The Hellfire described

From: www.islamweb.net

Allaah has warned us in His Book about the Hellfire and has informed us about the different types of punishments it will have, to the extent that one's heart splits due to fear. Allaah has informed us about its torment due to His mercy, so that we would therefore fear and avoid it. Listen to the verses in the Book of Allaah that address the description of the Hellfire, perhaps it will be a reminder for you; perhaps they will cause you to repent before it is too late - before punishment strikes suddenly and you find nobody to support or aid you.

The Hellfire contains chains, as Allaah Says what means: "Indeed, We have prepared for the disbelievers chains and shackles and a blaze." [Quran 76: 4]
Allaah also Says what means: "…Indeed, We have prepared for the wrongdoers a fire whose walls will surround them. And if they call for relief, they will be relieved with water like murky oil, which scalds [their] faces. Wretched is the drink, and evil is the resting place." [Quran 18: 29]
Allaah also Says what means: "And those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in groups until, when they reach it, its gates are opened and its keepers will say: 'Did there not come to you messengers from yourselves, reciting to you the verses of your Lord and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours?' They will say: 'Yes, but the word [i.e. decree] of punishment has come into effect upon the disbelievers.'" [Quran 39: 71]
Allaah also Says what means: "And for those who disbelieved in their Lord is the punishment of Hell, and wretched is the destination. When they are thrown into it, they hear from it a [dreadful] inhaling while it boils up. It almost bursts with rage. Every time a company is thrown into it, its keepers ask them: ‘Did there not come to you a warner?'" [Quran 67: 6-8]
In the Hellfire, punishment will be from all directions; Allaah Says what means: "On the Day the punishment will cover them from above them and from below their feet and it is said, 'Taste [the result of] what you used to do.'" [Quran 29: 55]
Allaah also Says what means: "And the companions of the left— what are the companions of the left? [They will be] in scorching fire and scalding water. And a shade of black smoke; neither cool nor beneficial." [Quran 56: 41-44]
One form of punishment in the Hellfire is that people will be dragged on their faces in it, as Allaah Says what means: "Indeed, the criminals are in error and madness. The Day they are dragged into the Fire on their faces [it will be said], 'Taste the touch of Saqar (i.e., Hell).'" [Quran 54: 47-48]
People are the fuel by which the Hellfire is heated and flamed; Allaah Says what means: "O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allaah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded." [Quran 66: 6]
Allaah also Says what means: "Indeed, it throws sparks [as huge] as a fortress, as if they were yellowish [black] camels." [Quran 77: 32-33]
In the Hellfire, people’s clothes will be made of fire; Allaah Says what means: "And you will see the criminals that Day bound together in shackles. Their garments of liquid pitch and their faces covered by the Fire." [Quran 14: 49-50]
The punishment in the Hellfire is continuous; Allaah Says what means: "Indeed, those who disbelieve in Our verses — We will drive them into a fire. Every time their skins are roasted through We will replace them with other skins so they may taste the punishment. Indeed, Allaah is ever Exalted in Might and Wise." [Quran 4: 56]
Regarding people’s drink and food in Hell, Allaah Says what means: "Then indeed you, O those astray [who are] deniers, will be eating from trees of Zaqqoom. And filling with it your bellies. And drinking on top of it from scalding water. And will drink as the drinking of thirsty camels. That is their accommodation on the Day of Recompense." [Quran 56: 51-56]
Allaah also Says what means: "…And he will be given a drink of purulent water. He will gulp it but will hardly [be able to] swallow it. And death will come to him from everywhere, but he is not to die. And before him is a massive punishment." [Quran 14: 16-17]
Finally, the punishment of the Hellfire is never reduced, nor will its dwellers ever die, as Allaah Says what means: "Indeed, the criminals will be in the punishment of Hell, abiding eternally. It will not be allowed to subside for them, and they, therein, are in despair. And We did not wrong them, but it was they who were the wrongdoers. And they will call, 'O Maalik let your Lord put an end to us!” He will say, “Indeed, you will remain.'" [Quran 43: 74-77]
There are also many prophetic narrations describing and addressing the Hellfire; the following are some of them:
· Ibn Mas’ood reported: “The Messenger of Allaah said: 'Hell will be brought on that Day (i.e., the Day of Resurrection) with seventy bridles; and with every bridle will be seventy thousand angels, pulling it.'” [Muslim]
· Abu Hurayrah reported: “The Prophet said: 'Your fire (in this world) is a part of the seventy parts of the fire of Hell', (meaning in its heat). It was said: 'O Messenger of Allaah! It would have been enough, (meaning, if it was only as hot as the fire in this world, then that would have been enough as a deterrent).' He said: 'It was increased sixty-nine times (or multiples), each multiple being of the same (degree) of heat.'" [Al-Bukhaari & Muslim]
· Abu Hurayrah reported: “We were once in the company of the Messenger of Allaah when we heard a loud bang. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allaah asked: 'Do you know what this (sound) is?' We replied: 'Allaah and His Messenger know best.' He said: 'It is a stone which was thrown into Hell seventy years ago, and has only now reached its bottom.'” [Muslim]
· Ibn ‘Abbaas narrated that the Prophet said: “If a drop from the tree of Zaqqoom (i.e., a tree of Hell) were to fall onto this world, it would (pollute and) destroy the lives of all the people of this world.” [An-Nasaa’i & At-Tirmithi]
· An-Nu’maan ibn Al-Basheer narrated that the Prophet said: “The least in punishment among the people of Hellfire is one whose sandals or shoelaces will be of fire, which will make his brain boil as a pot of water boils. He will not think that there is anyone being punished more than him, but in fact, he will be the least in punishment.” [Al-Bukhaari & Muslim]
· Anas ibn Maalik reported: “The Messenger of Allaah said: 'Among the inmates of Hell will be a person who had led a very luxurious life in this world will be brought on the Day of Resurrection and dipped in the Hellfire, he will then be asked: `O son of Aadam! Did you ever experience any comfort? Did you (ever) happen to have any luxury?' He will reply: `I swear by Allaah, no my Lord.' Then, another person, who had experienced extreme misery in the life of this world, will be dipped in Paradise. He will then be asked: `O son of Aadam! Did you ever experience any misery? Did you ever encounter difficulty?' He will reply: 'I swear by Allaah, no my Lord, I neither experienced misery nor passed through hardship.'” [Muslim] This means that the dwellers of the Hellfire will completely forget any pleasures they enjoyed in this life, and the dwellers of Paradise will completely forget any type of hardship they faced in this life.
· Anas ibn Maalik reported: “The Messenger of Allaah said: “A man from the dwellers of Hell will be asked on the Day of Resurrection: `If you possessed all that is on earth, would you ransom yourself for it?` He will reply: `Yes.` Then, he will be told (i.e., by Allaah): `I requested something far easier than this from you: I had taken a pledge from you not to associate partners with Me, but you insisted on associating with Me.'” [Al-Bukhaari & Muslim]
· Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullaah reported: “The Prophet said: 'Allaah has taken a pledge upon Himself to make everyone who consumes intoxicants drink from Teenatul-Khabaal.' He was asked: `O Messenger of Allaah! What is Teenatul-Khabaal?' He replied: 'It is (a liquid) made of the sweat and pus of the dwellers of Hell.'” [Muslim]
· The Prophet said: “The Jews and the Christians will be asked: `What do you need?` They will reply: `Our Lord! We are thirsty so give us water to drink.` They will then be told: `Come along,' until they reach Hell, which will be destroying itself, (i.e., some parts of it will eat up others due to its intense heat) and they will be thrown into it.” [Al-Bukhaari & Muslim] Imaam Al-Hasan commented on this narration saying: “What do you think the condition will be of those who stood for fifty thousand years without eating or drinking, until they almost died of thirst and their stomachs burnt from hunger, and who were then taken to Hell and given boiling drinks in red hot pots (to drink)?”
· Imaam Ibn Al-Jawzi described Hell saying: “It is an abode in which its dwellers are deprived of joy; their faces are dark; they are beaten with hooks that are stronger than steel; upon it are angels who are harsh and tough; (the inhabitants of Hell) will be lying on fire and drinking boiling water; they will be continuously in grief; they will never leave Hell because it will be their eternal abode; they will cry for having wasted their youth; their crying will be continuous and increasing; their Creator is angered by them; they will be exposed in front of others; what they collected in life will not benefit them; they will see the evil consequences of their sins; life will seem as if it was a dream to them; their bodies will burn, but whenever they are burnt out, they will be returned to their original form in order for them to taste more torture.”