Jahannam

Jahannam (Arabic: جهنم) is the Islamic equivalent to hell. Its roots come from the Hebrew word Gehinnom, which is a valley south of Jerusalem that was used as a garbage dump by the Israelites. In the pre-Israelite times the Canaanites worshipped the god Moloch and performed child sacrifices in the valley, burning them as offerings to the deity. Consequently the valley had a longstanding association with burning fires and horrid rituals. According to the Qur'an only God knows who will go to Jahannam and who will go to Jannah (Heaven). Those who ignored, or only pretended to believe in Allah remain in Jahannam after Qiyamah (Judgment Day).

Description

The Holy Qur'an provides detailed description of Jahannam stating that there are seven levels a soul can go to depending on its deeds (These levels are Jaheem, Jahanam, Sa'ir, Saqar, Ladha, Hawiyah, and Hutama). The most severe level is known as "Hutama," which is said to be reserved for religious hypocrites.

It is also said that "Zaqqum" (a thorned tree grows in Jahannam, which has a bitter thorned fruit that the damned are compelled to eat to intensify their torment. Its fruits are shaped like devils' heads. (Qur'an 44.46).

Day of Judgment (Qiyamah)

According to Islam, each person will be made to account for their actions at the "Day of the Resurrection" (يوم القيامة) (Qur'an 71.18). During judgment, a man's or a woman's own book of deeds will be opened, and they will be apprised of every action they did and every word they spoke (Qur'an 54.52-53), albeit actions taken during childhood are not judged. It is said that the account of deeds is so detailed that the man or woman will wonder at how comprehensive the account is, that even minor and trivial deeds are included.

When the Hour is at hand, some will deny that al-Qiyâmah is taking place and will be warned that al-Qiyâmah precedes the Day of Pining (distress) (Qur'an 30.55-57, 19.39). If one denies a deed he or she committed, or refuses to acknowledge it, his or her body parts will testify against him or her.

The trials and tribulations associated with the Day of Judgment are detailed in both the Qur'an and the Hadith, as well as in the commentaries of the Islamic expositors and scholarly authorities such as al-Ghazali, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Majah, Muhammad al-Bukhari, and Ibn Khuzaimah. It is said that every human, Muslim and non-Muslim alike, is held accountable for his or her deeds and are judged by Allah accordingly (Qur'an 74.38).

Those who distorted or ignored the Qur'an or converted to another religion are engulfed in hellfire. However, those who truly believe in God, and are pious, referred to as Al-Ghurr-ul-Muhajjalun due to the trace of ritual ablution performed during their lives, repent their sin and return to "jannah (the Garden) beneath which rivers flow". The world is destroyed, folded. The dead rise from their graves and gather, waiting to be judged for their actions.

Surah Al-Baqara of the Qur'an states that along with Muslims, Allah will also save other People of the Book from Hell:

"Those who believe, Jews, Nazarenes (Christians), and Sabians - whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and does good deeds - shall be rewarded by their Lord; they have nothing to fear nor are they saddened." :[2.62]

It should be noted that Muslim scholars have commented that those saved from Hell other than Muslims are those people from pre-Islamic times who followed the teachings of their respective prophet. People who did not receive the true message of Islam will also be saved.

One can go to hell in Islam, and then go from there to Heaven after serving your time in Hell. There is a certain ratio for time in earth, to time in hell.

'Alameen (humankind, the Jinn, and all other living beings) are gathered upon a vast, white, featureless ground, under intense heat of the Sun overhead. They are naked, uncircumcised and crowded together to the point where some are submerged in their own sweat, as in the beginning of creation. The degree to which one is submerged in sweat depends on the extent of one's piety and goodness. The faces of those who practiced good lives by following the Five Pillars of Islam in their daily lives are nadirah (shining and radiant). On the other hand, the faces of disbelievers are basirah (dark, sad and frowning). Despite being unclothed the anxiety and fear of the situation is so great that no one thinks to look at another's nudity. The creatures thus wait to be brought before God for their judgement. Humans are so fearful on this "day" that the prophets themselves repeatedly address God with the phrase sallim, sallim, or spare, spare — that is, "spare your followers, O God." Followers of Muhammad during his lifetime who strayed from Islam after his passing, Apostates of Islam, are engulfed in fire. Angels are fearful as some hadiths state that on this day God is angrier than ever before or after.

