Question:
I read in Fath Bari (about Allah’s mercy greater than mother for child) that the people of kabair cannot be described as beloved of Allah (habibullah) if they enter hell. If they eventually paradise can they be described as being loved by Allah after that?
Answer:
Allah will give them the names عُتّقَاءُ الرَّحمن (`utaqa’ al-Rahman – the rescuees of the All-Meciful) per the Prophetic hadith from Abu Sa`id al-Khudri in Sahih al-Bukhari; عُتَقَاءُ الله (`utaqa’ Allah – the rescuees of Allah) and عُتَقَاءُ الْجَبَّار (`utaqa’ al-Jabbar) per the Prophetic hadiths from Anas and Jabir in Musnad Ahmad; and الْجَهَنَّمِيُّون (al-Jahannamiyyun – the Gehennans) per Bukhari and Muslim.
Hajj Gibril Haddad