This Hadeeth applies to all non-Muslims
17-8-2006 | IslamWeb
Question:
Dear scholar,As-Salaam Alaykum.Thankyou for your previous answers. In a fatwa,you quoted the following Hadith. Prophet Muhammad Sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam said,"I swear by the one in in whose hands my soul is!There is no Jew or Christian who hears about me and then dies without having believed in me except that he will be among the dwellers of Hellfire."(Muslim). My doubts are 1.Is above hadith applicable to all nonmuslims other than Jews and Christians? 2.What is the reason behind mentioning only Jews and Christians in above Hadith? 3.Will the Jews and Christians in above hadith suffer 'eternal' punishment in Hell even if some or all of them have believed in (only) oneness of Allah? Please clarify my doubts. May Allah reward you abundantly in this world and the hereafter. Jazakum Allah Khayran.
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.
The ruling of eternally dwelling in Hellfire applies to all non-Muslims whether they are the People of the Book or others. Allaah Says (what means): {Indeed, they who disbelieved among the People of the Scripture and the polytheists will be in the fire of Hell, abiding eternally therein. Those are the worst of creatures.}[Quran 98:6].
Moreover, the Prophet 
said: "No Christian or Jew hears about me from this nation and dies while not believing in what I was sent with, except that he will be amongst the people of Hellfire.” [Muslim] As-Suyooti
said about the interpretation of the above narration: "The reason why the Jews and Christians were particularly mentioned here is that they are People of the Book, so it is more appropriate that the punishment applies to others who do not follow any religion."
For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 88151.