dontconvert2islam the oracle; can we say who goes to heaven or hell?

In answer to the video "Worst Creatures in Islam"

As shown earlier, only divinely guided messengers and prophets and nobody else, are able to clear all misconceptions and falsehood and explain things in such a way that if one denies the truth then he can be pointed out as an "unbeliever". He is then inflicted with divine retribution. But even then, disbelief has many degrees and circumstancial factors hence even the prophets being unable to say whether such unbelievers are destined for hell in the Hereafter. 

So when 64:9 describes the successful in the Hereafter with an indiscriminate phrase, applicable to Muslims and non-Muslims alike, as those "who believe in God and do good", it enforces that any appellation becomes irrelevant if one refuses believing in God as is taught in the Quran when it reaches them. This is clearly attested by the direct context of the verse. 64:9 gives two inseparable conditions to be among the successful in the Hereafter:

- the first condition is Belief in God, meaning at least in accordance with the innate guidance and common sense (for those not reached by the revelations), or as prescribed in the Quran for those reached by the guidance of this Book.

- the second condition is Doing good, meaning at least in accordance with the innate guidance (for those not reached by the revelations), or as prescribed in the Quran for those reached by the guidance of this Book. 

That is why in the Quran exhortation to perform good deeds is preceded everywhere by Faith and the prophets themselves are not exempted from such principle 6:88. It is thus not any deed, but the best of deeds that is required 67:2, meaning for those reached by divine revelation, with deep sincerity and faith

9:19,53-4"Spend willingly or unwillingly, it shall never be accepted from you; (for) verily you have ever been an ungodly people. And naught prevented that their spendings should be accepted from them, save that they have disbelieved in Allah and in his Messenger, and they do not perform the prayer but while they are sluggish, and they do not spend but while they are averse".

The best of deeds is one which is done because it conforms with the fabric of the universe, as commanded by the Creator of all things, not solely because it feels like it is the right thing to do at a particular time. That mindframe is restricted, and selfish even if it seems to bring good in a specific situation. The best of deeds however is a mindframe that changes one's perception of humanity's role in all aspects of life, making the individual an active participant in an intricate mechanism whose ultimate purpose is goodness, regardless of one's whims, personal feelings and appreciations. 

The willful rejecters of Islam, can still do good and be rewarded in this world, but their deeds will have no value in the Hereafter if it turns out to be the same Hereafter that was described in the Book they rejected entirely after having properly understood it

5:27"Allah only accepts from the God-conscious". 

40:40"and whoever does good, whether male or female, and he is a believer, these shall enter the garden, in which they shall be given sustenance without measure"  

Heaven can be likened to a relationship with God, just as Hell is the absence of such connection 

13:20-25"Those who fulfill the covenant of Allah and do not break the contract, And those who join that which Allah has ordered to be joined and fear their Lord and are afraid of the evil of [their] account, And those who are patient, seeking the countenance of their Lord, and establish prayer and spend from what We have provided for them secretly and publicly and prevent evil with good - those will have the good consequence of [this] home - Gardens of perpetual residence; they will enter them with whoever were righteous among their fathers, their spouses and their descendants. And the angels will enter upon them from every gate, [saying], "Peace be upon you for what you patiently endured. And excellent is the final home." But those who break the covenant of Allah after contracting it and sever that which Allah has ordered to be joined and spread corruption on earth - for them is the curse, and they will have the worst home".

Each person's corresponding share in it is directly related to the amount and measure of connection that was created and developed in this life. People who did not develop a relationship or developed one with something else, they have no share in this afterlife for they had no intention of meriting Allah's approbation in their deeds and expected no compensation in the Hereafter. 

