Section 16: Hell
May Allah give us and all believers refuge from Hell, for the sake of Muhammad and his descendants, the intercessors of Judgment Day.
The Almighty Allah says:
فَاتَّقُوا النَّارَ الَّتِي وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْكَافِرِينَ
“Then be on your guard against the fire, of which men and stones are the fuel” (2:24).
Most commentators say that stone implies Sulphur rocks, and some say that it implies the idols, which are taken to Hell along with those who worshipped them. Numerous verses declare that unbelievers will remain in Hell forever.
The Almighty Allah says:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَمَاتُوا وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ أُولَٰئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ لَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ
“Surely those who disbelieve and die while they are disbelievers, these it is on whom is the curse of Allah and the angels and men all” (2:161).
خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا لَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمُ الْعَذَابُ وَلَا هُمْ يُنْظَرُونَ
“Abiding in it; their chastisement shall neither be lightened, nor shall they be given respite” (2:162).
And He has said in many places that those who lead or follow the disbelievers seek immunity from each other and said:
إِذْ تَبَرَّأَ الَّذِينَ اتُّبِعُوا مِنَ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوا وَرَأَوُا الْعَذَابَ وَتَقَطَّعَتْ بِهِمُ الْأَسْبَابُ
“When those who were followed shall renounce those who followed (them), and they see the chastisement and their ties are cut asunder” (2:166).
And He said:
وَمَنْ يَرْتَدِدْ مِنْكُمْ عَنْ دِينِهِ فَيَمُتْ وَهُوَ كَافِرٌ فَأُولَٰئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَأُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ
“And whoever of you turns back from his religion, then he dies while an unbeliever- these it is whose works shall go for nothing in this world and the hereafter, and they are the inmates of the fire; therein they shall abide” (2:217).
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَالَ الْيَتَامَىٰ ظُلْمًا إِنَّمَا يَأْكُلُونَ فِي بُطُونِهِمْ نَارًا وَسَيَصْلَوْنَ سَعِيرًا
“(As for) those who swallow the property of the orphans unjustly, surely they only swallow fire into their bellies and they shall enter burning fire” (4:10).
It is narrated from Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (‘a) that the Messenger of Allah (S) said: On Judgment Day, some people will emerge from their graves, while flames will be protruding from their mouths. People asked: Who are those, O Messenger of Allah (S)? The Holy Prophet (S) recited the above verse. These are they who usurper the property of orphans.
And He said:
وَمَنْ يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًا مُتَعَمِّدًا فَجَزَاؤُهُ جَهَنَّمُ خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَغَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَلَعَنَهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُ عَذَابًا عَظِيمًا
“And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his punishment is hell; he shall abide in it, and Allah will send His wrath on him and curse him and prepare for him a painful chastisement” (4:93).
And He said:
إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِي الدَّرْكِ الْأَسْفَلِ مِنَ النَّارِ وَلَنْ تَجِدَ لَهُمْ نَصِيرًا
“Surely the hypocrites are in the lowest depths of the fire, and you shall not find a helper for them” (4:145).
Commentators say that like Paradise, Hell is also have different levels and the hypocrites occupy the lowest level.
And He said:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْ أَنَّ لَهُمْ مَا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا وَمِثْلَهُ مَعَهُ لِيَفْتَدُوا بِهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ مَا تُقُبِّلَ مِنْهُمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
“Surely (as for) those who disbelieve, even if they had what is in the earth, all of it, and the like of it with it, that they might ransom themselves with it from the punishment of the day of resurrection, it shall not be accepted from them, and they shall have a painful punishment” (5:36).
يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يَخْرُجُوا مِنَ النَّارِ وَمَا هُمْ بِخَارِجِينَ مِنْهَا وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُقِيمٌ
“They would desire to go forth from the fire, and they shall not go forth from it, and they shall have a lasting punishment” (5:37).
And He said:
لَهُمْ شَرَابٌ مِنْ حَمِيمٍ وَعَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْفُرُونَ
“They shall have a drink of boiling water and a painful chastisement, because they disbelieved” (6:70).
And He said:
وَلَقَدْ ذَرَأْنَا لِجَهَنَّمَ كَثِيرًا مِنَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنْسِ
“And certainly, We have created for hell many of the jinn and the men” (7:179).
And He said:
وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَكَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِ
“And (as for) those who disbelieve and reject our communications, these are the companions of the flame” (5:10).
And He said:
وَالَّذِينَ يَكْنِزُونَ الذَّهَبَ وَالْفِضَّةَ وَلَا يُنْفِقُونَهَا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَبَشِّرْهُمْ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ
“And (as for) those who hoard up gold and silver and do not spend it in Allah’s way, announce to them a painful chastisement” (9:34).
يَوْمَ يُحْمَىٰ عَلَيْهَا فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ فَتُكْوَىٰ بِهَا جِبَاهُهُمْ وَجُنُوبُهُمْ وَظُهُورُهُمْ هَٰذَا مَا كَنَزْتُمْ لِأَنْفُسِكُمْ فَذُوقُوا مَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْنِزُونَ
“On the day when it shall be heated in the fire of hell, then their foreheads and their sides and their backs shall be branded with it; this is what you hoarded up for yourselves, therefore, taste what you hoarded” (9:35).
And He said:
وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْمُنَافِقِينَ وَالْمُنَافِقَاتِ وَالْكُفَّارَ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا هِيَ حَسْبُهُمْ وَلَعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُقِيمٌ
“Allah has promised the hypocritical men and the hypocritical women and the unbelievers the fire of hell to abide therein; it is enough for them; and Allah has cursed them and they shall have lasting punishment” (9:68).
And He said:
ثُمَّ قِيلَ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا ذُوقُوا عَذَابَ الْخُلْدِ هَلْ تُجْزَوْنَ إِلَّا بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْسِبُونَ
“Then it shall be said to those who were unjust: Taste abiding chastisement; you are not requited except for what you earned” (10:52).
And He said:
وَاسْتَفْتَحُوا وَخَابَ كُلُّ جَبَّارٍ عَنِيدٍ
“And they asked for judgment and every insolent opposer was disappointed” (14:15).
مِنْ وَرَائِهِ جَهَنَّمُ وَيُسْقَىٰ مِنْ مَاءٍ صَدِيدٍ
“Hell is before him, and he shall be given to drink of festering water” (14:16).
يَتَجَرَّعُهُ وَلَا يَكَادُ يُسِيغُهُ وَيَأْتِيهِ الْمَوْتُ مِنْ كُلِّ مَكَانٍ وَمَا هُوَ بِمَيِّتٍ وَمِنْ وَرَائِهِ عَذَابٌ غَلِيظٌ
“He will drink it little by little and will not be able to swallow it agreeably, and death will come to him from every quarter, but he shall not die; and there shall be vehement chastisement before him” (14:17).
Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) said: Sadeed is blood and pus oozing from the genitals of adulterers when they are in Hell. And it is said that its colour is like water and its taste is like Sadeed (drink of festering water).
It is narrated from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) and the Messenger of Allah (S) that when Sadeed is brought to him, he despises it; when it is brought near his mouth, it gets scalded and the skin of his face and head falls into it. When he drinks it, it tears up his intestines and exit from his rear.
It is narrated Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) that every inmate of Hell oozes out filth and pus like a stream. They cry so much that streams of tears flow before them; then the tears disappear, and blood flows and they weep so much that boats can float in their tears.
And He said:
وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمَوْعِدُهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ
“And surely Hell is the promised place of them all” (15:43).
لَهَا سَبْعَةُ أَبْوَابٍ لِكُلِّ بَابٍ مِنْهُمْ جُزْءٌ مَقْسُومٌ
“It has seven gates; for every gate there shall be a separate party of them” (15:44).
Hell has seven gates, one for every different bad trait. It is narrated from Amir al-Mu’minin (‘a) that Hell has seven doors, that is, seven layers, one above the other. The Imam placed one hand over the other and said: Like this. Then he said: Almighty Allah established Paradise in width and placed Hell in layers. The lowest Hell is called Jahannam. Above is Natyy, above it is Hutamah, then Saqar, then Jahannam, then Saeer, then Hawiya.
