Paradise and Hellfire in Islam

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيم

Praise be to God the Creator of the world, the One Who exists without beginning, without end, without location, without a "how" and Who does not depend on time. Nothing resembles Him in anyway and He hears and sees everything without organs. Whatever you imagine, God is different from that. May the elevation in degree and preservation of his community of what he fears for it, be granted to our master MuHammad Al-‘Amin, the Honest One, who called for following Islam, the religion of truth, the religion of all the Prophets: of the First, Adam, to the last MuHammad.

Among what the Prophet conveyed and is obligatory to believe in are: Paradise and Hellfire.

Paradise

It is the abode of peace, enjoyment, and happiness. Allâh prepared it for the Muslims. It contains rivers of pure honey, milk, and non-intoxicating wine, different from the wine of this world, and other everlasting enjoyments.

The enjoyment in Paradise is by both body and soul. Paradise has different levels, some of which are higher than the others. The highest level is the level of the prophets. The people of Paradise will not grieve, grow old, or die. They will be forever in Paradise, will never leave it, and will enjoy its everlasting bliss.

The Messenger of Allâh, Salla lLâhu `alayhi wa sallam, said:

« أَلاَ هَلْ مِنْ مُشَمِّرٍ لِلْجَنَّةِ فَإِنَّ الْجَنَّةَ لاَ خَطَرَ لَهَا، هِيَ وَرَبِّ الْكَعْبَةِ نُورٌ يَتَلأْلأُ وَرَيْحَانَةٌ تَهْتَزُّ وَقَصْرٌ مَشِيدٌ وَنَهْرٌ مُطَّرِدٌ وَفَاكِهَةٌ كَثِيرَةٌ نَضِيجَةٌ وَزَوْجَةٌ حَسْنَاءُ جَمِيلَةٌ وَحُلَلٌ كَثِيرَةٌ فِي مُقَامٍ أَبَدِيٍ فِي حُبْرَةٍ وَنُضْرَةٍ فِي دَارٍ عَالِيَّةٍ سَلِيمَةٍ بَهِيَّة »

(alâ hal min mushammirin li l-Jannah. Fa'inna l-Jannata lâ khaTara lahâ. hiya wa Rabbi l-Ka`bati nûrun yatala'la', wa rayHanatun tahtazz, wa qaSrun mashîd, wa nahrun muTTarid, wa fâkihatun naDîjah, wa zawjatun Hasnâ'u jamîlah, wa Hulalun kathîrah, fî muqâmin 

abadiyy(in), fî Houbratin wa nouDrah, fî dârin `âliyatin salîmatin bahiyyah)

Which means: « Are there any who want to strive hard to receive the endowments of Paradise? Paradise has no equal. I swear by the Lord of the Ka`bah, it contains shining lights, pleasing fragrant plants, big castles, flowing rivers, ripe fruits, beautiful wives and many special clothes. [The residents of Paradise] will have beautiful faces. They will be immersed in endless bliss, living in high, sound, beautiful houses. » [Related by Ibn Hibban]

Hellfire

It is also called Jahannam. It is obligatory to believe that Hellfire is the everlasting place of torture. Allâh prepared it for the blasphemers who chose blasphemy and refused Islam. The torture of Hellfire is real and physical. Its heat is much more unbearable than the heat of this world. Similarly, its coldness is far more severe than the coldness of this world. It is existent now. It is located beneath the seventh Earth. The blasphemers dwell in it forever and will not leave it.

On the other hand, the Muslims, who committed the enormous sins and died without repentance, are of two groups:

One group is relieved by Allâh from the torture of Hellfire by the Intercession of the Prophet, may Allâh raise his rank, or other intercessors. The first group will, by the mercy of Allâh, enter Paradise without torture.

Allâh will torture the other group for a period of time in Hellfire. Then Allâh will order that they be taken out of it and will admit them to Paradise, because they died on Islam.

Allâh, ta`âlâ, said in the Qur'ân:

﴿ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَعَنَ الْكَافِرِينَ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ سَعِيرًا خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا لا يَجِدُونَ وَلِيًّا وَلا نَصِيرًا ﴾

(inna lLâha la`ana l-kâfirîna wa a`adda lahum sa`îrâ. Khâlidîna fîhâ abadan lâ yajidûna waliyyan wa lâ naSîran)