A Description of Hellfire (part 5 of 5)
God will blacken the faces of
the people of Hell:
{On the Day (some) faces will turn
white and (some) faces will turn black. As for those whose faces
turn black. (to them it will be said), 'Did you reject faith after
your belief? Then taste the punishment for what you used to
reject.'} [Quran 3:106]
{يَوْمَ تَبْيَضُّ وُجُوهٌ وَتَسْوَدُّ
وُجُوهٌ ۚ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ اسْوَدَّتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ أَكَفَرْتُم
بَعْدَ إِيمَانِكُمْ فَذُوقُوا الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ
تَكْفُرُونَ} [آل عمران:١٠٦]
[B]Transliteration: Yawma Tabyađđu Wujūhun Wa Taswaddu
Wujūhun Fa'ammā Al-Ladhīna Aswaddat Wujūhuhum 'Akafartum Ba`da
'Īmānikum Fadhūqū Al-`Adhāba Bimā Kuntum Takfurūna [/b]
Their faces will be such as if the night has covered them:
{But they who have earned (blame for)
evil doings - the recompense of an evil deed is its equivalent, and
humiliation will cover them. They will have from God no protector.
It will be as if their faces are covered with pieces of the night -
so dark (are they). Those are the companions of the Fire; they will
abide therein eternally.} [Quran 10:27]
{وَالَّذِينَ كَسَبُوا السَّيِّئَاتِ
جَزَاءُ سَيِّئَةٍ بِمِثْلِهَا وَتَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۖ مَّا لَهُم
مِّنَ اللَّهِ مِنْ عَاصِمٍ ۖ كَأَنَّمَا أُغْشِيَتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ
قِطَعًا مِّنَ اللَّيْلِ مُظْلِمًا ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ ۖ
هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ} [يونس:٢٧]
Transliteration: Wa Al-Ladhīna Kasabū As-Sayyi'āti Jazā'u
Sayyi'atin Bimithlihā Wa Tarhaquhum Dhillatun Mā Lahum Mina Allāhi
Min `Āşimin Ka'annamā 'Ughshiyat Wujūhuhum Qiţa`āan Mina Al-Layli
Mužlimāan 'Ūlā'ika 'Aşĥābu An-Nāri Hum Fīhā Khālidūna
The Fire will surround the unbeliever on all sides just as sins
surrounded him like a sheet wound around his body:
{Theirs will be a bed of Fire and over
them coverings (of Fire)…} [Quran 7:41[
{لَهُم مِّن جَهَنَّمَ مِهَادٌ وَمِن
فَوْقِهِمْ غَوَاشٍ...} [الأعراف:٤١]
Transliteration: Lahum Min Jahannama Mihādun Wa Min Fawqihim
Ghawāshin
{On the Day when the torment (of Hell)
will cover them from above them and from underneath their
feet.} [Quran 29:55]
{يَوْمَ يَغْشَاهُمُ الْعَذَابُ مِن
فَوْقِهِمْ وَمِن تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِهِمْ} [العنكبوت:٥٥]
Transliteration: Yawma Yaghshāhumu Al-`Adhābu Min Fawqihim
Wa Min Taĥti 'Arjulihim
{…and surely Hell will surround the
unbelievers…} [Quran 9:49]
{...وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمُحِيطَةٌ
بِالْكَافِرِينَ...} [التوبة:٤٩]
Transliteration: ...Wa 'Inna Jahannama Lamuĥīţatun
Bil-Kāfirīna
The Fire of Hell will leap up to the hearts. The Fire will
penetrate their super-sized bodies and reach the innermost
depths:
{No! He will surely be thrown into the
Crusher. And what can make you know what is the Crushers? It is the
fire of God, (eternally) fueled, which mounts directed at the
