A Description of Hellfire (part 1 of 5)
- Categories: Asceticism and Heart Softening -
{Our Lord! Surely, whom You admit to
the Fire, indeed You have disgraced him, and never will the
wrongdoers find any helpers.} [Quran 3:192]
{رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ مَن تُدْخِلِ
النَّارَ فَقَدْ أَخْزَيْتَهُ ۖ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ
أَنصَارٍ} [آل عمران:١٩٢]
Transliteration: Rabbanā 'Innaka Man Tudkhili
An-Nāra Faqad 'Akhzaytahu Wa Mā Lilžžālimīna Min
'Anşārin
{Know they not that whoever opposes
God and His Messenger (Muhammad), certainly for him will be the
Fire of Hell to abide therein? That is the extreme
disgrace.} [Quran 9:63]
{أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوا أَنَّهُ مَن
يُحَادِدِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَأَنَّ لَهُ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدًا
فِيهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الْخِزْيُ الْعَظِيمُ} [التوبة:٦٣]
Transliteration: 'Alam Ya`lamū 'Annahu Man Yuĥādidi
Allāha Wa Rasūlahu Fa'anna Lahu Nāra Jahannama Khālidāan Fīhā
Dhālika Al-Khizyu Al-`Ažīmu
The Names of
Hell
Hell Fire has different names in Islamic texts. Each name gives a
separate description. Some of its names are:
Jaheem - fire - because of its blazing fire.
Jahannam - Hell - because of the depth of its
pit.
Ladthaa - blazing fire - because of its
flames.
Sa'eer - blazing flame - because it is kindled and
ignited.
Saqar - because of the intensity of its
heat.
Hatamah - broken pieces or debris - because it
breaks and crushes everything that is thrown into it.
Haawiyah - chasm or abyss - because the one who is
thrown into it is thrown from top to bottom
Paradise and Hell Presently
Exist and are Eternal
Hell exists at the present time and will continue to exist forever.
It will never die down, and its inhabitants will remain in it
forever. No one will come out of Hell except sinful believers who
believed in the Oneness of God in this life and believed in the
specific prophet sent to them (before the coming of Muhammad). The
polytheists and unbelievers will reside in it forever. This belief
has been held from classical times and is based on clear verses of
the Quran and confirmed reports from the Prophet of Islam. The
Quran speaks of Hell in the past tense and states that it has
already been created:
{And fear the Fire which is prepared
for the disbelievers.} [Quran 3:131]
{وَاتَّقُوا النَّارَ الَّتِي أُعِدَّتْ
لِلْكَافِرِينَ} [البقرة:١٣١]
Transliteration: Wa Attaqū An-Nāra Allatī 'U`iddat
Lilkāfirīna
The Prophet of Islam said:
«When any of you dies, he is shown his
position (in the Hereafter) morning and evening. If he is one of
the people of Paradise, he is shown the place of the people of
Paradise. If he is one of the people of Hell, he is shown the place
of people of Hell. He is told, 'this is your position, until God
resurrects you on the Day of Resurrection.» [Saheeh
Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim]
In another report, the Prophet said:
«Surely, the soul of a believer is a
bird hanging on the trees of Paradise, until God returns it to his
body on the Day of Resurrection.» [Muwatta of Malik]
These texts make it clear that Hell and Paradise exist, and that
souls may enter them before the Day of Resurrection. Speaking of
Hell's eternity, God says:
{They will long to leave the Fire, but
never will they leave there from; and theirs will be a lasting
torment.} [Quran 5:37]
{يُرِيدُونَ أَن يَخْرُجُوا مِنَ
النَّارِ وَمَا هُم بِخَارِجِينَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ
مُّقِيمٌ} [المائدة:٣٧]
Transliteration: Yurīdūna 'An Yakhrujū Mina An-Nāri
Wa Mā Hum Bikhārijīna Minhā Wa Lahum `Adhābun
Muqīmun
{…And they will never leave of the
Fire.} [Quran 2:167]
{...وَمَا هُم بِخَارِجِينَ مِنَ
النَّارِ} [البقرة:١٦٧]
Transliteration: Wa Mā Hum Bikhārijīna Mina
An-Nāri
{Surely, those who disbelieve and did
wrong; God will not forgive them, nor will He guide them to any way
except the way of Hell, to dwell therein forever.} [Quran
4:168-169]
{إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَظَلَمُوا
لَمْ يَكُنِ اللَّهُ لِيَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ وَلَا لِيَهْدِيَهُمْ طَرِيقًا
﴿١٦٨﴾ إِلَّا طَرِيقَ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ
فِيهَا أَبَدًا} [النساء:168-١٦٩]
Transliteration: 'Inna Al-Ladhīna Kafarū Wa Žalamū
Lam Yakuni Allāhu Liyaghfira Lahum Wa Lā Liyahdiyahum Ţarīqāan
(168) 'Illā Ţarīqa Jahannama Khālidīna Fīhā 'Abadāan
{Surely, God has cursed the
disbelievers, and has prepared for them a flaming Fire wherein they
will abide for ever.} [Quran 33:64]
{إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَعَنَ الْكَافِرِينَ
وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ سَعِيرًا} [الأحزاب:٦٤]
Transliteration: 'Inna Allāha La`ana Al-Kāfirīna Wa
'A`adda Lahum Sa`īrāan
{And whosoever disobeys God and His
Messenger, then surely, for him is the fire of Hell, he shall dwell
therein forever.} [Quran 72:23]
{وَمَن يَعْصِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ
فَإِنَّ لَهُ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا}
[الجن:٢٣]
Transliteration: Wa Man Ya`şi Allāha Wa Rasūlahu
Fa'inna Lahu Nāra Jahannama Khālidīna Fīhā 'Abadāan
The Keepers of
Hell
Mighty and stern angels stand over Hell who never disobey God. They
do precisely as ordered. God says:
{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 God, but do
(precisely what) they are commanded.} [Quran 66:6]
{يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قُوا
أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ
عَلَيْهَا مَلَائِكَةٌ غِلَاظٌ شِدَادٌ لَّا يَعْصُونَ اللَّهَ مَا
أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ} [التحريم:٦]
Transliteration: Yā 'Ayyuhā Al-Ladhīna 'Āmanū Qū
'Anfusakum Wa 'Ahlīkum Nārāan Waqūduhā An-Nāsu Wa Al-Ĥijāratu
`Alayhā Malā'ikatun Ghilāžun Shidādun Lā Ya`şūna Allāha Mā
'Amarahum Wa Yaf`alūna Mā Yu'umarūna
They are nineteen keepers of Hell as God says:
{Soon I will cast him into Hell Fire.
