Ahmad relied solely on authentic hadith: the report of Ibn ‘Abbās and that of Abū Hurayrah, which is recorded in the two Sahīhs:

“Abū Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘Every child is born upon the natural disposition. Then his parents make him a Jew, a Christian or a Magian, just as an animal gives birth to an intact offspring. Do you see any among them mutilated?’ Abū Hurayrah would then say: ‘Read, if you wish: “The natural disposition upon which Allah created mankind.”’”

Likewise, the Sahīh records Ibn ‘Abbās’s report “that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked about the children of the polytheists. He replied: ‘Allah knows best what they would have done.’”

Ahmad mentioned that Ibn ‘Abbās adopted this position after previously saying: “They are with their fathers.” This shows that this is the answer of someone who does not assert definitively that they are with their fathers.

An authentic report from Abū Hurayrah himself, who narrated this hadith from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was transmitted by several scholars, including ‘Abd al-Rahmān ibn Abī Hātim in his Quran commentary and others, through ‘Abd al-Razzāq, who said: “Ma‘mar informed us, from Ibn Tāwūs, from his father, from Abū Hurayrah, who said:

‘On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will gather those who lived in the interval between messengers, the mentally impaired, the deaf, the mute, and the elderly who never encountered Islam. Then He will send them a messenger commanding them: “Enter the Fire.” They will say: “How, when no messengers came to us?” He said: By Allah, had they entered it, it would have been cool and safe for them. Then He will send