Al-Jannah Wa An-Naar
In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
by 'Umar Sulaiman al-Ashqar
Bi'idhnillaah a very important series begins on the list today, concerned with the subject of al-Jannah and an-Naar - the Paradise and the Hell-Fire. One of these two will be the end destination, moreover the eternal abode, for each and every one of us. Therefore it is crucial for us to reflect on what Allah has prepared for mankind - for those who are obedient and recognise His favours, and for those who reject His sins and rebel against Him.
It is my intention with these posts, after seeking the pleasure of Allah azza wa jall, to touch the hearts of each and every one of you, as the book, on which this series is based - "The Final Day: Paradise and Hell" by Dr. 'Umar Suleiman al-Ashqar, Professor at the College of Shariah, University of Jordan - touched mine. To fill your hearts with fear of Allah's punishment as reading it did mine; To fill your hearts as mine was filled with Love for Allah subhaanahu wa ta'ala and an incredible yearning for the beauty and bliss of al-Jinaan, the Gardens; and insha'Allah to put this dunyaa in perspective and thus to inspire us to devote our lives to the cause of Allah and His Deen, to work to save our heels from even feeling the heat of the Hell-fire.
So I ask Allah, for the sake of our own souls, that we read each word carefully, and deeply reflect upon the Aayaat of Allah and the sayings of His Messenger, so that insha'Allah we will live our lives, as if we could see the Fire on one side of us, and the Garden on the other.
Surely, as the Prophet sallAllahu 'alayhi was-sallam said, there is no life but the life of al-aakhirah.
Definition and Explanation
Hell is the abode which Allah (swt) has prepared for those who do not believe in Him (swt), those who rebel against His (swt) laws and disbelieve in His Messengers. It is the punishment for His (swt) enemies, the prison for evildoers.
It is the ultimate humiliation and loss; there is nothing
worse:
"Our Lord! Verily, whom You admit to the Fire, indeed, You
have disgraced him, and never will the Dhaalimoon [polytheists and
wrongdoers] find any helpers" (3:192)
"Know they not that whoever opposes and shows hostility to
Allah and His Messenger, certainly for him will be the fire of Hell to
abide therein? That is extreme disgrace". (9:63)
"The losers are those who will lose themselves and their
families on the Day of Resurrection. Verily, that will be a manifest
loss!" (39:15)
How could Hell be other than we have described, when it is full
of utterly indescribable torment, pain and grief? It is eternal and its
inhabitants will remain there forever. Allah (swt) has condemned them and
their place in the Fire:
"Evil indeed it [Hell] is as an abode and as a place to
dwell" (25:66)
"This is so! And for the Tagheen [transgressors] - will be
an evil final return - Hell! Where they will burn, and worst [indeed] is
that place to rest!" (38:55-6)
Paradise and Hell Have Already Been Created
"Paradise and Hell have already been created. They will never come to an end or cease to exist. Allah (swt) created Paradise and Hell before the rest of creation, and He (swt) created inhabitants for each of them. Whoever He (swt) wishes (will enter) Paradise by His grace and mercy, and whoever He (swt) wishes (will enter Hell) as a result of His (swt) justice. Every person will behave according to that for which he was created, and his destiny will be that for which he was created; good deeds and evil deeds are foreordained for all men".
Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Abul-'Izz al-Hanafi remarked, in his
commentary on
this text:
"With regard to his saying that Paradise and Hell have already been created, Ahl as-Sunnah agree that Paradise and Hell have been created and are in existence at the present moment. Ahlus-Sunnah continued to hold this view, until some odd ideas of the Mu'tazilah and Qaadariyyah came along, which denied that. These groups said: "Allah will create them (ie Paradise and Hell) on the Day of Resurrection." They said this because of their false arguments by means of which they seek to improve regulations on what Allah (swt) should do; (they say) it befits Allah (swt) to do this, or it does not befit Allah (swt) to do that. They compare Him to His creation and their actions. This is a kind of anthropomorphism with regard to deeds; they have allowed the ideas of Jahmiyyah (a sect of Mu'tazilah named after the deviant, Jahm ibn Safwan) to creep into their thinking, and have become mu'attalah (those who deny that Allah can see). They said, "It does not make sense for Paradise to be created before the time of reward, because it will not be used or inhabited for a very long time. They rejected the aayaat and reports that contradict these false notions they seek to project onto Allah (swt). They misinterpreted the texts and accused those who disagreed with them of going astray and concocting bid'ah".
Proofs from the Qur'an and Hadeeth in support of this are, for
example:
"Race with one another in hastening towards forgiveness from
your Lord, and Paradise the width whereof is as the width of the heaven
and the earth, prepared for those who believe in Allah and His
Messengers. That is the Grace of Allah, which He bestows on whom He is
pleased with. And Allah is the Owner of Great Bounty".
(57:21)
"...for Paradise as wide as are the heavens and the
earth, prepared for al-Muttaqun" (3:133)
"And fear the
fire, which is prepared for the disbelievers" (3:131)
"And indeed he (Muhammad) saw him (Jibreel) at a second
descent (ie another time), near Sidrat al-Muntahaa (lote tree of the
utmost boundary (beyond which none can pass), near it is the Paradise of
Abode" (53:13-15)
The Prophet (saw) saw Sidrat al-Muntahaa, a tree in Heaven, and
near it, Paradise, as is mention in al-Bukhaari, and Muslim in the hadith
of Anas (ra). At the end of this narrative of al-Israa, the Prophet (saw)
said, "Then Jibreel brought me to Sidrat al-Muntahaa which was
veiled in colours indescribable. Then I entered Paradise, and its lights
were of pearls and its soil was musk".
Muslim, Abu Dawud and Imaam Ahmad report from Abu Hurayrah (ra)
that the Messenger (saw) said, "When Allah (swt) created Paradise
and Hell, He sent Jibreel to Paradise, saying "Go and look at it and at
what I have prepared therein for its inhabitants". So he went and looked
at it and at what Allah had prepared therein for its inhabitants.... then
He sent him to Hellfire saying, "Go and look at it and what I have
prepared therein for its inhabitants" So he looked at it and saw that it
was in layers, one above the other...."
Muslim reports from Aishah (ra) that there was a solar eclipse
in the time of the Messenger (saw) and he said, "Whilst I was
standing here I saw everything that you have been promised, I even saw
myself picking some of the fruits of Paradise, when you saw me stepping
forward. And I saw Hellfire, parts of it consuming other parts, when you
saw me stepping backward".
al-Bukhaari and Muslim report from Ibn 'Abbas the same
incident, "I saw Paradise and I tried to take a bunch of its fruit.
If I had managed to do so, you would have eaten from it until the end of
time. And I saw the Fire of Hell, and I have never seen anything so
horrific or terrifying. I saw that the majority of its inhabitants are
women."
Muslim also reports from Anas that the Prophet (Saw) said,
"By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, if you had seen what I saw,
you would laugh little and cry much." They said, "What did you see, O
Messenger of Allah?", He said, "I saw Paradise and Hell".
The Prophet (saw) also ascended into jannah on the night of
Mi'raj in his 'Isra (night journey): for example
* "...I saw four rivers flowing out from beneath Sidrat al-Muntahaa, two visible and two hidden." (Muslim, Kitaab al-Imaan, Baab al-'Israa, 1/150, no.164) * "Whilst I was walking in Paradise I saw a river whose banks were domes of hollow pearls and I asked, "What is this, O Jibreel?" He said, "This is al-Kawthar which your Rabb has given to you". (from Anas ibn Maalik, Sahih al-Bukhaari, Kitaab ar-Riqaaq, Baab fil-Hawd, Fath al-Baari, 11/464)
*
al-Bukhaari and Muslim report from Jaabir that the Messenger of Allah
said, "I entered Paradise where I saw ar-Rumaysa, the wife of Abu
Talhah. And I heard footsteps and asked, "Who is that?" He (Jibreel) said,
"That is Bilaal". And I saw a palace with women in its courtyard. I asked,
"Whose is this?" They said, It is for 'Umar ibn al-Khattab"
(Mishkaat al-Masaabih, 3/226)
Imaam Ahmed, Ibn Hibbaan and al-Haakim report from Abu Hurayrah
that the Prophet (saw) said, "The children of the believers are in
Paradise, being cared for by Ibraahim (as) [and in the narration
of Abu Nu'aym, ad-Dawylami, and Ibn Asakir it adds- "and Sarah,
until they give them back to their parents on the day of
Resurrection"]
al-Bukhaari and Muslim also report from 'Abdullaah ibn 'Umar
(ra) that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "When anyone of you
dies, he will be shown his position morning and evening. If he is one of
the people of Paradise then he will be one of the people of Paradise, and
if he is one of the people of Hell, then he will be one of the people of
Hell, and he will be told, "This is your position, until Allah (swt)
resurrects you on the Day of Resurrection".
