Islam teaches that Hell is a real place prepared by Allah for those who do not believe in Him, rebel against His laws, and reject His messengers. Hell is an actual place, not a mere state of mind or a spiritual entity. The horrors, pain, anguish, and punishment are all real, but different in nature than their earthly counterparts. Hell is the ultimate humiliation and loss, and nothing is worse than it.Its' Size
Hell is huge and immensely deep. Hell will house all the unbelievers and sinners from the beginning of time and there will still be room for more.
“On the Day when We will say to Hell: ‘Are you filled?’ It will say, ‘Are there any more (to come)?’” (Qaf 50:30)
Second, a stone thrown from the top of Hell will take a very long time to reach the bottom. The Prophet of Islam said:
"If a stone as big as seven pregnant camels was thrown from the edge of Hell, it would fly through it for seventy years, and yet it would not reach the bottom.” (Hadith)
Its' Fuel
O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones...” (Al Tahrim 66:6)
“…then fear the Fire, whose fuel is men and stones, prepared for the disbelievers.” (Baqarah 2:24)
The Food of its Inhabitants
“No food will there be for them except from a bitter, thorny plant which neither nourishes nor avails against hunger.”
(Al Ghashiyah 88:6-7)
“…They will be given to drink boiling water, so that it cuts up their bowels (to pieces).” (Muhammad 47:15)
“Surely, with us are fetters (to bind them) and a ranging Fire (to burn them), and a food that chokes and a penalty grievous.”
(Al Muzzammil 73:12-13)
Another food served to the people of Hell will be festering puss that oozes out of their skin, the discharge that flows from the private parts of adulterers and the decaying skin and flesh of those being burnt. It is the “juice” of the people of Hell. Allah says:
“So no friend has he here this Day, nor has he any food except filth from the washing of wounds which none do eat but those in sin.”
(Al Haqqah 69:35-37)
“This – so let them taste it – is scalding water and (foul) purulence. And other (punishments) of its type (in various) kinds.”
(Sad 38:57-58)
The Horrors of Hell
The intensity of the fire of Hell will be such that people will be willing to give up their dearest possessions to escape it:
“Indeed, those who disbelieve and die while they are disbelievers – never would the (whole) capacity of the earth in gold be accepted from one of them if he would (seek to) ransom himself with it. For those there will be a painful punishment, and they will have no helpers.” (Ali Imran 3:91)
The Prophet of Islam said:
“One of the people of Hell who found most pleasure in the life of this world will be brought forth on the Day of Resurrection and will be dipped into the Fire of Hell. Then he will be asked, ‘O son of Adam, have you ever seen anything good?’ Have you ever enjoyed any pleasure?’ He will say, ‘No, by God, O Lord.”(Hadith)
Few moments in Hell and the person will forget all the good times they had. The Prophet of Islam informs us:
“On the Day of Resurrection, God will ask the one whose punishment in the Fire is lightest, ‘If you had whatsoever you wanted on earth, would you give it to save yourself?’ He will say, ‘Yes.’ God will say, ‘I wanted less than that from you when you were still in the loins of Adam, I asked you not to associate anything in worship with Me, but you insisted on associating others in worship with Me.’”(Hadith)
The horror and intensity of the Fire is enough to make a man lose his mind. He would be willing to give up everything he holds dear to saved from it, but he never will be. Allah says:
“The criminal will wish that he could be ransomed from the punishment of that Day by his children, and his wife and his brother, and his nearest kindred who shelter him, and all – all that is on earth – so it could save him. No! Indeed, it is the Flame (of Hell), plucking out (his being) tight to the skull!” (Al Ma'arij 70:11-16)
The Prophet of Islam spoke of the lightest punishment in Hell:
“The person who will receive the least punishment among the people of Hell on the Day Resurrection will be a man, a smoldering ember will be placed under the arch of his foot. His brains will boil because of it.”(Hadith)
This person will think no one else is being punished more severely than himself, even though he will be the one receiving the lightest punishment.
