Abi Talib (AS) refrained from killing the fathers of...

Abi Talib (AS) refrained from killing the fathers of disbelievers so that believing children could be born of them. After that whenever he met them he would endeavour to kill them. Similarly, our Qa'im (AS) will not rise until God's trust from the loins of the disbelievers has been delivered. After that he will appear and will eliminate disbelievers." When the 12th Imam (AS) appears, he will offer the religion of Islam to the non-believers.

Anyone who accepts that call will be saved from being killed. All those who refuse to accept Islam will be killed. Now, we know that history is replete with cases of believing children born of non-believing and hypocritical parents. This was the case of the early Muslims who were born of non-believing parents in the pre-Islamic age. If the Prophet had killed all the non-believers during the conquest of Makkah, the Muslims then born of their generation would never have come into existence.

God's grace and benevolence necessitates that human beings should be left alone to their beliefs so that in time those believers among their children will be born. As long as a human being procreates and brings forth a believer and worshipper of God, he or she should remain on earth. When the Imam of the Age (AS) appears, those who persist in their disbelief, and who will be killed, will be the people from whom there will be no believing offspring.