A man said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Shall we be punished for what we did in the Prelslamic Period of ignorance?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever does good in Islam will not be punished for what he did in the Pre-lslamic Period of ignorance and whoever does evil in Islam will be punished for his former and later (bad deeds).
Exposition of Hadith on Pre-Islamic Deeds
This narration from Sahih al-Bukhari 6921 addresses the crucial matter of accountability for deeds committed during the Period of Ignorance (Jahiliyyah) prior to embracing Islam.
Divine Mercy and Justice
The Prophet's response demonstrates Allah's infinite mercy - that embracing Islam erases previous misdeeds when accompanied by sincere repentance and righteous conduct thereafter.
Allah's justice is manifest in that Islam does not provide blanket immunity; persistent evil after conversion renders one accountable for both past and present transgressions.
Scholarly Interpretation
Classical scholars explain that "doing good in Islam" refers to maintaining faith and righteous actions until death, while "doing evil" signifies persisting in major sins without repentance.
The wisdom behind this ruling encourages continuous righteousness and warns against complacency, reminding believers that spiritual transformation must be genuine and enduring.
Practical Implications
This hadith offers hope to new Muslims while emphasizing the seriousness of religious commitment - true faith necessarily produces righteous deeds and abandonment of former sinful practices.
It teaches that Islam comprehensively reforms individuals, where sincere conversion brings spiritual rebirth while willful disobedience negates this transformative grace.