According to the Quran, in order to be redeemed, an individual must fulfill a minimum of three basic requirements.
[2:62 & 5:69] Surely, those who believe, those who are Jewish, the Christians, and the converts; anyone who (1) believes in GOD, and (2) believes in the Last Day, and (3) leads a righteous life, will receive their recompense from their Lord. They have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve.
These three conditions—belief in God, belief in the Last Day, and living righteously—form the universal foundation for salvation. While the way these conditions are fulfilled may vary depending on a person’s knowledge, guidance, and life circumstances, the requirements themselves remain constant. For example, someone who has access to the Quran in a language they understand is given more clarity and direction on how to fulfill these obligations, and thus bears a greater responsibility than someone who has never encountered its message.
To ensure that all souls can fulfill these requirements, God—out of His justice and mercy—has endowed every human being with innate knowledge so they can achieve redemption. This built-in guidance allows anyone, anywhere, at any time, to seek truth, recognize right from wrong, and pursue a path toward God’s salvation.
Belief in One God
God gave every human being the instinctive knowledge of monotheism ( fit’ra).
30:30 Therefore, you shall devote yourself to the religion of strict monotheism. Such is the natural instinct placed into the people by GOD. Such creation of GOD will never change. This is the perfect religion, but most people do not know.
Additionally, before our arrival on Earth, God had all the Children of Adam bear witness that God alone is our only Lord and awareness of the Hereafter.
7:172 Recall that your Lord summoned all the descendants of Adam, and had them bear witness for themselves: “Am I not your Lord?” They all said, “Yes. We bear witness.” Thus, you cannot say on the Day of Resurrection, “We were not aware of this.”
Before a person can be considered righteous, two essential conditions must be met: the ability to distinguish between good and evil, and the freedom to choose between them. Without both moral awareness and free will, righteousness has no real meaning, as a person cannot be held accountable for choices they were either unable to recognize as right or wrong or were not free to make.
To illustrate, consider a toddler sitting at a table, happily drawing on a piece of paper. Moments later, the child begins drawing on the walls. While a parent may be understandably upset, they would not hold the child as responsible as they would a teenager or adult. The toddler lacks the moral understanding to know that drawing on the walls is inappropriate; to them, it’s simply an extension of play. This absence of awareness means the act, while undesirable, is not morally blameworthy. Without the capacity to discern right from wrong, the concept of righteousness or moral responsibility does not apply.
Yet moral awareness alone is not enough. Just as a person must know the difference between good and evil, they must also be free to choose between them. If someone is forced to act against their will—especially under threat or coercion—we instinctively shift blame away from the individual and toward the one applying the force.
For example, if a store clerk is ordered at gunpoint to hand over money, they may technically be participating in a robbery, but no reasonable person would call them guilty of wrongdoing. Their action was not a willful moral failure but a survival response under duress. This shows that the presence of both knowledge and freedom is necessary for an act to carry moral weight. Responsibility—and by extension righteousness—hinges not merely on what is done, but on the conditions under which it is done.
The Quran affirms this deeply intuitive understanding by rooting human moral responsibility in two divine gifts: the innate knowledge of good and evil, and the capacity for free choice. These endowments are what make us accountable before God.
First, God has placed within every human being a natural moral sense by being able to distinguish between right and wrong. The Quran states:
91:7 The soul and Him who created it.
91:8 Then showed it ( ilham) what is evil and what is good.
This ilham (inspiration) is not something acquired through education or culture. It is an inner awareness placed by God in every human being—an instinctive sense of right and wrong. Just as a child may feel guilt after harming another, even before being taught why it’s wrong, every person carries within them the ability to recognize moral truth. It is this divine moral insight that makes our choices meaningful and our actions subject to divine judgment. Furthermore, God acknowledges that some sins are committed unintentionally or out of ignorance. In His mercy, He promises forgiveness to those who err without knowing and then repent and reform.
16:119 Yet, as regards those who fall in sin out of ignorance then repent thereafter and reform, your Lord, after this is done, is Forgiver, Most Merciful.
Still, as emphasized earlier, knowledge alone does not make one righteous or accountable. The second condition is freedom—the ability to act or refrain from action by one’s own will. Without it, moral responsibility cannot be justly assigned. The Quran teaches that this freedom was not forced upon humanity but was accepted voluntarily.
