Part 6

al-Jannah wa an-Naar – In the Light of the Qur'aan and Sunnah

Thus Allaah's promise that Hell will be filled with the disbelievers among the jinn and mankind will be fulfilled: "..And the word of your Rabb shall be fulfilled: "Surely I will fill Hell with jinns and men all together" (11:119) "And the Sentence among the previous generations of jinns and men that had passed away is proved against them.." (41:25)

Those Who Will Not Remain in Hell Forever (1) Definition: Those who will enter Hell and be brought forth at a later time are the monotheists who did not associate anything with Allaah (swt) but they committed many sins that far outweigh their good deeds. They will enter Hell for a period known only to Allaah (swt), then they will be brought forth through the intercession of those who intercede, and Allaah (swt) will bring forth, through His Mercy, people who never did any good at all. (2) The Sins for which Allaah (swt) has promised Hell Here we will mention some of the sins which the Qur'aan and hadith state will earn the punishment of Hell: (i) Following groups and sects that go against the Sunnah Abu Dawood, ad-Daarami, Ahmad, al-Haakim and others narrate that Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan said: "The Messenger of Allaah (swt) stood up among us and said: "There were some among the People of the Book before you who divided into seventy-two sects. This nation will divide into seventy-three sects, seventy-two of whom will be in Hellfire, and only one in Paradise. (This group) is alJamaa'ah" This is a sahih hadith. After mentioning its various asaanid (chain of narrator), al-Haakim remarked, "These asaanid prove that this hadith is sahih". Adh-Dhahabi agreed with him. Sheikh al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah said, "It is a mashhoor sahih hadith al-Shatibee said in al-I'tisaam that it is sahih. Sheikh Naasir ud-Deen alAlbaani listed its asaanid and stated that it is without a doubt sahih. (See Silsilat al-Ahadith as-Saheehah, hadith no. 204) Siddeeq Hasan Khan suggested that the extra wording in the hadith, "all of them are doomed except one" or "seventy two are in the Fire", was a da'if addition. He transmitted this opinion from his Shaykh, ash-Shawkaani, who narrated it from Ibn al-Wazeer and Ibn Hazm before him. He approved the opinion of one who said, "This addition is one of the fabrications of the atheists because it puts people off Islaam and scares them away from embracing it." (Yaqadhaat ul al-I'tibaar, p.206) Sheikh Naasir ud-Deen al-Albaani refuted the opinion that this addition is da'if on two counts: (a) Scholarly critical examination of the hadith indicates that this addition is Sahih so the opinion that it is da'if carries no weight. (b) Those who say that it is sahih are greater in number and more knowledgeable than Ibn Hazm, who is well-known among the scholars for being extremely strict in his criticism. His opinion should not be taken as

al-Jannah wa an-Naar – In the Light of the Qur'aan and Sunnah

evidence if he is the only one who says so, even if there is no conflict, so how can it be taken as evidence when it differs from everyone else's view? Ibn al-Wazeer rejects the hadith on the grounds of its meaning rather than its isnaad. Siddeeq Hasan Khan spoke on this in Yaqadhaat uli al-I'tibaar explaining that the indication of this addition is that those of this ummah who will enter Paradise are few in number, whereas well-proven Sahih texts indicate that those of this ummah who will enter Paradise are very many, so many that they will be half the population of Paradise: This may be reconciled in the following ways: a) Dividing the ummah into seventy-three sects does not mean that most of this ummah will be in Hell, because most of its ummah are `awaam ("rank and file") who are not counted among those sects. Those who deviated and established rules that contradict the Sunnah are few in number when compared to those who avoided falling into that trap. (b) Not everyone who differs from Ahl as-Sunnah is SOME issue is counted as contradicting the Sunnah. What is meant is those people who adopted rules that made them a separate, independent group and caused them to abandon many texts of the Qur'aan and Sunnah, like the Khawaarij, the Mu'tazilah and Rawaafidh. As for those who adopt the Qur'aan and Sunnah and do not deviate from them, if they differ in some matter it does not mean that they are counted as one of the (doomed) sects. (c) This addition indicates that all other sects will enter Hell, but that does not necessarily mean that they will abide therein forever.

It is well known that some of these sects are kuffar and will abide eternally in Hell, like the extreme Baatinis who make a show of faith whilst concealing kufr in their hearts, and the Ismaa'ilis, Druze, Nusayris and so on. There are others who differ from Ahl as-Sunnah in some serious issues, but that does not mean they are kuffaar. They have no definite guarantee of entering Paradise. Allaah (swt) may forgive them or punish them as He wills. They made do some righteous deeds that will save them from Hell, or they may be saved by the intercession of those who intercede, or they may enter Hell and remain there for as long as Allaah (swt) wills, then be brought forth through the intercession of those who intercede and the Mercy of the Most Merciful. (ii) Refusing to Migrate for the Sake of Allaah Muslims are not permitted to remain in Daar al-Kufr if there are Muslim countries to which they could migrate (NB: or if it becomes waajib on them to make hijrah) especially when staying in Daar al-Kufr exposes them to trials and temptations. Allaah (swt) will not accept any excuse from those who refused to migrate: "When the angels take the souls of those who die in sin against their souls, they say: "In what [plight] were you?" They reply, "Weak and oppressed were we in the earth". They [the angels] say: "Was not the earth of Allaah spacious enough for you to move yourselves away from evil?" Such men will find their abode in Hell - what an evil refuge [or destination]! Except those who are really weak and oppressed - men, women and children, who have no means in their power, nor [a guide post] to direct their way". (4:97-98) Allaah (swt) will not excuse any of them (NB: upon whom hijrah was OBLIGATORY) except those weak and oppressed person who had no means of migrating and could find no way of moving to Islaamic lands.