According to al-Muwatta of Imaam Maalik and as-Sunaan, Abu
Dawood, "Ka'b ibn Maalik said the Messenger of Allah (saw) said,
"Verily the soul of the believer is a bird hanging on to the trees
of Paradise, until Allah Swt returns it to its body on the day of
Resurrection"
This makes it clear that souls will enter Paradise before the
Day of Resurrection.
As
for the specious arguments of those who say that Hell has not been created
yet, they say: If it was already created now, then it would of necessity
have to come to an end of the Day of Resurrection and everyone in it would
have to perish because Allah says: "Everything will perish save His
Face" (28:88) and "Everyone shall taste death.." (3:185) The
response to this is: If you mean that Paradise does not exist until the
Trumpet is blown and people are resurrected from their graves, then this
is incorrect and is refuted by the evidence quoted above and other proofs
which we have not mentioned here. If you mean that Allah (swt) has not
yet completed the creation of everything that He will prepare for the
inhabitants of Paradise and that He is still creating more and more things
in it, and that when the believers enter Paradise, Allah (swt) will
create even more things in it, then this is true and cannot be refuted,
and the evidence that you give can only mean this, but when you use the
aayah - "Everything will perish save His Face" - as evidence, your
problem is that you misinterpret this aayah. Using it to prove that
Paradise and Hell do not yet exist is like your colleagues using it to
prove that they will both be destroyed and their inhabitants will all
perish! You and your scholars did not understand the aayah properly; only
the leaders (great scholars) of Islaam have understood it properly. They
say that "everything" for which Allah (swt) has decreed destruction and
oblivion "will perish" but Paradise and Hell have been created to last
forever and never pass away, as has the Throne, which forms the roof of
Paradise.
"It was suggested that it meant that everything would perish
except His dominion, or whatever was done for His sake. Another suggestion
was that when Allah (swt) revealed the word: "Whatever is on it will
perish" - the angels said, "The people of earth are doomed", and hoped
that they would remain. Allah said that the people of heaven and earth
would perish and said, "And invoke not any other ilaah along with
Allah, Laa ilaaha illaa Huwaa. Everything will perish save His Face"
(28:88) because He is the Living and does not die. The angels realise that
they too were destined to die. Their words should be taken in the light of
and reconciled with other clear and unambiguous reports that prove that
both Paradise and Hell are eternal".
(Sharh at-Tahaawiyyah, p.479, see also Siddeeq Hasan Khan, Yaqadhah ula al-'i'tibaar, p. 37 and 'Aqeedah as-Safarini 2/230)
The Keepers of Hell
"O you who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a
Fire whose fuel is men and stones, over which are [appointed] angels stern
[and] severe, who flinch not [from executing] the Commands they receive
from Allah, but do [precisely what] they are commanded."
(66:6)
Their number is nineteen as Allah (swt) says:
"Soon I will cast him into Hellfire. And what will explain
to you what Hellfire is? Naught does it permit to endure, and naught does
it leave alone! Darkening and changing the colour of man! Over it are
nineteen [angels as guardians and keepers of Hell]"
(74:26-30)
This number was a challenge to the kuffaar who thought that
they would easily overcome such a small number, but they did not realise
that one of these angels has the strength to confront the whole of mankind
on his own. For this reason, Allah (swt) said in the next
aayah:
"And We have set none but angels as guardians of the Fire,
and We have fixed their numbers [19] only as a trial for the
disbelievers.." (74:31)
Ibn Rajab said, "What is known and well-established among
the earlier and later generations (as-Salaf wal-Khalaf) is that the trial
came about when the number of angels was mentioned and the kuffaar thought
that it was possible to kill them. They thought that they would be able to
fight and resist them. They did not know that humankind in its entireity
would not be able to resist even ONE of them." (at-Takhweef min
an-Naar, p.174)
These angels are the ones whom Allah subhaanahu wa ta'ala
called the guardians of Hell:
"Those in the Fire will say to the keepers [angels] of Hell:
"Call upon your Rabb to lighten for us the torment for a day!"
(40:49)
The Location of Hell
Sheikh Waliullaah ad-Dahlawee says in, his 'Aqeedah, "There is no clear text which states their location (of Paradise and Hell). They are wherever Allah (swt) wishes them to be, and we cannot comprehend all the universes created by Allah (swt)" (ibid, p.47). Siddeeq Hasan Khan says, commenting on these words, "I say, that is the best and most cautious of opinions, inshaa'Allah" (ibid).
The Vast Extent of Hell
(1) Those who will enter Hell are innumerable, yet one of them
will be so huge that his molars will be as big as Mount Uhud, and the
distance between his shoulders will be equivalent to three days walking.
Nevertheless, Hell will accommodate the huge number of Kuffaar and
evildoers who have existed throughout history, in spite of their huge
size, and there will still be room for more, as Allah says in the
Qur'an:
"On the Day when We will say to Hell: "Are you filled?" It
will say: "Are there any more to come?" (50:30)
The Fire of Hell is like a mill to which are brought thousands
upon thousands of tons of grain, which it grinds tirelessly until it is
all done, then waits for more. In the hadith that describes the debate
between Paradise and Hell, it says that Allah (swt) said to Hell,
"You are My Punishment; I will punish in you whomsoever I will".
Both Paradise and Hell will be filled, but Hell will not be filled until
Allah (swt) places His foot in it and it will say, "Enough,
enough!". Then it will be filled and its different parts will come
closer to one another. Allah (swt) will not wrong any one of His
Creation. Reported by al-Bukhaari and Muslim from Abu Hurayrah (ra)
(Jaami' al-Usool, 10/544). [See the narration from Anas in al-Bukhaari,
Muslim and Mishkaat ul-Masaabeeh, 3/109 with a similar
meaning].
(2) Another indication of its vast depth is the fact that a
stone thrown from the top of Hell takes a very long time to reach the
bottom. Muslim reports that Abu Hurayrah (ra) said:
"We were with the Messenger of Allah (saw) and we heard
the sound of something falling. The Prophet (saw) said, "Do you know what
that was?" We said, "Allah and His Messenger know best". He said, "That
was a stone that was thrown into Hell seventy years ago and it was falling
through Hell until now". (Muslim, Kitaab al-Jannah, Baab fi
shiddat haar an-naar, 4/2184 no. 2844)
Haakim reports from Abu Hurayrah, and Tabaraani from Mu'aadh
and Abu Umamah (ra) that the Prophet (Saw) said, "If there was a
huge stone as big as seven khalifaat stones, and it was thrown from the
edge of Hell it would fly through it for seventy years before it reached
the bottom". (Saheeh al-Jaami' as-Sagheer, 5/58, no. 5124, Its
isnaad is saheeh).
(3) The great number of angels who will bring Hell forth on the
Day of Resurrection.
The Messenger (saw) described how Hell will be brought forth on
the Day of Resurrection, concerning which Allah (swt) said,
"And Hell will be brought near that Day".
(89:23)
The Prophet (saw) said,
"Hell will be brought forth that Day by means of seventy
thousand ropes, each of which will be held by seventy thousand angels."
(reported by Muslim from 'Abdullaah ibn Mas'ud, 4/2184
no.2842)
We
can only image the vastness of this terrifying creation that requires such
a huge number of strong and powerful angels whose strength is known only
to Allah!
(4) Another indication of the vastness of Hell is the fact that
two great creations like the sun and moon will be two rolled-up bulls in
Hell. at-Tahhaawee reports, in Mishkil al-Aathaar, that Salamah ibn
'Abdur-Rahman said, "Abu Hurayrah told us that the Prophet (saw)
said:
"The sun and moon will be two rolled-up bulls in Hell on
the Day of Resurrection" al-Bayhaqi also reported this in
"al-Ba'th wal-Nushur", as did al-Bazzaar, al-Isma'ili and al-Khattaabi,
with an isnaad that is saheeh according to the conditions of al-Bukhaari,
who reported in al-Saheeh al-Mukhtasar, with the wording "The sun
and moon will be rolled up in Hell of the day of Resurrection".
(Sheikh Naasir ud-Deen al-Albaani narrated this hadeeth in Silsilah
al-ahadeeth as-Saheehah, 1/32, hadith no:124)
The Levels of Hell
As
Allah says:
"Verily the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths [grade]
of the Fire" (4:145)
It
is said that both Paradise and Hell have different levels; the lower the
level in Hell, the greater the intensity of the heat. The hypocrites will
suffer the worst punishment, and so they will be in the lowest level of
Hell.