hearts.} [Quran 104:4-7]
{كَلَّا ۖ لَيُنبَذَنَّ فِي الْحُطَمَةِ
﴿٤﴾ وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْحُطَمَةُ
﴿٥﴾ نَارُ اللَّهِ الْمُوقَدَةُ
﴿٦﴾ الَّتِي تَطَّلِعُ عَلَى
الْأَفْئِدَةِ} [الهمزة:4-٧]
Transliteration: Kallā Layunbadhanna Fī Al-Ĥuţamahi (4) Wa
Mā 'Adrāka Mā Al-Ĥuţamahu (5) Nāru Allāhi Al-Mūqadahu (6) Allatī
Taţţali`u `Alá Al-'Af'idahi
The Fire will split the entrails as mentioned by the Prophet:
«A man will be brought on the Day of
Resurrection and thrown into the Fire. Then his entrails will be
spilled out into the Fire and he will be forced to walk around and
around like a donkey in a treadmill. The people of Hell will gather
around him and say, 'O so-and-so, what is wrong with you? Did you
not enjoin us to do good and forbid us to do wrong?' He will say,
'I used to order you to do good, but I did not do it and I used to
forbid you to do evil, but I used to do it myself.' Then he will
walk around and around like a donkey in a treadmill.» [1]
God has described the chains, yokes, and fetters of Hell. They will
be tied up with chains and dragged with yokes on their necks:
{for the rejecters We have prepared
iron chains, yokes, and a blazing Fire.} [Quran 76:4]
{إِنَّا أَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَافِرِينَ
سَلَاسِلَ وَأَغْلَالًا وَسَعِيرًا} [الإنسان:٤]
Transliteration: 'Innā 'A`tadnā Lilkāfirīna Salāsilāan Wa
'Aghlālāan Wa Sa`īrāan
{With Us are fetters (to bind them),
and a Fire (to burn them), and a food that chokes, and a penalty
grievous.} [Quran 73:12-13]
{إِنَّ لَدَيْنَا أَنكَالًا وَجَحِيمًا
﴿١٢﴾ وَطَعَامًا ذَا غُصَّةٍ وَعَذَابًا
أَلِيمًا} [المزمل:12-١٣]
Transliteration: 'Inna Ladaynā 'Ankālāan Wa Jaĥīmāan(12) Wa
Ţa`āmāan Dhā Ghuşşatin Wa `Adhābāan 'Alīmāan
{We will put yokes on the necks of the
unbelievers. It would only be requital for their evil
deeds.} [Quran 34:33]
{وَجَعَلْنَا الْأَغْلَالَ فِي
أَعْنَاقِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ۚ هَلْ يُجْزَوْنَ إِلَّا مَا كَانُوا
يَعْمَلُونَ} [سبأ:٣٣]
Transliteration: Wa Ja`alnā Al-'Aghlāla Fī 'A`nāqi
Al-Ladhīna Kafarū Hal Yujzawna 'Illā Mā Kānū Ya`malūna
{when yokes will be put round their
necks and the chains, they will be dragged along.} [Quran
40:71]
{إِذِ الْأَغْلَالُ فِي أَعْنَاقِهِمْ
وَالسَّلَاسِلُ يُسْحَبُونَ} [غافر:٧١]
Transliteration: 'Idhi Al-'Aghlālu Fī 'A`nāqihim Wa
As-Salāsilu Yusĥabūna
{(The stern command will say): seize
him and bind him, and burn him in the blazing Fire, further, make
him march in a chain, whereof the length is seventy cubits.}
[Quran 69:30-32]
{خُذُوهُ فَغُلُّوهُ
﴿٣٠﴾ ثُمَّ الْجَحِيمَ صَلُّوهُ
﴿٣١﴾ ثُمَّ فِي سِلْسِلَةٍ ذَرْعُهَا سَبْعُونَ
ذِرَاعًا فَاسْلُكُوهُ} [الحاقة:30-٣2]
Transliteration: Khudhūhu Faghullūhu(30) Thumma Al-Jaĥīma
Şallūhu(31) Thumma Fī Silsilatin Dhar`uhā Sab`ūna Dhirā`āan
Fāslukūhu
The pagan gods and all other deities that were worshipped besides
God who people thought will be their intercessors with God and
bringing them closer to Him will be thrown into Hell with them.
