The Gates of Hell
Allâh has told us that Hell has seven gates, as He (swt) said:
“And surely, Hell is the promised place for them all. It [Hell] has seven
gates, for each of these gates is a [special] class [of sinners] assigned”.
(15:43-44)
Ibn Kathîr commenting on this âyah, said:
“This means that each gate has
been allotted its share of the followers of Iblîs who will enter it, and they
will not be able to avoid it. May Allâh (swt) protect us from it. Each
will enter a gate according to his deeds, and will be assigned to a level of
Hell according to his deeds.”
It was reported from ‘Alî ibn Abî Tâlib (ra) that he said, during a khutbah
(sermon):
“The gates of Hell are such-and-such”.
Abû Harûn said,
“They are in layers, one above the other”.
It is reported that he also said,
“The gates of Hell number seven, one above the other. The first will be filled, then the second, then the third, until all of them are filled.” (Tafsîr Ibn Kathîr, 4/162)
When the disbelievers come to Hell, its gates will be opened, and they will
enter it, to remain there forever:
“And those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in groups, till, when they
reach it, the gates thereof will be opened [suddenly like a prison at the
arrival of the prisoners]. And its keepers will say, “Did not the Messengers
come to you from yourselves – reciting to you the Verses of your Rabb, and
warning you of the Meeting of this Day of yours”. They will say, “Yes” but
the Word of torment has been justified against the disbelievers”. (39:71)
After they are admitted, they will be told:
“Enter you the gates of Hell, to abide therein. And [indeed] what an evil
abode of the arrogant!” (39:72)
These gates will be shut upon the evildoers, and they will have no hope of
ever escaping from them after that, as Allâh (swt) says,
“But those who
reject Our Signs, they are the [unhappy] Companions of the Left Hand. On
them will be Fire vaulted over [all round].” (90:19-20)
Ibn ‘Abbâs said, vaulted (literally:“shut over them”) means that the
gates will be locked”. al-Mujâhid pointed out that the word used (mu’sadah)
is the word used in the dialect of Quraysh to mean “locked” or shut” (Tafsîr Ibn Kathîr 7/298)
In the Qur’ân Allâh (swt) says:
“Woe to every [kind of] scandalmonger and backbiter, who piles up wealth and
lays it by. Thinking that his wealth would make him last forever! By no
means! He will be sure to be thrown into that which Breaks to Pieces. And
what will explain to you that which breaks to pieces? The Fire of [the wrath
of] Allâh, kindled [to a blaze], which mounts [right] to the heart. It
shall be made into a vault over them, in columns outstretched.” (104:1-9)
Allâh (swt) states that the gates of Hell will be locked behind them. Ibn
Abbâs said, “In columns outstretched” means that the gates will be stretched out. ‘Atiyah said, “It is a pillar of iron”.
Muqâtil said,
“The gates will be closed firmly behind them and locked with a bolt of iron, so that the pain and heat will be intensified. The expression “stretched forth” applies to the “pillar”, meaning that the bolts with which the gates are locked will
be very long, because a long bolt is stronger than a short one” (Ibn Rajab,
at-Takhwîf min an-Nâr, p.61)
The gates of Hell may be opened and closed before the Day of Judgement. The
Prophet ﷺ told us that the gates of Hell are locked during the month of
Ramadhan. At-Tirmidhî reported that Abû Hurayrah said the Prophet ﷺ
said:
“When the first night of Ramadhan comes, the Shayâtîn and evil jinns
are chained up. The gates of Hell are closed and not one of them is opened.
The gates of Paradise are opened and not one of them is closed.” (Ibid, p.66)
The Fuel of Hell
Stones and the rebellious disbelievers are the fuel of Hell, as Allâh says:
“O you who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel
is men and stones!” (66:6)
“., then fear the Fire [hell] whose fuel is men and stones, prepared for the
disbelievers” (2:24)
What is meant by the people who will be fuel for the Fire is the disbelievers
and polytheists. As for the type of stone that will fuel the Fire, Allâh
(swt) knows best what it really is. Some of the Salaf thought that this
stone was brimstone or sulphur. ‘Abdullâh ibn Mas’ûd said,
“It is a stone
of sulphur which Allâh (swt) created in the first heaven the day He created
the heavens and earth and prepared it for the disbelievers”.
