a second chance to sit the exam, but would not be given a 'fail' mark. But in the case of our life on earth, we do not come back to earth for a second test, so for that reason, God's mercy would have all who died before 40 redeemed and admitted to Paradise.
3- The students in hall 10 would probably be given a second chance to sit the exam, but would not be given a 'fail' mark. But in the case of our life on earth, we do not come back to earth for a second test, so for that reason, God's mercy would have all who died before 40 redeemed and admitted to Paradise.
4- But this is not all the issue. The concluding chapter of this concept is to accept that we all die at the time already pre-ordained by God. It is only rational thus to say that God must have known some purity in the hearts of those who die before 40 (even with all their sins) and that they deserve to be redeemed. Here we can only trust that God's knowledge is far above anything we think we know. God knows exactly who deserves to be redeemed and who does not. Those who die before 40 do not die unexpectadly (from God's point of view) but they die through God's full knowledge, not only of the time of their death, but His knoweldge that they deserve to be redeemed.
FAQ related to the age of 40
1- What about those who idolise others besides God? Would all their sins also be forgiven?
Initially, it must be said that only God knows who will be forgiven and who will not. Thus any reply here is solely based on the interpretation of the related Quranic verses:
a- They will be forgiven if they die before 40 since at the time they committed these sins they were not fully mature.
b- For the ones who live beyond, they will also be forgiven if they submit to God and die as submitters.
2- What about 4:48 where we are told that God never forgives the idolisation of anything besides him, and He forgives all lesser sins for whomever He wills?
Indeed that is correct, however God chooses the time when the expectation of submission becomes mandatory. This is when the human attains maturity and reaches the age of 40. It follows that if the expectation is not effective yet, then accountability is not applicable yet.
This is not any different in concept than the case of any law of the land such as:
‘It is a criminal offence to commit theft.’
Obviously there is another civil law that defines when this first law incurs the assigned punishment. What is called the 'age of reason' differs from one place to another, but it can be said that a boy aged 7 or 8 years old (for example) will not have a criminal record if he steals, nor would he receive the punishment given to an adult.
What this means is that it can be deceptive to look at one Quranic law in isolation, instead, all laws must be taken into consideration.
It is an unforgivable sin to commit shirk (4:48) but this must be looked at in conjunction with the rule of when sins incur accountability, which is explained in 46:15.
3- Would not this line of thought give people a false sense of security which leads them to abuse God’s mercy?
First, it must be stressed that this is not a 'line of thought', rather, a presentation of specific Quranic words and their implications.
Second, it is not possible for this merciful concession from God to be abused.
No believer will say, "I will commit shirk until I am 40 then abstain"!
As for idol worshippers, they will continue in their shirk whether they know about 46:15 or not.
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Despite the above arguments, many people still find it difficult to accept the idea that all who die before the age of 40 are pardoned and go to Paradise. The main obstruction that stops them believing this theory is that there is no clear verse in the Quran that says: "All who die before 40 go to Paradise". However, there is sufficient Quranic indication to assert the age of 40 theory.
We instructed the human being to treat his parents kindly. His mother bore him laboriously and gave birth to him laboriously. Carrying him and weaning him takes thirty months. Then, when he reaches maturity and reaches the age of forty he says, "My Lord, enable me to give thanks for Your blessings which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and to do the good deeds that You approve of, and grant me righteous offspring. I have repented to you and I am one of the Submitters. 46:15
We instructed the human being to treat his parents kindly. His mother bore him laboriously and gave birth to him laboriously. Carrying him and weaning him takes thirty months. Then, when he reaches maturity and reaches the age of forty he says, "My Lord, enable me to give thanks for Your blessings which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and to do the good deeds that You approve of, and grant me righteous offspring. I have repented to you and I am one of the Submitters. 46:15
From the words in 46:15 we derive the following:
1- All people would have reached their full maturity by the time they reach 40. This does not mean that on the day of their 40th birthday they would suddenly become fully mature, all it means that by the time they get to 40 they would have reached their full maturity. Some may reach full maturity by 38 or 39 or even earlier, yet by 40, all people would have reached their full maturity. As a result, no one will gain more maturity after 40. People gain more experience in life the older they get, but they would not be more mature past 40.
2- If the human being has not already submitted to God, then God expects him to do so when he reaches the age of 40.
3- A person who is younger than 40 and have submitted to God would do good, but the expectation on him to submit would not come into effect until he reaches 40.
To clarify further, let us consider the example of a school in which we have the following rule:
"All students in the school are required to wear a tie. However, this rule does not become compulsory until the students reach the 10th form. All students in the 10th form and above who do not wear a tie in school will be punished."
Let us now pause the following questions:
1- Will a student in the 8th or 9th form, who does not wear a tie, be punished? The answer is no.
2- Now let us consider the case of a student in the 8th form who was taken out of school for health reasons and is not able to continue his education. Will this student be punished for not wearing a tie during the time he attended school?
The answer again is no. This is because he never reached the 10th form at which wearing a tie becomes obligatory.
The answer again is no. This is because he never reached the 10th form at which wearing a tie becomes obligatory.
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The example of the school is not any different than the case in 46:15.
The following are the facts in the school example and the corresponding facts in the case of 46:15
The following are the facts in the school example and the corresponding facts in the case of 46:15
Reaching the 10th form = the age of 40
Wearing a tie = submitting to God
Obligation to wear a tie = obligation to submit to God
Obligation effective from 10th form = obligation effective from 40 years
Removed from school for health reasons = leaving this life because of death
Leaving school before 10th form not punishable = leaving the world before 40 not punishable.
Wearing a tie = submitting to God
Obligation to wear a tie = obligation to submit to God
Obligation effective from 10th form = obligation effective from 40 years
Removed from school for health reasons = leaving this life because of death
Leaving school before 10th form not punishable = leaving the world before 40 not punishable.
Finally, if some people still find it hard to accept that God would pardon all who died before 40, then they would certainly struggle to know that in the Quran we have very strong indication that God will eventually pardon even the worst of the disbelievers. Please check the following page: A glimpe into God's mercy
It remains to mention how some non-Muslims attack Islam and the Quran saying that the god of the Quran is one of vengeance and cruelty while their god is one of love and forgiveness! Maybe they should read the above page (Glimpse into God's mercy) to know exactly how merciful God is shown to be in the Quran.
For the original page, please go to: The age of 40