Descriptions of Jahannam - Benefical Knowledge

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July 27, 2022

Names of Jahannam (Hell) in the Quran

Jahannam: A noun to describe the Fire of Hell, of hebrew/semetic origin.
Jaheem: Describing the sounds or heat that comes from the Fire [69:31].
Sa’eer: A place of intense heat [67:10].
Ladha: A pure, most intense flame [70:15].
Saqar: Referring to something which is completely burnt, nothing of it shall remain [54:48].
Hutamah: To completely destroy/crush/pulverise (eg bones) [104:4].
Haawiyah: Refers to never-ending falling as if into an abyss [101:9].
Sijeen: Refers to confinement in the depths of Hell [83:7]. Also refers to a Register of the wicked.
Samoon: Something that will kill you.
Bietsa: The most unfortunate, worst residence for the arrogant/wrongdoers.
Nar: Most common name for The Fire.

Levels and Gates of Jahannam

Hell will be brought forth that Day by means of seventy thousand chains, each of which will be held by seventy thousand angels [Muslim]

There are two terms in Arabic depicting increasing and decreasing levels. Jannah has levels that go up (darajat) and Jahannam levels that go down (daraqat), which correspond to greater reward and punishment respectively. There is no specific evidence for the exact number of levels within Jahannam. The different names describing Jahannam may indicate different levels. The Quran however mentions 7 gates of Jahannam [15:44], with different groups of sinners assigned to specific gates.

There will be a category of Muslims who have Iman but are being punished in Jahannam. These are not the same as those who rejected Allah SWT. It seems they will be in a peripheral area affected by the Fire and smoke. Not having entered through its gates, they will not be within the core of Jahannam. This is reserved for the disbelievers who will reside within forever [16:29; 39:72; 40:76].

Jahannam is vast and deep with far more people inside than in Jannah. The majority of mankind (and Jinn) followed Iblees (shaytan), living hedonistic lives without using their intellect and reasoning.

For every 1000 of mankind, 999 will go to Jahannam [Bukhari]

Guards of Jahannam

There are 19 angels guarding Jahannam, very harsh who never disobey Allah SWT. Malik is the keeper of Jahannam, who has not laughed or smiled since he was created.

On arrival to Jahannam, the people will converse with the guards who will ask them whether the messengers came to them with revelations and warnings of the Day of Judgement [39:71-72]. Once inside, the people of Jahannam will say to the guards, “Call out to your Lord to give us respite for at least one day” [40:49]. This shows a complete loss of any connection with Allah SWT referring to Him as “your Lord” rather than “my Lord” and a complete loss of any hope for His Mercy, asking for “respite for one day” rather than forgiveness or pardon.

O you who believe! Protect yourselves and your families from a Fire, whose fuel is people and stones. Over it are angels, fierce and powerful. They never disobey God in anything He commands them, and they carry out whatever they are commanded [66:6]

Fuel of Jahannam

The Quran describes men and stones as fuel for the Fire, the latter referencing the idols worshipped. The Fire is so powerful that it will utilise the stone, like a type of charcoal, as a fuel rather than something which extinguishes fire.

The Fire has consciousness. It sees and hears, speaks to, mocks and threatens its inhabitants, adding to the terror and punishment [25:12]. The fire in this world is 1/70 the intensity of Hellfire, whose sparks as large as castles [77:32]. This entire world would be extinguished if only a needles worth of Jahannam was to enter it. Its shade is composed of black smoke, neither cool nor beneficial but dark and asphyxiating [77:29-33].

Jahannam also has the hottest type of scalding water. There is also a special place in Jahannam which will be freezing cold, called Zamharir. Its inhabitants will ask to be relieved of the heat and will be placed here, suffering the icy cold conditions to the extent that they will ask to be placed back in the Fire.

Jahannam complained to Allah SWT that its heat is destroying some parts of it. Allah SWT therefore allowed Jahannam two breaths, once in the summer and once in winter. The summer heat and winter cold felt in this world are due to the two breaths taken by Jahannam, through a metaphysical connection to this world [Bukhari].

