The sending of Prophets by Allah SWT into this world has always been to make the people of earth know about their true purpose of existence. All of these Messengers had a common task to do, i.e. to bring people towards worship of One Allah Almighty, realization of temporariness of the worldly life and knowing about the real life of the hereafter. Four of these many Messengers were awarded with the Sacred Scriptures, which contained more or less same kinds of teachings.
The Holy Quran, which was revealed upon the Last Apostle, Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ, encloses all the necessary information for success in this life and in the eternal existence. It describes comprehensively about the grounds on which one will be granted Jannah (paradise) or Jahannam (hell), both of which are mentioned 77 times each in Furqan e Hameed. The Creator of the universe has repeatedly explained in His Sacred Book about cause of entering paradise or hell which lies in adoption or transgression from His instructions respectively. The Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
“Allah has promised those who believe and do righteous deeds [that] for them there is forgiveness and great reward. But those who disbelieve and deny Our signs – those are the companions of Hellfire.” [Quran, 5: 10]
The above mentioned Ayah demonstrates that those who trust and act upon God`s commandments and are upright in their actions will attain His Mercy and blessings of Jannah. On the other hand, those who do not accept the Message of Allah and reject the Obvious Indications of His Greatness will only get His Anguish among the dwellers of the hell.
Narrated by Abdullah bin Umar (R.A):
“When someone dies, he is shown his destination morning and evening and if he belongs to the people of Paradise, (he will be shown his place) among the people of Paradise, and if he is from the people of Hell, (he will be shown his place) among the people of Hell.” (Bukhari)
Jahannam is an Arabic word, which means “a dark storm, a stern look, darkness” etc. which explains how inhospitable and a nuisance place it would be in the afterlife.
Now let us discuss the description of the “Place of Misery”, i.e. hell according to Quran and Ahadiths:
i) A Place of Extremely Daunting Fire
The Hallowed Manuscript of Allah SWT is a constant reminder for its readers about the blazing heat and flames of hell, which is awaiting those who refuse the teachings of the Almighty and His Messenger ﷺ.
“And fear the Fire, which has been prepared for the disbelievers.” [Quran, 3: 131]
In this Quranic verse, the Almighty Lord is giving a warning about the burning inferno which has been arranged for those who turn away from the word of wisdom and live their lives under the shadows of darkness. On another occasion in the Holy Quran, Allah says:
“Indeed, those who disbelieve in Our verses – We will drive them into a Fire. Every time their skins are roasted through We will replace them with other skins so they may taste the punishment. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted in Might and Wise.” [Quran, 4: 56]
Note – If you are interested in learning to read, memorize, and understand the verses of Holy Quran, take online Quran teaching classes from qualified teachers to improve your Quran recitation skills.
The Gatherer, in this Ayah, explains the state of wrongdoers in the hereafter as they will rot in the scorching hellfire and their skins will be restored time after time there is nothing left of them. The Apostle ﷺ of God has illustrated the combustion of eternal punishment as:
“Fire as we know it is one seventieth part of the Fire of Hell. Someone said, ‘O Messenger of God, it is enough as it is!’ He said, ‘It is as if sixty-nine equal portions were added to fire as we know it.’” (Bukhari)
So, as per the above stated Hadith, fire of everlasting agony will be 70 times as effective as the one is this world. This show the intensity of torment, a disbeliever will have to go through as a result of contravention from Allah`s commandments.
ii) Boiling Liquids To Drink
One cannot imagine living without water in on earth, as it is the most essential physiological requirement of life. Same will be the case in the hereafter, when a transgressor would feel thirsty, it will be presented with steaming water to swallow.
“…. Poured upon their heads will be scalding water. By which is melted that within their bellies and [their] skins.” [Quran, 22: 19-20]
This shows the greatness of pain the boiling water will cause to the doubters which will cause their internal body organs and hides to dissolve. The Messenger ﷺ of Allah also described the kind of fluid that will be offered to the offenders of Islamic instructions in hell to drink as:
“It is like boiling oil, when it is brought near a person’s face, the skin of the face falls off into it.” (Ahmad and Tirmidhi)
So, the liquor for the disbelievers to take in will be like red hot oil, which will cause their faces to fall into it because of its ruthless nature.
iii) Rotting Fruits Of Zaqqum Tree To Eat
On one hand, when Allah SWT talks about the blessings of the Jannah, where every kind of food will be available for the believers, the inhabitants of hell are described as having fruits from a tree rising from the base of hell. Allah SWT says in the Holy Quran:
Is Paradise a better accommodation or the tree of zaqqum? Indeed, We have made it a torment for the wrongdoers. Indeed, it is a tree issuing from the bottom of the Hellfire, Its emerging fruit as if it was heads of the devils. And indeed, they will eat from it and fill with it their bellies. [Quran, 37, 62-66]
The wicked ones will have to consume the damned fruit of Zaqqum tree to fill their stomachs, resembling that of heads of the Satan, which shows how dreadful it will be in taste. The Holy Prophet ﷺ also expresses His views on this food as:
“If a drop from Zaqqum were to land in this world, the people of earth and all their means of sustenance would rot. So how must it be for one who must eat it?” (Tirmidhi)
The above mentioned Hadith illustrates the appalling flavor of the tree of Zaqqum that if a single drop from it would have to hit the surface of the earth, it would lead to rotting of all the edibles in this world.
iv) Depth Of The “Abyss”
The suffering and nightmare of hell will be of such degree that it will never seem to end. Allah SWT has described the magnitude of deepness of the pit of Jahannam in His Sacred Scripture as:
“On the Day We will say to Hell, “Have you been filled?” and it will say, “Are there some more.” [Quran, 50: 30]
It means that the whole world population of disbelievers will not be enough to fill it completely; rather it will ask the Almighty for sending more of them. Rasulullah ﷺ has also similarly depicted the deepness of this Hopeless Place.
Narrated by Anas bin Malik (R.A):
“Hell will continue to ask, ‘Is there anything more?’ until Allah, the Exalted, and High will place His foot thereon, Then it will say, ‘Enough, enough, by Your honor,’ and some of its parts will draw close together.’” [Muslim]
The previously cited Hadith clearly indicates about the greatest depths of Bottomless Pit, which will never get completely filled with non believers until Allah SWT will order it to squeeze down its remaining empty spaces.
This is the brief account of the outlook of the Wretchedness of hell, which is a place of everlasting living for those who contravene with the directions of Allah Almighty on this planet earth.
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