in heaven, the gates of heaven would have been opened for them to enter it; for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, saw its inhabitants being punished therein. If it were in heaven, then their entering the Fire in heaven would necessarily require that the gates of heaven be opened for them.

However, some students raised an objection, saying: How could the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, have seen it on the night he was taken up (1), when it is in the earth?

I am astonished by this objection—especially since it came from a student of knowledge. If we, while in an airplane, can see the earth far beneath us and perceive it, how could the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, not see the Fire while he was in heaven?!

Moreover, matters of the unseen are not to be measured against matters of the observable realm.

In summary, the Fire is in the earth. Hadiths have been narrated concerning this, but they are weak. Reports have also been narrated from the early generations, such as Ibn 'Abbas and Ibn Mas'ud (2). This is also indicated by the apparent meaning of the Quran. Allah Most High says:

“Indeed, those who deny Our signs and are arrogant toward them—the gates of heaven will not be opened for them, nor will they enter Paradise until a camel passes through the eye of a needle.” [Surah al-A'raf 7:40]

There is no doubt that those who deny the signs and arrogantly turn away from them are in the Fire.

The sixth point: What are its names?

The answer: It has numerous names, and this multiplicity of names is due to the diversity of its attributes. It is called al-Jahim (the Blazing Fire), Jahannam (Hell), Laza (the Blaze), and al-Sa'ir (the Inferno), while the entity referred to is one. Thus, whatever is mentioned in the Book of Allah or