The concept of nearness to Allah implies honoring, satisfaction and reward as often stated in the Quran. It is used in different contexts, as in the magicians whom Pharaoh promised to honor by drawing them near to him 26:42, to the believers who are urged to seek the means to obtain Allah's nearness 5:35 Nearness to Allah in the Hereafter is presented as the foremost reward of the foremost in faith, far surpassing everything that heaven may offer of delights 56:10-11,88,54:55,83:28 the Prophet Jesus is likewise made near to Allah 3:45, as the angels near to Allah executing His commands 4:172. Those honored individuals will experience realities of the unseen that are restricted to others 83:21. Further, those nearest to God 

21:19"are never too proud to worship Him and never grow weary". 

Contrary to worldly ownership and mastership, the closer a servant is to his master the more benefits he gains in terms of power, material gains and personal freedom. But as regards to God's ownership which is the true and absolute one, the closer the servant is drawn to Him the more humbled and submissive the servant becomes, aware of his insignificance in relation to the Supreme Being. That is how complete and intricate the Quran is, in its argumentations for perfect monotheism.

In contrast, Hell is described as the place of those whom Allah has "laan". Often rendered "curse", the Arabic denotes remoteness from God 3:87. Hell is the necessary result of separation from God. God is the source of all goodness, seperation from Him necessarily results in a situation devoid of all goodness. And Hell is the climax of the absence of all good. The punishement of the disbelievers the day they are raised is described as the alienation from God's mercy 

23:66,83:15,20:126,11:99"And they are overtaken by curse/laana in this (world), and on the resurrection day, evil the gift which shall be given". 

All those who attribute a lie to Allah incure His curse/laanat (distancing or being forsaken) 11:18, as well as those who die as disbelievers 2:161, those who commit great sins like murder 4:93, hypocrites 9:68, ingratefulness 15:17 or slander 24:23. 

To further corroborate how rejecting God from one's life in this world manifests as severing of ties in the hereafter. The Quran explains that In the hereafter, all Revelations will be fulfilled. The veil over the unseen realities will be lifted, and truth will be so evident that not a single soul will deny the Creator. Those that did so in this life will ask to be sent back to behave differently, or will beg for the dreadful cataclysms of the day of resurrection to be delayed 6:27-28,7:53,32:12,39:56-9,44:10-16. But these requests will be denied, universal judgement must eventually happen at a time most appropriate as decreed by the perfect Judge. There is no postponing of a time of respite during which sufficient exposure to the clear warnings has occurred 35:37. Further, even if the requested is granted 

"if they were sent back, they would certainly go back to that which they are forbidden, and most surely they are liars". 

The condemned will acknowledge that reality as they have now gained understanding of the functioning of spiritual causality, stating that although they are eager to return to life to make amends and take advantage of every occasion to do good, they themselves arent sure whether this desire will actualize. This is indicated with laAAla in 23:100. That is why some people, even if they are made to live indefinitely, they will remain in the same spiritual condition of denial and ungratefulness 2:96. 

The request to return will thus be denied, just as will be their declaration of faith, and they will still be labelled disbelievers 46:34. The hereafter is the place where the spiritual condition manifests to such an extent that it affects the resurrected body, incapable of bending the knees and prostrating in worship when commanded. This will ironically mirror their willfull refusal to worship in this world 68:42-3,77:48-9. It follows that their demands for forgiveness, which stem from the repentent heart of the worshipper, will be cut short and forbidden from further pleas 41:24,30:57. As Solomon is reported to have stated in regards to prayers offered to God after the time of respite expires 

Prov1:28"Then they will call me, and I will not answer; they shall seek me, and they shall not find me".

Their knees will only bend when that physical desire will be unrelated to worship, but to abasement, begging to be spared entry in hell 19:72. There is a similar statement in the Hebrew Bible concerning the non-validity of worship in the hereafter 

Ps115:17"Neither will the dead praise God, nor all those who descend to the grave". 

Hezekiah's prayer in Isa38 strongly reflects that notion too.
Their state of certainty, which will only be due to profound regret at seeing the undeniable manifestation of the realities they were warned about 6:28,10:54,67:8-11 and which they supressed all the while entertaining the idea that it might possibly be true, cannot benefit them anymore 

16:84,32:29,89:23"On that day shall man be mindful, and what shall being mindful (then) avail him?".