The Fire kindled by Allah will burn the skin of the people of Hell. The skin is the largest organ of the body and the site of sensation where the pain of burning is felt. Allah will replace the burnt skin with a new one to be burnt again, and this will keep on repeating:
“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, Allah is ever Exalted in Might and Wise.” (Al Nisa 4:56)
Another punishment of Hell is melting. When super-heated water will be poured on their heads, it will melt away the internals:
“…poured upon their heads will be scalding water by which is melted that within their bellies and (their) skins.” (Al Hajj 22:19-20)
Another painful punishment of unbelievers will be getting dragged on their faces into Hell. Allah says:
“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 Hell.’” (Al Qamar 54:47-48)
They will be dragged on their faces while they are tied in chains and fettered:
“Those who deny the Book (the Quran) and that with which We sent Our messengers – they are going to know, when the shackles are around their necks and the chains; they will be dragged in boiling water; then in the Fire they will be filled (with flame).”
(Ghafir 40:70-72)
The Fire will surround the unbeliever on all sides:
“On the Day when the torment (of Hell) will cover them from above them and from underneath their feet.” (Al Ankabut 29:55)
Allah has described the chains, yokes, and fetters of Hell. They will be tied up with chains and dragged with yokes on their necks:
“(The stern command will say): seize him and bind him, and burn him in the blazing Fire, further, make him march in a chain, whereof the length is seventy cubits.” (Al Haqqah 69:30-32)
When the unbeliever will see Hell, he will be filled with remorse, but it will not be of any benefit:
“And they will feel regret when they see the punishment; and they will be judged in justice, and they will not be wronged.”
(Yunus 10:54)
The unbeliever will pray for his death when they sense its heat,
“And when they are thrown into a narrow place therein bound in chains, they will cry out thereupon for destruction. (They will be told), ‘Do not cry this Day for one destruction but cry for much destruction.’” (Al Furqan 25:13-14)
Their screams will get louder and they will call onto Allah hoping He will take them out of Hell:
“And they will cry out therein, ‘Our Lord, remove us; we will do righteousness – other than what we were doing!’” (Fatir 35:37)
They will realize theirs sins and the error of stubborn disbelief:
“And they will say, ‘If only we had been listening or reasoning, we would not be among the companions of the Blaze.’ And they will admit their sin, so (it is) alienation for the companions of the Blaze.” (Al Mulk 67:10-11)
“The Day their faces will be turned over in the Fire, they will say, ‘How we wish we had obeyed God and obeyed the Messenger.’” (Al Ahzab 33:66)
Their prayers will be rejected:
“They will say, ‘Our Lord, our wretchedness overcame us, and we were a people astray. Our Lord, remove us from it, and if we were to return (to evil), we would indeed be wrongdoers.’ He will say, ‘Remain despised therein and do not speak to Me.’”
(Al Mu'minun 23:106-108)
After that, they will call the keepers of Hell asking them to intercede to Allah on their behalf for reduction in torment:
“And those in the Fire will say to the keepers of Hell, ‘Supplicate your Lord to lighten for us a day from the punishment.’ They will say, ‘Did there not come to you your messengers with clear proofs?’ They will say, ‘Yes.’ They will reply, ‘Then supplicate (yourselves), but the supplication of the disbelievers is not except in error.’”
(Ghafir 40:49-50)
Their will even plead for their own destruction to relieve themselves of the pain:
“And they will call, ‘O Malik(keeper of hell), let your Lord put an end to us!’ He will say, ‘Indeed, you will remain.’” (Al Zukhruf 43:77)
They will be told the punishment will never be reduced, it is eternal:
“Then be patient or impatient – it is all the same for you. You are only being recompensed for what you used to do.’” (Al Tur 52:16)
They will weep for a long time:
“So let them laugh a little and then weep much as recompense for what they used to earn.” (Al Tawbah 9:82)
They will weep until no tears are left, then that they will weep blood, which will leave its traces as described by the Prophet:
“The people of Hell will be made to weep, and they will weep until they have no tears left. Then they will weep blood until they have, as it were, channels in their faces, if ships were put in them, they would float.”(Hadith)
As you have seen, the descriptions of Hell in the Islamic scripture are clear and graphic, as are the descriptions of the people who deserve their fate therein. Such is the clarity that any person who believes in Judgment Day and the eternal destinies of the Hereafter must be motivated not to be of the people thrown inside. I call upon myself and fellow brothers to remain conscious of Allah s.w.t. All Allah ask for us is to worship him alone and be kind to our fellow humans. Let us do all that He has commanded, and refrain from all that He has forbidden. And May Allah protect us from the hellfire.
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Acknowledgement:
-Hadith as reported by Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi
-islamreligion.com
-Holy Quran