Are the parents of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, in Hell? Please answer with decisive evidence.

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.

A Hadeeth (narration) on the authority of Anas indicated that the father of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is in Hell. A man came to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and asked him about the fate of his father. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, told him that he is in Hell. When the man left, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, called him back again and told him that his own father is also in Hell. He did so to relieve the man’s sorrow. [Muslim]

The mother of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is mentioned in another Hadeeth narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah which states that when the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, visited his mother's grave, he wept and those around him also wept. Then he said that he asked permission of His Lord to visit his mother's grave and he was given permission, but He did not grant him permission when he asked Him to plead for her forgiveness. [Muslim]

The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was only forbidden from asking for forgiveness for the people of Hell. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {It is not for the Prophet and those who have believed to ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even if they were relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are companions of Hell.}[Quran, 9:113]

Ibn Katheer cited many reports narrated by Al-Bayhaqi about the visit of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, to his mother's grave.

Then he explained that informing the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, that his father, mother and grandfather, ‘Abd Al-Muttallib are in Hell does not contradict the Hadeeth which states that the people of the Period –meaning the time when no messengers were sent between ‘Eesa (Jesus) and the revelation of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) – children, the insane and the deaf, will all be tested on the Day of Resurrection. Ibn Katheer mentioned this in detail in his interpretation of the saying of Allaah The Almighty (what means): {And never would We punish until We sent a messenger.}[Quran, 17:15] This is because some of those people who are to be tested will succeed and thus, enter Paradise, while others will not respond and so will enter Hell.

Those whom the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, mentioned will be among the latter group. Therefore, we see that there is no contradiction.

Allaah Knows best.