This was reported by Ibn Jarîr, Ibn Abi Hâtim and Hâkim in al-Mustadrak. Ibn
‘Abbâs, Mujâhid and Ibn Juryayj were also of this opinion. (Tafsîr Ibn
Kathîr, 1/107)
If this opinion was based on something that the Prophet ﷺ had said then
we could accept it without hesitation or argument. If it is the matter of
ijtihâd, based on knowledge of the nature and qualities of stones, then we
cannot accept it without question. There may be other stones that are
superior to sulphur in strength and flammability. The first Muslims saw that
sulphur has qualities that do not exist in other stones, so they thought that
it would be the fuel of Hell. Ibn Rajab said,
“Most of the mufassirîn
suggest that what is meant by stones is sulphur, with which the Fire of Hell
will be fuelled. It was said that it includes five kinds of torment that are
not found in other stones: it catches fire quickly, it has an unpleasant
odour, it produces a lot of smoke, it sticks to flesh, and it is very hot
when it is heated” (Ibn Rajab, at-Takhwîf min an-Nâr, p.107).
Allâh may create other kinds of stones that are superior to sulphur, and we can be sure that whatever exists in the Hereafter will be different from this world.
Another fuel for the Fire will be the gods, which were worshipped instead of
Allâh (swt);
“Certainly! You [disbelievers] and that which you are worshipping now besides
Allâh, are [but] fuel for Hell! [Surely] you will enter it. Had these
[idols etc] been âliha [gods] they would not have entered there [Hell] and
all of them will abide therein.” (21:98-99)
Al-Jawhâri said,
“Everything that is used to feed the Fire or increase it
is its fuel”.
Abû Ubaydah said,
“Everything that you throw into the Fire is
fuel for it” (Yaqazah uli al-i’tibâr, p.61)
The Intensity of Its Heat and the Vastness of Its Smoke and Sparks
Allâh (swt) says:
“And those on the left hand – who will be those on the Left Hand? In fierce
hot wind and boiling water. And shadow of black smoke, [that shadow]
neither cool, nor [even] good”. (56:41-44)
This âyah includes all of the things that people avail themselves of in this
world when it is too hot; these three things are: water, air and shade. But
the âyah states that these three things will be of no help whatsoever to the
people of Hell. The air of Hell is al-Sumûm, which is an intensely hot
wind; its water is al-Hamîm, boiling water; its shade is al-Yahmûm, which
is a part of the smoke of Hell. (at-Takhwîf min an-Nâr, p.85)
Just as this âyah emphasises the horrifying position of those on the Left
Hand, who are the people of Hell, another âyah emphasises the horror of Hell
itself. Allâh (swt) says:
“But he whose balance [of good deeds] will be [found] light, will have his
home in a [bottomless] pit. And what will explain to you what this is? [It
is] a Fire blazing fiercely!” (101:8-11)
The shade referred to in the âyah
“and the shadow of black smoke” (56:43)
is the shade cast by the smoke of Hell. Shade usually makes one feel cool
and comfortable, and people love to feel it, but this shade [in Hell] will
neither be cool nor pleasant; it is the shadow of black smoke.
The Qur’ân tells us that this shade is the smoke of Hell which rises above
the Fire:
“Depart you to a shadow [of smoke ascending] in three columns, [which
yields] no shade of coolness and is of no use against the Fierce Blaze”.
Indeed! It [Hell] throws about sparks [huge] as forts, as if there were [a
string of] yellow camels [marching swiftly].” (77:30-33)
This âyah states that the smoke that rises from Hell is so great that it is
divided into three columns. It gives shade, but it is not cooling and it
offers no protection from the Raging Fire. The sparks that fly from this
Fire are like huge castles, and they are likened to yellow or black camels.