Allah (swt) refers to the levels of Paradise and Hell in the
Qur'an:
"For all there will be degrees [or ranks] according to what
they did" (6:132)
"Is then one who follows [seeks] the good pleasure of Allah
like the one who draws on himself the Wrath of Allah? His abode is Hell -
and worst, indeed, is that destination! They are in varying grades with
Allah, and Allah is All-Seer of what they do". (3:162-3)
'Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Zayd ibn Aslam said, "The levels of
paradise go up and the levels of Hell go down" [Ibn Rajab, at-Takhweef
min an-Naar, p.5]. It was reported from some of the Salaf that the sinners
amongst the monotheists who enter Hell would be in the first level, the
Jews would be in the second level, the Christians in the third level, the
Sabians in the fourth level, the Magians in the fifth level, the
polytheist Arabs in the sixth level and the hypocrites in the seventh
level (1) Some books give names to these levels: the first is called
Jahanam, the second Ladhaa, the third al-Hutamah, the fourth as-Sa'eer,
the fifth Saqar, the sixth al-Jaheem, and the seventh
al-Hawiyah.
There is no proof for this division of the inhabitants of Hell
or the names that have been attributed to the various levels. The truth is
that all of these names - Jahanam, Ladhaa, al-Hutamah, etc - are
alternative names by which Hell in its entirety is known, and they are not
applied to one part or another of it. It is also known that people will be
placed in different levels of Hell according to the extent of their kufr
and sins.
Footnotes
(1) If this division is based on our understanding of the texts that indicate the evil of the various groups, then it needs to be revised, for the Magians who worship fire are no less sinners than the Arab polytheists. It is better not to engage in speculation about matters that were not discussed in the nusoos (texts).
The Gates of Hell
"And surely, Hell is the promised place for them all. It
[Hell] has seven gates, for each of these gates is a [special] class [of
sinners] assigned". (15:43-44)
Ibn Katheer commenting on this aayah, said: "This means that
each gate has been allotted its share of the followers of Iblees who will
enter it, and the will not be able to avoid it. May Allah (swt) protect
us from it. Each will enter a gate according to his deeds, and will be
assigned to a level of Hell according to his deeds."
It
was reported from 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib (ra) that he said, during a khutbah
(sermon): "The gates of Hell are such and-such". Abu Harun said,
"They are in layers, one above the other". It is reported that he also
said, "The gates of Hell number seven, one above the other. The first will
be filled, then the second, then the third, until all of them are filled."
(Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 4/162)
When the disbelievers come to Hell, its gates will be opened,
and they will enter it, to remain there forever:
"And those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in groups,
till, when they reach it, the gates thereof will be opened [suddenly like
a prison at the arrival of the prisoners]. And its keepers will say, "Did
not the Messengers come to you from yourselves - reciting to you the
Verses of your Rabb, and warning you of the Meeting of this Day of yours".
They will say, "Yes" but the Word of torment has been justified against
the disbelievers". (39:71)
After they are admitted, they will be told:
"Enter you the gates of Hell, to abide therein. And [indeed]
what an evil abode of the arrogant!"
(39:72)
These gates will be shut upon the evildoers, and they will have
no hope of ever escaping from them after that, as Allah (swt) says,
"But those who reject Our Signs, they are the [unhappy] Companions of
the Left Hand. On them will be Fire vaulted over [all round]."
(90:19-20)
Ibn 'Abbaas said, "vaulted" (literally: "shut over them") means
that the gates will be locked". al-Mujaahid pointed out that the word used
(mu'sadah) is the word used in the dialect of Quraysh to mean "locked" or
shut" (Tafseer Ibn Katheer 7/298)
In
the Qur'an Allah (swt) says:
"Woe to every [kind of] scandalmonger and backbiter, who
piles up wealth and lays it by. Thinking that his wealth would make him
last forever! By no means! He will be sure to be thrown into that which
Breaks to Pieces. And what will explain to you that which breaks to
pieces? The Fire of [the wrath of] Allah, kindled [to a blaze], which
mounts [right] to the heart. It shall be made into a vault over them, in
columns outstretched." (104:1-9)
Allah (swt) states that the gates of Hell will be locked
behind them. Ibn Abbaas said, "In columns outstretched" means that the
gates will be stretched out". 'Atiyah said, "It is a pillar of
iron". Muqaatil said, "The gates will be closed firmly behind them
and locked with a bolt of iron, so that the pain and heat will be
intensified. The expression "stretched forth" applies to the "pillar",
meaning that the bolts with which the gates are locked will be very long,
because a long bolt is stronger than a short one" (Ibn Rajab,
at-Takhweef min an-Naar, p.61)
The gates of Hell may be opened and closed before the Day of
Judgement. The Prophet (Saw) told us that the gates of Hell are locked
during the month of Ramadhan. at-Tirmidhi reported that Abu Hurayrah said
the Prophet (saw) said: "When the first night of Ramadhan comes, the
Shayaateen and evil jinns are chained up. The gates of Hell are closed and
not one of them is opened. The gates of Paradise are opened and not one of
them is closed." (Ibid, p.66)
Fuel of Hell
"O you who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a
Fire whose fuel is men and stones!" (66:6)
"...then fear the Fire [hell] whose fuel is men and stones,
prepared for the disbelievers" (2:24)
What is meant by the people who will be fuel for the Fire is
the disbelievers and polytheists. As for the type of stone that will fuel
the Fire, Allah (swt) knows best what it really is. Some of the Salaf
thought that this stone was brimstone or sulphur. 'Abdullaah ibn Mas'oud
said, "It is a stone of sulphur which Allah (swt) created in the first
heaven the day He created the heavens and earth and prepared it for the
disbelievers". This was reported by Ibn Jareer, Ibn Abi Haatim and
Haakim in al-Mustadrak. Ibn 'Abbaas, Mujaahid and Ibn Juryayj were also of
this opinion. (Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 1/107)
If
this opinion was based on something that the Prophet (saw) had said then
we could accept it without hesitation or argument. If it is the matter of
ijtihaad, based on knowledge of the nature and qualities of stones, then
we cannot accept it without question. There may be other stones that are
superior to sulphur in strength and flammability. The first Muslims saw
that sulphur has qualities that do not exist in other stones, so they
thought that it would be the fuel of Hell. Ibn Rajab said, "Most of the
mufassireen suggest that what is meant by stones is sulphur, with which
the Fire of Hell will be fuelled. It was said that it includes five kinds
of torment that are not found in other stones: it catches fire quickly, it
has an unpleasant odour, it produces a lot of smoke, it sticks to flesh,
and it is very hot when it is heated" (Ibn Rajab, at-Takhweef min an-Naar,
p.107). Allah may create other kinds of stones that are superior to
sulphur, and we can be sure that whatever exists in the Hereafter will be
different from this world.
Another fuel for the Fire will be the gods, which were
worshipped instead of Allah (swt);
"Certainly! You [disbelievers] and that which you are
worshipping now besides Allah, are [but] fuel for Hell! [Surely] you will
enter it. Had these [idols etc] been aaliha [gods] they would not have
entered there [Hell] and all of them will abide therein."
(21:98-99)
"al-Jawhaari said, "Everything that is used to feed the Fire
or increase it is its fuel". Abu Ubaydah said, "Everything that you
throw into the Fire is fuel for it" (Yaqazah uli al-i'tibaar,
p.61)
The Intensity of Its Heat and the Vastness of Its Smoke and Sparks
"And those on the left hand - who will be those on the Left
Hand? In fierce hot wind and boiling water. And shadow of black smoke,
[that shadow] neither cool, nor [even] good". (56:41-44)
This aayah includes all of the things that people avail
themselves of in this world when it is too hot; these three things are:
water, air and shade. But the aayah states that these three things will be
of no help whatsoever to the people of Hell. The air of Hell is al-Sumoom,
which is an intensely hot wind; its water is al-Hameem, boiling water; its
shade is al-Yahmoom, which is a part of the smoke of Hell. (at-Takhweef
min an-Naar, p.85)
Just as this aayah emphasises the horrifying position of those
on the Left Hand, who are the people of Hell, another aayah emphasises the
horror of Hell itself. Allah (swt) says:
"But he whose balance [of good deeds] will be [found] light,
will have his home in a [bottomless] pit. And what will explain to you
what this is? [It is] a Fire blazing fiercely!" (101:8-11)
The shade referred to in the aayah "and the shadow of black
smoke" (56:43) is the shade cast by the smoke of Hell. Shade usually
makes one feel cool and comfortable, and people love to feel it, but this
shade [in Hell] will neither be cool nor pleasant; it is the shadow of
black smoke.
The Qur'an tells us that this shade is the smoke of Hell which
rises above the Fire:
""Depart you to a shadow [of smoke ascending] in three
columns, [which yields] no shade of coolness and is of no use against the
Fierce Blaze". Indeed! It [Hell] throws about sparks [huge] as forts, as
if there were [a string of] yellow camels [marching swiftly]."