Appearance and Clothing of People in Jahannam

The people of Jahannam will be made larger to increase their punishment:

The disbeliever’s skin will be forty-two cubits thick and his molar will be like Uhud and the space he occupies will be as wide as the distance between Makkah and Madinah [Tirmidhi].
The distance between the shoulders of the disbeliever in Hell will be like three day’s traveling for a fast rider [Muslim].

The inhabitants will wear garments of fire, tailor made and cut for them [22:19], garments of tar [14:50] and of copper, for those who wail after the dead. The one with the least punishment (Abu Talib, the Prophet’s ﷺ uncle) will be made to wear sandals of the Fire causing his brain to boil.

Food and Drink in Jahannam

Food in Jahannam is not food in the sense that we know. It will be provided from Zaqqum, the Tree of Jahannam, poisonous and filthy [44:43-46]. The roots of Zaqqum come from the depths of Jahannam and its branches spread throughout Jahannam. The fruits of the tree resemble the heads of devils and once eaten will be like molten lead, bubbling and boiling inside the bellies due to the intense heat.

If a drop from zaqqum were to land in this world, the people of earth and all their means of sustenance would rot. So how must it be for one who must eat it? [Tirmidhi]

Other food for the inhabitants of Jahannam will be pus, offensive bodily discharges, blood and vomit (ghassaq [38:57] and ghisleen [69:36]). The people of Jahannam will be so hungry they will eat this food, yet it will neither nourish them or stave off their hunger being difficult to swallow, prickly and choking, like thorny plants.

Awaiting them is Hell, and they will be left to drink oozing pus which they will sip with difficulty and can hardly swallow. Death will overwhelm them from every side, yet they will not (be able to) die. Awaiting them still is harsher torment [14:16-17]

They will be forced to fill their bellies with boiling water (hameem) and boiling oil which will not quench their thirst but shred their innards and melt their skin. Those who stole from orphans or hid and sold Quranic revelations to others will also be fed the Fire directly.

Anyone who drinks intoxicants will be made to drink the mud of khabal. They asked, ‘O Messenger of God, what is the mud of khabal?’ He ﷺ said, “The sweat of the people of Hell” or the “juice of the people of Hell.” [Muslim]

Other Punishments

The punishment of Jahannam is so severe that even a dip in Jahannam, for the shortest amount of time will render the person unable to remember any form of pleasure they had ever experienced. Allah SWT will ask, “Would you give all that you had in this world to be taken out of Jahannam?” They will reply, “Yes, and much more.” Allah SWT will say, “But I never asked you for anything like that. All I asked is for you to worship me.”

The other forms of torment include:

Boiling water poured over their heads, melting their bodies [22:19-20].
Chained up with limited or no mobility, with iron chains and yokes around their necks and feet [69:30-32; 76:4].
Dragged around Jahannam on their faces, through the Fire and boiling water [40:71-72].
Skins constantly being replaced with new skin once burnt through [4:56].
Their faces will be burnt, darkened with soot and charcoal [10:27].
The Fire shall cover them completely lashing out at their faces. There will be layers of fire above and below them [23:104; 29:55]

People of the Araf (Heights)

Between Jahannam and Jannah there is a barrier, perhaps a wall or a hill near to the Sirat. On top of this will be people who recognise the inhabitants of both abodes and will be eagerly waiting to enter Jannah. They will call to people of Jannah, “Peace unto you” and when they see the people of Jahannam, “Our Lord! Do not join us with them.” They will ask certain people of Jahannam about their deeds, such as their tyranny and arrogance [7:46-48].

Who are the People of the Araf? The majority opinion is they are Muslim sinners who did not have enough good deeds, they have equivalence of good and bad deeds, for example:

Killed in the way of Allah SWT but disobeyed their parents.
Committed major sins but did not repent.
Had lots of minor sins but not enough good deeds to wipe them out, such as daily prayers, wudu, regular fasting.
Had debts to others.
Showed off their good deeds.

Allah SWT will criticise those in Jahannam for judging people, asking, “Are these the ones you said would never enter Jannah?” He will then allow the people of Araf to enter Jannah [7:49].

Jahannam has been made haram for those who ever performed sajdah or said La illaha illalah. It could be therefore that these people may also include those Muslims who will be punished for their sins, but in a peripheral part of Jahannam. Thus they will be affected by the Fire, not directly but above it, feeling its heat and smoke. Some may be affected by different degrees and for different times periods according to their sins.