And what will explain to you what is Hellfire? Nothing does it
allow to endure, and nothing does it leave alone! Darkening and
changing the color of man! Over it are nineteen (angels as keepers
of Hell).} [Quran 74:26-30]
{سَأُصْلِيهِ سَقَرَ
﴿٢٦﴾ وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا سَقَرُ
﴿٢٧﴾ لَا تُبْقِي وَلَا تَذَرُ
﴿٢٨﴾ لَوَّاحَةٌ لِّلْبَشَرِ
﴿٢٩﴾ عَلَيْهَا تِسْعَةَ عَشَرَ}
[المدثر:26- ٣٠]
Transliteration: Sa'uşlīhi Saqara(36) Wa Mā 'Adrāka
Mā Saqaru(27) Lā Tubqī Wa Lā Tadharu(28) Lawwāĥatun
Lilbashari(29)`Alayhā Tis`ata `Ashara
One should not think that the inhabitants of Hell will be able to
overcome the keepers of Hell because there are just nineteen of
them. Everyone of them has the strength to subdue all humanity by
himself. These angels are called the Guards of Hell by God in the
Quran:
{And those in the Fire will say to the
Guards of Hell, 'Call upon your Lord to lighten for us the torment
for a day!'} [Quran 40:49]
{وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ فِي النَّارِ
لِخَزَنَةِ جَهَنَّمَ ادْعُوا رَبَّكُمْ يُخَفِّفْ عَنَّا يَوْمًا
مِّنَ الْعَذَابِ} [غافر:٤٩]
Transliteration: Wa Qāla Al-Ladhīna Fī An-Nāri
Likhazanati Jahannama Ad`ū Rabbakum Yukhaffif `Annā Yawmāan Mina
Al-`Adhābi
The name of the chief angel guarding over Hell is Malik, as
mentioned in the Quran:
{Surely, the disbelievers will be in
the torment of Hell to abide therein forever. (The torment) will
not be lightened for them, and they will be plunged into
destruction with deep regrets, sorrows and in despair therein. We
wronged them not, but they were the wrongdoers. And they will cry:
'O Malik! Let your Lord make an end of us' He will say: 'Surely,
you shall abide forever.' Indeed We have brought the truth to you,
but most of you have a hatred for the truth} [Quran
43:74-78]
{إِنَّ الْمُجْرِمِينَ فِي عَذَابِ
جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدُونَ ﴿٧٤﴾ لَا يُفَتَّرُ
عَنْهُمْ وَهُمْ فِيهِ مُبْلِسُونَ ﴿٧٥﴾ وَمَا
ظَلَمْنَاهُمْ وَلَٰكِن كَانُوا هُمُ الظَّالِمِينَ
﴿٧٦﴾ وَنَادَوْا يَا مَالِكُ لِيَقْضِ
عَلَيْنَا رَبُّكَ ۖ قَالَ إِنَّكُم مَّاكِثُونَ
﴿٧٧﴾ لَقَدْ جِئْنَاكُم بِالْحَقِّ وَلَٰكِنَّ
أَكْثَرَكُمْ لِلْحَقِّ كَارِهُونَ} [الزخرف:74-٧٨]
Transliteration: 'Inna Al-Mujrimīna Fī `Adhābi
Jahannama Khālidūn(74) Lā Yufattaru `Anhum Wa Hum Fīhi
Mublisūna(75) Wa Mā Žalamnāhum Wa Lakin Kānū Humu Až-Žālimīna(76)
Wa Nādaw Yā Māliku Liyaqđi `Alaynā Rabbuka Qāla 'Innakum
Mākithūna(77) Laqad Ji'nākum Bil-Ĥaqqi Wa Lakinna 'Aktharakum
Lilĥaqqi Kārihūna
By IslamReligion.com