Explanation

All of the ḥadīths that the compiler—may Allah have mercy on him—has just cited are meant to instill fear of the Day of Resurrection and of the punishment of the Fire. Among them is the report that on the Day of Judgment Jahannam (Hellfire) will be brought forth having seventy-thousand reins; with every single rein there will be seventy-thousand angels dragging it. This alone points to the dreadfulness of that Fire—may Allah shelter us and all the Muslims from it and from the terrors of that Day—for the Almighty has assigned seventy-thousand angels to each of its seventy-thousand reins to pull Jahannam. Such an enormous number of angels itself indicates how momentous the matter is and how grave the danger.

The Prophet ﷺ also clarified that the least severely punished inhabitant of the Fire will be the one on whose feet two embers are placed so that his brain boils because of them. Yet he imagines that he is the most severely punished of all, even though he is, in fact, the lightest. Had he seen anyone being punished more severely, the ordeal would have seemed lighter to him and he might have found some consolation. But since he believes he is enduring the worst torment, he is utterly distressed and his psychological suffering only intensifies—may Allah protect us. The Prophet ﷺ mentioned this ḥadīth to warn his community against the punishment of the Fire.

He also related that, for some people, the Fire will rise to their ankles; for others, to their knees; and for others, to their waist.

He further related that on the Day of Resurrection people’s sweat will reach different levels: for some up to the ankles, for others up to the knees, for others up to the loins, and for some it will rise to the point that it bridles them.

The affair is truly perilous. All of us, therefore, must take heed of the horrors of that Day and fear Allah, the Exalted—fulfilling what He has made obligatory upon us and shunning what He has forbidden.