Some say that the lowest is Hawiya and the topmost is Jahannam. It is narrated from Ibn Abbas that: The first level is Jahannam, then Saeer, then Saqar, then Jaheem, then Natiyy, then Hutamah and then Hawiya. Some have said that Hell has seven gates, and some are above others. Above it, that is the first level is the level of Muslims; they will be chastised in it for their sins and then released.
The second level is the place for Jews; the third for Christians; the fourth for Sabeans; fifth for Majus; sixth for idol worshippers of Arab and the seventh layer, which is lowest (Asfal), is for the hypocrites.
And He said:
الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَصَدُّوا عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ زِدْنَاهُمْ عَذَابًا فَوْقَ الْعَذَابِ بِمَا كَانُوا يُفْسِدُونَ
“(As for) those who disbelieve and turn away from Allah’s way, We will add chastisement to their chastisement, because they made mischief” (16:88).
Some have said that snakes and scorpions are increased in abundance in fire, whose fangs and stingers are like tall trees.
It is narrated from Ibn Abbas that it implies many streams of molten copper, through which the inmates of Hell are punished.
Some have said that snakes are increased for them, as huge as elephants and camels, and scorpions are like black mules.
And He said:
فَوَرَبِّكَ لَنَحْشُرَنَّهُمْ وَالشَّيَاطِينَ ثُمَّ لَنُحْضِرَنَّهُمْ حَوْلَ جَهَنَّمَ جِثِيًّا
“So by your Lord! We will most certainly gather them together and the Shaitans, then shall We certainly cause them to be present round hell on their knees” (19:68).
ثُمَّ لَنَنْزِعَنَّ مِنْ كُلِّ شِيعَةٍ أَيُّهُمْ أَشَدُّ عَلَى الرَّحْمَٰنِ عِتِيًّا
“Then We will most certainly draw forth from every sect of them him who is most exorbitantly rebellious against the Beneficent God” (19:69).
ثُمَّ لَنَحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِالَّذِينَ هُمْ أَوْلَىٰ بِهَا صِلِيًّا
“Again, We do certainly know best those who deserve most to be burned therein” (19:70).
وَإِنْ مِنْكُمْ إِلَّا وَارِدُهَا كَانَ عَلَىٰ رَبِّكَ حَتْمًا مَقْضِيًّا
“And there is not one of you but shall come to it; this is an unavoidable decree of your Lord” (19:71).
ثُمَّ نُنَجِّي الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا وَنَذَرُ الظَّالِمِينَ فِيهَا جِثِيًّا
“And We will deliver those who guarded (against evil), and We will leave the unjust therein on their knees” (19:72).
Commentators have differed regarding the arrival at Hell. Some say that arrival implies reaching Hell and not entering it. As Allah says in another place:
وَنَذَرُ الظَّالِمِينَ فِيهَا جِثِيًّا
“And We will leave the unjust therein on their knees” (19:72).
Some say that it implies entering Hell. All the creatures will enter Hell and it will become cold and safe for the believers, as the inferno had become for Prophet Ibrahim (‘a). Chastisement is certain for the disbelievers. This matter is narrated from Jabir and Ibn Abbas. Allah says that when the raging of Hell decreases, We increase it further. And He said:
إِنَّا أَعْتَدْنَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ نَارًا أَحَاطَ بِهِمْ سُرَادِقُهَا
“Surely We have prepared for the iniquitous a fire, the curtains of which shall encompass them about” (18:29).
Some have said that Saraadiq is a wall of fire surrounding it; or it is smoke and flames of fire, which reach them before they enter Hell. Or it is a metaphor that the fire surrounds them from all sides:
وَإِنْ يَسْتَغِيثُوا يُغَاثُوا بِمَاءٍ كَالْمُهْلِ يَشْوِي الْوُجُوهَ بِئْسَ الشَّرَابُ وَسَاءَتْ مُرْتَفَقًا
“And if they cry for water, they shall be given water like molten brass, which will scald their faces; evil the drink and ill the resting-place” (18:29).
And He said:
فَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا قُطِّعَتْ لَهُمْ ثِيَابٌ مِنْ نَارٍ يُصَبُّ مِنْ فَوْقِ رُءُوسِهِمُ الْحَمِيمُ
“Then (as to) those who disbelieve, for them are cut out garments of fire, boiling water shall be poured over their heads” (22:19).
يُصْهَرُ بِهِ مَا فِي بُطُونِهِمْ وَالْجُلُودُ
“With it shall be melted what is in their bellies and (their) skins as well” (22:20).
وَلَهُمْ مَقَامِعُ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ
“And for them are whips of iron” (22:21).
كُلَّمَا أَرَادُوا أَنْ يَخْرُجُوا مِنْهَا مِنْ غَمٍّ أُعِيدُوا فِيهَا وَذُوقُوا عَذَابَ الْحَرِيقِ
“Whenever they will desire to go forth from it, from grief, they shall be turned back into it, and taste the chastisement of burning” (22:22).
It is narrated from the Messenger of Allah (S) that they will hit their heads with many maces; and if one of them is brought to the earth and all humans and jinns try to lift it, they will be unable to do so.
Also, it is narrated that the fire will throw them upwards due to the flames. When they reach the upper layers of Hell; their heads would be clubbed with maces. They will go down to a depth of seventy years of travel and not a moment of peace would there be for them.
In another tradition, it is narrated from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) that these verses are regarding Bani Umayyah; fire will surround them like a garment surrounds man. Their lower lip will sag till their navels and the upper lip will reach to above the head; and when they want to come out from there, maces of iron will pound their heads, so that they may return to the castles of Hell.
And He said:
وَمَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَازِينُهُ فَأُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ فِي جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدُونَ
“And as for him whose good deeds are light, these are they who shall have lost their souls, abiding in Hell” (23:103).
تَلْفَحُ وُجُوهَهُمُ النَّارُ وَهُمْ فِيهَا كَالِحُونَ
“The fire shall scorch their faces, and they therein shall be in severe affliction” (23:104).
أَلَمْ تَكُنْ آيَاتِي تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ فَكُنْتُمْ بِهَا تُكَذِّبُونَ
“Were not My communications recited to you? But you used to reject them” (23:105).
قَالُوا رَبَّنَا غَلَبَتْ عَلَيْنَا شِقْوَتُنَا وَكُنَّا قَوْمًا ضَالِّينَ
“They shall say: O our Lord! our adversity overcame us and we were an erring people” (23:106).
رَبَّنَا أَخْرِجْنَا مِنْهَا فَإِنْ عُدْنَا فَإِنَّا ظَالِمُونَ
“O our Lord! Take us out of it; then if we return (to evil) surely, we shall be unjust” (23:107).
قَالَ اخْسَئُوا فِيهَا وَلَا تُكَلِّمُونِ
“He shall say: Go away into it and speak not to Me” (23:108).
And He said:
بَلْ كَذَّبُوا بِالسَّاعَةِ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِمَنْ كَذَّبَ بِالسَّاعَةِ سَعِيرًا
“But they reject the hour, and We have prepared a burning fire for him who rejects the hour” (25:11).
إِذَا رَأَتْهُمْ مِنْ مَكَانٍ بَعِيدٍ سَمِعُوا لَهَا تَغَيُّظًا وَزَفِيرًا
“When it shall come into their sight from a distant place, they shall hear its vehement raging and roaring” (25:12).
وَإِذَا أُلْقُوا مِنْهَا مَكَانًا ضَيِّقًا مُقَرَّنِينَ دَعَوْا هُنَالِكَ ثُبُورًا
“And when they are cast into a narrow place in it, bound, they shall there call out for destruction” (25:13).
لَا تَدْعُوا الْيَوْمَ ثُبُورًا وَاحِدًا وَادْعُوا ثُبُورًا كَثِيرًا
“Call not this day for one destruction but call for destructions many.” (25:14).
It is narrated from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) that the raging of Hell will be audible from the distance of one year journey. And it is said that their houses and abodes will be as narrow as a peg in a wall. And it is said:
وَلَٰكِنْ حَقَّ الْقَوْلُ مِنِّي لَأَمْلَأَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِين
“But the word (which had gone forth) from Me was just: I will certainly fill hell with the jinn and men together” (32:13).
