Islamic Theistic Universalism

One version of the problem of hell when posed against Islamic theism runs something like this: (1) if the model of hell in the Islamic theistic tradition involves eternal conscious torment, then, plausibly, Islamic theism is false, (2) the model of hell in the Islamic theistic tradition involves eternal conscious torment, (3) therefore, plausibly, Islamic theism is false. Significantly, however, and in contrast to the traditional soteriological model, the oft-labelled staunch traditionalist medieval Muslim theologian, Taqī al-Dīn Ibn Taymiyya (d. 1328 CE), controversially argued for salvific universalism. In this article, I critically examine the three theological arguments Ibn Taymiyya offers for universalism. Following an assessment of these arguments, I conclude that although independently inconclusive, when taken together they constitute a plausible cumulative case for universalism and thus reason to dismiss the problem of hell for Islamic theism.