The Path to Jahannam

Characteristics of People of Jahannam

Lack of moral character:

Arrogant.
Proud.
Pompous.
Nasty.
Mean.
Weak resolve, one who follows the crowd and does haram.
Dishonest, greedy, fraudster.
Deceiving.
Miserly.
Liar.
Vulgar.

Specific Sins That Lead to Jahannam

Permanently in Jahannam:

Disbeliever, kafir, one who has no Iman.
One who commits shirk, idolatry, the association of others with Allah SWT.
Refusal to submit to Allah SWT out of arrogance despite knowing the truth.
Hypocrite, one who feigns belief.
Rejecting the message.
One who doesn’t search for the Truth, due to laziness.
Leaders of kufr, the callers to Jahannam eg Firaun.
Arrogance and pride.

Sins of the Believers

By Allah SWT’s mercy, He may forgive sins through trials in this world, good deeds wiping out bad, punishment in the grave or trials/anxiety on Qiyamah. Otherwise, sins that result in punishment within Jahannam include:

Lying about Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Murder, without just cause.
Tyrants, torturers and complicit persons, these oppressors are the worst of people to be punished.
Arrogance.
One who charges ribah (interest).
One who defrauds others.
Suicide, the person will continue to kill themselves in the manner of their death in Jahannam.
One who creates images for worship.
One who tortures animals.
Scantily clad women and temptresses, intending to seduce large numbers of persons.
One who uses Allah SWT’s name for haram.
Seeking (religious) knowledge to show off, for ego or status.
Addiction to alcohol and other intoxicants.
Disrespecting one’s parents.
One who allows others to be intimate with their partner.

Actions to Protect Against Jahannam

Iman, nothing comes close to having a strong iman. The belief, trust and reliance on Allah SWT.
Whoever recites La illaha illala sincerely, the Fire will be haram for him.
Whoever recites La illaha illala and any of its permutations at the time of death will enter Jannah. Reciting this regularly in the dunya will increase the likelihood of saying it at the time of death.
Salah, performing regularly and on time. Protecting one’s wudu. The parts of the body doing sajdah will be protected from the Fire (even if infrequent).
Praying the 4 rakat before and after Zohr (4 sunnah, 2 sunnah, 2 nafl).
Fasting, extra fasts for Allah SWT. One days fast will be remove one from Jahannam for a period of “70 spans,” a shield to protect from the punishment of Allah SWT.
Be one who Allah SWT loves. Do anything that He loves and avoid anything He hates (examples in the Quran).
Jihad, legitimate struggle in the name of Allah SWT.
To cry (privately) for the fear/remembrance/desire to meet Allah SWT.
Protecting the borders of the land (as in a military post).
Patience in the loss of ones child (hadith states 3 children, but the child mortality rate was very high in the past and is now much lower, so this may apply to one child in our times).
Giving charity for the sake of Allah SWT.
Good manners, being humble, gentle, supportive, easygoing.
Making constant dua to be saved from Jahannam, many variations in the Quran.

How to Remove Sins and Avoid Jahannam

What we can do

Tawbah and Istigfar, repentance and seeking forgiveness. Acceptance is related to the state of our heart and action to ensure the sin is not repeated. If we repent sincerely, with Allah SWT’s Mercy, not only will the sin be forgiven but it will be converted into good deeds. Allah SWT is At Tawaab and Al Ghafur, the Acceptor of Repentance, the All Forgiving.
Doing good deeds, to remove bad deeds. This is for the minor sins, the major sins require repentance and the Mercy of Allah SWT.

What can be done for us

Dua of righteous believers to forgive you. One should always ask for forgiveness for the ummah in our dua. Also during Jinazah, the funeral prayer.
Gifting good deeds on behalf of someone who has passed.
Shafa’ah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. To increase the chances of this, one should send blessings on the Prophet ﷺ as much as possible and perfect the Kalimah and salah.

Through Trials and Punishment

Having tawakal (trust) in Allah SWT and being patient and steadfast during trial/tribulations will remove sins.
Azab al Kabr (punishment in the grave) serves to expiate our sins.
Anxieties/fears/trials/punishments on the Day of Judgement. The default of Muslims will be tested during the Qiamah, but eventually saved.