(77:30-33)
This aayah states that the smoke that rises from Hell is so
great that it is divided into three columns. It gives shade, but it is not
cooling and it offers no protection from the Raging Fire. The sparks that
fly from this Fire are like huge castles, and they are likened to yellow
or black camels.
Allah (swt) explained how strong this Fire is, and how it
affects the tormented:
"Soon I will cast him into Hellfire. And what will explain
to you exactly what Hellfire is? Naught does it permit to endure, and
naught does it leave alone! Darkening and changing the colour of man!"
(74:26-29)
The Fire consumes all, destroying everything and leaving
nothing untouched. It burns skin, reaching to the bone, melting the
contents of the stomach and exposing what is innermost.
The Prophet (saw) told us: "Fire as we know it is
one-seventieth part of the Fire of Hell." Someone said, "O Messenger of
Allah (saw), it is enough as it is!" He said, "It [the fire
of Hell] is as if sixty nine equal portions were added to the fire as we
know it." (al-Bukhaari)
This Fire never dies down, no matter how much time
passes:
"So taste you [the results of your evil actions]; no
increase shall We give you, except in torment". (78:30)
"...whenever it abates, We shall increase for them the
fierceness of the Fire". (17:97)
The disbelievers will not taste the luxury of respite, and the
torment will not be lessened for them no matter how long it
lasts:
"Their torment shall not be lightened nor shall they be
helped". (2:86)
The Fire is rekindled every day as is stated in the hadith
reported by Muslim from 'Amr ibn 'Absah (ra) who said:
"The Prophet (saw) said, "Pray salaat as-subh (the early
morning prayer) then stop praying when the sun is rising until it is fully
up, for it rises between the horns of Shaytaan and the disbelievers
prostrate to the sun at that time. Then pray, for the prayer is witnessed
(by the angels) until the shadow becomes the length of a lance. Then cease
prayer, for at that time Hell is heated up. Then when the shadow moves
forward, pray.."
al-Bukhaari and Muslim report from Abu Hurayrah (ra) that the
Prophet said, "When it becomes very hot, wait until it cools down to
pray, because the intense heat is a breeze from Hell".
The Fire of Hell will be further refuelled on the Day of
Resurrection when it receives its inhabitants:
"And when Hellfire shall be kindled to a fierce blaze, and
when Paradise shall be brought near". (81:12-13)
Hell can Speak and See
"When it [Hell] sees them from a far place, they will hear
its raging and roaring". (25:12)
Ibn Jareer reports that Ibn 'Abbaas said:
"A man will be dragged towards Hell, which will shrink into
itself. Allah (swt) will say: "What is the matter with you?" It will say,
"He is seeking refuge with you from me". He will say, "Release My slave".
Another man will be dragged towards Hell and it will send out a gust of
air like a mule snorting at a camel, then it will take in a gust of air
and there will be no-one left except it will terrify him". (Ibn
Katheer quoted this report in an-Nihaayah, 2/21, and said that its isnaad
is saheeh).
Imaam Ahmad and at-Tirmidhi report from Abu Salih from Abu
Hurayrah (ra) that the Prophet (saw) said:
"On the Day of Resurrection a neck will stretch forth
from Hell; it will have two eyes to see, two ears to hear, and a tongue to
speak. It will say, "I have been appointed to take care of three types of
people: every arrogant tyrant, every person who called on some deity other
than Allah (swt) and those who made pictures" (at-Tirmidhi stated
that this hadith was saheeh - at-Takhweef min an-Naar, p.179, See also
Jaami' al-Usool, 10/518, the editor said its isnaad is
hasan).
Ibn 'Umar's Vision of Hell
Does Anybody See Hell in Reality Before the Day of Resurrection?
"I saw Paradise and I reached out to take a bunch of its
fruits. If I had managed to do so you would have eaten from it until the
end of time. And I saw Hell, and I have never seen anything more
terrifying. I saw that most of its inhabitants are women".
(Mishkaat al-Masabeeh, 1/480)
Imaam Ahmad reports from al-Mugheerah ibn Shu'bah that the
Messenger of Allah (saw) said:
"Hell was brought so close to me that I tried to blow its
heat away from my face. I saw there the man with the stick with the
crooked end, and one who had tended al-Baheerah (a she-camel let loose for
pasture for idols, upon which nothing was allowed to be carried), and the
man of Humayr and the woman who had imprisoned the cat". (Saheeh
al-Jaami', 2/181 #1968)
Muslim reports from Jaabir (ra) that the Prophet (saw)
said:
"Paradise and Hell were shown to me. Paradise was brought
close to me, so that I tried to take fruit from it but I could not reach
it. Hell was shown to me, and was brought so close that I stepped back for
fear that it would touch me. I saw a Humayr woman who was tall and black,
being punished on account of a cat that she owned: she had tied it up, not
giving it anything to eat or drink, or allowing it to eat of the vermin of
the earth. I also saw Abu Thumaamah 'Umar ibn Maalik being dragged by his
trachea through Hell". (Saheeh al-Jaami', 2/298, #2394)
After people die they are shown, in al-Barzakh (the period
between death and Judgement) their position in Paradise (if they are
believers) or Hell (If they are disbelievers).
How Hell Affects this Earth and its Inhabitants
"Hell complained to its Rabb, saying "O my Rabb, some parts of
me have consumed others." So He allowed it to exhale twice, once in the
winter and once in the summer. That is why you find extreme heat (in the
summer) and extreme cold (in the winter)".
al-Bukhaari also narrated from Abu Sa'eed (ra) that the Prophet
(saw) said:
"Delay your prayers until it cools down, for the
intensity of heat is from the exhaled air of Hell". (Saheeh
al-Bukhaari, Kitaab Bad' al-Khalq, Baab Siffaat an-naar wa annaha
makhluqah and Fath al-Baari 6/330. The author of Jaami' al-Usool 10/517
attributed these two reports to al-Bukhaari, Muslim and
at-Tirmidhi).
The People of Hell and Their Evil Deeds
The people of Hell who will abide therein forever, never
leaving it and never dying, are the disbelievers and polytheists. Allah
(swt) says:
"But those who reject Allah, for them will be the Fire of
Hell. No term shall be determined for them, so they should die, nor shall
its penalty be lightened for them". (35:36)
"But those who reject Faith and belie Our Signs, they shall
be companions [or dwellers] of the Fire; they shall abide therein".
(2:39)
"Verily those who reject faith and die rejecting - on them
is Allah's Curse and the Curse of the Angels and of all
mankind. They will abide therein: their penalty will not be
lightened, nor will respite be their lot."
(2:161-162)
"Know they not that for those who oppose Allah and His
Messenger is the Fire of Hell - wherein they shall dwell? That is the
supreme disgrace". (9:63)
"It is not for such as join gods with Allah to visit or
maintain the Mosques of Allah while they witness against their own souls
to infidelity [or disbelief]. The works of such bear no fruit: In Fire
shall they dwell." (9:17)
Because they will abide therein forever, Allah (swt) described
the torment of Hell as a lasting torment, one that will never end, one
that is eternal:
"Their wish will be to get out of the Fire, but never will
they get out therefrom: their Penalty will be one that endures".
(5:37)
"At length it will be said to the wrongdoers: "Taste you the
enduring punishment! You get but the recompense of what you earned!"
(10:52)
Death will be slaughtered, as is stated in the hadith narration
from Ibn 'Umar by al-Bukhaari and in Muslim from Abu Sa'eed who
said:
"The Messenger of Allah of Allah (saw) said: "Death
will be brought like a horned ram, and will be made to stand between
Paradise and Hell". It will be said, "O people of Paradise, do you know
what this is?" They will raise their heads and look, and will say, "Yes,
this is death". It will be said, "O people of Hell, do you know what this
is?" They will raise their heads and look, and will say, "Yes, this is
death". Then the command will be given for death to be slaughtered. Then
it will be said, "O people of Paradise, it is eternal, there is no death.
O people of Hell, it is eternal, there is no death". Then the
Messenger of Allah (saw) recited:
"And warn them of the Day of Grief and regrets when the case
has been decided, while [now] they are in a state of carelessness, and
they believe not". (19:39)
and in the narration of at-Tirmidhi, Abu Sa'eed al-Khudree
added: "If any were to die of joy it would be the people of Paradise
and if any were to die of despair, it would be the people of
Hell". (at-Tirmidhi, said "This is a sahih hasan
hadith").
