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Hell
References to hell, in one form or another, are ubiquitous in the Qurʿān, as part of its general eschatological message. Hell is linked with fire and heat in its various forms, and is firmly part of the Prophet ’s message as the eventual residence of those who are wicked and who disregard Allah’s instructions. Whereas paradise is a garden replete with lush vegetation, hell is the place of pain and discomfort, and the suggestion is made that the punishment will continue forever. Hell has seven gates (15:44), and the Qurʿān details the horrors sinners will experience there, including having their skin burned (4:56), being stuck on iron hooks (22:21), drinking boiling water (18:29) or even pus (44:16). The absence of death is something that makes the punishment even worse since it is continual and unceasing, and there is no hope of escape. It lasts forever . . . always . . . there is no end. On the other hand, the Qurʿān (11:107) also refers to people staying in hell forever, unless Allah changes His attitude toward them; thus implying a certain possibility of retrieval. Hell has ranks of punishment appropriate for various sinners, and is clearly modeled on heaven with its different levels. Heaven seems to be above hell, since the inhabitants of the latter call on those in heaven to pour water down on them, something that Allah has apparently forbidden (7:50).
The inhabitants of hell include unbelievers, polytheists, idolaters, and eventually even some jinn (an intelligent spirit of lower rank than the angels) and the Devil himself will find a place there. A long list of crimes condemns one to hell, including even what some may consider quite a minor action like slander. It could not be argued that those punished were not aware of what lay before them since the Qurʿān explains these points in detail. The prospect of hell is constantly mentioned and people are warned of the inevitable consequences of their behavior. For those actually in hell the prospect of their constant punishment is itself a punishment, as is their sense that they have been abandoned by Allah.
The major schools of Islamic scholarship about the afterlife promote the idea that human beings will one day face judgment when Allah brings everyone before him (as explained in Britannica). At this point the dead will be raised, sinners will face the torment of being thrown into the fire when crossing the divine bridge, and the righteous will be sent to paradise. The edict is meant to reassure believers of what awaits them if they stick to the path of purity, while simultaneously warning them of what can happen if they stray from the morally upright route through life.
The journey after death to either the heavenly or hellish realm echoes the teachings of the more ancient religion of Zoroastrianism, in that the divine bridge that the dead are required to cross will widen for the good and contract for the bad, who will eventually lose their footing and be thrown into the flames below. Although God predetermines every human destiny, he also holds individuals responsible for their actions. His judgment is meant to be final, but he can exercise mercy if Muhammad intervenes.
As the Raiyan Foundation notes, in Islam, hell has seven gates, each reserved for a specific group of sinners based on their misdeeds in life. The doors will be locked with a bolt of iron to intensify the pain and heat.
Hell
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Last Update: 06/2022
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