When someone good has died outside faith
Aisha asked about a man known for feeding the poor and keeping family ties.
لاَ يَنْفَعُهُ إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَقُلْ يَوْمًا رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي خَطِيئَتِي يَوْمَ الدِّينِ
She asked whether it would avail him. He said: it will not benefit him. He never once said: my Lord, forgive me my sin on the Day of Judgement.
A hard answer, and he gave it plainly. What was missing was not the good he did but who he did it for.
The full narration
A'isha reported:I said: Messenger of Allah, the son of Jud'an established ties of relationship, fed the poor. Would that be of any avail to him? He said: It would be of no avail to him as he did not ever say: O my Lord, pardon my sins on the Day of Resurrection
Source
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim · 518
Ṣaḥīḥ
- Agreed upon as authentic (al-Bukhārī / Muslim)