Where do the children of non-Muslims go in the afterlife?

Accountability begins at maturity

In Islam, a person is held responsible for their faith and deeds once they reach bulugh (puberty, along with a sound mind). Before that point, deeds are not recorded as sins. A child cannot be blamed for the beliefs they were raised in.

No punishment before the message

The Quran gives a general principle about fairness:

A young child has neither understood nor rejected anything. Allah is the Most Just and does not wrong anyone.

The fitra and the child's upbringing

The Prophet ﷺ said that every child is born on the fitra, the natural disposition towards faith in Allah, and that it is the parents who make a child Jewish, Christian or Magian (Sahih al-Bukhari 4775). This shows that a child's religion at that age comes from the home, not from a personal choice.

What scholars say

Scholars have discussed this question for centuries:

• Many scholars hold that children of non-Muslims who die before maturity will not be punished and will enter Paradise, as a mercy from Allah.
• Some scholars prefer to say that Allah knows best what they would have done, and leave the matter to Him.
• All agree that Allah will not be unjust to any child.

Scholars use several narrations on this topic and read them in different ways, so it is better not to state the matter more firmly than the scholars do. For the related question about babies in general, see What happens to babies who die in Islam?

For those who are grieving or worried

If you are a new Muslim with relatives who are not Muslim, or if a non-Muslim child in your family has died, this topic can hurt. Trust in Allah's justice and mercy; He is more merciful than any of us. You can pray for your family and keep inviting them kindly. See Will my non-Muslim parents go to hell? and What happens to people who never heard of Islam?