Allâh (swt) explained how strong this Fire is, and how it affects the
tormented:
“Soon I will cast him into Hellfire. And what will explain to you exactly
what Hellfire is? Naught does it permit to endure, and naught does it leave
alone! Darkening and changing the colour of man!” (74:26-29)
The Fire consumes all, destroying everything and leaving nothing untouched.
It burns skin, reaching to the bone, melting the contents of the stomach and
exposing what is innermost.
The Prophet ﷺ told us:
“Fire as we know it is one-seventieth part of the Fire of Hell.”
Someone said,“O Messenger of Allâh ﷺ, it is enough as it is!” He said,
“It [the fire of Hell] is as if sixty nine equal portions were added to the fire as we know it.” (al-Bukhâri)
This Fire never dies down, no matter how much time passes:
“So taste you [the results of your evil actions]; no increase shall We give
you, except in torment”. (78:30)
“…whenever it abates, We shall increase for them the fierceness of the
Fire”. (17:97)
The disbelievers will not taste the luxury of respite, and the torment will
not be lessened for them no matter how long it lasts:
“Their torment shall not be lightened nor shall they be helped”. (2:86)
The Fire is rekindled every day as is stated in the hadîth reported by Muslim
from ‘Amr ibn ‘Absah (ra) who said:
“The Prophet ﷺ said,
“Pray salât as-subh (the early morning prayer) then
stop praying when the sun is rising until it is fully up, for it rises
between the horns of Shaytân and the disbelievers prostrate to the sun at
that time. Then pray, for the prayer is witnessed (by the angels) until the
shadow becomes the length of a lance. Then cease prayer, for at that time
Hell is heated up. Then when the shadow moves forward, pray..”
Al-Bukhâri and Muslim report from Abû Hurayrah (ra) that the Prophet said,
“When it becomes very hot, wait until it cools down to pray, because the
intense heat is a breeze from Hell”.
The Fire of Hell will be further refueled on the Day of Resurrection when it
receives its inhabitants:
“And when Hellfire shall be kindled to a fierce blaze, and when Paradise
shall be brought near”. (81:12-13)
Hell can Speak and See
Whoever reads the descriptions of Hell in the Qur’ân and hadîths will
discover that it is a creation that can see, speak and complain. The Qur’ân
tells us that Hell will be able to see its people from afar when they are
coming towards it, and it will start to utter terrifying cries that will
indicate how much anger and hatred it feels towards these evildoers:
“When it [Hell] sees them from a far place, they will hear its raging and
roaring”. (25:12)
Ibn Jarîr reports that Ibn ‘Abbâs said:
“A man will be dragged towards Hell, which will shrink into itself. Allâh
(swt) will say: “What is the matter with you?” It will say, “He is seeking
refuge with you from me”. He will say,“Release My slave”. Another man will
be dragged towards Hell and it will send out a gust of air like a mule
snorting at a camel, then it will take in a gust of air and there will be
no-one left except it will terrify him”. (Ibn Kathîr quoted this report in
an-Nihâyah, 2/21, and said that its isnâd is sahîh).
Imâm Ahmad and at-Tirmidhi report from Abû Sâlih from Abû Hurayrah (ra) that
the Prophet ﷺ said:
“On the Day of Resurrection a neck will stretch forth from Hell; it will have
two eyes to see, two ears to hear, and a tongue to speak. It will say, “I
have been appointed to take care of three types of people: every arrogant
tyrant, every person who called on some deity other than Allâh (swt) and
those who made pictures” (at-Tirmidhi stated that this hadîth was sahîh –
at-Takhwîf min an-Nâr, p.179, See also Jâmi’ al-Usûl, 10/518, the editor
said its isnâd is hasan).
Ibn ‘Umar’s Vision of Hell
Al-Bukhâri and Muslim report that Ibn ‘Umar said,
“I saw in a dream that two
angels came to me. Each of them was holding a whip of iron in his hand.
Then I met (another) angel who was also holding a whip of iron in his hand.