Adam is ordered by Allah to bring all of those who rejected Islam to Jahannam. He asks how many he should bring and Allah answers, "From every one thousand, take out nine-hundred-and ninety-nine." At that time children will become hoary headed (Qur'an 73.12), previously healed wounds will reappear (Sahih Bukhari, book 4 "Ablution", number 238), every pregnant female will have a miscarriage. One sees mankind as drunken, yet the people are sober, but dreadful is the Wrath of God (Qur'an 69.47, Sahih Bukhari, book 55 "accounts of the prophets", number 567.)

In the grave one faces either a reassuring man (his or her good deeds), or a foul-looking creature (his or her sins) (Qur'an 82.4).

Barzakh is a sequence that happens after death, in which the Archangel Azrael with the help of other less significant angels will separate the soul from the body, either harshly or painlessly depending on how righteous the person was during their lifetime (Qur'an 79.1-2). Three main events take place chronologically which constitute the Barzakh sequence:

• The separation of the soul and the body.

• Nakir and Munkar's (two Islamic Angels) interrogation of the soul in its grave.

"Who is your (lord)?"

"What is your way of life?"

"Who is your leader?" ^{Sura 17.71}

• The "Waahsh" or the horror of the grave, the pressure of the grave depending on whether the person was righteous or not.

Muhammad referred to the interrogation as, "...the worst hours of a man's life".

Shia use this event when presenting arguments about the Status of a Shia Imam.

Believers will be led by the prophet Muhammad to a vast basin or lake-fount called al-kawthar الكوثر, where their thirst will be sated with a white-colored drink that tastes like sweetened milk. Whosoever drinks it, never thirsts thereafter. In one hadith al-kawthar is said to be a river of paradise (al-Bukhari, book 76, hadith 583.) Sahih Bukhari, in book 76 (the book of tenderness), the chapter on the basin contains at least 14 hadiths regarding it. At some point, perhaps after creatures are confined to either jannah (paradise) or jahannam (hell), Death will be brought forth in the form of a black and white ram. It will be slaughtered infront of everyone and a caller will explain, "O people of Paradise! Eternity for you and no death. O people of Hell! Eternity for you and no death," hence the slaying of the ram symbolises the 'Death of Death'.

There is indication also that nations are collectively called to account for their deeds. And there are Hadiths that indicate that on Qiyama judgment day people are made to join the races or communities with which they associated themselves, which points to a definition of society in ideological — not racial — terms.

After judgement all men and women are made to cross over a deep abyss, whence the flames of Jahannam (Hell) leap up, on al-Sirât (الصراط), a thorny bridge so thin that it cannot be seen. It is said in Hadith that crossing the bridge is such a difficult task, because the bridge is as thin as a strand of hair, and as sharp as the edge of a sword. The believers and those destined for Jannah are able to cross quickly and safely, seeing it as a thick stone bridge, whereas others fall off this hair-thin bridge into Jahannam.

Intercession

Throughout judgment, however, the underlying principle is that of a complete and perfect justice administered by Allah. The accounts of judgment are also replete with the emphasis that Allah is merciful and forgiving, and that mercy and forgiveness will be granted on that day insofar as it is merited. People beseech the prophets to intercede on their behalf, first Abraham, then Moses, then Adam, and finally Noah, all of whom decline to do so and instead point to the prophet Muhammad, who intercedes on behalf of the world.

Abraham meets his father Azar whose face is enlightened. When Abraham demands that his father not be disgraced he is informed that on this day no one is above reproach. Abraham finds a blood-stained Dhabh beneath his feet and throws him into Hell. Other notable relatives who are among those cast into jahannam include the wives of Nuh (Noah) and Lut (Lot) (Qur'an 66.10). When Lut and his family left Sodom and Gomorrah, his wife disobeyed the commands of the two angels not to look back at the burning city, thus she is not among Al-Ghurr-ul-Muhajjalun.

