Islam and the Fate of Others The Salvation Question By Mohammad Hassan Khalil (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012. 272 pages.)

Abstract

In Islam and the Fate of Others, Mohammad Hassan Khalil masterfully approaches
a difficult topic. What happens to non-Muslims when they die? Who
is accountable for accepting Muhammad’s prophethood? Could any sane person
possibly reject the truth were it clearly revealed to him/her? In order to
address these questions and others, Khalil probes some of the most prominent
premodern and modern voices in Islamic history. A reader looking for consensus
on the answers to these challenging queries, however, will be left direly
wanting. Khalil unearths not a monolithic consensus but instead a cacophony
of opinions concerning soteriological matters, which overwhelmingly envisions a heaven filled with Muslims and non-Muslims. As an added bonus to
Khalil’s robust and provocative study, his adroit prose reads smoothly, his storytelling
is exquisite, and he never obfuscates his topic with obtuse language
or style. That, combined with meticulous attention to transliteration and precise,
fluid translations, makes Khalil’s monograph an absolute pleasure to read
and should appeal to specialists and non-specialists ...