33:72 We have offered the responsibility (freedom of choice) to the heavens and the earth, and the mountains, but they refused to bear it, and were afraid of it. But the human being accepted it; he was transgressing, ignorant.
This Amanah (Trust) refers to the burden of free will—the unique human ability to choose between faith and disbelief, obedience and sin. Unlike the rest of creation, which obeys God by design, human beings were entrusted with the responsibility to choose. With that choice comes the potential for both righteousness and error—and, accordingly, accountability. Yet even here, God’s justice prevails. The Quran makes clear that those who are forced to act against their faith are not held responsible, provided their hearts remain firm.
16:106 Those who disbelieve in GOD, after having acquired faith, and become fully content with disbelief, have incurred wrath from GOD. The only ones to be excused are those who are forced to profess disbelief, while their hearts are full of faith.*
This verse acknowledges that true responsibility cannot be placed on someone whose freedom has been stripped away.
Therefore, righteousness in the Quranic worldview is not measured by outward actions alone, but by the presence of two divine gifts: moral insight and free will. Where these exist together, true responsibility is born. And it is only when a person is both aware of good and evil and free to choose between them that their actions can be considered truly righteous—or truly blameworthy. These qualities are not just prerequisites for moral accountability—they are the very foundation of what it means to live a righteous life.
People In Hell Were Given a Life-Long Chance
While our beliefs and actions undoubtedly carry real consequences in this life, we must ask a deeper question: At what point can a human being be justly held accountable for a decision that would determine their fate for all of eternity? Is there a specific age or stage of life at which a person’s choices become eternally binding?
Take, for instance, the case of a child who dies while practicing idol worship. Can it truly be just—or even rational—to believe that such a child deserves eternal punishment for decisions made under the influence of their upbringing and environment? No reasonable person would argue that a child, who is still developing cognitively and emotionally, has the capacity to independently assess truth, especially when surrounded by pressures and teachings they did not choose.
What about a teenager? Though many legal systems mark the age of 18 as the threshold of adulthood, does this align with the reality of human development? Is an 18-year-old truly capable of grasping the eternal weight of their spiritual decisions—especially when many at that age are still navigating identity, impulsivity, and the pull of social conformity?
And what of a person in their 20s or 30s, in the prime of their vitality? At this stage, many are immersed in the pursuits of career, relationships, and self-expression. Rarely is mortality front and center. Most haven’t yet experienced the sobering reality of aging, the shift in perspective that comes from raising children, or the role reversal of caring for aging parents. Life looks different when one begins to see their own limitations, fragility, and legacy with greater clarity.
The Quran provides a profound insight into this matter. It tells us that those who are condemned to Hell were not judged hastily or prematurely—but only after being given a “full life” to recognize the truth and choose their path.
35:37 They will scream therein, “Our Lord, if you get us out of here, we will work righteousness, instead of the works we used to do.” Did we not give you a life-long chance (‘ amimir), with continuous reminders for those who would take heed? Did you not receive the warner? Therefore, taste (the consequences). The transgressors will have no one to help them.
This verse underscores a profound truth: those who enter Hell were not condemned based on a single mistake, a fleeting lapse, or a brief phase of ignorance. Rather, they were given the gift of an entire life span long enough for awareness, reflection, and the genuine opportunity to turn away from falsehood. It was not a passing moment, nor a short season, but a meaningful duration in which the conditions for moral responsibility were present. This is a testament to the absolute justice of God, who holds no one accountable without first granting them enough time to recognize and embrace the truth.
Eternal judgment, then, is not the result of youthful immaturity, cultural conditioning, or inherited beliefs. It is reserved for those who persist in rejecting truth after it has been made accessible and understandable to them—those who had the capacity to respond and the freedom to choose but knowingly turned away.
‘Ammir (Full Life) in the Quran
The Quran conveys this idea through the word ‘ ʿammir’ ( عَمِّرْ), used to describe a life of substantial length—a life that affords a person the opportunity to reflect, mature, and respond to divine guidance. But what qualifies as an “‘ ʿammir” life? A closer examination of the Quran reveals that whenever this term appears in relation to human lifespan, it signifies not just longevity but a complete and ample life, rich with opportunities to change course.
For instance, in Surah Al-Baqarah (2:96), the term is used to describe someone who wishes to live for a thousand years—not simply to enjoy time, but to delay reckoning. The implication is clear: a truly long life offers no excuse for ignorance. Instead, it magnifies responsibility because the person has been given more time to recognize and respond to the truth.