Concerning the matter of reward or Jannah (Heaven) (paradise) and Jahannam (punishment), there is the subject of the Intercession (الشفاعة). Hadiths state that the prophet Muhammad will be allowed to intercede on behalf of all of mankind, as opposed to the prophets who preceded him who were only able to appeal to nations (Sahîh al-bukhari, book 7 "Tayammum (rubbing hands and feet with dust)", number 331.) Furthermore, a believer will be allowed to plead for members of his family and for his loved ones. Throughout the discourse regarding the ultimate destiny, the consistent tenet is that being sent to Jannah (paradise) or to Jahannam (hell) is a matter in Allah's hands alone. God is thus the ultimate arbiter and qadi (judge) as to who goes to Jahannam (hell) and who is rescued.

In one Hadith, it is related that after the Intercession of the prophet Muhammad, Allah himself intercedes, repeatedly ordering his angels to fetch out of Jahannam (hell) any who sincerely professed the Shahada (Sahih Bukhari, book 3 "book of learning or knowledge", number 97 (98 in another edition)) until the angels are ordered to return and find anyone with even an atom's measure of goodness in his or her heart. Those who have worshipped false gods, or have participated in shirk (idol worship) are not rescued from Jahannam (hell) and instead remain there forever. After the Intercession, life resumes, either in [annah (paradise) or in Jahannam (hell).

The Mahdi and ad-Dajjal

The coming of the Mahdi (also Mehdi or Mihdi and meaning "the divinely guided one"), which precedes the Second Coming of Isa (Jesus), triggers the redemption of Islam and the defeat of its enemies. The exact nature of the Mahdi differs between Shi'ah Muslims and Sunni Muslims, but both agree that Isa (Jesus) and the Mahdi work together to fight evil in the world and to cement justice on Earth.

"Even if the entire duration of the world's existence has already been exhausted and only one day is left before Qiyama (Doomsday) (Day of Judgement), Allah will expand that day to such a length of time, as to accommodate the kingdom of a person out of my Ahlul Bayt who will be called by my name. He will then fill out the earth with peace and justice as it will have been full of injustice and tyranny before then."

Sahih Tirmidhi, V2, P86, V9, P74-75.

The Mahdi comes from Mecca and rules from Damascus, Syria. Isa (Jesus) will defeat ad-Dajjal (literally: liar; the false Messiah or antichrist,) and then shall live on Earth for many years. According to some traditions Isa (Jesus) will get married and have a family, and then die. Throughout history many have claimed Mahdiship; most notably Syed Mohammad Jaunpuri, [Siyyid Mírzá 'Alí-Muhammad, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Muhammad Ahmad, Mohammed bin Abdullah, and Juhayman ibn-Muhammad ibn-Sayf al-Utaibi.

The Dajjal is physically misshapen, and blind in one eye. He deceives the faithful, teaching them that Jannah is Jahannam and vice versa through his power to work miracles. Upon his head are the Arabic letters kaf, fa and ra (kafir). He will revive the dead, and claim to be a god. Some traditions of Islam relate that he will appear at Isfahan, and that he will rally Jews to his support. However, that is not necessarily a majority view.

Muhammad asked his followers to recite the first and last ten verses of Chapter 'The Cave' as protection from the Dajjal. These ayat deal with the beliefs and activities of the Christian nations. He also taught his followers to pray, "O Allah! I seek refuge in Thee from the trial of the Dajjal." He also said, There is no tribulation greater than that of the Dajjal from the creation of Adam to Qiyama (the day of resurrection).

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Ali, Mohammed Ali Ibn Zubair. Signs of Qiyamah Islamic Book Service, 2000. ASIN B000KJ4YDK
• Kabbani, Muhammad Hisham. The Approach of Armageddon: An Islamic Perspective. Islamic Supreme Council of America, 2003. ISBN 978-1930409200
• Khalifa, Rashad. Quran: The Final Testament, Authorized English Version with Arabic Text, Revised Edition IV. Submission.org, 2005. ISBN 978-0972920926
• Smith, Jane I. The Islamic Understanding of Death and Resurrection. Oxford University Press, 2006. ISBN 978-0195156492

External links

• Judgement day in the Qur'ân and hadith
• Islam Basics
• Tajweed ul Qur'an
• al-Qiyâmah
• Signs of the Appearance of the Dajjal and His Destruction
• Signs of Qiyamah
• Signs of the Last Hour
• The two blowings of the Trumpet of Light which ushers in the period of Judgement

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