Is the punishment of hellfire eternal?

In a Nutshell: Hell is most certainly eternal Islam holds that Paradise and Hell are eternal and the punishment of hell is eternal. Most classical and contemporary scholars also hold this view. A minority believed Hell would be emptied of its inhabitants at some point despite remaining eternally. Both of these views are evidenced by Islamic texts, the Prophet's companions, and early generations of Muslims. Introduction This article explores the scholarly discourse on the eternal nature of Paradise and Hell in Islam, looking at some divergent views regarding the permanence of Hell for its inhabitants. The Majority View: Eternal Paradise and Hell Most Muslim scholars argue that both Paradise and Hell are eternal and disbelievers will reside eternally in Hell. This view is grounded in Islamic texts, the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad's companions, and early Muslim generations. Key Quranic Evidences for Eternal Punishment Several Quranic verses suggest an unending punishment in Hell. Allah said: وَمَن يَعْصِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَإِنَّ لَهُ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا" "Whoever disobeys Allah and his messenger, then for him is the fire of Hell. They will abide therein forever." (al-Jinn 72:23) "إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَعَنَ الْكَافِرِينَ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ سَعِيرًا خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا" "Verily, Allah has cursed the unbelievers and prepared for them a blaze, abiding therein forever." (al-Ahzab 33:64-65) These verses are typically interpreted to describe an eternal punishment. Prophetic Tradition on the Absence of Death A fundamental belief is that death will be abolished in the Hereafter, indicating eternal life post-resurrection. A hadith narrates the symbolic end of death, portrayed as a ram, confirming eternity in the afterlife. "Death will be brought on the Day of Resurrection in the form of a white ram and it will be made to stand between Paradise and Hellfire. It will be said to the people of Paradise: Do you recognize this? They will raise their heads looking towards it and they will say: Yes, it is death. Then it will be said to the people of Hellfire: Do you recognize this? They will raise their heads looking towards it and they will say: Yes, it is death. Then the command will be given to slaughter the ram and it will be said: O people of Paradise, there is everlasting life for you and no death! And it will be said: O people of Hellfire, there is everlasting life for you and no death!" (Sahih al-Bukhari 4453) The Minority View: Temporary Hell with Eternal Existence A minority of scholars believe Hell, while remaining eternal, will eventually be emptied of its inhabitants. This view is supported by certain Islamic texts and traditions. Even the scholars who believe in the eternity of hellfire punishment acknowledge the evidence for Muslims and monotheists with major sins will be punished for a long time for atonement eventually leaving Hell for Paradise. The Prophet (saw) said, "Gabriel, upon him be peace, came to me to give the good news that anyone from my nation who dies without associating partners with Allah will enter Paradise. I said, 'Even if he commits adultery and theft?' The Prophet said: Even if he commits adultery and theft." (Sahih al-Bukhari 1180) Could there be Temporary Punishment in Hell? Traditions suggest that even monotheists punished in Hell will eventually enter Paradise: Jabir reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'People among those who worshiped Allah alone (ahl al-tawḥīd) will be punished in the Hellfire until they are coals. Then the mercy of Allah will reach them and they will be taken out and presented at the gates of Paradise. The people of Paradise will pour water over them and they will grow just as the stubble carried by the stream grows, then they will enter Paradise.'" (Tirmidhi 2597) Scholars like Nawawi interpret these as proof that major sinners will not endure eternal Hellfire. Nawawi commented on these traditions observed: 'فَهُوَ حُجَّةٌ لِمَذْهَبِ أَهْلِ السَّنَةِ أَنَّ أَصْحَابَ الْكَبَائِرِ لَا يُقْطَعُ لَهُمْ بِالنَّارِ وَأَنَّهُمْ إِنْ دَخَلُوهَا أُخْرِجُوا مِنْهَا وَخُتِمَ لَهُمْ بِالْخُلُودِ فِي الْجَنَّةِ' 'It is a proof for the people of the prophetic tradition (sunnah), that those who commit major sins will not remain in the Hellfire forever. If they enter it, they will be taken out and eventually admitted into Paradise.' (Sharh Sahih Muslim 94) Anas ibn Malik's narration is interesting: Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: 'يُؤْتَى بِأَنْعَمِ أَهْلِ الدُّنْيَا مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَيُصْبَغُ فِي النَّارِ صَبْغَةً ثُمَّ يُقَالُ يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ هَلْ رَأَيْتَ خَيْرًا قَطُّ هَلْ مَرَّ بِكَ نَعِيمٌ قَطُّ فَيَقُولُ لَا وَاللَّهِ يَا رَبِّ' 'The most privileged people in the world among the people of the Hellfire will come on the Day of Resurrection to be dipped in the Hellfire, then it will be said: O son of Adam, did you see any good? Did you get any blessing? He will say: No, by Allah, my Lord!' (Sahih al-Muslim 2807) Certain Quranic passages imply Hell's stay is under Allah's discretion, hinting at a non-permanent nature: "The Hellfire is your residence, wherein you will remain except as Allah wills." (Al-An'am 6:128) "As for those who were wretched, they will be in the Hellfire... except as your Lord wills." (Hud 11:106-107) Scholarly Interpretations and Opinions However, other scholars cite evidence that everyone will eventually leave Hell basing this on a number of verses that seem to limit the duration in Hell according to Allah's discretion: "The Hellfire is your residence, wherein you will remain except as Allah wills. Verily, your Lord is wise and knowing." (al-An'am 6:128) "As for those who were wretched, they will be in the Hellfire. For them therein is violent exhaling and inhaling, abiding therein as long as the heavens and the earth endure, except as your Lord wills." (Hud 11:106-107) "Verily, Hell has been lying in wait for the transgressors, a place of return, in which they will remain for ages." (al-Naba 78:21-23) Tabari argues these verses were interpreted by some of the early Muslims to include everyone in Hell, not only Muslims or monotheists. Early Muslim interpretations, like those of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, proposed a future when Hell would be empty after a prolonged period. The concept of eternal reward in Paradise is frequently mentioned, but not for Hell, leading to the belief in Hell's temporariness. Ibn Zaid commented on the absence of eternal descriptions for Hell's inhabitants compared to those in Paradise. The term 'forever' in the Quran is sometimes interpreted rhetorically, implying a long duration but not literal eternity. Ibn Al-Qayyim discussed this, suggesting 'eternity' could mean a prolonged stay, not necessarily without end. Ibn Al-Qayyim writes: 'Rather, the mention of eternity (al-khulūd) and forever (al-ta'bid) by itself does not necessitate that it is without end, as eternity can mean to remain for a long time. (Shifa al-Alil 1/257)' The Prophet also informed us that there will be some people for whom Allah himself will intercede and take them out of the Hellfire. They will eventually be admitted into Paradise for eternity even though they did no good deeds. "فَيَقُولُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ شَفَعَتْ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَشَفَعَ النَّبِيُّونَ وَشَفَعَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَلَمْ يَبْقَ إِلَّا أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ فَيَقْبِضُ قَبْضَةً مِنْ النَّارِ فَيُخْرِجُ مِنْهَا قَوْمًا لَمْ يَعْمَلُوا خَيْرًا قَطُّ قَدْ عَادُوا حُمَمًا فَيُلْقِيهِمْ فِي نَهَرٍ فِي أَفْوَاهِ الْجَنَّةِ يُقَالُ لَهُ نَهَرُ الْحَيَاةِ فَيَخْرُجُونَ كَمَا تَخْرُجُ الْحِبَّةُ فِي حَمِيلِ السَّيْلِ أَلَا تَرَوْنَهَا تَكُونُ إِلَى الْحَجَرِ أَوْ إِلَى الشَّجَرِ مَا يَكُونُ إِلَى الشَّمْسِ أُصَيْفِرُ وَأُخَيْضِرُ وَمَا يَكُونُ مِنْهَا إِلَى الظِّلِّ يَكُونُ أَبْيَضَ' 'Allah the Exalted will say: The angels have interceded, the prophets have interceded, the believers have interceded and none remains to intercede but the Most Merciful of the merciful. He will take a handful from the Hellfire and bring people out of it who never did any good and who had been turned into charcoal. He will cast them into a river named the River of Life on the outskirts of Paradise. They will come out as a seed comes cut from the silt carried by the flood. You see it near a stone or tree. Whatever is exposed to the sun is yellow or green and whatever is under the shade is white.' (Sahih