And He said:
وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَهُمْ نَارُ جَهَنَّمَ لَا يُقْضَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ فَيَمُوتُوا وَلَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمْ مِنْ عَذَابِهَا كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِي كُلَّ كَفُورٍ
“And (as for) those who disbelieve, for them is the fire of hell; it shall not be finished with them entirely so that they should die, nor shall the chastisement thereof be lightened to them: even thus, do We retribute every ungrateful one” (35:36).
وَهُمْ يَصْطَرِخُونَ فِيهَا رَبَّنَا أَخْرِجْنَا نَعْمَلْ صَالِحًا غَيْرَ الَّذِي كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ أَوَلَمْ نُعَمِّرْكُمْ مَا يَتَذَكَّرُ فِيهِ مَنْ تَذَكَّرَ وَجَاءَكُمُ النَّذِيرُ فَذُوقُوا فَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ نَصِيرٍ
“And they shall cry therein for succour: O our Lord! take us out, we will do good deeds other than those, which we used to do. Did We not preserve you alive long enough, so that he who would be mindful in it should mind? And there came to you the warner; therefore, taste; because for the unjust, there is no helper” (35:37).
Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) said: The condemnation is for those aged eighteen; thus, what will be condition of those elder to him?
After that, He has mentioned the bounties of Paradise for the believers. Then He says:
أَذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ نُزُلًا أَمْ شَجَرَةُ الزَّقُّومِ
“Is this better as an entertainment or the tree of Zaqqum?” (37:62).
إِنَّا جَعَلْنَاهَا فِتْنَةً لِلظَّالِمِينَ
“Surely We have made it to be a trial to the unjust” (37:63).
إِنَّهَا شَجَرَةٌ تَخْرُجُ فِي أَصْلِ الْجَحِيمِ
“Surely it is a tree that grows in the bottom of the hell” (37:64).
طَلْعُهَا كَأَنَّهُ رُءُوسُ الشَّيَاطِينِ
“Its produce is as it were the heads of the serpents” (37:65).
فَإِنَّهُمْ لَآكِلُونَ مِنْهَا فَمَالِئُونَ مِنْهَا الْبُطُونَ
“Then most surely they shall eat of it and fill (their) bellies with it” (37:66).
ثُمَّ إِنَّ لَهُمْ عَلَيْهَا لَشَوْبًا مِنْ حَمِيمٍ
“Then most surely they shall have after it to drink of a mixture prepared in boiling water” (37:67).
ثُمَّ إِنَّ مَرْجِعَهُمْ لَإِلَى الْجَحِيمِ
“Then most surely their return shall be to hell” (37:68).
Commentators have said that Zaqqum is a tree in fire, whose fruits are extremely bitter, hard and foul-smelling; that is since Abu Jahl and other Quraish idol-worshippers made fun of how is it possible for a tree to grow in fire, that is why the Almighty Allah said:
إِنَّا جَعَلْنَاهَا فِتْنَةً لِلظَّالِمِينَ
“Surely, We have made it to be a trial to the unjust” (37:63).
Some have said in the interpretation of the ‘heads of Satans’ that it is a bitter and foul-smelling fruit, which grows in the wild. Some say that the Shaitan is a kind of snake, and the fruit is compared to the head of that snake. Some have remarked that it is the rule of Arabs that evil things are compared to the head of Shaitan.
It is narrated that so intense will be the hunger of the inmates of Hell that they will forget the chastisement of Hell and plead to Malik, the warden of Hell. Malik takes them to that tree; and Abu Jahl is also there among them. They all eat its fruits, till their bellies are full. That fruit boils in their stomachs like a boiling pot.
When they ask for water, Malik get them the Hameem, whose heat is at the peak, and it had boiled for years in the pots of Hell. When that Hameem is brought before them, their faces scald and when it enters their stomach, everything inside it, melts.
And He said:
هَٰذَا فَلْيَذُوقُوهُ حَمِيمٌ وَغَسَّاقٌ
“This (shall be so); so, let them taste it, boiling and intensely cold (drink)” (38:57).
Some have said that Ghassaq is a kind of water, so cold that it burns them with its coldness. Some say that it is a spring in Hell flowing with the poison of every poisonous creature. Some have said that the water of the folks of Hell, is filth and pus, which they are made to drink. Some have said that it is a chastisement, which no one, except the Almighty Allah knows about. And it is said that there is another kind of chastisement which no one, except the Almighty Allah knows about.
It is said that there is another kind of chastisement like these chastisements. And it is said that there is for them a ceiling of fire above and below them. And it is said that those, who are present in the fire, will say to the wardens of Hell to request the Almighty Allah to reduce their chastisement for one day at least. The Qur’an says:
وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ فِي النَّارِ لِخَزَنَةِ جَهَنَّمَ ادْعُوا رَبَّكُمْ يُخَفِّفْ عَنَّا يَوْمًا مِنَ الْعَذَابِ
“And those who are in the fire shall say to the keepers of hell: Call upon your Lord that He may lighten to us one day of the punishment” (40:49).
قَالُوا أَوَلَمْ تَكُ تَأْتِيكُمْ رُسُلُكُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ قَالُوا بَلَىٰ قَالُوا فَادْعُوا وَمَا دُعَاءُ الْكَافِرِينَ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَالٍ
“They shall say: Did not your apostles come to you with clear arguments? They shall say: Yea. They shall say: Then call. And the call of the unbelievers is only in error” (40:50).
And He said:
إِنَّ الْمُجْرِمِينَ فِي عَذَابِ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدُونَ
“Surely the guilty shall abide in the chastisement of hell” (43:74).
لَا يُفَتَّرُ عَنْهُمْ وَهُمْ فِيهِ مُبْلِسُونَ
“It shall not be abated from them, and they shall therein be despairing” (43:75).
And He said:
وَنَادَوْا يَا مَالِكُ لِيَقْضِ عَلَيْنَا رَبُّكَ قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ مَاكِثُونَ
“And they shall call out: O Malik! let your Lord make an end of us. He shall say: Surely you shall tarry” (43:77).
Ibn Abbas says: They will get this reply after pleading for a thousand years. And he said: The Zaqqum tree is the food of that sinner; that is Abu Jahl. It will boil in their stomachs like molten copper, like water boils in a pot. The keepers of Hell will be commanded:
خُذُوهُ فَاعْتِلُوهُ إِلَىٰ سَوَاءِ الْجَحِيمِ
“Seize him, then drag him down into the middle of the hell” (44:47).
ثُمَّ صُبُّوا فَوْقَ رَأْسِهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْحَمِيمِ
“Then pour above his head of the torment of the boiling water” (44:48).
ذُقْ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْكَرِيمُ
“Taste; you forsooth are the mighty, the honourable” (44:49).
إِنَّ هَٰذَا مَا كُنْتُمْ بِهِ تَمْتَرُونَ
“Surely this is what you disputed about” (44:50).
The two angels appointed on Hell, will say: All that you have done is present in your scroll of deeds with us.
أَلْقِيَا فِي جَهَنَّمَ كُلَّ كَفَّارٍ عَنِيدٍ
“(You two) Do cast into hell every ungrateful, rebellious one” (50:24).
It is mentioned in traditions of Ahl al-Sunnah and Shi’a that the address of ‘You two’ is to the Messenger of Allah (S) and Amir al-Mu’minin (‘a).
Some say that this address is to angels appointed on infidels.
يُعْرَفُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ بِسِيمَاهُمْ فَيُؤْخَذُ بِالنَّوَاصِي وَالْأَقْدَامِ
“The guilty shall be recognized by their marks, so they shall be seized by the forelocks and the feet” (55:41).
إِذِ الْأَغْلَالُ فِي أَعْنَاقِهِمْ وَالسَّلَاسِلُ يُسْحَبُونَ
“When the fetters and the chains shall be on their necks; they shall be dragged” (40:71).
فِي الْحَمِيمِ ثُمَّ فِي النَّارِ يُسْجَرُونَ
“Into boiling water, then in the fire shall they be burned” (40:72).
ثُمَّ قِيلَ لَهُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كُنْتُمْ تُشْرِكُونَ
“Then shall it be said to them: Where is what you used to set up” (40:73).
And He said:
إِذَا أُلْقُوا فِيهَا سَمِعُوا لَهَا شَهِيقًا وَهِيَ تَفُورُ
“When they shall be cast therein, they shall hear a loud moaning of it as it heaves” (67:7).