2:96 In fact, you will find them the most covetous of life; even more so than the idol worshipers. The one of them wishes to live a thousand years. But this will not spare him any retribution, no matter how long he lives. GOD is seer of everything they do.
Thus, when the Quran speaks of those who are judged after having lived a full life ( ‘ʿammir’), it signals that they had every reasonable chance to turn to God. Their condemnation is not arbitrary—it is the result of a willful, informed, and persistent rejection of guidance, despite the time and clarity they were afforded. This framework reaffirms the moral clarity and divine justice at the heart of the Quranic message: no one is wronged, and everyone is given a fair chance.
If we look at all the verses where this word is used, it always constitutes a person who lived a full life. For example, the Quran uses this word again to signify people who live to an old age.
21:44 We have provided for these people and their ancestors, up until an old age. Do they not see that every day on earth brings them closer to the end? Can they reverse this process?
The Quran also informs us that there is a cutoff to the age that constitutes a full life. For example, the Quran informs us that after a person reaches this age, they revert to weakness from then on.
36:68 Whomever we permit to live for a long time, we revert him to weakness. Do they not understand?
This same idea is reflected in verses that describe the natural progression of human physical development—advancing through stages of strength and maturity until eventually reaching a threshold, after which physical decline begins. Moreover, through deductive reasoning, if the Quran points to an “oldest” or upper limit to this stage of life, it logically implies that there is also a lower threshold—a minimum age at which a person enters this period of full accountability and maturity.
22:5 O people, if you have any doubt about resurrection, (remember that) we created you from dust, and subsequently from a tiny drop, which turns into a hanging (embryo), then it becomes a fetus that is given life or deemed lifeless. We thus clarify things for you. We settle in the wombs whatever we will for a predetermined period. We then bring you out as infants, then you reach maturity. While some of you die young, others live to the worst age, only to find out that no more knowledge can be attained beyond a certain limit. Also, you look at a land that is dead, then as soon as we shower it with water, it vibrates with life and grows all kinds of beautiful plants.
16:70 GOD created you, then He terminates your lives. He lets some of you live to the oldest age, only to find out that there is a limit to the knowledge they can acquire. GOD is Omniscient, Omnipotent.
Additionally, the following verse again shows that there is a cutoff for when a life is considered full and when it is considered snapped short.
35:11 GOD created you from dust, then from a tiny drop, then He causes you to reproduce through your spouses. No female becomes pregnant, nor gives birth, without His knowledge. No one survives for a long life, and no one’s life is snapped short, except in accordance with a pre-existing record. This is easy for GOD.
The above verses show a cutoff to this age, but so far, we have not determined precisely when this cutoff occurs.
The first clue to the exact age to what constitutes a full life can be found in the following verse regarding Moses. When Pharoah attempted to rebuke Moses, he said the following.
26:18 He (Pharoah) said, “Did we not raise you from infancy, and you remained a long life with us?
26:19 “Then you committed the crime that you committed, and you were ungrateful.”
This verse suggests that Moses spent a significant number of years in Egypt—the duration of time to meet the threshold of moral and spiritual accountability. While the Quran does not specify his exact age when he fled Egypt, historical and biblical sources indicate that he was around 40 years old at the time. According to historical accounts, Moses spent 40 years in Egypt, 40 years in Midian, and 40 years leading the Israelites through the wilderness. This three-phase life pattern is reflected in the following passage from the Book of Acts.
23 “ When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites. 24 He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. 25 Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. 26 The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?’ 27 “But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? 28 Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons. 30 “ After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. 31 When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to get a closer look, he heard the Lord say: 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.
Another clue regarding this age threshold can be found in a verse that references Muhammad’s life. In condemning the actions of the people of Lot, the Quran swears by the Prophet’s life. Although the verse does not specify his exact age, it shows that he reached this threshold at this point of the revelation.
15:72 By your life, they were totally blinded by their lust.
And here lies the breakthrough—the eureka moment that defines the age of full moral accountability in the Quran. While many verses hint at what constitutes a complete and responsible life, the Quran gives us a clear and definitive statement through the words instructed to the Prophet.
10:16 Say, “Had GOD willed, I would not have recited it to you, nor would you have known anything about it. I have lived among you a whole life before this (and you have known me as a sane, truthful person). Do you not understand?”
