Allah knows best—are arranged by nation. Each nation will be summoned to its record to be called to account according to it. Thus, people will come forth in throngs at this tremendous scene, where the earth will be leveled and Allah, Glorified and Exalted, will leave it a smooth, level plain in which you will see neither depression nor elevation. On that day, Allah, Glorified and Exalted, says: “The sky will be opened and become gateways.” It will be opened and rent asunder, becoming gateways visible to the people. After having been a protected ceiling, it will become open gateways on that day. This is evidence of the perfection of Allah’s power: on the Day of Resurrection, Allah Most High will make these seven mighty heavens as though they had never existed, and they will become gateways. “On the Day when the sky will be like molten metal and the mountains will be like wool” [al-Ma‘ārij: 8–9].
There is another description mentioned by Allah in His words: “The mountains will be set in motion and become a mirage.” That is, the immense, solid mountains will be crushed until they become like sand, after which they will move like a mirage: “The mountains will be set in motion and become a mirage.”
Allah Most High says: “Indeed, Hell lies in ambush,” meaning that it lies in wait and has been prepared for the transgressors. Jahannam is one of Hell’s many names. It was given this name because of its forbidding gloom and darkness, caused by its blackness and depth—may Allah protect us and you from it. It lies in ambush for the transgressors, and Allah, Glorified and Exalted, has already prepared it for them. It therefore exists at present, as Allah Most High says: “Beware of the Fire prepared for the disbelievers” [al-Baqarah: 24]. It was shown to the Prophet while he was performing the eclipse prayer (1). He saw in it a woman being punished because of a cat she had confined: she neither fed it nor released it to eat the creatures of the earth (2). He also saw in it ‘Amr ibn Luhayy al-Khuzā‘ī dragging his intestines through the Fire (3), for he was the first to introduce polytheism among the Arabs.
Allah, Glorified and Exalted, says that this Fire is “a destination for the transgressors.” The word “transgressors” means those who exceed the limit, as Allah Most High says: “When the water exceeded all bounds, We carried you in the sailing vessel” [al-Hāqqah: 11]. That is, it increased and exceeded its limit. The limit set for mankind is stated in the words of Allah Most High: “I created the jinn and mankind only to worship Me” [al-Dhāriyāt: 56].
Exceeding the limit may concern the rights of Allah or the rights of His servants. With respect to Allah’s rights—Glorified and Exalted—it consists of neglecting an obligation or committing something forbidden. With respect to the rights of human beings, transgression consists of aggression against their property, lives, and honor. These are the three things that the Messenger of Allah—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him and his family—declared inviolable at more than one point during the Farewell Pilgrimage, saying: “Indeed, your blood, your property, and your honor are inviolable to one another” (4).
Those who transgress against the rights of Allah and the rights of His servants are the people of the Fire—Allah’s protection is sought. Hence He says: “A destination for the transgressors,” meaning a place to which they return. The root meaning of this word is “returning,” as Allah Most High says: “How excellent a servant! Indeed, he constantly returned to Allah” [Sād: 30]. That is, he repeatedly returned to Allah, Glorified and Exalted.
“Remaining therein for ages” means abiding there. “For ages” means for long periods. The Quran demonstrates that these periods have no end and are everlasting. This is explicitly stated in three verses of Allah’s Book. In Sūrat al-Nisā, Allah Most High says:
“Indeed, those who have done wrong and disbelieved—Allah will neither forgive them nor guide them to any path except the path of Hell, where they will remain forever. That is easy for Allah” [al-Nisā: 168–169].
In Sūrat al-Ahzāb:
“Indeed, Allah has cursed the disbelievers and prepared for them a Blaze, where they will remain forever, finding neither protector nor helper” [al-Ahzāb: 64–65].
And in Sūrat al-Jinn, Allah Most High says:
“Whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger will have the Fire of Hell, remaining therein forever” [al-Jinn: 23].
Since Allah Most High has explicitly stated in three verses of His Book that the people of the Fire will remain therein forever, it necessarily follows that the Fire will remain for all eternity. This is the position of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah: the Fire and Paradise have both been created and will never perish. A slight disagreement arose among some members of Ahl al-Sunnah concerning the eternity of the Fire. They claimed that it is not everlasting and cited arguments which are, in reality, merely specious doubts containing no evidence for their position. When these are compared with the other proofs, it becomes clear that neither the dissenter in this matter nor his opinion carries any weight.