 Spiritual mindfulness is irrelevant beyond this world 

34:52"And how shall the attaining (of faith) be possible to them from a distant place".  

In this world where mankind is given the opportunity to reject or accept faith, God indiscriminately provides among the humans, as a matter of testing their God-consciousness, not to honor them 39:52,34:35,17:20. This higher objective is captured through the recurrent statement "that you might be grateful" ending the verses speaking of God's favors. Through this device (wealth, power, children, health etc) we have opportunities to feel God's presence whichever way we look 2:115. That is why the lawful things must be opened to all, and no human being has the authority to withhold them from another. No man-made laws are allowed to overrule this divine plan 2:168 especially not when it comes to the believers themselves 2:172. They are the foremost entitled to enjoy God's bounties, as they profit from them with gratefulness and God-consciousness in this world. That is why God states that despite this indiscriminate distribution among the people, the bounties as well as the inheritance of the land are for the believers in this world and will be exclusively theirs in the Hereafter 

21:105,39:73-4,43:72,7:32"Who has prohibited the embellishment of Allah which He has brought forth for His servants and the good provisions? Say: These are for the believers in the life of this world, purely (theirs) on the resurrection day" 

7:50"And the inmates of the fire shall call out to the dwellers of the garden, saying: Pour on us some water or of that which Allah has given you. They shall say: Surely Allah has prohibited them both to the unbelievers". 

Those who rejected God's mercy in this world will be forbidden from it in the hereafter. It will only be made available to those who proved themselves worthy of it, ie "purely (theirs) on the resurrection day". As regards to the others, as they were completely "off the mark" conjecturing on the Unseen, they will be raised far away from God's grace and mercy 

34:52-53"And how shall the attaining (of faith) be possible to them from a distant place? And they disbelieved in it before, and they utter conjectures with regard to the unseen from a distant place". 

The disbelievers being located in a "distant" place, ie in regards to the straight path is repeatedly alluded to for example in 6:71,41:44,53. The prophet Micah alludes to the same phenomenon in this very world, the day the promised punishment befalls the transgressors 

Micah3:4"then they shall cry out to the Lord, but He shall not respond to them; and He shall hide His countenance from them at that time, as they wrought evil with their works". 

Again in Prov15:29 it says that 

"The Lord is far from the wicked".

Their own spiritual senses will testify to this heedlessness on the Resurrection 41:19-23. They will realize the error of neglecting those senses to the point they became unreceptive 67:10-11. Their spiritual state in this world (blindness, deafness) will be a source of suffering in the hereafter, taking them even further in their misguidance away from the path of truth 

17:97,20:124-7,21:100,17:72"And whoever is blind in this, he shall (also) be blind in the hereafter, and more erring from the way". 

This shows that man's spiritual state in life is amplified in the Hereafter and the spiritual degradation will cause them not to sense or experience anything of God's mercy 

23:66,83:15,20:126"Our communications came to you but you neglected them; even thus shall you be forsaken this day".

 Just as our physical form in this world depends on proper fetal development, our re-creation in the hereafter will depend on our spiritual development in this world. A person born in this world with physical disabilities will be hindered in experiencing the pleasures of this world, and will sometimes live a life of suffering. The same happens to the spiritually disabled in the hereafter. They end up forsaken for their ungratefulness in this world 16:83 on a Day whose occurrence they rejected and neglected 

45:31-4"Today We forsake you as you neglected the meeting of this day of yours". 

God forsakes them in fact in this very world, when they waste their time of respite 25:18, neglecting the guidance that should have instead triggered their inner disposition to believe 

64:6,30:30,21:10"Certainly We have revealed to you a Book in which is your good remembrance". 