They said, “Do not worry, you are a good man; we just wish that you prayed
more at night”. They took me to the edge of Hell, which looked like a well
with horns: between every two horns stood an angel holding a whip of iron.
I saw men hanging upside-down, held with chains, and I recognised some men of
Quraysh. Then they led me away, towards the right. I told Hafsah about my
dream, and she told the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ who said, “Abdullâh is a
righteous man”. (at-Takhwîf min an-Nâr, p.51)
Does Anybody See Hell in Reality Before the Day of Resurrection?
We know that our Prophet ﷺ saw Hell, just as he saw Paradise during his
lifetime. Al-Bukhâri and Muslim report from ‘Abdullâh ibn ‘Abbâs that the
Prophet ﷺ said concerning Salât al-Khusf (eclipse prayer):
“I saw Paradise and I reached out to take a bunch of its fruits. If I had
managed to do so you would have eaten from it until the end of time. And I
saw Hell, and I have never seen anything more terrifying. I saw that most of
its inhabitants are women”. (Mishkât al-Masabîh, 1/480)
Imâm Ahmad reports from al-Mughîrah ibn Shu’bah that the Messenger of
Allâh ﷺ said:
“Hell was brought so close to me that I tried to blow its heat away from my
face. I saw there the man with the stick with the crooked end, and one who
had tended al-Bahîrah (a she-camel let loose for pasture for idols, upon
which nothing was allowed to be carried), and the man of Humayr and the woman
who had imprisoned the cat”. (Sahîh al-Jâmi’, 2/181 #1968)
Muslim reports from Jâbir (ra) that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Paradise and Hell were shown to me. Paradise was brought close to me, so
that I tried to take fruit from it but I could not reach it. Hell was shown
to me, and was brought so close that I stepped back for fear that it would
touch me. I saw a Humayr woman who was tall and black, being punished on
account of a cat that she owned: she had tied it up, not giving it anything
to eat or drink, or allowing it to eat of the vermin of the earth. I also
saw Abû Thumâmah ‘Umar ibn Mâlik being dragged by his trachea through
Hell”. (Sahîh al-Jâmi’, 2/298, #2394)
After people die they are shown, in al-Barzakh (the period between death and
Judgement) their position in Paradise (if they are believers) or Hell (If
they are disbelievers).
How Hell Affects this Earth and its Inhabitants
Al-Bukhâri reports in his sahîh that Abû Hurayrah said:
“Hell complained to its Rabb, saying “O my Rabb, some parts of me have
consumed others.” So He allowed it to exhale twice, once in the winter and
once in the summer. That is why you find extreme heat (in the summer) and
extreme cold (in the winter)”.
Al-Bukhâri also narrated from Abû Sa’îd (ra) that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Delay your prayers until it cools down, for the intensity of heat is from
the exhaled air of Hell”. (Sahîh al-Bukhâri, Kitâb Bad’ al-Khalq, Bâb
Siffât an-nâr wa annaha makhluqah and Fath al-Bâri 6/330. The author of
Jâmi’ al-Usûl 10/517 attributed these two reports to al-Bukhâri, Muslim
and at-Tirmidhi).
The People of Hell and Their Evil Deeds
1. The People Who Will Abide Therein Forever
The people of Hell who will abide therein forever, never leaving it and never
dying, are the disbelievers and polytheists. Allâh (swt) says:
“But those who reject Allâh, for them will be the Fire of Hell. No term
shall be determined for them, so they should die, nor shall its penalty be
lightened for them”. (35:36)
“But those who reject Faith and belie Our Signs, they shall be companions [or
dwellers] of the Fire; they shall abide therein”. (2:39)
“Verily those who reject faith and die rejecting – on them is Allâh’s Curse
and the Curse of the Angels and of all mankind. They will abide therein:
their penalty will not be lightened, nor will respite be their lot.”
(2:161-162)
“Know they not that for those who oppose Allâh and His Messenger is the Fire
of Hell – wherein they shall dwell? That is the supreme disgrace”. (9:63)
“It is not for such as join gods with Allâh to visit or maintain the Mosques
of Allâh while they witness against their own souls to infidelity [or
disbelief]. The works of such bear no fruit: In Fire shall they dwell.”