تَكَادُ تَمَيَّزُ مِنَ الْغَيْظِ كُلَّمَا أُلْقِيَ فِيهَا فَوْجٌ سَأَلَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَا أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ نَذِيرٌ
“Almost bursting for fury. Whenever a group is cast into it, its keeper shall ask them: Did there not come to you a warner?” (67:8).
قَالُوا بَلَىٰ قَدْ جَاءَنَا نَذِيرٌ فَكَذَّبْنَا وَقُلْنَا مَا نَزَّلَ اللَّهُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِنْ أَنْتُمْ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَالٍ كَبِيرٍ
“They shall say: Yea! indeed there came to us a warner, but we rejected (him) and said: Allah has not revealed anything, you are only in a great error” (67:9).
And they will say:
وَقَالُوا لَوْ كُنَّا نَسْمَعُ أَوْ نَعْقِلُ مَا كُنَّا فِي أَصْحَابِ السَّعِيرِ
“And they shall say: Had we, but listened or pondered, we should not have been among the inmates of the burning fire” (67:10).
And He said:
إِنَّ لَدَيْنَا أَنْكَالًا وَجَحِيمًا
“Surely with Us are heavy fetters and a flaming fire” (73:12).
وَطَعَامًا ذَا غُصَّةٍ وَعَذَابًا أَلِيمًا
“And food that chokes and a painful punishment” (73:13).
That is Zaqqum. And He said:
سَأُصْلِيهِ سَقَرَ
“I will cast him into hell” (74:26).
وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا سَقَرُ
“And what will make you realize what hell is?” (74:27).
لَا تُبْقِي وَلَا تَذَرُ
“It leaves naught nor does it spare aught” (74:28).
لَوَّاحَةٌ لِلْبَشَرِ
“It scorches the mortal” (74:29).
كُلَّمَا نَضِجَتْ جُلُودُهُمْ بَدَّلْنَاهُمْ جُلُودًا غَيْرَهَا لِيَذُوقُوا الْعَذَابَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا
“So oft as their skins are thoroughly burned, We will change them for other skins, that they may taste the chastisement; surely Allah is Mighty, Wise” (4:56).
عَلَيْهَا تِسْعَةَ عَشَرَ
“Over it are nineteen” (74:30).
It is said that their eyes are like a flash of lightning; their teeth are horns of the cow; flames protrude from their mouths; the distance between their shoulders is equal to a thousand years’ journey. Each palm of their hand can accommodate the largest Arab tribes of Rabia and Mudhar. Mercy has been removed from their hearts. Each of them at one time picks seventy people and throws them into Hell, wherever he likes. Some have said that nineteen angels are appointed especially on Saqar and for other levels there are other wardens.
It is narrated that when the following verse was revealed, Abu Jahl said to Quraish: Muhammad says that there are nineteen guards of Hell and each of you are courageous and daring; is it not possible that each of you apprehend one guard. One of them asked: I am enough for seventeen; you all take care of remaining two; at that time the following verse was revealed:
وَمَا جَعَلْنَا أَصْحَابَ النَّارِ إِلَّا مَلَائِكَةً وَمَا جَعَلْنَا عِدَّتَهُمْ إِلَّا فِتْنَةً لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا
“And We have not made the wardens of the fire others than angels, and We have not made their number, but as a trial for those who disbelieve” (74:31).
He also said: The keepers of Hell will tell the unbelievers: Go towards the fire, which you denied. Go to a black fire, which is severe and dark, and has three sections; or a smoke, which comes out of Hell, and its flames encompass the unbelievers from above, from the right and from the left; that their breathing stops.
Some have said that flames protrude and encompass the infidels like a veil; then it divides into three parts; and remains like this till he is free from chastisement. Some say that it is the shade of the smoke of Hell. When they enter it, it is of no use to them, and it does not save them from the flames of Hell. The conflagrations of fire throw them out, which are like castles in size and like yellow and black camels in form.
Allah says: Hell is the abode of sinners and the place of return for the transgressors and unbelievers. There are many periods in it; one after another. And their stay in them will never end.
Some have said that there are forty-three Haqabs and each Haqab consists of seventy Hareef; each Hareef being of seven hundred years and each year is of 360 days and each day is of a thousand years.
It is narrated from Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (‘a) through many reliable chains that this verse is about that group of Muslims, who will come out of Hell.
It is narrated from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) in Ma’ani al-Akhbar that there are eight Haqabs, each being of eighty years; each year is of 360 days and each day is of a thousand years according to your reckoning.
Ahl al-Sunnah have narrated from Ibn ‘Umar that the Holy Prophet (S) said: One, who enters Hell, he does not ever come out of it again, till he had spent many Ahqaab in it. Each Haqab is more than sixty years, each year is of 360 says, each day is equal to a thousand years of your reckoning. Thus, no one should expect to come out of Hell. In it, they neither taste any Bard nor drink. Ibn Abbas said that Bard implies sleep. Some have said that it denotes cool breeze; and neither any water, except Hameem and Ghassaq.
And He said:
يَحْسَبُ أَنَّ مَالَهُ أَخْلَدَهُ
“He thinks that his wealth will make him immortal” (104:3).
كَلَّا لَيُنْبَذَنَّ فِي الْحُطَمَةِ
“Nay! he shall most certainly be hurled into the crushing disaster” (104:4).
وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْحُطَمَةُ
“And what will make you realize what the crushing disaster is?” (104:5).
نَارُ اللَّهِ الْمُوقَدَةُ
“It is the fire kindled by Allah” (104:6).
الَّتِي تَطَّلِعُ عَلَى الْأَفْئِدَةِ
“Which rises above the hearts” (104:7).
إِنَّهَا عَلَيْهِمْ مُؤْصَدَةٌ
“Surely it shall be closed over upon them” (104:8).
فِي عَمَدٍ مُمَدَّدَةٍ
“In extended columns” (104:9).
It is said that the gates of Hell are closed for them and then nailed with nails of red-hot iron, so that they may lose hope of ever leaving that place and no breeze should reach them.
Ayyashi has narrated from Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (‘a) that infidels and polytheists will scold the monotheists and Muslims and say: Your monotheism was of no use to you, and we are being sent to Hell all the same. At that time the Almighty Allah will become lenient to Muslims and ask the angels to intercede for them. The angels will intercede as much as the Almighty Allah likes. Then He will ask the prophets to intercede, and they will also intercede for whom the Almighty Allah likes. Then He will ask the believers to intercede; they will also intercede for whom the Almighty Allah likes.
After that He will say: I am the most merciful of the merciful ones; go out due to My mercy. Thus, they will leave the fire like moths and like the creatures who gather at fire. Then Imam (‘a) said: After that rods are pulled, and the gates are closed for the infidels. By Allah, those who remain now, will abide forever in Hell.
‘Ali Ibn Ibrahim has narrated through apparently correct chains of narrators from Abu Basir that he said: I said to Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a): O son of Allah’s Messenger (S), please make me fearful as my heart has become hard. Imam (‘a) said: You be ready for a long life (in the hereafter); to be certain, Jibra’il came with a bitter face to the Messenger of Allah (S) and before that he was always smiling.
The Holy Prophet (S) looked at him and asked, “O Jibra’il! What has happened to you, for you look sad and angry.” To which Jibra’il replied, “The blower, which was used to incite the flames of the fire of hell has been stopped.” The Prophet asked him as to what the blower was? Jibra’il replied, “O Prophet! According to the orders of Allah, the fire of hell was given air with this blower for a thousand years, till it turned white. Then again it was given air for a thousand years, till it turned red. While again it was given air for a thousand years and ultimately it turned dark and black.
If one drop of the Zaree 1 be poured in the seas in this world, the entire world would be ruined due to its filth. If one ring from the seventy feet chain to be bound to the necks of the people of Hell were to be placed on the earth, it would melt due to intense heat. And if one shirt of the shirts of the people of Hell be hung between the sky and the earth, the entire world would perish due to foul odour.”
After saying this Jibra’il and the Holy Prophet (S) both wept. When Allah saw this, He sent one of His angels. The angel said, “O Prophet! Allah sends salutations to you, and says that surely, He has kept this punishment far away from you.” After this whenever Jibra’il came to the Prophet, He was in a good mood.”
Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) continued, “On that day, the dwellers of Hell will become aware of Allah’s great chastisement, likewise the dwellers of Paradise will also become aware of Allah’s Mercy and Blessings. When the evildoers will be thrown into the fire of hell, they will try hard for seventy years and finally come to the mouth of Hell. Angels standing there will strike their heads with iron clubs, and they will again fall into the bottom of the pit. They will then be given new skins, so as to repeat and prolong this punishment.”
Imam (‘a) asked Abu Basir, “Is this enough for you”? He replied, “Verily it is enough.”
It is narrated from authentic chains of narrators from Amr Ibn Thabit that Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (‘a) said: The inmates of Hell in fire, due to the pain of the divine chastisement plead like dogs and wolves. O Amr, what do you think of those, from whom there is no death; that they should get rid of punishment; and their punishment is never reduced or lightened; they remain in the fire thirsty and hungry, and deaf, dumb and blind; their faces are black and they are deprived and regretful; and involved in the fury of their Lord. He neither has mercy on them nor reduces chastisement. Fire continues to blaze for them.
Instead of water, he is made to drink Hameem, and instead of food he is given Zaqqum. Their bodies are ripped apart with hooks of fire and maces of fire are hit at their heads. The angels, who are extremely filthy and severe, keep them in torture and do not pity them. They are dragged on the fire face down. They are tied up in chains with Shaitans and captivated in chains and collars. If they pray, their prayers are not accepted. If they have a wish, it is not fulfilled. This is the condition of those who enter Hell.
It is narrated from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) that there are seven gates of Hell. From one enter Fir’awn, Haman and Qaroon; that is Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, and Uthman. From another enter Bani Umayyah; this gate is exclusive for them, and no one shares it with them.
There is a gate called Baabe Natiyy; there is a gate called Baabe Saqar; there is a gate called Baabe Hawiya; one, who enters from it is drops for seventy years; then the Hell boils up and throws them to the upper layer; they again go down for seventy years. This will continue forever. There is a gate, from which our enemies and those who have fought us and those who have not assisted us, will enter. This is the largest gate, and its heat and severity are also the most.
It is narrated through authentic chains of narrators that people asked Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) the meaning of Falaq. He said: It is a valley in Hell, having seventy thousand houses, each having seventy thousand rooms, each containing seventy thousand black snakes. There are seventy thousand pots of poison in the belly of each snake and all inmates of Hell have to pass that valley.
In another tradition, he said: The fire of the world is one part of seventy from the fire of Hell, which is extinguished with water seventy times and then lit again and if this were not done, no one would have been able to go near it. Indeed, on Judgment Day, Hell will be brought to the plains of Mahshar, so that the Sirat Bridge may be laid on it. At that time Hell will wail in such a way that all proximate angels and messenger prophet will start weeping and wailing.
It is mentioned in another tradition that Ghassaq is a valley in Hell, having three hundred and thirty castles, each castle having three hundred and thirty houses; in each house there are forty corners; there is a snake in each corner; in the stomach of each snake there are three hundred and thirty scorpions. In the sting of each scorpion there are three hundred and thirty pots of poison. If one of those scorpions sprinkles its poison on all the inmates of Hell, it is enough to kill them all.
It is mentioned in another tradition that there are seven levels of Hell:
The first level is Jaheem; its inmates are kept on heated stones, such that their brains boil like a cooking pot.
The second level is Lazza; regarding which the Almighty Allah says:
كَلَّا إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ
“By no means! Surely it is a flaming fire (Lazza)” (70:15).
نَزَّاعَةً لِلشَّوَىٰ
“Dragging by the head” (70:16).
تَدْعُو مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ
“It shall claim him who turned and fled (from truth)” (70:17).
وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰ
“And amasses (wealth) then shuts it up” (70:18).
The third level is Saqar, regarding which the Almighty Allah says:
وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا سَقَرُ
“And what will make you realize what hell is?” (74:27).
لَا تُبْقِي وَلَا تَذَرُ
“It leaves naught nor does it spare aught” (74:28).
The fourth level is that of Hutamah, conflagrations, from which are like castles in size and like yellow camels in form. It powders the bones of those who are cast in it. Their soul does not depart and when they are powdered like antimony, the Almighty Allah bring them back to their original condition.
The fifth level is that of Hawiya: it houses those who plead: O our Lord, please help us. The Lord responds by making them drink a pot full of filth, blood, and the sweat oozing from them like molten copper. When it is brought to their mouths, due to its heat the flesh and skin of their faces falls into it, as the Almighty Allah has said:
إِنَّا أَعْتَدْنَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ نَارًا أَحَاطَ بِهِمْ سُرَادِقُهَا وَإِنْ يَسْتَغِيثُوا يُغَاثُوا بِمَاءٍ كَالْمُهْلِ يَشْوِي الْوُجُوهَ بِئْسَ الشَّرَابُ وَسَاءَتْ مُرْتَفَقًا
“Surely, We have prepared for the iniquitous a fire, the curtains of which shall encompass them about; and if they cry for water, they shall be given water like molten brass, which will scald their faces; evil the drink and ill the resting-place” (18:29).
One that is thrown into Hawiya, falls into the fire for seventy years.
فَأُمُّهُ هَاوِيَةٌ
“His abode shall be the abyss” (101:9).
وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا هِيَهْ
“And what will make you know what it is?” (101:10).
نَارٌ حَامِيَةٌ
“A burning fire” (101:11).
As much as his skin burns, the Almighty Allah grows another skin on his body.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِنَا سَوْفَ نُصْلِيهِمْ نَارًا كُلَّمَا نَضِجَتْ جُلُودُهُمْ بَدَّلْنَاهُمْ جُلُودًا غَيْرَهَا لِيَذُوقُوا الْعَذَابَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا
“(As for) those who disbelieve in Our communications, We shall make them enter fire; so oft as their skins are thoroughly burned, We will change them for other skins, that they may taste the chastisement; surely Allah is Mighty, Wise” (4:56).
The sixth level is that of Sa’eer, having three hundred curtains; in each curtain there are three hundred castles of fire; in each fire there are three hundred houses of fire; in each house there are three hundred kinds of chastisement; there are snakes of fire, scorpions, iron collars and chains of fire for the inmates of that level. As the Almighty Allah has said:
إِنَّا أَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَافِرِينَ سَلَاسِلَ وَأَغْلَالًا وَسَعِيرًا
“Surely We have prepared for the unbelievers chains and shackles and a burning fire” (76:4).
The seventh level is Jahannam; containing the Falaq; which is a well in Hell. When its mouth is opened, the Hell flares up. This level is worse than all the levels of Hell.
There is a mountain of iron in Hell, called Sauda. Hutamah is a river of molten copper, which flows around that mountain. This is the worst place of that level.
It is narrated from Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (‘a) that there is a valley in Hell, called Saqar. It has not breathed from the day the Almighty Allah created it. If Allah allows it to breathe to the extent of a pinhole, it will definitely scorch everything on the earth. Inmates of Hell seek the refuge of Allah from the heat of that valley and foul smell, filth, and also those chastisements that the Almighty Allah has prepared for its inmates.
There is a mountain in that valley, all inhabitants of that valley seek the refuge of Allah from its heat, foul smell, and filth, and also those chastisements that the Almighty Allah has appointed for its inmates. There is a defile in that mountain and all inhabitants of that defile seek the refuge of Allah from its heat, foul smell, filth, and chastisements. There is a well in that defile.
All inhabitants of that defile seek the refuge of Allah from its heat, foul smell, impurity, and severe chastisement. There is a snake in that well. All inhabitants of that well seek the refuge of Allah from its evil, foul smell, dirt, and the poison, which the Almighty Allah has placed in its fangs. There are seven caskets in the belly of that snake. Five people from the past nations and two people from this nation are housed in it.
As for the five, they are as follows: Qabeel, who slain his brother, Habeel; Namrud, who disputed with Prophet Ibrahim (‘a) and said: I kill and I give life; Fir’awn, who claimed divinity; Yahuda, who misguided the Jews; John, who misguided the Christians. As for the two: they are two Bedouins of this nation who did not have faith in Allah; that is Abu Bakr and ‘Umar.
It is narrated from Amir al-Mu’minin (‘a) that tunnels are dug in the fire for the sinners. Their legs are tied up with chains; their hands are tied to their necks; they are made to wear garments of molten copper; robes of fire have been cut for them and wrapped around them. They are involved in such chastisement, whose heat has reached to the maximum.