This will be to humiliate and demonstrate that these false gods
have no power,
{Indeed, you (disbelievers), and that
which you worship other than God,[2] are but fuel for Hell. Verily, you
will enter it. Had these (false deities) been (actual) gods, they
would not have entered there, but all will eternally abide
therein.} [Quran 21:98-99]
{إِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ
اللَّهِ حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ أَنتُمْ لَهَا وَارِدُونَ
﴿٩٨﴾ لَوْ
كَانَ هَٰؤُلَاءِ آلِهَةً مَّا وَرَدُوهَا ۖ وَكُلٌّ فِيهَا
خَالِدُونَ} [الأنبياء:98-٩٩]
When the unbeliever will see Hell, he will be filled with
remorse, but it will not be of any benefit:
{And they will feel regret when they
see the punishment; and they will be judged in justice, and they
will not be wronged.} [Quran 10:54]
{وَأَسَرُّوا النَّدَامَةَ لَمَّا
رَأَوُا الْعَذَابَ ۖ وَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُم بِالْقِسْطِ ۚ وَهُمْ لَا
يُظْلَمُونَ} [يونس:٥٤]
The unbeliever will pray for his death when they sense its
heat,
{And when they are thrown into a
narrow place therein bound in chains, they will cry out thereupon
for destruction. (They will be told), 'Do not cry this Day for one
destruction but cry for much destruction.'} [Quran
25:13-14]
{وَإِذَا أُلْقُوا مِنْهَا مَكَانًا
ضَيِّقًا مُّقَرَّنِينَ دَعَوْا هُنَالِكَ ثُبُورًا
﴿١٣﴾ لَّا
تَدْعُوا الْيَوْمَ ثُبُورًا وَاحِدًا وَادْعُوا ثُبُورًا
كَثِيرًا} [الفرقان:13-١٤]
Their screams will get louder and they will call onto God hoping He
will take them out of Hell:
{And they will cry out therein, 'Our
Lord, remove us; we will do righteousness - other than what we were
doing!'} [Quran 35:37]
{وَهُمْ يَصْطَرِخُونَ فِيهَا رَبَّنَا
أَخْرِجْنَا نَعْمَلْ صَالِحًا غَيْرَ الَّذِي كُنَّا
نَعْمَلُ} [فاطر:٣٧]
They will realize theirs sins and the error of stubborn
disbelief:
{And they will say, 'If only we had
been listening or reasoning, we would not be among the companions
of the Blaze.' And they will admit their sin, so (it is) alienation
for the companions of the Blaze.} [Quran 67:10-11]
{وَقَالُوا لَوْ كُنَّا نَسْمَعُ أَوْ
نَعْقِلُ مَا كُنَّا فِي أَصْحَابِ السَّعِيرِ
﴿١٠﴾ فَاعْتَرَفُوا بِذَنبِهِمْ فَسُحْقًا
لِّأَصْحَابِ السَّعِيرِ} [الملك:10-١١]
Their prayers will be rejected:
{They will say, 'Our Lord, our
wretchedness overcame us, and we were a people astray. Our Lord,
remove us from it, and if we were to return (to evil), we would
indeed be wrongdoers.' He will say, 'Remain despised therein and do
not speak to Me.'} [Quran 23:106-108]
{قَالُوا رَبَّنَا غَلَبَتْ عَلَيْنَا
شِقْوَتُنَا وَكُنَّا قَوْمًا ضَالِّينَ ﴿١٠٦﴾
رَبَّنَا أَخْرِجْنَا مِنْهَا فَإِنْ عُدْنَا فَإِنَّا ظَالِمُونَ
﴿١٠٧﴾ قَالَ اخْسَئُوا فِيهَا وَلَا
تُكَلِّمُونِ} [المؤمنون:106-١٠٨]
After that, they will call the keepers of Hell asking them to
intercede to God on their behalf for reduction in torment:
{And those in the Fire will say to the
keepers of Hell, 'Supplicate your Lord to lighten for us a day from
the punishment.' They will say, 'Did there not come to you your
messengers with clear proofs?' They will say, 'Yes.' They will
reply, 'Then supplicate (yourselves), but the supplication of the
disbelievers is not except in error.'} [Quran
40:49-50]
{وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ فِي النَّارِ