God will be veiled from them, they will not see His mercy 83:15 while the believers on the other hand because of having developed and nurtured their spirituality will feel and experience God's mercy with such intensity that they will literally be "in" Allah's mercy 3:107.
This "cutting off" of the rejecters and blind transgressors is something David speaks of in his 

Psalms73:27"For behold, those who have distanced themselves from You will perish; You have cut off anyone who strays from You".

When the Quran speaks of the people's final destination in the Hereafter, it adjoins "righteousness" to "faith" as a prerequisite for entering Heaven 20:75,64:9 while no mention has been made of the "evil acts" of the future dwellers of Hell, only their "disbelief". This subtelty indicates that disbelief by itself is enough to determine a person's situation in the hereafter, whether that disbelief is accompanied by the evil act or not 30:15-16. 

A believer is one who has cleft the limits of the visible world of 'materiality' by accepting the existence of another one perceivable only through reasonable and spiritual deduction. By doing so, he has created a connection between himself and the realm of an extraordinary, bigger, and greater world.

Plato's "Euthyphro Dilemma", often invoked by atheists, in which Socrates asks Euthyphro:

“Is a pious man loved by the gods because he is pious, or is he considered pious because he is loved by the gods?”

should thus be re-stated in Islamic, or generaly speaking monotheistic terms; “Is what is ‘good’ commanded by God because it is good, or is it considered ‘good’ because God commands it?”. As already answered above, one who does a morally commandable action simply because it agrees with his conscience or intellect while knowingly rejecting the divine authority that commanded that action will not be succesful in a world -the afterlife- designed for those who developped a relationship with God. That type of deed does not qualify as the "best of deeds", which is what God demands of us 67:2. This defines "good" or anything ultimately ethical as "what God wants". This is because God wants us to do what is good and avoid what is bad for us and for the community at large in this world and in the next world. What God wants is what is good and God wants it because it is good. As a side note, from a philosophical viewpoint, it is humanly impossible to perform a purely, ethically altruistic action because of the very existence of a motivation for the altruistic act. It is the difference between mercy/generosity coming from God, of which He has nothing to gain and human generosity. The person helping concludes that his/her help will make someone better off than before. And it is this knowledge which makes absolute selflessness impossible, because this knowledge is in itself a utility gain to the helper. The gain may be a concrete sense of goodwill, or just the simple knowledge that they have helped someone. Therefore, all acts of generosity have some degree of self-interest attached to them. A believer in God, in addition to the satisfaction of knowing that a fellow human is in better condition, has fulfilled an act that does not stem from fleeting whims and feelings. He has fulfilled a duty, regardless of his personal judgement, one that is more far-reaching in that it conforms with the overall system of the universe.

Those who rejected the belief in God and the Hereafter when guidance clearly came to them, their deeds, which they confined to this world and for the achievement of their wordly desires, without any expectation of repercussions in the Hereafter, will therefore have no weight ie worthless in the world to come

7:147,47:1"(As for) those who disbelieve and turn away from Allah's way, He shall render their works ineffective".

The standard against which the deeds are weighted, as already said, is the truth. Truth is a combination of the correct deeds with correct faith. These incomplete works will thus ultimately vanish like ashes scattered by the winds of a "stormy" Day, ie the Day of Resurrection where Truth makes all falsehood vanish

14:18,24:39-40,25:23,47:1-3,18:105"Therefore their works are vain, and on the Day of Resurrection We assign no weight to them".

In reference to the same reality, the book of Psalms states

Ps1:4-6"Not so the wicked, but [they are] like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore, the wicked shall not stand up in judgment, nor shall the sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked shall perish".

Again, we read in

Prov11:18"A wicked man earns illusory wages".

Judaism in addition states that because the Torah (binding on Jews) and noachide laws (binding on non-Jews) are meant to develop a relationship with God, then should a person comply by any of those commands like not stealing, without that his compliance be rooted in the desire to please God then the person still doesnt get any reward in the hereafter, a world in the presence of God for whom the person didnt actually do anything. The opposite is the case of the one who refrains from stealing because he believes it is a law binding on himself and revealed to Moses.