Gates of Hell are closed before them and are never again opened; they do not ever get any ventilation; their sorrow never ends; their chastisement is always severe, and their punishment is always fresh. They never die. They beseech to Malik: Please ask your Lord to eliminate us. He replies: You will remain in this chastisement forever.
It is narrated through reliable chains of narrators from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) that there is a well in Hell, from which the inmates of Hell seek the refuge of God. It is an abode for every arrogant one, every oppressor and every rebel, who did not have faith in Judgment Day; for one, who is inimical to Aali Muhammad (‘a). Then he said: One getting the least punishment in Hell, is one, who shall abide in a river of fire, wearing two sandals of fire, with straps of fire; due to the heat, his brain matter would be boiling, and he will be under the impression that he is suffering the worst punishment of Hell [although it is the least].
It is mentioned in another tradition that Falaq is a well in Hell, from whose heat, the inmates of Hell seek refuge. It sought the permission of God to take one breath and when it breathed, it scorched all the folks of Hell. There is a casket of fire in that well, from whose heat, the inmates of that well seek refuge; it has an ark containing six people from the past nations and six from this.
The six from the past are: (1) Son of Adam (‘a), who slain his brother. (2) Namrud, who cast Prophet Ibrahim (‘a) in the inferno. (3) Fir’awn (4) Samiri, who deemed calf worship as his religion. (5) One, who deviated the Jews after their prophet. (6) One, who deviated the Christians after their prophet.
The six from this nation are: Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, Uthman, Muawiyah, chief of the Khawarij, the accursed Ibn Muljim; it is narrated from the Messenger of Allah (S) that he said: If there are a hundred thousand people in this Masjid and if an inmate from Hell breathes and its effects reaches them, indeed the Masjid and all in it will be scorched.
Moreover, he said that there is a snake in Hell having a neck like that of a camel; if it bites anyone, he remains in pain for forty years. And there are scorpions as well, as big as mules, and the effect of their sting also endures for the same period.
It is narrated from Abdullah Ibn Abbas that there are seven gates of Hell. There are seventy mountains at each gate. There are seventy thousand defiles in each of the mountains. There are seventy thousand valleys in each of the defiles. There are seventy thousand cracks in each of the valleys. There are seventy thousand houses in each of the cracks.
There are seventy thousand snakes in each of the houses. Each snake is as long as a three months’ journey. Their fangs are like long date palms. They approach people and grab at the eye lashes and tears away the skin and flesh from the bones. When a person flees from it, he falls into one of the streams of Hell, in which he sinks for forty years or forty centuries.
It is narrated through correct chains of narrators from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) that when the folks of Paradise enter Paradise and the inmates of Hell enter Hell, an announcer will call out from God: O inmates of Hell, if death is difficult in some circumstances, will you recognize Me? They will reply: No. Then death will be brought there in form of a white sheep and placed between Paradise and Hell and they will be told: This is death.
At that time the Almighty Allah will issue the command to slaughter it. Then he will say: O folks of Paradise, remain in Paradise forever, as there is no death for you; and O inmates of Hell, remain in Hell forever, as there is no death for you. This is the day regarding which, Allah has said:
وَأَنْذِرْهُمْ يَوْمَ الْحَسْرَةِ إِذْ قُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ وَهُمْ فِي غَفْلَةٍ وَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
“And warn them of the day of intense regret, when the matter shall have been decided; and they are (now) in negligence and they do not believe” (19:39).
Imam (‘a) said: It implies this day only; the Almighty Allah will order the folks of Paradise and Hell to remain in their places forever and there will be no death for them. On that day, the inmates of Hell will regret, but it would be of no use and their hopes would be dashed.
It is narrated from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) in Iqab al-Amal that the Messenger of Allah (S) said: There are four kinds of people, who will involve other inmates of Hell in their punishment. They will wail aloud after drinking boiling water. The people of Hell will ask: “What is the sin of these four types of people, for they are given extra punishment in addition to that given to us? Their punishment is increasing our suffering also.” One of them would be hanging in a casket of fire, second will be drinking vomit and smoke, dirt and blood will be coming out of the mouth of the third and fourth will eat his own flesh continuously.
The first one will be asked: “O one away from the mercy of Allah! What sin did you commit, for which we have to suffer in addition to our own punishment?” He will reply, “I was having rights of others and I died without fulfilling them.”
Then the person drinking smoke will be asked, “O one away from the mercy of Allah! What sin did you commit, for which we have to suffer in addition to our own punishment?” He will reply, “The reason I am away from the mercy of Allah is that when my body became impure with urine, I did not purify it.”
Then the person whose mouth will have dirt and blood coming out will be asked, “O one away from the mercy of Allah! What sin did you commit, for which we have to suffer in addition to our own punishment?” The person will reply, “I am away from the mercy of Allah, because I spread scandals and publicized obscenity.”
Then the person, who is eating his own flesh will be asked, “O one away from the mercy of Allah! What sin did you commit, for which we have to suffer in addition to our own punishment?” He will reply, “I ate the flesh of people by backbiting and slander.”
‘Ali Ibn Ibrahim has narrated through apparently correct chains of narrators from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) that the Messenger of Allah (S) said: I heard a sound on the night of Mi’raj, which terrified me.
Jibra’il said: This is the sound of that stone, which I had dropped from the edge of Hell seventy years ago. It has reached the bottom of Hell today. After that the Messenger of Allah (S) never smiled as long as he lived.
Then the Holy Prophet (S) said: Jibra’il soared above, and I followed him, till I reached to the first heaven. I saw all the angels rejoicing, but one of them was quite different from the others. His face was fearful and showed signs of anger. He saluted me, but unlike others, did not smile at me. I asked Jibra’il as to who he was.
Jibra’il replied, “Verily You should fear him, for we all fear him. He is the keeper of Hell. From the day Allah appointed him, his anger and wrath increase for Allah’s enemies. And when Allah shall order him to exact retribution from His enemies, he shall do so with harshness and severity. If he had ever met anyone joyously, he would also have smiled at you.” I saluted that angel, and he answered me and gave me good news of Paradise.
Then I told Jibra’il, “O Jibra’il! Tell him to let me have a glimpse of hell.” Jibra’il requested him and he lifted the veil and opened one of the doors of hell. Suddenly flames of fire erupted from it, which reached the sky and covered it entirely, and started roaring and raging and creating terror. I told Jibra’il to request him to put back the veil. The keeper of Hell ordered the flames, which had reached the sky, to go down.”
Ibn Babawayh has narrated through apparently trustworthy chains of narrators from Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (‘a) a report of the same meaning and at the end of it, he says: After that the Messenger of Allah (S) never smiled again till he passed away.
Ibn Babawayh has narrated from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) that the Messenger of Allah (S) said: On Judgment Day, hellfire will address three kinds of people; it will say to the ruler: O man, the Almighty Allah gave rulership and power to you, but you did not observe justice; then it picks him up like a bird picks a grain and swallows him. It says to the reciter of Qur’an (Qari): You deemed your recitation of Qur’an as an embellishment for yourself and disobeyed the Almighty Allah in its presence; then it swallows him as well.
Then it addresses the wealthy: O man, the Almighty Allah gave you a very wide and nice world and asked as a loan, very little, from you; so that it may be returned to you a thousand-fold in Qiyamah; but you were miserly; then it picks and swallows him as well.
It is narrated from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) that the fire of Hell is a chastisement for unbelievers and a mercy for the wardens of Hell. They derive pleasure from it and it does not harm them at all.
In the letter, which Amir al-Mu’minin (‘a) wrote to the people of Egypt, mentioned in the description of Hell:
“Be afraid of the fire - the Hell, whose depth is fathomless whose intensity is enormous and where new kinds of punishments are constantly being introduced. The Hell is an abode, where there is no place for His Mercy and Blessings. Prayers of those thrown in there will neither be heard nor accepted, and their sufferings and sorrows will not be lightened therein.”
And the Almighty Allah said:
أَصْحَابُ الْجَنَّةِ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَيْرٌ مُسْتَقَرًّا وَأَحْسَنُ مَقِيلًا
“The dwellers of the garden shall on that day be in a better abiding place and a better resting-place” (25:24).
Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (‘a) said: When the inmates of Hell will be dragged to Hell, before they enter the fire, a smoke from Hell will welcome them. Angels will tell them: Enter this shade, which has three sections. They will think that it is Paradise; but when they enter it, they will reach Hell and they will be sent to Hell in hordes. This will occur in the afternoon of Judgment Day, which is the time of the noon nap in the world.
At that time, gift of Paradise would be brought for the folks of Paradise, and they will be admitted into their houses in the afternoon. This is the meaning of the words of Allah that:
نِعْمَ الثَّوَابُ وَحَسُنَتْ مُرْتَفَقًا
“Excellent the recompense and goodly the resting place” (18:31).
It is said, regarding the words of Allah that:
وَتَرَى الْمُجْرِمِينَ يَوْمَئِذٍ مُقَرَّنِينَ فِي الْأَصْفَادِ
“And you will see the guilty on that day linked together in chains” (14:49).
سَرَابِيلُهُمْ مِنْ قَطِرَانٍ وَتَغْشَىٰ وُجُوهَهُمُ النَّارُ
“Their shirts made of pitch and the fire covering their faces” (14:50).
It is said regarding the fornicator:
وَمَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَامًا
“And he who does this shall find a requital of sin” (25:68).
Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (‘a) said: Athaam is a stream of molten tin. There is a hilly area of fire before this stream. It is an abode of those, who worshipped other than God, or killed someone wrongly; and the fornicators will also live there.
It is narrated from Imam Zayn al-’Abidin (‘a) that there is valley in Hell called Sa’eer. When the fire of Hell abates, it is opened to make the Hellfire rage again and this is the meaning of the verse:
كُلَّمَا خَبَتْ زِدْنَاهُمْ سَعِيرًا
“Whenever it abates, We will add to their burning” (17:97).
Ali Ibn Ibrahim has narrated that when the inmates of Hell enter Hell, they fall for a distance equivalent to seventy-year travel; when they reach the bottom, the Hell inhales and throws them to the top. At that time, they are clubbed with maces of fire to push them down again and this continues forever.
Al-Kulayni and Ibn Babawayh have narrated through apparently trustworthy and correct chains of narrators from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) that there is valley in Hell for the arrogant, called Saqar. It complained of its severity of heat and pleaded to Allah to take a breath. The Almighty Allah allowed it to take a breath and when it breathed, it scorched all the inmates of Hell.
It is narrated in Ihtijaaj that a heretic asked Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) whether fire was not sufficient as punishment that the Almighty Allah created snakes and scorpions as well? Imam (‘a) replied: Allah punishes with snakes and scorpions those, who say that the Almighty Allah has not created them, and they attributed partners to God, so that they may taste the divine chastisement.
Ibn Babawayh has narrated from Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (‘a) that there is a mountain in Hell, called Sa’ad; there is a valley in Sa’ad, known as Saqar. There is a well in Saqar, called Haibat. A curtain is raised from that well, and the inmates of Hell wail due to its heat. That well is the abode of tyrants and oppressive Caliphs.
Moreover, it is narrated from Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (‘a) through good chains of narrators that there was a believer man in Bani Isra’il, in whose neighbourhood lived an unbeliever, who was kind and helpful to the believer during his life. When that unbeliever died; the Almighty Allah made a house of mud in hellfire to protect him from the heat of Hell and his sustenance reaches to him through another channel. Allah tells him: All this is a recompense for your kindness to your believer neighbour.
Al-Kulayni has narrated through reliable chains of narrators from Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (‘a) that there lived a believer man in the kingdom of a tyrant king; that king wanted to cause harm to that believer, so he fled from there and settled in a country of polytheists. One of the polytheists gave him shelter and was kind to him. When time approached for the death of that polytheist, the Almighty Allah revealed to him: By My might and power, if there had been an abode for you in My Paradise, I would have definitely settled you in it; but Paradise is impossible for one, who dies in polytheism; but O fire, bring him out of his place and threaten him, but do not harm him and his sustenance is brought to him morning and night. The narrators asked: From Paradise? Imam (‘a) replied: From wherever Allah likes.
The author says: These two traditions are not contradictory to the verses mentioned before. They prove that infidels will be punished forever and never would their chastisement decrease, because their being in Hell is also a chastisement, even though they might not be tortured. In the second tradition, the threatening of the fire is mentioned, which is their chastisement, and these things do not decrease for them. It is possible that these traditions might be specific for those verses.
It is narrated from Muhammad Ibn al-Hanafiyyah and Ibn Abbas that when the Almighty Allah orders people to cross the Sirat Bridge, the believers will be able to pass it easily and the hypocrites will fall into Hell. The Almighty Allah will ask Malik to ridicule the hypocrites in Hell. Malik will open a door in Hell looking towards Paradise and call them: O hypocrites, come here and leaving the Hell enter Paradise. Hypocrites will swim through hellfire for seventy years and reach that door; and when they try to exit, that door will be closed, and another will be opened in another location.
They will be told: Enter Paradise through this door. Then they will again struggle for seventy years and swimming through the seas of fire reach that door, it will also be closed. This will continue with them forever as they ridiculed the believers and told them:
إِنَّا مَعَكُمْ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُسْتَهْزِئُونَ
“Surely we are with you, we were only mocking” (2:14).
This is the meaning of the verse:
اللَّهُ يَسْتَهْزِئُ بِهِمْ وَيَمُدُّهُمْ فِي طُغْيَانِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ
“Allah shall pay them back their mockery, and He leaves them alone in their inordinacy, blindly wandering on” (2:15).
Imam Hasan al-’Askari (‘a) has said in the interpretation of the above verse that:
Allah says: O Muhammad! Allah will give the reprisal of this mockery in this world as well as in the Hereafter.
وَيَمُدُّهُمْ فِي طُغْيَانِهِمْ
“And He leaves them alone in their inordinacy…” (2:15).
He will also, because of His leniency, give them respite and grant them time to repent, and I promise forgiveness if they repent.
يَعْمَهُونَ
“…Blindly wandering on” (2:15).
They will remain restless and confused, as they will not refrain from this mean habit of harassing Muhammad and ‘Ali (‘a) as much as they can.
Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (‘a) said: In this world, Allah’s manner of mocking them is that they are being dealt with according Islamic rules due to their verbal (outward) acceptance of Islam and therefore, the Prophet of Allah is treating them nicely and lawfully yet sarcastically, until sincere believers understand what is behind this piquant gesture and as ordered by Allah, curse them (the hypocrites who make a show of belief).
In the Hereafter, the Almighty Allah will put them in the block of the cursed and the disgraced ones, and will punish them in various ways, and place believers in Paradise before the divinely selected Muhammad (S). He will make the believers see the fate of hypocrites, who used to mock them in the world. When these faithful look at hypocrites entangled in various kinds of humiliating punishments and curses, they will smile and laugh and mock the hypocrites deriving natural pleasure therefrom.
They will also be pleased with the bounties of Paradise. Then the believers will recognize the names and habits of the hypocrites, who will be suffering from various kinds of chastisements. Some will be bitten by pythons of Hell, and some held in the claws of huge Hell-birds, being torn into pieces. Some will be receiving strikes of flames and batons of fire, some will be drowning in boiling water, while some lying in pus and other obnoxious dirt. Flames of Hellfire will be tossing them all over constantly.
Thereafter, when the tortured hypocrites look at the true believers [whom they were mocking due to their love for Muhammad (S) and his purified progeny Ahl al-Bayt (‘a)], they will find believers reclining happily on the most comfortable beds of Paradise, eating heavenly fruits, tasting pleasures of Paradise through windows of their luxurious palaces, benefiting from services of youthful male and female servants. Angels will be getting for them precious gifts, saying:
سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ بِمَا صَبَرْتُمْ فَنِعْمَ عُقْبَى الدَّارِ
“Peace on you, because you were constant, how excellent, is then, the issue of the abode” (13:44).
Then believers, who see the hypocrites, will call them by their names, asking: Why are you suffering in this disgrace?