al-Muslim 183) Islamic also traditions highlight Allah's mercy and intercession for some individuals in Hell: "He will take a handful from the Hellfire and bring people out of it who never did any good..." (Sahih al-Muslim 183) We can understand from this tradition that the purpose of Hellfire is to cleanse people of their sins and prepare them for a life of purity in Paradise. It is not simply punishment for the sake of punishment. If there is such hope that even the worst of the worst will eventually enter Paradise, then how about those who have done at least some good deeds in their lives? These narratives underscore the nature of divine mercy, leading to eventual Paradise entry. Ibn Al-Qayyim mentions the arguments of scholars who believe the punishment of Hellfire will come to an end. In a long chapter, he details twenty-five points and pieces of evidence they used to support this interpretation, among them an emphasis on the mercy of Allah and his wisdom:" "The Hellfire was created to intimidate the believers and to purify the sinners and criminals. It is a means of purity from filth earned by souls in this world. It is purified in this world by means of repentance, sincerity, good deeds, atonement, calamities and expiations."(Hadi al-Arwah 1/367) Conclusion: Eternality of punishment of Hellfire The diverse scholarly views reflect the complexity of interpreting Quranic verses and hadiths. Ibn Al-Qayyim presents a nuanced perspective, acknowledging the validity of both interpretations. Ultimately, the exact nature and duration of punishment in Hell are known only to Allah, emphasizing the depth of Islamic thought. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on the Eternity of Paradise and Hell in Islamic Theology Q1: Do the majority of Muslim scholars believe that Paradise and Hell are eternal? A1: Yes, the majority view among Muslim scholars is that both Paradise and Hell are eternal, with disbelievers eternally residing in Hell. Q2: Is there a minority view regarding the eternity of Hell? A2: Yes, a minority of scholars believe that while Hell is eternal, it will be emptied of its inhabitants at some point. Q3: What is the basis of these views in Islamic texts? A3: Both views are supported by Islamic texts, including the Quran and Hadith, as well as the interpretations of the Prophet's companions and early generations of Muslims. Q4: What do Quranic verses say about the eternal punishment in Hell? A4: Several Quranic verses suggest that the punishment in Hell is eternal. For instance, verses from al-Jinn 72:23 and al-Ahzab 33:64-65 mention that those who disobey Allah and His messenger will abide in Hell forever. Q5: What did Prophet Muhammad say about the existence of death in the Hereafter? A5: Prophet Muhammad (saw) indicated that there would be no death in the Hereafter. He described a symbolic event where death, in the form of a white ram, will be slaughtered, signifying eternal life for both inhabitants of Paradise and Hell. Q6: Can those who commit major sins eventually leave Hell? A6: Yes, according to some Hadiths and scholars' interpretations, individuals who commit major sins but worship Allah alone may be punished in Hellfire for a time, then receive Allah's mercy and enter Paradise. Q7: What is the significance of the Quranic phrase "except as Allah wills" in the context of Hellfire? A7: This phrase suggests that the duration individuals spend in Hellfire is ultimately subject to Allah's will. It implies that while some Quranic verses mention eternal punishment, this might not be literal and could be limited by Allah's discretion. Q8: What does Islam say about the purpose of Hellfire? A8: Hellfire is viewed not just as a place of punishment but also as a means of purification. The idea is that Hellfire serves to cleanse individuals of their sins before they enter Paradise. Q9: Is there a concept of divine intercession in Islam? A9: Yes, Islamic theology includes the concept of divine intercession, where Allah may intercede on behalf of certain individuals, allowing them entry into Paradise even if they have not performed good deeds. Q10: Are the views on the eternity of Hell universally agreed upon in Islam? A10: No, there is a diversity of opinions among scholars and theologians regarding the eternity of Hell, with some arguing for its eternal nature and others suggesting that it may eventually be emptied of its inhabitants.