This verse is profound. It tells us that the Prophet had already lived a “whole life” ( ʿumuran min qablih) before receiving revelation. And we know from history that he received the Quran at the age of 40.
This verse sets a powerful precedent: it identifies the cutoff age at which a person can justly be held fully accountable for their ultimate choices—for all of eternity. According to the Quran, 40 years marks the age of a full life, representing the minimum amount of time required on earth before one can be eternally judged. In the Quranic view, for someone to be held eternally responsible for their decision, they must have lived a complete life—and the Quran establishes 40 years as the minimum threshold for that accountability.
The Age of Responsibility is the Age of Forty
With this understanding, the following verse becomes more apparent as to why forty is designated as the age of responsibility. In the following verse we read:
46:15 We enjoined the human being to honor his parents. His mother bore him arduously, gave birth to him arduously, and took intimate care of him for thirty months. When he reaches maturity, and reaches the age of forty, he should say, “My Lord, direct me to appreciate the blessings You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and to do the righteous works that please You. Let my children be righteous as well. I have repented to You; I am a submitter.”
The verse above informs us that two conditions must be met for a person to be held fully responsible. The first is maturity, which not only includes reaching physical maturity—commonly marked by puberty—but also having a sound and capable mind. This naturally excludes individuals with significant mental impairments that prevent them from attaining the level of understanding required for moral accountability. In addition to this general maturity, the Quran highlights 40 years of age as a distinct and separate threshold—further emphasizing that full responsibility is not assigned until both intellectual maturity and the passage of sufficient life experience have been reached.
Only when both these requirements are met can one be held eternally responsible for their moral decisions in this life. In Appendix 32 of the Quran, The Final Testament, translated by Rashad Khalifa, PhD, he writes the following regarding this concept
The Crucial Age of 40
What is the age of responsibility? If a child dies at the age of 12, without even hearing about God, does this child go to Heaven or Hell? What if the child is 15 years old, or 21, or 25? At what age will the human being be held responsible for his or her beliefs? This question has puzzled researchers of all religions for a long time.
The Quran sets the age of responsibility at 40; anyone who dies before this age goes to Heaven (46:15). If the person believed in God and benefitted from belief by nourishing and developing the soul (see Appendix 15), he or she goes to the High Heaven. Otherwise, the person goes to the Lower Heaven.
Your first reaction to this piece of information is objection: “What if the person was really bad, evil, and an atheist, will he go to Heaven if he died before the age of 40?” This is because you are mean, while God is the Most Merciful. Our tendency is to “put them all in Hell.”
People who objected strongly to this Divine mercy cannot come up with a cut-off age of responsibility. They ask questions like, “What if the person was really wicked?” The answer is, “Does God know that this person was wicked?” “Yes.” “Does God know that this person does not deserve to go to Heaven?” “Yes.” “Therefore, this person will not die before the age of 40.” As simple as that. God is the only one who terminates our lives on this earth. He knows exactly who deserves to go Heaven and who deserves to go to Hell.
Early in 1989 a man by the name of Theodore Robert Bundy was executed for killing a number of women. The whole nation agreed that he was one of the most vicious criminals in history. So much so that his execution was one of the rare occasions where the opponents of capital punishment did not protest. On the contrary, many people actually celebrated his execution. Numerous journalists, editorials, and politicians lamented the fact that justice took eleven years to execute Ted Bundy. They stated that Bundy should have been executed within a maximum of six years after his conviction. According to the Quran, this would have been the greatest favor anyone could have done to Bundy. He was 42 years old when executed. Had he been executed five years earlier, at the age of 37, he would have gone straight to Heaven, and he did not deserve that.
As it turns out, Bundy was one of the signs God has given us to confirm that anyone who dies before 40 goes to Heaven. Bundy’s name, Theodore Robert Bundy, consists of 19 letters, and he confessed to killing 19 women just one day before his execution. There were many other signs from God.
Delivering this important piece of information is one of the responsibilities given to me as God’s Messenger of the Covenant. It is not my personal opinion.
It is noteworthy that both Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were assassinated just a couple of months before their 40th birthdays.
God Controls Life and Death
A common objection to people, in addition to what was addressed above, is what is stopping someone who is under 40 from taking their own life and securing their place in the Hereafter? This objection shows a complete lack of understanding of God’s system.