Come, we are opening the windows of Paradise, so that you may get rid of torture and share bounties of Paradise with us. The hypocrites and infidels will reply: How at all can we get your pleasures? The believers will say: Just look at these doors of Paradise. The tortured ones will look and feel that perhaps they will get rid of torture of boiling water. So, they will try to reach those doors, but they will be constantly hit by flames, until they reach the doors only to find them closed. The hits of flames will again push them back into Hellfire and boiling water. The believers will laugh at them reclining on their luxurious beds and mock them. In short, this is what is meant by the divine words:
اللَّهُ يَسْتَهْزِئُ بِهِمْ وَيَمُدُّهُمْ فِي طُغْيَانِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ
“Allah shall pay them back their mockery, and He leaves them alone in their inordinacy, blindly wandering on” (2:15).
And,
فَالْيَوْمَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنَ الْكُفَّارِ يَضْحَكُونَ
“So today those who believe shall laugh at the unbelievers” (83:34).
عَلَى الْأَرَائِكِ يَنْظُرُونَ
“On thrones, they will look” (83:35).
Also, the Almighty Allah has said:
وَإِذَا النُّفُوسُ زُوِّجَتْ
“And when souls are united” (81:7).
Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (‘a) said: As for the folks of Paradise:
أَصْحَابُ الْجَنَّةِ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَيْرٌ مُسْتَقَرًّا وَأَحْسَنُ مَقِيلًا
“The dwellers of the garden shall on that day be in a better abiding place and a better resting place” (25:24).
As for the inmates of Hell, thus, each of them is joined to that Shaitan, who has deviated them. The Almighty Allah said:
فَأَنْذَرْتُكُمْ نَارًا تَلَظَّىٰ
“Therefore, I warn you of the fire that flames” (92:14).
لَا يَصْلَاهَا إِلَّا الْأَشْقَى
“None shall enter it, but the most unhappy” (92:15).
الَّذِي كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ
“Who gives the lie (to the truth) and turns (his) back” (92:16).
Ali Ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) in the exegesis of these verses that there is a valley in Paradise and there is a fire in that valley; none burns in it and none becomes eligible for it, except the most wicked; that is ‘Umar, who resisted the command of the Messenger of Allah (S) regarding the Wilayat of Imam ‘Ali (‘a) and turned away from his Wilayat and did not accept it.
After that Imam (‘a) said: The condition of the fires of Hell is such that some of them are lower than others. The fire of this valley is exclusive for the Nasibis 2.
Supporting this is the report, which Shaykh al-Mufid has mentioned in Ikhtisaas narrating from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) that Amir al-Mu’minin (‘a) said: One day, I went to the rear of Kufa and Qambar was walking before me. Suddenly the accursed Iblis appeared, and I said: You are a very wicked old man.
He said: O Amir al-Mu’minin (‘a), why do you say that? By Allah, I narrate one thing, which passed between me and God, and there was no third entity to witness it. Indeed, the Almighty Allah sent me to the earth as result of the mistake that I committed, and I reached the fourth heaven; there I called out: O my Lord, and my chief and leader, I do not think that You have created anyone more wicked than me.
The Almighty Allah revealed to me: Yes, I have a creation who is more wicked than you. Go to Malik, the warden of Hell; he will show you his face and condition. I went to Malik and said: The Almighty Allah sends you His greetings and ask you to show me one, who is more wicked than me. Malik took me to Hell and lifted its cover; a black fire emerged from it and I feared that it would burn me and Malik. Malik said: Calm down and it calmed. Then he took me to another level; another fire emerged from it; Malik asked it to calm down and it calmed.
To whichever level Malik took me that fire was blacker and hotter, till he took me to the seventh level. There, such a fire erupted that I thought that it will destroy me, Malik and all that the Almighty Allah has created. I shaded my eyes with my hand and asked Malik: Please ask it to calm down or I will perish. Malik replied: You will not die till the Known Hoor.
There I saw the faces of two men; having chains of fire around their necks; they were hanging upside down. A group stood at their heads carrying maces and they were hitting both. I asked: Malik, who are they? He replied: Have you not read what was written on the side of ‘Arsh? I had read it that the Almighty Allah had before creating Adam or before creating the world, wrote on the side of ‘Arsh: There is no god, except Allah, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah; I helped and supported him through ‘Ali; these are his two enemies and oppressors: Abu Bakr and ‘Umar.
Al-Kulayni has narrated in a lengthy reliable tradition from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) that five types of disbelief are mentioned in the Book of Allah. Among them is ‘Jahood; denial and it is denial of the lordship of the Almighty Allah and saying that there is neither any God, nor Paradise and Hell; this is the statement of heretics, who are known as atheists.
Sayyid Ibn Tawus has written in the book of Zuhud an-Nabi that Imam ‘Ali (‘a) said: the Messenger of Allah (S) said: By the one, in whose control is the life of Muhammad, if a drop of Zaqqum falls on all the mountains of the earth, they would definitely sink into the seventh layer of the earth and would be unable to bear it; so what will be the condition of one, whose diet is Zaqqum?
By the one, in whose control is my life, if a drop of Ghisleen is dropped on the mountains of the earth, they would all sink into the seventh layer of the earth and be unable to bear it; so, what will be the condition of one, whose drink is Ghisleen?
By the one in whose control is my life; if one of the hammers that the Almighty Allah has mentioned in Qur’an, is placed on the mountains of the earth, they would indeed all sink into the seventh layer of the earth and would be unable to bear it; so, what will be the condition of one, who is hammered with them in Hell?
Moreover, it is mentioned in the same book that when the following verses were revealed:
وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمَوْعِدُهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ
“And surely Hell is the promised place of them all” (15:43).
لَهَا سَبْعَةُ أَبْوَابٍ لِكُلِّ بَابٍ مِنْهُمْ جُزْءٌ مَقْسُومٌ
“It has seven gates; for every gate there shall be a separate party of them” (15:44).
The Messenger of Allah (S) wept so much and the companions also wept due to the weeping of the Prophet, but they did not know what information Jibra’il had brought; and they could not even ask about it. It was the habit of the Holy Prophet (S) that when he saw Lady Fatimah (‘a), he was extremely pleased. One of companions went to Fatimah’s house to summon her. He saw her kneading barley flour and said:
وَاللَّهُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰ
“And Allah is better and more abiding” (20:73).
He greeted Lady Fatimah (‘a) and mentioned the condition of the Prophet and his weeping. Lady Fatimah az-Zahra’ (‘a) arose, put on old covering sheet patched with date leaves in twelve places. When Salman noticed that sheet, he began to weep: And remarked: What a surprise; that Caesar, king of Rome, and Choesroe, the king of Persia wear silk and brocade and Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad, who is the best of creatures, wears such a dress?
Then Lady Fatimah (‘a) came to her respected father, she said: O Messenger of Allah (S), Salman is amazed at my dress; by the one, who sent you as a rightful messenger; ‘Ali and I do not have anything for five years, but a single sheepskin, our camel feeds on it during the day and at night we sleep on it. Our pillow is also of a skin filled with date leaves.
The Messenger of Allah (S) said: O Salman, this daughter of mine will be among the first of those who enter Paradise. After that Fatimah said: O father, may I be sacrificed on you, what caused you to weep? He replied: Jibra’il came with these two verses. When Lady Fatimah az-Zahra’ (‘a) heard the verses, she fell down face wards and said: Woe, O Woe on the one, who enters Hell.
Salman said: If only I had been only a sheep that was slaughtered, and its meat consumed; and I had not heard the description of Hell. Abu Dharr said: How nice it would have been if my mother had not given birth to me and I had not heard about Hell. Ammar said: If only I had been a bird and flew around in the wild and there had been no accounting and reprisal for me and I had not heard about Hell.
Amir al-Mu’minin (‘a) said: Also, if only the beasts had torn me into pieces and my mother had not given birth to me and I had not heard about Hell. After that Amir al-Mu’minin (‘a) placed his hand on his head; he used to weep and say: O woe! The journey is long and there is lack of provision for Qiyamah; they wander in the fire and hooks of fire tear up their flesh; they are some ailing ones, whom none visits; they are some wounded, whose wounds no one treats; they are some prisoners, who no one strives to free. They eat fire and drink fire; they wander in the layers of Hell wearing cotton and wool and then don the garments of fire. After having sexual relations with women, they become intimate with Shaitans.
We should know that a large number of traditions are recorded about the description of Hell and regarding the severities of its chastisement; but we have been content to mention only these in this treatise and most traditions and verses are mentioned in Bihar al-Anwar. May the Almighty Allah awaken all believers from the sleep of deviation for the sake of Muhammad and his purified progeny.
