Jahannam (Hell): Difference between revisions

'''Jahannam''' (جهنم) is the [[Arabic]] language equivalent to [[Hell]]. The [[Islamic Terms|term]] comes from the Hebrew 'Gehinnom'.

There are nearly 500 verses (roughly one out of every twelve) in the [[Qur'an]] which speak of Hell. It was specifically created and prepared with eternal fire by [[Allah]], so that he could torture [[Non-Muslims|disbelievers]].<ref>"''Say: "If ye do love Allah, Follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your sins: For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."''" - {{Quran|3|31}}</ref> In fact, disbelievers are the fuel of Allah's fire.<ref>"''Those who reject Faith,- neither their possessions nor their (numerous) progeny will avail them aught against Allah: They are themselves but fuel for the Fire.''" - {{Quran|3|10}}</ref> Hell is the means of Allah's punishment by which he punishes those of his servants whom he wishes.<ref>"''Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "Paradise and the Fire (Hell) argued, and the Fire (Hell) said, "I have been given the privilege of receiving the arrogant and the tyrants.' Paradise said, 'What is the matter with me? Why do only the weak and the humble among the people enter me?' On that, Allah said to Paradise. 'You are My Mercy which I bestow on whoever I wish of my servants.' Then Allah said to the (Hell) Fire, 'You are my (means of) punishment by which I punish whoever I wish of my slaves. And each of you will have its fill.' As for the Fire (Hell), it will not be filled till Allah puts His Foot over it whereupon it will say, 'Qati! Qati!' At that time it will be filled, and its different parts will come closer to each other; and Allah will not wrong any of His created beings. As regards Paradise, Allah will create a new creation to fill it with."''" - {{Bukhari|6|60|373}}</ref> [[Punishments|Punishment]] varies according to a person's deeds.<ref>"''To all are degrees (or ranks) according to their deeds: for thy Lord is not unmindful of anything that they do.''" - {{Quran|6|132}}</ref><ref>"''Is the man who follows the good pleasure of Allah Like the man who draws on himself the wrath of Allah, and whose abode is in Hell?- A woeful refuge! They are in varying gardens in the sight of Allah, and Allah sees well all that they do.''" - {{Quran-range|3|162|163}}</ref> Hell has seven gates for seven classes of sinners,<ref>"''And verily, Hell is the promised abode for them all! To it are seven gates: for each of those gates is a (special) class (of sinners) assigned.''" - {{Quran-range|15|43|44}}</ref> and angels are appointed as hell's overseers.<ref>"''O ye 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 Allah, but do (precisely) what they are commanded.''" - {{Quran|66|6}}</ref><ref>"''Over it are Nineteen. And We have set none but angels as Guardians of the Fire; and We have fixed their number only as a trial for Unbelievers,- in order that the People of the Book may arrive at certainty, and the Believers may increase in Faith,- and that no doubts may be left for the People of the Book and the Believers, and that those in whose hearts is a disease and the Unbelievers may say, "What symbol doth Allah intend by this?" Thus doth Allah leave to stray whom He pleaseth, and guide whom He pleaseth: and none can know the forces of thy Lord, except He and this is no other than a warning to mankind.''" - {{Quran-range|74|30|31}}</ref>  The torture will be so terrible that people will plead for destruction.<ref name="Quran 25 11 14">"''Nay they deny the hour (of the judgment to come): but We have prepared a blazing fire for such as deny the hour: When it sees them from a place fAr off, they will hear its fury and its ranging sigh. And when they are cast, bound together into a constricted place therein, they will pLead for destruction there and then! "This day plead not for a single destruction: plead for destruction oft-repeated!"''" - {{Quran-range|25|11|14}}</ref>

When the time of the death of Abu Talib approached, Allah's Apostle went to him and found Abu Jahl bin Hisham and 'Abdullah bin Abi Umaiya bin Al-Mughira by his side. Allah's Apostle said to Abu Talib, "O uncle! Say: None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, a sentence with which I shall be a witness (i.e. argue) for you before Allah. Abu Jahl and 'Abdullah bin Abi Umaiya said, "O Abu Talib! Are you going to denounce the religion of Abdul Muttalib?" Allah's Apostle kept on inviting Abu Talib to say it (i.e. 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah') while they (Abu Jahl and Abdullah) kept on repeating their statement till Abu Talib said as his last statement that he was on the religion of Abdul Muttalib and refused to say, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah.' (Then Allah's Apostle said, "I will keep on asking Allah's forgiveness for you unless I am forbidden (by Allah) to do so." So Allah revealed (the verse) concerning him (i.e. It is not fitting for the Prophet and those who believe that they should invoke (Allah) for forgiveness for pagans even though they be of kin, after it has become clear to them that they are companions of the fire (9.113).}}