(9:17)
Because they will abide therein forever, Allâh (swt) described the torment
of Hell as a lasting torment, one that will never end, one that is eternal:
“Their wish will be to get out of the Fire, but never will they get out
therefrom: their Penalty will be one that endures”. (5:37)
“At length it will be said to the wrongdoers: “Taste you the enduring
punishment! You get but the recompense of what you earned!” (10:52)
Death will be slaughtered, as is stated in the hadîth narration from Ibn
‘Umar by al-Bukhâri and in Muslim from Abû Sa’îd who said:
“The Messenger of Allâh of Allâh ﷺ said: “Death will be brought like a
horned ram, and will be made to stand between Paradise and Hell”. It will be
said, “O people of Paradise, do you know what this is?” They will raise
their heads and look, and will say, “Yes, this is death”. It will be said, “O
people of Hell, do you know what this is?” They will raise their heads and
look, and will say, “Yes, this is death”. Then the command will be given for
death to be slaughtered. Then it will be said, “O people of Paradise, it is
eternal, there is no death. O people of Hell, it is eternal, there is no
death”. Then the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ recited:
“And warn them of the Day of Grief and regrets when the case has been
decided, while [now] they are in a state of carelessness, and they believe
not”. (19:39)
and in the narration of at-Tirmidhi, Abû Sa’îd al-Khudrî added:
“If any
were to die of joy it would be the people of Paradise and if any were to die
of despair, it would be the people of Hell”. (at-Tirmidhi, said “This is a
sahih hasan hadîth”).
2. Hell will be the Dwelling Place of the Kuffâr and Mushrikîn
Because the disbelievers and polytheists will remain in Hell forever, it is
considered to be their abode or dwelling place, just as Paradise is the abode
of the believers:
“Their abode will be the Fire; and evil is the home of the wrongdoers”
(3:151)
“Their abode is the Fire, because of the [evil] they earned”. (10:8)
“Is there not a home in Hell for those who reject Faith?” (29:68)
Hell is abode that they deserve:
“Your abode is the Fire: that is the proper place to claim you…” (57:15)
Hell bring the worst abode and destination:
“But for the wrongdoers will be an evil place of [final] Return! – they will
burn therein – an evil bed [indeed to lie on]!” (38:55-56)
3. Those Who Call Others to Hell
Those who follow misguided beliefs and ideologies that contradict the laws
of Allâh (Swt) and those who believe in their false causes, these are the
ones who call others to Hell:
“Those [unbelievers] do [but] beckon you to the Fire..” (2:221)
“And We made them [but] leaders inviting to the Fire; and on the Day of
Judgement no help shall they find”. (28:41)
One of them is Shaytân:
“..[would they do so] even if it is Shaytân beckoning them to the Penalty of
the [Blazing] Fire?” (31:21)
“He [Shaytân} only invites his adherents that they may become Companions of
the blazing Fire” (35:6)
Those who call others to the Fire in this world will lead their people and
their followers to the Fire in the Hereafter. An example is Pharaoh:
“He will go before his people on the Day of Judgement, and lead them into the
Fire.” (11:98)
All evil leaders who call people to their belief systems that go against
Islâm are in fact calling people to the Fire of Hell, because the only way
to escape the Fire of Hell and enter Paradise is to follow the path of Faith:
“And O my people! [strange] it is for me to call you to salvation while you
call me to the Fire!” (40:41)
This man’s people were calling him to the kufr and shirk of Pharaoh while he
was calling them to Tawhîd and faith in Allâh (swt). Because the kuffâr
invite people to the Fire, Allâh (swt) forbade believing men to marry
mushrik women, just as He forbade believing women to marry mushrik men:
“And do not marry unbelieving (literally, polytheist) women until they
believe. A slave woman who believes is better than a [free] unbelieving
woman, even though she allures you. Nor marry [your girls] to unbelievers
until they believer; a male slave who believes is better than a [free]
unbeliever, even though he allures you. Those [unbelievers] do [but] beckon
you to the Fire, but Allâh invites by His Grace to the Garden [of Bliss] and
forgiveness, and makes His Signs clear to mankind that they may receive
admonition” (2:221)
The Worst Evil Deeds of Those Who Will Remain Forever in Hell
The Qur’ân speaks at length of the evil deeds for which those who will abide
in the Hell forever deserve their never-ending fate. Here we will mention
the most serious of them.
