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What is the ruling on this fictional dialogue between a person from this world and a person from the Afterlife, and what is the ruling on publishing it?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

There is no objection to writing and publishing an imaginary dialogue intended for admonition and remembrance. Its ruling is similar to writing fictional stories and presenting hypothetical examples to clarify meanings and illustrate ideas. What can be used as a supporting argument is what Abd al-Haq al-Ishbili and al-Qurtubi narrated from Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said when passing by graves: "O inhabitants of the graves! As for wives, they have been remarried; as for homes, they have been inhabited; and as for wealth, it has been divided. This is the news of what is with us, so what is the news of what is with you?" Then he turned to his companions and said: "Indeed, if they could speak, they would say: 'We found the best provision to be piety.'"

However, the correctness of the dialogue's phrases and meanings must be examined, as some require modification, such as the deceased's statement to his companion: "By Allah, He loves you." Allah Almighty does not love all human beings. The Qur'an explicitly negates this love for those who do not deserve it. Allah Almighty says: {Indeed, Allah does not love aggressors} [Al-Baqarah: 190], {And Allah does not love the wrongdoers} [Al-Imran: 57], {And Allah does not love corrupters} [Al-Ma'idah: 64], {Indeed, Allah does not love traitors} [Al-Anfal: 58], {Indeed, Allah does not love the jubilant} [Al-Qasas: 76].

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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