2. Hell will be the Dwelling Place of the Kuffar and
Mushrikeen
Because the disbelievers and polytheists will remain in Hell
forever, it is considered to be their abode or dwelling place, just as
Paradise is the abode of the believers:
"Their abode will be the Fire; and evil is the home of the
wrongdoers" (3:151)
"Their abode is the Fire, because of the [evil] they
earned". (10:8)
"Is there not a home in Hell for those who reject Faith?"
(29:68)
Hell is abode that they deserve:
"Your abode is the Fire: that is the proper place to claim
you..." (57:15)
Hell is the worst abode and destination:
"But for the wrongdoers will be an evil place of [final]
Return! - they will burn therein - an evil bed [indeed to lie on]!"
(38:55-56)
3. Those Who Call Others to Hell
Those who follow misguided beliefs and ideologies that
contradict the laws of Allah (Swt) and those who believe in their false
causes, these are the ones who call others to Hell:
"Those [unbelievers] do [but] beckon you to the Fire.."
(2:221)
"And We made them [but] leaders inviting to the Fire; and on
the Day of Judgement no help shall they find". (28:41)
One of them is Shaytaan:
"..[would they do so] even if it is Shaytaan beckoning them
to the Penalty of the [Blazing] Fire?" (31:21)
"He [Shaytaan} only invites his adherents that they may
become Companions of the blazing Fire" (35:6)
Those who call others to the Fire in this world will lead their
people and their followers to the Fire in the Hereafter. An example is
Pharaoh:
"He will go before his people on the Day of Judgement, and
lead them into the Fire." (11:98)
All evil leaders who call people to their belief systems that
go against Islaam are in fact calling people to the Fire of Hell, because
the only way to escape the Fire of Hell and enter Paradise is to follow
the path of Faith:
"And O my people! [strange] it is for me to call you to
salvation while you call me to the Fire!" (40:41)
This man's people were calling him to the kufr and shirk of
Pharaoh while he was calling them to Tawheed and faith in Allah (swt).
Because the kuffaar invite people to the Fire, Allah (swt) forbade
believing men to marry mushrik women, just as He forbade believing women
to marry mushrik men:
"And do not marry unbelieving (literally, polytheist) women
until they believe. A slave woman who believes is better than a [free]
unbelieving woman, even though she allures you. Nor marry [your girls] to
unbelievers until they believer; a male slave who believes is better than
a [free] unbeliever, even though he allures you. Those [unbelievers] do
[but] beckon you to the Fire, but Allah invites by His Grace to the
Garden [of Bliss] and forgiveness, and makes His Signs clear to mankind
that they may receive admonition" (2:221)
The Worst Evil Deeds of Those Who Will Remain Forever in Hell
(1) Kufr and Shirk: Allah (swt) tells us that it will
be said to those who disbelieved, when they are in the Fire, that Allah's
hatred of them will be greater than their own hatred towards themselves
because of their disbelief. Then He explains that their eternal fate in
Hell is because of their kufr and shirk:
"The unbelievers will be addressed: "Greater was the
aversion of Allah to you than [is] your aversion to yourselves, seeing
that you were called to the Faith but you used to refuse. They will say,
"Our Rabb! Twice have You made us without life, and twice have You given
us life! Now have we recognised our sins: is there any way out [of this]?"
[The answer will be]: "This is because, when Allah was invoked as the
Only [object of worship] you did reject Faith, but when partners were
joined to Him, you believed! The Command is only with Allah, All-High,
All-Great!" (40:10-12)
Allah (swt) tells us that the keeper of Hell will ask the
kuffaar as they are approaching Hell:
"Did there not come to you your messengers with clear
signs?" (40:50)
The response will be that they deserved Hell because they
disbelieved in the Messengers and their Message:
"They will say, "Yes indeed; a Warner did come to us, but we
rejected him" and said: "Allah never sent down any [Message] you are in
nothing but a great error!" (67:9)
Concerning those who disbelieved in the Qur'an, Allah (swt)
says:
"for We have sent you a Message from Our own presence. If
any do turn away therefrom, verily they will bear a burden on the Day of
Judgement. They will abide in this [state] and grievous will that burden
be to them on that Day". (20:99-101)
Concerning those who disbelieve the Qur'an and associate
partners with Allah (swt), Allah (swt) says:
"Those who reject the Book and the [Revelations] with which
We sent Our Messengers: but soon shall they know, when the yokes [shall
be] round their necks, and the chains, they shall be dragged along. In the
boiling fetid fluid, then in the Fire shall they be burned. Then shall it
be said to them, "Where are the deities to which you gave part-worship in
derogation to Allah? They will reply: "They have left us in the lurch.
Nay, we invoked not, of old, anything [that had real existence]." Thus
does Allah leave the unbelievers to stray. That was because you were want
to rejoice on the earth in things other than the Truth, and that you were
want to be ignorant. Enter the gates of Hell, to dwell therein and evil is
[this] abode of the arrogant". (40:70-76)
Concerning those kuffaar and mushrikeen who regarded their gods
as equal to the Rabb of the Worlds, Allah (swt) says:
"Then they will be thrown headlong into the [Fire] - they and
those straying in Evil and the whole hosts of Iblees together. They will
say there in their mutual bickerings: "By Allah, we were truly in an
error manifest, when we held you [false gods] as equals with the Rabb of
the Worlds"
(26:94-98)
Concerning the fate on the Day of Judgement of those who
disbelieved, Allah said:
"If you do marvel [at their want of faith] strange is their
saying: "When we are [actually] dust, shall we indeed then be a creation
renewed?" They are those who disbelieve in their Rabb! They are those
around whose necks will be yokes [of servitude]. They will be Companions
of the Fire to dwell therein [for aye]!"
(13:5)
"..their abode will be Hell; every time it shows abatement,
We shall increase for them the fierceness of the Fire. That is their
recompense, because they rejected Our Signs and said, "When we are reduced
to bones and broken fragments, should we really be raised up [to be] a new
creation?" (17:97-98)
(2) Failing
to fulfill the legislated duties, as well as
denying the Day of Judgement. Allah (swt) tells us that the people of
Paradise will ask the people of Hell:
"What led you into Hellfire?" (74:42)
They will reply: "..We were not of those who prayed, Nor
were we of those who fed the indigent, But we used to talk vanities with
vain talkers, And we used to deny the Day of Judgement, Until there came
to us [the Hour] that is certain." (74:43-47)
(3) Obeying the
misguided leaders of kufr and accepting
the principles by means of which they mislead people and turn them away
from the religion of Allah (swt) as taught by the Prophets:
"And We have destined for them intimate companions [of like
nature] who made alluring to them what was before them and what was behind
them. And the Sentence among the previous generations of jinns and men who
have passed away, is proved against them; for they are utterly lost. The
unbelievers say: "Listen not to this Qur'an but talk at random in the
midst of its [reading] that you may gain the upper hand!" But We shall
certainly give the unbelievers a taste of a severe penalty, and We shall
requite them the worst of their deeds. Such is the requital of the enemies
of Allah - the Fire, therein will be for them the eternal home, a [fit]
requital for that they used to reject Our Signs"
(41:25-28)
When the kuffaar are thrown into Hell they will be filled with
regret for having disobeyed Allah and His Messenger and having followed
their masters and leaders:
"Verily Allah has cursed the unbelievers and has prepared
for them a blazing Fire, to dwell therein; no protector will they find,
nor helper. The Day that their faces will be turned upside down in the
Fire, they will say, "Woe to us! Would that we had obeyed Allah and
obeyed the Messenger". And they would say, "Our Rabb! We obeyed our chiefs
and our great ones and they misled us as from the [Right] Path".
(33:64-67)
(4) Hypocrisy
Allah promised Hell to the hypocrites, a promise that He has
taken upon Himself to never break:
"Allah has promised the hypocrites, men and women, and the
rejecters of Faith, the fire of Hell, therein shall they dwell. Sufficient
is it for them. For them is the curse of Allah and an enduring
punishment." (9:68)
He
has told us that the position of the hypocrites is the lowest level of
Hell, which si where the heat and agony are most intense:
"The hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire; no
helper will you find for them". (4:145)
(5) Arrogance:
This is a quality shared by most of the people of Hell. Allah
(swt) says:
"But those who reject Our Signs and treat them with
arrogance - they are the Companions (dwellers) of the Fire, to dwell
therein [forever]" (7:36)
Muslim devoted a chapter of his Saheeh to this issue, entitled
Baab an-Naar Yadhkhulha al-Jabbaaroon wal-Jannah yadkhuluha ad-du'afaa
(Hell will be entered by the arrogant and Paradise will be entered by the
weak). In this chapter he refers to the debate between Paradise and Hell,
what they said and what Allah (swt) sad to them. Muslim quotes the
hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (ra) which goes back to the Prophet (saw), in
which it is stated that Hell said, "The arrogant and proud will
enter me." According to another report, Hell said, "I will
become rich (have too many) from the proud and arrogant". Allah
(swt) said, "You are My Punishment with which I will punish
whomsoever I will". (Sahih Muslim, 4/2186, no. 2846)
al-Bukhaari, Muslim and at-Tirmidhi report from Harithah ibn
Wahb that the Messenger of Allah (swt) said: "Shall I not
tell you about the people of Paradise? Every meek person who is
considered to be so humble that if he were to adjure something by
Allah (swt), He would fulfil it for him. Shall I not tell you about
the people of Hell? Every haughty, greedy and proud person."