A sadist is someone who derives pleasure from causing pain to others.<ref>"''Noun S: (n) sadist (someone who obtains pleasure from inflicting pain on others)''" - [http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=sadist Sadist], Princeton University's WordNet, accessed February 11, 2012</ref><ref>"''Noun sadist (plural sadists) One who derives pleasure through cruelty or pain to others.''" - [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sadist Sadist], Wiktionary, accessed February 11, 2012</ref><ref>"''noun 1. Psychiatry . a person who has the condition of sadism,  in which one receives sexual gratification from causing pain and degradation to another. 2. a person who enjoys being cruel.''" - [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sadist Sadist], Dictionary.com, accessed February 11, 2012</ref> If Allah is omniscient (all-knowing) as he claims to be,<ref>"'' Praise be to Allah, to Whom belong all things in the heavens and on earth: to Him be Praise in the Hereafter: and He is Full of Wisdom, acquainted with all things. He knows all that goes into the earth, and all that comes out thereof; all that comes down from the sky and all that ascends thereto and He is the Most Merciful, the Oft-Forgiving. The Unbelievers say, "Never to us will come the Hour": Say, "Nay! but most surely, by my Lord, it will come upon you;- by Him Who knows the unseen,- from Whom is not hidden the least little atom in the heavens or on earth: Nor is there anything less than that, or greater, but is in the Record Perspicuous:''" - {{Quran-range|34|1|3}}</ref> then that means [[Free Will and Predestination in Islam|Allah always knew]] which humans would fail his tests and end up in hell.  The only possible reason any omniscient, omnipotent deity would physically torture human beings for all eternity is because he enjoys it. Since hell's occupants will never be able to repent and end the torture by mending their ways,<ref>"''They will cry: "O Malik! would that thy Lord put an end to us!" He will say, "Nay, but ye shall abide!"''" - {{Quran|43|77}}</ref><ref>"''Therein will they cry aloud (for assistance): "Our Lord! Bring us out: we shall work righteousness, not the (deeds) we used to do!" - "Did We not give you long enough life so that he that would should receive admonition? and (moreover) the warner came to you. So taste ye (the fruits of your deeds): for the wrong-doers there is no helper."''" - {{Quran|35|37}}</ref><ref>"''They will say: "our Lord! Our misfortune overwhelmed us, and we became a people astray! "Our Lord! bring us out of this: if ever we return (to Evil), then shall we be wrong-doers indeed!" He will say: "Be ye driven into it (with ignominy)! And speak ye not to Me!''" - {{Quran-range|23|106|108}}</ref><ref>"''For those who reject their Lord (and Cherisher) is the Penalty of Hell: and evil is (such), Destination. When they are cast therein, they will hear the (terrible) drawing in of its breath even as it blazes forth, Almost bursting with fury: Every time a Group is cast therein, its Keepers will ask, "Did no Warner come to you?" They will say: "Yes indeed; a Warner did come to us, but we rejected him and said, 'Allah never sent down any (Message): ye are nothing but an egregious delusion!'" They will further say: "Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we should not (now) be among the Companions of the Blazing Fire!" They will then confess their sins: but far will be (Forgiveness) from the Companions of the Blazing Fire!''" - {{Quran-range|67|6|11}}</ref> then hell's only purpose is to torture.  Since the torture is not being used for any constructive purpose (like teaching a lesson since the victims will never be given a chance to apply the lesson), the only logical explanation for it would be that Allah wants to torture humans. Indeed, Allah even makes clear that he had the option of 'giving every soul its guidance' but would prefer to 'fill Hell with jinns and men'.<ref>"''If We had so willed, We could certainly have brought every soul its true guidance: but the Word from Me will come true, "I will fill Hell with Jinns and men all together."''" - {{Quran|32|13}}</ref>