لِخَزَنَةِ جَهَنَّمَ ادْعُوا رَبَّكُمْ يُخَفِّفْ عَنَّا يَوْمًا
مِّنَ الْعَذَابِ ﴿٤٩﴾قَالُوا أَوَلَمْ تَكُ تَأْتِيكُمْ رُسُلُكُم
بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ ۖ قَالُوا بَلَىٰ ۚ قَالُوا فَادْعُوا ۗ وَمَا
دُعَاءُ الْكَافِرِينَ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَالٍ} [غافر:49-٥٠]
Their will even plead for their own destruction to relieve
themselves of the pain:
{And they will call, 'O Malik, let
your Lord put an end to us!' He will say, 'Indeed, you will
remain.'} [Quran 43:77]
{وَنَادَوْا يَا مَالِكُ لِيَقْضِ
عَلَيْنَا رَبُّكَ ۖ قَالَ إِنَّكُم مَّاكِثُونَ}
[الزخرف:٧٧]
They will be told the punishment will never be reduced, it is
eternal:
{Then be patient or impatient - it is
all the same for you. You are only being recompensed for what you
used to do.} [Quran 52:16]
{اصْلَوْهَا فَاصْبِرُوا أَوْ لَا
تَصْبِرُوا سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ إِنَّمَا تُجْزَوْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ
تَعْمَلُونَ} [الطور:١٦]
They will weep for a long time:
{So let them laugh a little and then
weep much as recompense for what they used to earn.} [Quran
9:82]
{فَلْيَضْحَكُوا قَلِيلًا وَلْيَبْكُوا
كَثِيرًا جَزَاءً بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ} [التوبة:٨٢]
They will weep until no tears are left, then that they will weep
blood, which will leave its traces as described by the
Prophet:
«The people of Hell will be made to
weep, and they will weep until they have no tears left. Then they
will weep blood until they have, as it were, channels in their
faces, if ships were put in them, they would float.» [3]
As you have seen, the descriptions of Hell in the Islamic scripture
are clear and graphic, as are the descriptions of the people who
deserve their fate therein. Such is the clarity that any person who
believes in Judgment Day and the eternal destinies of the Hereafter
must be motivated to at least try not to be of the people thrown
inside. The best, and really only, way of avoiding this fate is to
seriously search into the true religion God has mandated for
humanity. A person should never follow a religion merely because it
was that which he was "born into", nor should they take religion to
be a new age fashion. Rather, they should look into the truth about
this world and the life to come, and be sure that they have
prepared for that judgment from which there is no return, by living
a life and system of belief revealed and unchanged from the One
High Above.
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Footnotes:
[1] Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh
Muslim
[2] Ibn Katheer, in his tafsir,
explains that pious people and prophets from before, who were taken
for gods by later generations without their consent, are not
included as 'fuel for the fire'. Only the people who' liked to be
worshipped' by their worshippers will be thrown therein, along
'with the ones who worshipped him' and other non-animate idols. Of
people like Jesus, the Quran says: {Those for whom good has preceded from Us
will be far removed there-from …} [Quran 21:101]
{إِنَّ الَّذِينَ سَبَقَتْ لَهُم مِّنَّا الْحُسْنَىٰ أُولَٰئِكَ عَنْهَا
مُبْعَدُونَ...} [الأنبياء:١٠١]
[3] Ibn Majah
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