(1) Kufr and Shirk:
Allâh (swt) tells us that it will be said to those who
disbelieved, when they are in the Fire, that Allâh’s hatred of them will be
greater than their own hatred towards themselves because of their disbelief.
Then He explains that their eternal fate in Hell is because of their kufr and
shirk:
“The unbelievers will be addressed: “Greater was the aversion of Allâh to
you than [is] your aversion to yourselves, seeing that you were called to the
Faith but you used to refuse. They will say, “Our Rabb! Twice have You made
us without life, and twice have You given us life! Now have we recognised our
sins: is there any way out [of this]?” [The answer will be]: “This is
because, when Allâh was invoked as the Only [object of worship] you did
reject Faith, but when partners were joined to Him, you believed! The
Command is only with Allâh, All-High, All-Great!” (40:10-12)
Allâh (swt) tells us that the keeper of Hell will ask the kuffâr as they
are approaching Hell:
“Did there not come to you your messengers with clear signs?” (40:50)
The response will be that they deserved Hell because they disbelieved in the
Messengers and their Message:
“They will say, “Yes indeed; a Warner did come to us, but we rejected him”
and said: “Allâh never sent down any [Message] you are in nothing but a
great error!” (67:9)
Concerning those who disbelieved in the Qur’ân, Allâh (swt) says:
“for We have sent you a Message from Our own presence. If any do turn away
therefrom, verily they will bear a burden on the Day of Judgement. They will
abide in this [state] and grievous will that burden be to them on that Day”.
(20:99-101)
Concerning those who disbelieve the Qur’ân and associate partners with
Allâh (swt), Allâh (swt) says:
“Those who reject the Book and the [Revelations] with which We sent Our
Messengers: but soon shall they know, when the yokes [shall be] round their
necks, and the chains, they shall be dragged along. In the boiling fetid
fluid, then in the Fire shall they be burned. Then shall it be said to them,
“Where are the deities to which you gave part-worship in derogation to
Allâh? They will reply: “They have left us in the lurch. Nay, we invoked
not, of old, anything [that had real existence].” Thus does Allâh leave the
unbelievers to stray. That was because you were want to rejoice on the earth
in things other than the Truth, and that you were want to be ignorant. Enter
the gates of Hell, to dwell therein and evil is [this] abode of the
arrogant”. (40:70-76)
Concerning those kuffâr and mushrikîn who regarded their gods as equal to
the Rabb of the Worlds, Allâh (swt) says:
“Then they will be thrown headlong into the [Fire] – they and those straying
in Evil and the whole hosts of Iblîs together. They will say there in their
mutual bickerings: “By Allâh, we were truly in an error manifest, when we
held you [false gods] as equals with the Rabb of the Worlds” (26:94-98)
Concerning the fate on the Day of Judgement of those who disbelieved, Allâh
said:
“If you do marvel [at their want of faith] strange is their saying: “When we
are [actually] dust, shall we indeed then be a creation renewed?” They are
those who disbelieve in their Rabb! They are those around whose necks will
be yokes [of servitude]. They will be Companions of the Fire to dwell
therein [for aye]!” (13:5)
“..their abode will be Hell; every time it shows abatement, We shall increase
for them the fierceness of the Fire. That is their recompense, because they
rejected Our Signs and said, “When we are reduced to bones and broken
fragments, should we really be raised up [to be] a new creation?” (17:97-98)
(2) Failing to fulfill the legislated duties, as well as denying the Day of
Judgement.