(Jaami' al-Usool, 10/547, no. 8111) Evil Deeds that Lead One to Hell * associating partners in worship with Allah (swt) Specific People Who Will Be In Hell The Disbelievers Among the Jinn Will Be In
Hell Those Who Will Not Remain in Hell
Forever (ii) Refusing to Migrate for the Sake of
Allah (iii) Judging Unjustly (iv) Lying about [falsely attributing words to] the
Messenger of Allah (saw)
(v) Pride (vi) Killing a person for no legitimate
reason One of the sins that will condemn a person to Hell is
consuming ribaa. Allah (swt) says of those who indulge in this sin
after they have come to know that He has forbidden it: According to a hadith whose authenticity is agreed upon,
the Prophet (saw) counted ribaa as one of the seven sins that would
doom the one who committed them to Hell. al-Bukhaari and Muslim
report that Abu Hurayrah (ra) said: (viii) Consuming people's wealth or property
unjustly (xi) Women Who Are Dressed But Appear Naked, and Those
Who Whip the Backs of People (xiii) Insincerity in Seeking
Knowledge (xiv) Those Who Drink From Vessels of Gold and
Silver 'Abdullaah ibn Hubaysh (ra) said, The Messenger of Allah
(saw) said, "Whoever cuts down shade trees, Allah (swt) will
cast him head first into Hell". (Abu Dawud, Mishkaat
al-Masaabeeh, 2/125. Sheikh Naasir ud-Deen al-Albaani mentioned it
in Saheeh al-Jaami' 5/431, hadith no. 6352 and ascribed it to Abu
Dawud an ad-Diyaa, al-Mukhtarah.) (xvi) Those Who Commit Suicide The Vast Number of People in Hell
According to a report given by Muslim, he (saw) said,
"Every proud mean and arrogant person". This is confirmed by the
Qur'an
"Is there not in Hell an abode for the Haughty [i.e.
arrogant]?" (39:60)
"But today shall you be recompensed with a penalty of
humiliation for that
you were
arrogant on earth without just cause, and that you [ever]
transgressed"
(48:20)
"Then, for such as had transgressed all bounds, and
had preferred the life of this world, the Abode will be
Hellfire" (79:37-39)
Sheikh al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah (swt) have mercy
on him, was asked: "What are the deeds of the people of Hell and
what are the deeds of the people of Paradise?" He replied, "The
deeds of the people of Hell are:
*
disbelieving in His Messenger
* kufr (ingratitude,
disbelief)
* hasad (malicious envy)
* lying
* treachery
* oppression and wrongdoing (dhulm)
* promiscuity
*
backstabbing
* cutting off the ties of kinship
* cowardice at
the time of jihaad
* miserliness
* inconsistency between what
is in one's heart and the face one shows to people
* despairing
of the mercy of Allah (swt)
* feeling secure from the plan of
Allah (swt)
* panicking blindly at the time of crisis
*
pride and extravagance at the time of plenty
* abandoning one's
duties towards Allah (swt)
* transgressing His limits
*
violating His sanctity
* fearing a created being instead of the
Creator
* showing off
* going against the Qur'an and Sunnah
in word or deed
* obeying a created being in some act of
disobedience to the Creator
* blindly supporting falsehood
*
mocking the signs of Allah (swt)
* rejecting the truth
*
withholding knowledge and testimony that should be revealed
*
witchcraft and magic
* disobeying one's parents
* killing any
soul forbidden by Allah (swt) except for reasons of justice
*
consuming the wealth of the orphan
* riba (usury)
* desertion
from the battlefield
* slandering the reputation of innocent,
chaste, believing women" (Yaqadhat uli al-I'tibar, p.222)
The Messenger of Allah (saw) mentioned all the sins that
will lead one to Hell. Muslim reports from 'Iyadh bin Himaar that
the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, during a lengthy
khutbah:
"..the people of Hell are five: the weak who lack
the power to (avoid evil); the (carefree) who pursue (everything
irrespective of whether it is good or evil) and who have no concern
for their families or their wealth; the dishonest people whose greed
cannot be concealed even in the case of minor things; and those who
betray you, morning and evening, with regard to your family and your
property. He also mentioned misers, liars and those who are in the
habit of abusing people and using obscene, foul language".
(Muslim in Kitaab al-Jannah wa Sifaat Na'imihaa Baab
as-Sifaat allaatee yu'raf bihaa fid-dunyaa ahl al-Jannah wa ahl
an-Naar, 4/2197 no. 2865)
The kuffaar and mushikreen will be in Hell, no doubt about
it, but the Qur'an and hadith also mention specific people who will
be in the Fire. One of them is the Pharaoh who ruled at the time of
Musa (as):
"He [Pharaoh] will go before his people on the Day of
Judgement, and will lead them into the Fire.."
(11:98)
Also included are the wives of Nuh (as) and Lut
(as):
"Allah sets forth for an example to the unbelievers,
the wife of Nuh and the
wife of
Lut. They were [respectively] under two of Our righteous slaves, but
they were false to their [husbands] and they profited nothing before
Allah on their account, but were told: "Enter the Fire, along with
those who enter!"
(66:10)
Abu Lahab and his wife are also among those mentioned
specifically:
"Perish the hands of the Father of Flame [Abu Lahab]!
Perish he! No profit to him from all his wealth and all his gains!
Burnt soon will he be in a Fire of blazing flames! His wife shall
carry the [crackling] wood, as fuel! A twisted rope of palm fibre
round her [own] neck!" (111:1-5)
Another of them is 'Amr ibn 'Aamir al-Khuzaa'i, whom the
Prophet (saw) being disembowelled in Hell (sahih hadith narrated by
al-Bukhaari, Muslim, Ahmad); and the one who killed 'Ammar and
plundered his possessions. A report with a Saheeh isnaad quoted in
Mu'jam at-Tabaraani from 'Amr ibn al-'Aas, and his son states that
the Prophet (saw) said, "The one who killed 'Ammaar and
plundered his possessions will be in Hell". (Saheeh
al-Jaami', 4/110, #4170)
The disbelievers among the jinn will enter Hell just like the
disbelievers among mankind, for the jinn are held responsible for
their actions just as human beings are:
"And I have only created jinns and men that they may
worship Me [alone]" (51:56)
On the Day of Resurrection, the jinn and mankind will be
gathered alike:
"And on the Day when He will gather them [all]
together, [and say]: "O assembly of jinns! Many did you mislead of
men" (6:128)
"So by your Rabb, without doubt, We shall gather them
together, and [also]
the Evil
Ones [with them], then We shall bring them forth on their knees
round about Hell. Then shall We certainly drag out from every sect
all those who were worst in obstinate rebellion against Allah the
All-Gracious. And certainly We know best those who are most worthy
of being burned therein".
(19:68-70)
Then Allah (swt) will tell the disbelieving
jinn:
"Enter in the company of nations who passed away
before you, of men and jinns into the Fire". (7:38)
Then they will be thrown on their faces in
Hell:
"Then they will be thrown headlong into the [Fire],
they and those straying in evil. And the whole hosts of Iblis
together". (26:94-95)
Thus Allah's promise that Hell will be filled with the
disbelievers among the jinn and mankind will be
fulfilled:
"..And the word of your Rabb shall be fulfilled:
"Surely I will fill Hell with jinns and men all together"
(11:119)
"And the Sentence among the previous generations of
jinns and men that had passed away is proved against then.."
(41:25)
(1) Definition: Those who will enter Hell and
be brought forth at a later time are the monotheists who did not
associate anything with Allah (swt) but they committed many sins
that far outweigh their good deeds. They will enter Hell for a
period known only to Allah (swt), then they will be brought forth
through the intercession of those who intercede, and Allah (swt)
will bring forth, through His Mercy, people who never did any good
at all.
(2) The Sins for which Allah (swt) has promised
Hell -
Here we will mention some of the sins which the Qur'an
and Hadeeth state will earn the punishment of Hell:
(i) Following groups and sects that go against the
Sunnah
Abu Dawood, ad-Daarami, Ahmad, al-Haakim and others
narrate that Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan said:
"The Messenger of Allah (swt) stood up among us and
said: "There were some
among the
People of the Book before you who divided into seventy-two sects.
