By Ibrahim Poncardas Romas

Leaflet # 17


“Jahannam” is a Semitic word, commonly translated as Hell or Hell-Fire into English language. I want to make it clear that what the non-Muslims think about Hell or Hell-Fire are not parallel to the Qur’aan and Sahih Hadith (Prophet Muhammad’s tradition). Jahannam is a place of perpetual ambush, torment, torture, pain (in the highest degree), while on the other hand it has two extremes (atmospheres): cold and hot. Allaah prepares Jahannam for the sinners and the rejecters of the truth. In that place there is no death at all--Qur’aan (Sad) 38:55-59; (Yunus) 10:27; (Ibraheem) 14:17.


Sinners and rejecters of the truth will be dragged out physically and literally by the power of Allaah into the abyss of Jahannam after the Resurrection and Judgment Day to be their dwelling place. In the Islamic concept, Jahannam is not on this planet earth, as it had been created before the existence of men on earth.


RESURRECTION DAY, THE SUN’S DISTANCE FROM PEOPLE’S HEADS SHALL BE ONE MILE

Narrated by Miqdad ibn al-Aswad: "I heard Allah's apostle (peace be upon him) as saying: 'On the Day of Resurrection, the sun would draw so close to the people that there would be left only a distance of one mile. The people would be submerged in perspiration according to their deeds, some up to their knees, some up to the waist and some would have the bridle of perspiration and, while saying this, Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) pointed his hand towards his mouth.'" Sahih Muslim Hadith, Hadith 6852.


EARTH’S DISTANCE FROM THE SUN

Can you imagine the heat of the sun especially when you are on in the desert? Presently, the mean distance of the Earth from the Sun is 149,503,000 km (92,897,000 mi), how about if it becomes 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) from every head of every human being. Imagine if the total temperature of the sun will come closer as 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) perhaps not even within a second we would turn into ash. But the truth, on the Day of Resurrection (second life) there will be no death at all. The intensity of the sun’s temperature will be experienced only by the unbelievers and the wrongdoers.

THE SLIGHTEST PUNISHMENT IN JAHANNAM

Narrated by An Numan bin Bashir: I heard the Prophet saying, "The least punished person of the (Hell) Fire people on the Day of Resurrection will be a man under whose arch of the feet two smoldering embers will be placed, because of which his brain will boil just like Al-Mirjal (copper vessel) or a Qum-qum (narrow-necked vessel) is boiling with water." Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith, Hadith 8.567


BITTER TREE AND BOILING WATER FOR SUSTENANCE

“Lo! The tree of Zaqqum,1 the food of the sinner! Like molten brass, it seetheth in their bellies. As the seething of boiling water…” Qur’aan (AD-DUKHAN 44:43-48

1Az-Zaqqum: . A cursed tree (a bitter pungent tree which grows at the bottom of Hell). Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith, Hadith 6.240, narrated by Ibn Abbas

NO DEATH IN HELL

“ Which he sippeth but can hardly swallow, and death cometh unto him from every side while yet he cannot die, and before him is a harsh doom.” Qur’aan (Ibrahim) 14:17

SKINS ARE ROASTED THEN ALLAAH SHALL CHANGE THEM FOR FRESH SKINS FOR REJECTERS AND SINNERS TO SUFFER

“Those who reject Our Signs We shall soon cast into the fire: as often as their skins are roasted through We shall change them for fresh skins that they may taste the penalty: for Allah is Exalted in Power Wise.” Qur’aan (An-Nisaa) 4: 56.


THE REPETITION OF SUICIDE

Narrated by Abu Huraira, The Prophet said, "Whoever purposely throws himself from a mountain and kills himself, will be in the (Hell) Fire falling down into it and abiding therein perpetually forever; and whoever drinks poison and kills himself with it, he will be carrying his poison in his hand and drinking it in the (Hell) Fire wherein he will abide eternally forever; and whoever kills himself with an iron weapon, will be carrying that weapon in his hand and stabbing his abdomen with it in the (Hell) Fire wherein he will abide eternally forever." Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith, Hadith 7.670.


CIRCUMAMBULATE LIKE DONKEY OF A GRINDING MILL

Narrated by Abu Wail, “..Muhammad (pbuh) said, a man will be brought and put in Hell (Fire) and he will circumambulate (go around and round) in Hell (Fire) like a donkey of a (flour) grinding mill, and all the people of Hell (Fire) will gather around him and will say to him, O so-and-so! Didn't you use to order others for good and forbid them from evil?' That man will say, 'I used to order others to do good but I myself never used to do it, and I used to forbid others from evil while I myself used to do evil.' " Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith, Hadith 9.218.


PERPETUAL DISASTER WHILE A SINNER STAYS IN JAHANNAM

Narrated by Samura bin Jundub,"As for the first man you came upon whose head was being injured with the rock, he is the symbol of the one who studies the Qur'aan and then neither recites it nor acts on its orders, and sleeps, neglecting the enjoined prayers.

As for the man you came upon whose sides of mouth, nostrils and eyes were torn off from front to back, he is the symbol of the man who goes out of his house in the morning and tells so many lies that it spreads all over the world.

And those naked men and women whom you saw in a construction resembling an oven, they are the adulterers and the adulteresses, and the man whom you saw swimming in the river and given a stone to swallow, is the eater of usury (Riba)…" Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith, Hadith 9.171.


BOILING AND ICE COLD DRAUGHT

“And lo! For the transgressors there will be an evil journey's end, Hell, where they will burn, an evil resting-place. Here is a boiling and an ice-cold draught, so let them taste it, and other (torment) of the kind in pairs (the two extremes)!” Qur’aan (Sad) 38:55-58-M.Pickthall’s translation.


THE DEPTH OF HELL

"It would take seventy years to fathom the depth of Hell." Sahih Muslim Hadith 380, Narrated by Abu Hurayrah & Hudhayfah.


GARMENTS OF FIRE AND BOILING FLUID POURED ON THEIR HEADS

“…But as for those who disbelieve, garments of fire will be cut out for them; boiling fluid will be poured down on their heads.” Qur’aan (Al-Hajj) 22:19.


THE THICKNESS OF THEIR SKINS & THE MOLAR TOOTH LIKE MOUNTAIN OF UHUD

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah, Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) said: "The molar tooth of an unbeliever or the canine teeth of an unbeliever will be like Uhud and the thickness of his skin a three nights' journey." Sahih Muslim Hadith, Hadith 6831.


NOTE: The quotations of Sahih Al-Bukhari are the translation from Arabic to English by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan; 4th Edition (1985), Published by Dar Al-Arabia Publishing, Printing, & Distribution, P.O. Box 6089, Beirut, Lebanon.