Allâh (swt) tells us that the people of Paradise will ask the
people of Hell:
“What led you into Hellfire?” (74:42)
They will reply:
“..We were not of those who prayed, Nor were we of those who
fed the indigent, But we used to talk vanities with vain talkers, And we used
to deny the Day of Judgement, Until there came to us [the Hour] that is
certain.” (74:43-47)
(3) Obeying the misguided leaders of kufr and accepting the principles by
means of which they mislead people and turn them away from the religion of
Allâh (swt)
Allâh says:
“And We have destined for them intimate companions [of like nature] who made
alluring to them what was before them and what was behind them. And the
Sentence among the previous generations of jinns and men who have passed
away, is proved against them; for they are utterly lost. The unbelievers
say: “Listen not to this Qur’ân but talk at random in the midst of its
[reading] that you may gain the upper hand!” But We shall certainly give the
unbelievers a taste of a severe penalty, and We shall requite them the worst
of their deeds. Such is the requital of the enemies of Allâh – the Fire,
therein will be for them the eternal home, a [fit] requital for that they
used to reject Our Signs” (41:25-28)
When the kuffâr are thrown into Hell they will be filled with regret for
having disobeyed Allâh and His Messenger and having followed their masters
and leaders:
“Verily Allâh has cursed the unbelievers and has prepared for them a blazing
Fire, to dwell therein; no protector will they find, nor helper. The Day
that their faces will be turned upside down in the Fire, they will say, “Woe
to us! Would that we had obeyed Allâh and obeyed the Messenger”. And they
would say, “Our Rabb! We obeyed our chiefs and our great ones and they
misled us as from the [Right] Path”. (33:64-67)
(4) Hypocrisy
Allâh promised Hell to the hypocrites, a promise that He has taken upon
Himself to never break:
“Allâh has promised the hypocrites, men and women, and the rejecters of
Faith, the fire of Hell, therein shall they dwell. Sufficient is it for
them. For them is the curse of Allâh and an enduring punishment.” (9:68)
He has told us that the position of the hypocrites is the lowest level of
Hell, which is where the heat and agony are most intense:
“The hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire; no helper will you
find for them”. (4:145)
(5) Arrogance:
This is a quality shared by most of the people of Hell. Allâh (swt) says:
“But those who reject Our Signs and treat them with arrogance – they are the
Companions (dwellers) of the Fire, to dwell therein [forever]” (7:36)
Muslim devoted a chapter of his Sahîh to this issue, entitled Bâb an-Nâr
Yadhkhulha al-Jabbârûn wal-Jannah yadkhuluha ad-du’afâ (Hell will be
entered by the arrogant and Paradise will be entered by the weak). In this
chapter he refers to the debate between Paradise and Hell, what they said and
what Allâh (swt) sad to them. Muslim quotes the hadîth of Abû Hurayrah
(ra) which goes back to the Prophet ﷺ, in which it is stated that Hell
said, “The arrogant and proud will enter me.”
According to another report,
Hell said, “I will become rich (have too many) from the proud and arrogant”.
Allâh (swt) said,
“You are My Punishment with which I will punish whomsoever
I will”. (Sahîh Muslim, 4/2186, no. 2846)
Al-Bukhâri, Muslim and at-Tirmidhi report from Harithah ibn Wahb that the
Messenger of Allâh (swt) said:
“Shall I not tell you about the people of Paradise? Every meek person who is
considered to be so humble that if he were to adjure something by Allâh
(swt), He would fulfil it for him. Shall I not tell you about the people of
Hell? Every haughty, greedy and proud person.” (Jâmi’ al-Usûl, 10/547,
no. 8111)
According to a report given by Muslim, he ﷺ said,
“Every proud mean and
arrogant person”.
This is confirmed by the Qur’ân
“Is there not in Hell an abode for the Haughty [i.e. arrogant]?” (39:60)
“But today shall you be recompensed with a penalty of humiliation for that
you were arrogant on earth without just cause, and that you [ever]
transgressed” (48:20)
“Then, for such as had transgressed all bounds, and had preferred the life of
this world, the Abode will be Hellfire” (79:37-39)