This nation will divide into seventy-three sects, seventy-two of
whom will be in Hellfire, and only one in Paradise. (This group) is
al-Jamaa'ah"
This is a sahih hadith. After mentioning its various
asaanid (chain of narrator), al-Haakim remarked, "These asaanid
prove that this hadith is sahih". Adh-Dhahabi agreed with him.
Sheikh al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah said, "It is a mashhoor sahih hadith
al-Shatibee said in al-I'tisaam that it is sahih. Sheikh Naasir
ud-Deen al-Albaani listed its asaanid and stated that it is without
a doubt sahih. (See Silsilat al-Ahadith as-Saheehah, hadith no.
204)
Siddeeq Hasan Khan suggested that the extra wording in
the hadith, "all of them are doomed except one" or
"seventy two are in the Fire", was a da'eef addition.
He transmitted this opinion from his Shaykh, ash-Shawkaani, who
narrated it from Ibn al-Wazeer and Ibn Hazm before him. He approved
the opinion of one who said, "This addition is one of the
fabrications of the atheists because it puts people off Islaam and
scares them away from embracing it." (Yaqadhaat ul al-I'tibaar,
p.206)
Sheikh Naasir ud-Deen al-Albaani refuted the opinion that
this addition is da'eef on two counts:
(a) Scholarly critical examination of the hadith
indicates that this addition is Sahih so the opinion that it is
da'eef carries no weight.
(b) Those who say that it is sahih are greater in number
and more knowledgeable than Ibn Hazm, who is well-known among the
scholars for being extremely strict in his criticism. His opinion
should not be taken as evidence if he is the only one who says so,
even if there is no conflict, so how can it be taken as evidence
when it differs from everyone else's view?
Ibn al-Wazeer rejects the hadith on the grounds of its
meaning rather than its isnaad. Siddeeq Hasan Khan spoke on this in
Yaqadhaat uli al-I'tibaar explaining that the indication of this
addition is that those of this ummah who will enter Paradise are few
in number, whereas well-proven Sahih texts indicate that those of
this ummah who will enter Paradise are very many, so many that they
will be half the population of Paradise:
This may be reconciled in the following ways:
a) Dividing the ummah into seventy-three sects does not
mean that most of this ummah will be in Hell, because most of its
ummah are `awaam ("rank and file") who are not counted among those
sects. Those who deviated and established rules that contradict the
Sunnah are few in number when compared to those who avoided falling
into that trap.
(b) Not everyone who differs from Ahl as-Sunnah is SOME
issue is counted as contradicting the Sunnah. What is meant is those
people who adopted rules that made them a separate, independent
group and caused them to abandon many texts of the Qur'an and
Sunnah, like the Khawaarij, the Mu'tazilah and Rawaafidh.
As for those who adopt the Qur'an and Sunnah and do not
deviate from them, if they differ in some matter it does not mean
that they are counted as one of the (doomed) sects.
(c) This addition indicates that all other sects will
enter Hell, but that does not necessarily mean that they will abide
therein forever.
It is well known that some of these sects are kuffar and
will abide eternally in Hell, like the extreme Baatinis who make a
show of faith whilst concealing kufr in their hearts, and the
Ismaa'ilis, Druze, Nusayris and so on.
There are others who differ from Ahl as-Sunnah in some
serious issues, but that does not mean they are kuffaar. They have
no definite guarantee of entering Paradise. Allah (swt) may forgive
them or punish them as He wills. They made do some righteous deeds
that will save them from Hell, or they may be saved by the
intercession of those who intercede, or they may enter Hell and
remain there for as long as Allah (swt) wills, then be brought
forth through the intercession of those who intercede and the Mercy
of the Most Merciful.
Muslims are not permitted to remain in Daar al-Kufr if
there are Muslim countries to which they could migrate (NB: or if it
becomes waajib on them to make hijrah) especially when staying in
Daar al-Kufr exposes them to trials and temptations. Allah (swt)
will not accept any excuse from those who refused to
migrate:
"When the angels take the souls of those who die in
sin against their souls, they say: "In what [plight] were you?" They
reply, "Weak and oppressed were we in the earth". They [the angels]
say: "Was not the earth of Allah spacious enough for you to move
yourselves away from evil?" Such men will find their abode in Hell -
what an evil refuge [or destination]! Except those who are really
weak and oppressed - men, women and children, who have no means in
their power, nor [a guide post] to direct their way".
(4:97-98)
Allah (swt) will not excuse any of them (NB: upon whom
hijrah was OBLIGATORY) except those weak and oppressed person who
had no means of migrating and could find no way of moving to
Islaamic lands.
Allah (swt) revealed the Shari'ah to establish justice
among mankind, and He commanded His slaves to be Just:
"Verily Allah commands the justice [and] the doing of
good.." (16:90)
He has made it obligatory for rulers and judges to be
just and never to be unfair:
"Allah commands you to render back your trusts to
those to whom they are due; and when you judge between man and man,
that you judge with justice". (4:58)
Allah (swt) threatens Hell to those who do not judge
with justice. Buraydah ibn al-Husayb narrated that the Messenger of
Allah (saw) said,
"There are three types of judges: one will be in
Paradise and the other two in Hell. The one who will be in Paradise
is the one who knows the truth and judges according to it. As for
the one who knows the truth but is unjust in his judgement, he will
be in Hell, as will the one who judges between people without
understanding or knowledge". (Abu Dawood - Jaami' al-Usool,
10/168)
Ibn al-Ithir included in his famous book, Jaami' al-Usool
a chapter in which he quoted many hadith that warn against lying
about the Prophet (saw). These include the report by al-Bukhaari,
Muslim and at-Tirmidhi from 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib who said: "The
Messenger of Allah (saw) said to me: "Do not lie about me (or
falsely attribute anything to me) for whoever lies about me will
enter Hell".
al-Bukhaari reported that Salaman ibn al-Akwa' said: "I
heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say: "Whoever attributes
to me words that I did not say, let him take his place in
Hell".
al-Bukhaari and Abu Dawood reported that 'Abdullaah ibn
az-Zubayr narrated from his father, az-Zubayr ibn al-'Awwaam: "I
heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say: "Whoever lies about
me deliberately, let him take his place in Hell".
al-Bukhaari and Muslim narrated from al-Mughirah ibn
Shu'bah, "The Messenger of Allah (saw) said "Lying about me
is not like lying about anybody else. Whoever lies about me, let him
take his place in Hell". (Jaami al-Usool,
10/211)
One of the major sins, al-Kabaa'ir, is pride. Abu
Hurayrah (ra) narrated: "The Messenger of Allah (saw) said that
Allah (swt) said, "Pride is My cloak and greatness is My
robe. Whoever competes with Me in respect of either of them, I shall
admit him to Hellfire". (according to another report, "I
will make him taste Hellfire") - Muslim.
Ibn Mas'ud said: "The Messenger of Allah (saw)
said, "No one who has an atom's weight of pride in his heart
will enter Paradise". A man said, "But what if a man likes his
clothes and shoes to look good?" He said, "Allah is beautiful and
loves beauty. Pride is rejecting the truth and looking down on
people". (Muslim).
Allah says: "If a
man kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell to abide
therein [forever] and the Wrath and the Curse of Allah are upon
him, and a dreadful Penalty is prepared for him". (4:93)
It is not
permitted for a Muslim to kill another except in three cases, as
explained in the hadith narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim from Ibn
Mas'ud (ra) who said that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: "It is not permitted to shed the blood of any Muslim
person who testifies that there is no god but Allah (swt) and that
I am His Prophet, except in three cases: a soul for a soul (i.e in
the case of murder), the married man who commits adultery, and the
one who forsakes his religion and abandons the jamaa'ah".
(Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 2/355)
al-Bukhaari narrates from Ibn 'Umar that the
Messenger of Allah (saw) said: "The believer has a chance so
long as he does not spill blood that it is forbidden to
spill". Ibn Umar (ra) said, "One of the situations from
which there is no escape for the one who falls into it is the
shedding of blood for no legitimate reason". (Sahih al-Bukhaari,
Kitaab ad-Daayaat, Baab Qawl Allah ta'ala wa man yaqtul mu'minan
muta'ammidan, Fath ul-Baari, 12/187)
The Prophet (saw) warned the Muslims against fighting one
another and stated that the killer and his victim will both be in
Hell. Abu Bakrah said: "The Messenger of Allah (saw) said,
"If two Muslims face one another with swords, both the slayer
and the slain will be in Hell". I asked, or it was asked, "O
Messenger of Allah (it is clear about) the slayer, but what about
the slain?" He said, "He was trying hard to kill his
counterpart". (Muslim, Kitaab al-Fitan, Baab idhaa tuwajaha
al-Musliman bi sayfayhimaa 4/2213)
Hence the righteous slave of Allah (swt) refuses to
fight his brother, for fear that he may be among the people of Hell,
for the slayer will carry his own sins and those of his slain
brother:
"Recite to them the truth of the story of the two sons
of Aadam. behold, they each presented a sacrifice [to Allah]: it
was accepted from one but not from the other. Said the latter: "Be
sure I will slay you". Said the former: "Allah does not accept the
sacrifice of those who are righteous. If you do stretch your hand
against me to slay me, it is not for me to stretch my hand against
you to slay you, for I fear Allah, the Cherisher of the Worlds. For
me, I intend to let you draw on yourself my sin as well as yours,
for you will be among the Companions [or dwellers] of the Fire, and
that is the reward of those who do wrong". (5:27-29)
(vii) Consuming Ribaa
"..but those who repeat the offence (ribaa) are
Companions (dwellers) of the Fire - they will abide therein
[forever]" (2:275)
"O you who believe! Devour not [interest, ribaa] doubled
and multiplied, but fear Allah that you may [really] prosper. Fear
the Fire, which is prepared for those who reject Faith".
(3:130-131)
"The Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "Avoid the
seven sins that will condemn the one who commits them to Hell". They
asked, "What are they, O Messenger of Allah (saw)?" He said,
"Associating anything in worship with Allah (swt); magic and
witchcraft; killing anyone whose killing Allah (swt) has forbidden,
except in the course of justice; consuming ribaa; consuming the
wealth of the orphan; running away from the battlefield; and
slandering the reputation of innocent, chaste believing women".
As
Allah says: "O you who believe! Eat not up your property among
yourselves in vanities; but let there be amongst you traffic and
trade by mutual good will. Nor kill [or destroy] yourselves, for
verily Allah has been to you All-Merciful. If any do that in
rancour and injustice, soon shall We cast him into the Fire, and
easy is it for Allah" (4:29-30)
The one who consumes the wealth of people unjustly also
consumes the property of orphans unjustly. Allah (swt) made
specific mention of the property of orphans because of their weak
position and the ease which their property may be consumed, and the
particular ugliness of this sin:
"Those who unjustly eat up the property of orphans,
eat up a Fire into their own bellies, and they will soon be enduring
a blazing Fire! (4:10)
(ix) Those Who Make Images of Animate
Beings
The people who will be most severely punished on the Day
of Resurrection are those who make images and seek to imitate the
creation of Allah (swt). al-Bukhaari and Muslim narrate that
'Abdullaah ibn Mas'ud said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw)
said, "The people who will be most severely punished on the
Day of Resurrection are those who make images". (Mishkaat
al-Masaabeeh, 2/505)
Ibn 'Abbaas said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw)
say, "Every maker of images will be in the Fire, and for every
image he made Allah (swt) will create for him a soul [i.e. so that
the punishment will be multiplied accordingly] and Allah (swt) will
punish him in Hell." (al-Bukhaari and Muslim).
'Aaishah reported that the Prophet (saw) said, concerning
a pillow that had pictures on it, "The makers of these images
will be punished on the Day of Resurrection. It will be said to
them: "Give life to that which you have created".
(al-Bukhaari and Muslim).
'Aaishah also reported that the Prophet (saw) said
"Those who will be most severely punished are those who
imitate the creation of Allah (swt)" (Mishkaat
al-Masaabeeh)
Abu Hurayrah (ra) said, "I heard the Messenger of
Allah says, "Allah (swt) said, "Who is a greater wrongdoer than
the one who tries to create something like My creation? Let them
create a grain or let them create a seed or a grain of barely"
(al-Bukhaari and Muslim).
(x) Inclining to Those Who Do
Wrong
One of the reasons why people will enter Hell is
inclining towards and supporting those who do wrong, the enemies of
Allah (swt);
"And incline not to those who do wrong, or the Fire
will seize you, and you have no protectors other than Allah, nor
shall you be helped". (11:113)
Another type of person who will enter Hell is the corrupt
woman who makes a display of herself and tempts men - perhaps this
phenomenon has never been quite so widespread as it is now - and
never obeys Allah (swt). Abu
Hurayrah (ra) reported that the
Prophet (saw) said: "There are two types of people of Hell
that I have never seen; people with whips like the tails of cattle,
with which they strike the people, and women who are dressed but
appear naked, walking with an enticing gait, with their heads
looking like the humps of camels, leaning to one side. They will
never enter Paradise, nor even smell its fragrance, although its
fragrance can be discerned from such and such a distance".
(Muslim, al-Bayhaqi, and Ahmad - Silsilat al-Ahadith as-Saheehah,
3/316, no. 1326)
Concerning those who have whips like the tails of cattle,
al-Qurtubee said, "This type of whip can be seen among us in Morocco
until now." Commenting on al-Qurtubee's remark, Siddeeq Hasan Khan
said, "Indeed it can be seen in every time and place, and it is
increasing day by day among the leaders. We
seek
refuge in Allah (swt) from all that Allah (swt)
despises".
(Yaqadhat uli al-I'tibaar p.113)
And I say: we still see such people in many places,
striking the people. May they and their like perish.
(xii) Those Who Torture Living
Beings
Muslim reports in his Saheeh from Jaabir that the
Messenger of Allah (saw) said,
"I was shown Hell and I saw a woman of Banu Israa'eel who
was being punished because of a cat that she had owned. She tied it
up and did not feed it, or let it eat of the vermin of the earth,
until it died of hunger."
(Mishkaat
al-Masaabeeh, 3/688)
If this is the case for one who tormented a cat, then how
will it be for those who use all kinds of methods to torture human
beings, especially when it is the righteous who are being tortured
for their faith and their Islaam? May Allah curse those who torture
the believers - be it in the lands of Chechnya, Kashmir, Maluku,
Philippines, Palestine, or in the jails of the Muslim
lands.
al-Haafidh al-Mundhiri mentions many hadiths that warn
the person who seeks knowledge for a cause other than the sake of
Allah (swt). We will quote a few of them here. Abu Hurayrah (ra)
said, the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "Whoever seeks
knowledge that should be sought only for the sake of Allah (swt)
but seeks it purely for some worldly gain, he will not smell the
fragrance of Paradise on the Day of Resurrection". It was
reported by Abu Dawud and Ibn Maajah, by Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh
and by al-Haakim who said, "It is saheeh according to the conditions
of al-Bukhaari and Muslim".
Jaabir said, The Messenger of Allah (saw) said,
"Do not seek knowledge in order to compete with the knowledgeable,
or to win arguments with the ignorant, or to show off in gatherings.
Whoever does any of that will be in Hell." It was reported
by Ibn Maajah (ra), by Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh and
al-Bayhaqi.
Ibn 'Umar (ra) said that the Messenger of Allah (saw)
said, "Whoever seeks knowledge for a reason other than for the
sake of Allah (swt), then let him take his place in Hell." It was
reported by at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Maajah from Ibn 'Umar via Khaalid
ibn Durayk who did not hear it directly from him; the men in their
isnaads are thiqaah." (at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb by
al-Mundhiri 1/91)
al-Bukhaari and Muslim report from Umm Salamah that the
Messenger of Allah (saw) said "The one who drinks from a
vessel/utensil of god and silver is pouring the fire of Hell into
his stomach". According to a report narrated by Muslim, the
wording is "The one who eats and drinks from vessels of gold
and silver.." (Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, 2/462)
Hudhayfah (ra) said, I heard the Messenger of Allah
(saw) say, "Do not wear silk or brocade, do not drink from
vessels of gold and silver, and do not eat from such platters, for
these belong to them [the kuffaar] in this world, and to you in the
Hereafter" (al-Bukhaari and Muslim).
(xv) The One Who Cuts Down Trees that Offer
Shade To People
al-Bayhaqi reported, with a saheeh isnad from 'Aaishah
that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "Those who cut down
shade trees will be thrown on their heads in Hell."
(al-Bayhaqi in Saheeh al-Jaami' 2/88, al-Albaani said it is
saheeh)
al-Bukhaari and Muslim report from Abu Hurayrah that the
Prophet (saw) said, "Whoever kills himself with iron (a sharp
instrument) then his iron will be in his hand, and he will be
stabbing himself in the stomach with it forever in the Fire of Hell.
Whoever kills himself with poison, then he will be drinking that
poison forever in the Fire of Hell. Whoever throws himself from a
mountain and kills himself, he will be throwing himself down forever
in the Fire of Hell". (at-Tawkheef min an-Naar, p.
148)
al-Bukhaari reports from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet
(saw) said, "The one who strangles himself will be strangling
himself in Hell, and the one who stabs himself will be stabbing
himself in Hell". (Saheeh al-Jaami' 5/114)