Ten Important Points about Hell

Ten Important Points about Hell
Death & Purgatory

1. Who is to be punished by the snakes and scorpions in Hell?

- Stingy people

- Bad-tempered people

- Those who disturb others

Prophet Mohammad says, “There are snakes in Hell, as big as a camel. When they bite someone, it will hurt for forty years. They are there to punish the stingy, the bad-tempered, and those who disturb others.

-Those who refuse to pay Alms Tax (Zakat) and Quint (Khums)

Prophet Mohammad says, "If God grants someone with wealth and he refuses to pay its Zakat and Khums, God will turn that wealth into a snake in Hell. The snake keeps biting him and saying, ‘I am your wealth whose alms tax and quint you refused to pay in the world.’"

Other people subject are to punishment:

- People who do not say their prayers - People who do not pay Zakat -People who drink alcohol -People whose parents have cursed them -People who talk about worldly attachments in the mosque

According to Prophet Mohammad, there lives a gigantic snake in Hell who shouts, "I am hungry. Where are my people?"

"What do you eat?"asks Gabriel.

"People who do not say their prayers, people who do not pay Zakat, people who drink alcohol, people whose parents have cursed them, and people who talk about worldly attachments in the mosque,"he replies.

2. Is Hell a prison for the public or for individuals?

The answer to this question depends on the sin.

Some verses show that it’s a public prison; "He will say: "Enter ye in the company of the peoples who passed away before you - men and jinns, - into the Fire." Every time a new person enters, it curses its sister-people (that went before), until they follow each other, all into the Fire. Saith the last about the first: "Our Lord! it is these that misled us: so give them a double penalty in the Fire." He will say: ﴾Doubled for all": but this ye do not understand.﴿ (Al-A’raf: 38)

Some other verses convey that it more looks like solitary cells, ﴾And when they are cast, bound together into a constricted place therein, they will plead for destruction there and then!﴿‌ (Al-Furqan: 13)

3. What is the greatest punishment in Hell?

The worst and the most painful punishment in the Hell is not being able to get to know and to talk to God; ﴾Verily, from (the Light of) their Lord, that Day, will they be veiled.﴿‌ (Mutaffifin: 15)

Imam Ali says, “I can tolerate Your punishments, but not being away from You.”

4. Will believers experience divine punishment and pass through Hell too?

Believers too, pass through Hell. But this happens under special circumstances and without suffering; "Not one of you but will pass over it: this is, with thy Lord, a Decree which must be the believers, just as the fire became cold for Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim). Then, God will release from the fire the well-doers, but he will leave the oppressors there."

5. Why do believers pass through Hell?

There are two reasons for this. But We shall save those who guarded against evil, and We shall leave the wrong-doers therein, (humbled) to their knees. (Maryam: 72)

Prophet Muhammad said, "All the people, good and bad, pass through Hell. But the fire of Hell is cold for for which the believers pass through Hell too:

1. Seeing the punishment of people in Hell makes them more grateful for what they have in Heaven.

2. Seeing them will add to the regret of the people in Hell.

6. Do believers who have committed deadly sins stay in Hell forever?

The Qur’an answers this question in the following verse; ﴾Allah forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him; but He forgiveth anything else, to whom He pleaseth; to set up partners with Allah is to devise a sin Most heinous indeed.﴿‌ (An-Nisa: 48)

7. Why is it impossible to get back to the world and make up for one’s mistakes?

When a baby is born, there is no way to go back to the womb of the mother, no matter if the baby is healthy or not. The same is true about our second birth in the hereafter. More than that the prophets have warned man many times, but people are ignorant and forgetful. We turn to God in misery and sickness and we forget about Him when our problems are solved. Therefore, even if people go back to the world, their behavior won’t change.

8. How many are the guardians of Hell?

According to the Quran, ﴾Soon will I cast him into Hell-Fire! And what will explain to thee what Hell-Fire is? Naught doth it permit to endure, and naught doth it leave alone!- Darkening and changing the color of man! Over it are Nineteen. And We have set none but angels as Guardians of the Fire; and We have fixed their number only as a trial for Unbelievers, - in order that the People of the Book may arrive at certainty, and the Believers may increase in Faith,- and that no doubts may be left for the People of the Book and the Believers, and that those in whose hearts is a disease and the Unbelievers may say, "What symbol doth Allah intend by this ?" Thus doth Allah leave to stray whom He pleaseth, and guide whom He pleaseth: and none can know the forces of thy Lord, except He and this is no other than a warning to mankind.﴿‌ (Al-Muddaththir: 21 to 31)

According to these verses, there are nineteen groups of guardians in Hell.

9. Can the human body bear the tortures in Hell?

People will still have the same physical body in the world-after, but God will make it tough and strong, so that it can take all tortures and punishments.

One’s body in the world after will be just like one’s heart. This means that a believer’s body will be as fine and tender as his heart and a non-believer has a body as harsh and tough as his heart.

10. What is the main reason for entering Hell?

The main reason people enter Hell is following Satan. But people have the ability to resist Satan. As the Quran says, ﴾For over My servants no authority shalt thou have, except such as put themselves in the wrong and follow thee﴿. (Al-Hijr: 42)