Al-Baydawi on Salvation, Substitution, and Divine Justice

Abu Musa' reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:

عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم 

‏"‏ إِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِ دَفَعَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ يَهُودِيًّا أَوْ نَصْرَانِيًّا فَيَقُولُ هَذَا فَكَاكُكَ مِنَ النَّارِ ‏"‏ ‏.

When it will be the Day of Resurrection Allah would deliver to every Muslim a Jew or a Christian and say: That is your rescue from Hell-Fire. 

Al-Qadi al-Baydawi, may God have mercy on him, said:

لمّا كان لكل مكلَّف مقعد من الجنة، ومقعد من النار، فمن آمن حقّ الإيمان بُدّل مقعده من النار بمقعد من الجنة، ومن لم يؤمن فبالعكس، كانت الكفرة كالخلف للمؤمنين في مقاعدهم من النار، والنائب منابهم فيها، وأيضًا لَمّا سبق القَسَم الإلهيّ بملء جهنم كان ملؤها من الكفار خلاصًا للمؤمنين، ونجاةً لهم من النار، فهم في ذلك للمؤمنين كالفداء، والفكاك، ولعل تخصيص اليهود والنصارى بالذكر؛ لاشتهارهما بمضادة المسلمين، ومقابلتهما إياهم في تصديق الرسول المقتضي لنجاتهم. 

" Since every accountable person has a seat in Paradise and a seat in Hell*, whoever believes with true faith has his seat in Hell exchanged for a seat in Paradise, and whoever does not believe, the opposite applies. Thus, the disbelievers are like successors to the believers in their seats of Hell, taking their place therein. Furthermore, since the divine decree regarding the filling of Hell has already been established,** its being filled with disbelievers is a salvation for the believers and a deliverance for them from the Fire; thus, in this regard, the disbelievers serve as a ransom and a means of deliverance for the believers. Perhaps the Jews and Christians are singled out for mention because they are known for their opposition to the Muslims and for their refusal to believe in the Messenger, which necessitates their salvation. End.” 

Allah, the Exalted, says: 

{And no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another} [Fatir: 18]

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Reference: Tuhfat al-Abrar Sharh Masabih al-Sunnah by Nasir al-Din al-Baydawi, vol. 3, p. 399. 

* https://hadeethenc.com/en/browse/hadith/8869

** https://legacy.quran.com/32/13