al-Jannah wa an-Naar – In the Light of the Qur'aan and Sunnah

(iii) Judging Unjustly Allaah (swt) revealed the Shariah to establish justice among mankind, and He commanded His slaves to be Just: "Verily Allaah commands the justice [and] the doing of good.." (16:90) He has made it obligatory for rulers and judges to be just and never to be unfair: "Allaah commands you to render back your trusts to those to whom they are due; and when you judge between man and man, that you judge with justice". (4:58) Allaah (swt) threatens Hell to those who do not judge with justice. Buraydah ibn al-Husayb narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (saw) said, "There are three types of judges: one will be in Paradise and the other two in Hell. The one who will be in Paradise is the one who knows the truth and judges according to it. As for the one who knows the truth but is unjust in his judgement, he will be in Hell, as will the one who judges between people without understanding or knowledge". (Abu Dawood - Jaami' al-Usool, 10/168) (iv) Lying about [falsely attributing words to] the Messenger of Allaah (saw) Ibn al-Ithir included in his famous book, Jaami' al-Usool a chapter in which he quoted many hadith that warn against lying about the Prophet (saw). These include the report by al-Bukhaari, Muslim and Al-Tirmidhi from 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib who said: "The Messenger of Allaah (saw) said to me: "Do not lie about me (or falsely attribute anything to me) for whoever lies about me will enter Hell". al-Bukhaari reported that Salaman ibn al-Akwa' said: "I heard the Messenger of Allaah (saw) say: "Whoever attributes to me words that I did not say, let him take his place in Hell". al-Bukhaari and Abu Dawood reported that 'Abdullaah ibn az-Zubayr narrated from his father, az-Zubayr ibn al-'Awwaam: "I heard the Messenger of Allaah (saw) say: "Whoever lies about me deliberately, let him take his place in Hell". al-Bukhaari and Muslim narrated from al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah, "The Messenger of Allaah (saw) said "Lying about me is not like lying about anybody else. Whoever lies about me, let him take his place in Hell". (Jaami al-Usool, 10/211) (v) Pride One of the major sins, al-Kabaa'ir, is pride. Abu Hurayrah (ra) narrated: "The Messenger of Allaah (saw) said that Allaah (swt) said, "Pride is My cloak and greatness is My robe. Whoever competes with Me in respect of either of them, I shall admit him to Hellfire". (according to another report, "I will make him taste Hellfire") - Muslim. Ibn Mas'ud said: "The Messenger of Allaah (saw) said, "No one who has an atom's weight of pride in his heart will enter Paradise". A man said, "But what if a man likes his clothes and shoes to look good?" He said, "Allaah is beautiful and loves beauty. Pride is rejecting the truth and looking

al-Jannah wa an-Naar – In the Light of the Qur'aan and Sunnah

down on people". (Muslim). (vi) Killing a person for no legitimate reason Allaah says: "If a man kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell to abide therein [forever] and the Wrath and the Curse of Allaah are upon him, and a dreadful Penalty is prepared for him". (4:93) It is not permitted for a Muslim to kill another except in three cases, as explained in the hadith narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim from Ibn Mas'ud (ra) who said that the Messenger of Allaah (saw) said: "It is not permitted to shed the blood of any Muslim person who testifies that there is no god but Allaah (swt) and that I am His Prophet, except in three cases: a soul for a soul (i.e in the case of murder), the married man who commits adultery, and the one who forsakes his religion and abandons the jamaa'ah". (Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 2/355) al-Bukhaari narrates from Ibn 'Umar that the Messenger of Allaah (saw) said: "The believer has a chance so long as he does not spill blood that it is forbidden to spill". Ibn Umar (ra) said, "One of the situations from which there is no escape for the one who falls into it is the shedding of blood for no legitimate reason". (Sahih al-Bukhaari, Kitaab ad-Daayaat, Baab Qawl Allaah ta'ala wa man yaqtul mu'minan muta'ammidan, Fath ul-Baari, 12/187) The Prophet (saw) warned the Muslims against fighting one another and stated that the killer and his victim will both be in Hell. Abu Bakrah said: "The Messenger of Allaah (saw) said, "If two Muslims face one another with swords, both the slayer and the slain will be in Hell". I asked, or it was asked, "O Messenger of Allaah (it is clear about) the slayer, but what about the slain?" He said, "He was trying hard to kill his counterpart". (Muslim, Kitaab al-Fitan, Baab idhaa tuwajaha al-Musliman bi sayfayhimaa 4/2213) Hence the righteous slave of Allaah (swt) refuses to fight his brother, for fear that he may be among the people of Hell, for the slayer will carry his own sins and those of his slain brother: "Recite to them the truth of the story of the two sons of Aadam. behold, they each presented a sacrifice [to Allaah]: it was accepted from one but not from the other. Said the latter: "Be sure I will slay you". Said the former: "Allaah does not accept the sacrifice of those who are righteous. If you do stretch your hand against me to slay me, it is not for me to stretch my hand against you to slay you, for I fear Allaah, the Cherisher of the Worlds. For me, I intend to let you draw on yourself my sin as well as yours, for you will be among the Companions [or dwellers] of the Fire, and that is the reward of those who do wrong". (5:27-29) (vii) Consuming Ribaa One of the sins that will condemn a person to Hell is consuming ribaa. Allaah (swt) says of those who indulge in this sin after they have come to know that He has forbidden it: "..but those who repeat the offence (ribaa) are Companions (dwellers) of the Fire - they will abide therein [forever]" (2:275) "O you who believe! Devour not [interest, ribaa] doubled and multiplied, but fear Allaah that you may [really] prosper. Fear the Fire, which is prepared for those who reject Faith". (3:130-131)