A believer must affirm what Allah’s Book indicates explicitly and in terms admitting no alternative interpretation. All three verses we have mentioned are definitive verses that are subject neither to abrogation nor to any alternative interpretation. Abrogation cannot apply to them because they are declarative reports, and Allah’s reports are not abrogated. The same applies to the reports of His Messenger—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him—because abrogating one report with another would necessarily mean that one of the two reports was false, whether through deliberate falsehood on the part of the informant or ignorance of the actual circumstances. Both are impossible in the reports of Allah and in the revelation-based reports of His Messenger—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. Nor do these verses admit another interpretation, because all three explicitly state eternity. The important point is that we must believe two things:
The first is that Paradise and the Fire exist now. The proofs for this in the Quran and Sunnah are numerous. They include the words of Allah Most High: “Hasten toward forgiveness from your Lord and a Garden as vast as the heavens and the earth, prepared for the righteous” [Āl ‘Imrān: 133]. Preparation means making something ready. The verb “prepared” is in the past tense, indicating that the preparation has already occurred. Allah Most High likewise says regarding the Fire: “Beware of the Fire prepared for the disbelievers” [Āl ‘Imrān: 131]. Preparation means making something ready, and the verb here is in the past tense, indicating that it has already occurred. The Sunnah states this explicitly: the Prophet—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him and his family—saw Paradise and saw the Fire.
The second is to believe that they are two everlasting abodes. Whoever enters either of them while belonging among its people will remain there forever. As for Paradise, whoever enters it will never leave it, as Allah Most High says: “They will never be removed from it” [al-Hijr: 48]. As for the Fire, sinful believers will enter it and remain there for as long as Allah wills; their final destination will then be Paradise, as attested by the authentic reports from the Messenger of Allah—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him.
Thus, the words of Allah Most High, “remaining therein for ages,” do not indicate in any way that these ages are fixed to a finite term and will then end. Rather, they mean numerous ages without end.
“They will taste therein neither coolness nor drink.” Allah, Glorified and Exalted, denies them both the coolness by which the exterior of their bodies might be cooled and the drink by which their insides might be cooled. This is because—Allah’s protection is sought—when they become thirsty and cry out for relief, their condition will be as Allah Most High says: “If they cry out for relief, they will be given water like molten metal that scalds their faces. What a dreadful drink and what an evil resting place!” [al-Kahf: 29].
Will someone benefit from water that is like molten metal and scalds the face when brought near it? For the answer, listen to the words of Allah Most High: “They will be given scalding water to drink, and it will tear their intestines apart” [Muhammad: 15].
As for the exterior of the body, Allah Most High says: “Seize him and drag him into the midst of the Hellfire. Then pour over his head the torment of scalding water” [al-Dukhān: 47–48]. He also says: “Scalding water will be poured over their heads, melting whatever is in their bellies, as well as their skins” [al-Hajj: 19–20]. What is in their bellies refers to the intestines, which are inside the body. Those in such a condition will taste neither coolness nor any drink that extinguishes the heat within them.
Whoever reflects upon the severe warnings concerning the people of the Fire found in the Quran and Sunnah will appreciate the saying of the Salaf: “I marvel at the Fire—how can one who flees from it sleep? And I marvel at Paradise—how can one who seeks it sleep?”
If someone told us, “At the farthest reaches of the earth there await you palaces, rivers, spouses, and fruit that will never cease to be yours, nor will you be cut off before reaching them; rather, they will last for all eternity,” we would journey night and day, even if we had to travel upon our very eyelashes, to reach that Paradise with its magnificent bliss. Its bliss is everlasting and never ends; the youth of its inhabitants is perpetual and never gives way to old age; and their health is lasting, with no sickness whatsoever.
Look at people today: they travel to the eastern and western reaches of the earth to obtain a dirham or a dinar, which they may or may not live to enjoy. Why, then, is our attitude toward seeking Paradise and fleeing from the Fire as it is? We ask Allah to protect us and you from the Fire and to make us and you among the people of Paradise.
“Except scalding water and foul pus.” According to grammarians, the exception here is discontinuous because the excluded items are not of the same kind as that from which the exception is made. The meaning is that they will have nothing but this scalding water—water at the utmost degree of heat. “They will be given water like molten metal that scalds their faces” [al-Kahf: 29]. “They will be given scalding water to drink, and it will tear their intestines apart” [Muhammad: 15].
As for “foul pus,” the commentators say that it is a foul-smelling drink of intense cold. Thus, Allah combines for them—Allah’s protection is sought—scalding water of extreme heat and intensely cold water—