Part 21

) (15: 43-44) Abdullah Ibn Mas'oud commented on Allah's words, ( ...fear the Fire whose fuel is people and stones, made ready for the kafirun. ) (2: 23) as follows: "The stones are made of sulphur which were created by Allah when He created the heavens and earth and which He has prepared for the kafirun." Abu Hurairah related that the Prophet said, "As people are being thrown into the Fire it will keep saying, 'Are there any more?' until Allah puts His Foot over it and it says, 'Enough! 66 Muslim, 17/179. 67 Muslim, 7075; Ahmed, 4 / 174; Al-Tirmidhi, 10/ 45-46. Enough!'"68 Abu Hurairah related that the Prophet said, "The fire which the children of Adam kindle is only a seventieth of the Fire of Hell." They said, "Messenger of Allah, the fire here is certainly hot enough." He said, "The Fire there is sixty-nine times hotter."69 The Food of the People of the Fire Allah says: ( They have no food but a bitter thorny bush which neither nourishes nor satisfies. ) (88: 6-7) And: ( With Us there are shackles and a Blazing Fire and food that chokes and a painful torment, ) (73: 11-12) And: ( Then you, you misguided, you deniers will eat from the tree of Zaqqum filling your stomachs with it and drink scalding water on top of it slurping like thirst-crazed camels. This will be their hospitality on the Day of Judgment! ) (56: 54-59) Allah describes the tree of Zaqqum as follows: ( It is a tree that emerges in the depths of the Blazing Fire. Its fruits are just like the heads of shaytans. They will eat from it and fill their bellies with it. Then they will have a boiling brew to drink on top of it. Then their destination will be the Blazing Fire. ) (37: 64-68) Ibn Abbas related that the Prophet recited the verse: ( You who have iman! have taqwa of Allah with the taqwa due to Him and do not die except as Muslims. ) (3: 102) and said: "If a drop from the tree of Zaqqum were to fall on this world it would contaminate all the sustenance of the people of this world — so imagine what it will be like when it is the only food of the people of the Fire."70 The Drink of the People of the Fire Allah says: ( And beyond him is Hell where he will be given pus to drink. He gulps at it but can hardly swallow it down. Death comes at him from every side but he does not die. And beyond him is relentless punishment. ) (14: 19-20) 68 al-Bukhari, 8/594; Muslim, 17/184. 69 al-Bukhari, 6/330; Muslim, 17/ 179; Al-Tirmidhi, 10/58; Imam Malik in Al-Muwatta', 2/ 994 70 Al-Tirmidhi, 10/54, who classified it as hasan sahih; Ahmed, 1/301; Ibn Majah, 4325. And: ( ... those who will be in the Fire timelessly, for ever, with boiling water to drink which lacerates their bowels ... ) (47: 15) And: ( Those who are kafir will have garments of fire cut out for them, and boiling water poured over their heads, which will melt the contents of their bellies as well as their skin, and they will be beaten with cudgels made of iron. Every time they want to come out of it, because of their suffering, they will be driven back into it: 'Taste the punishment of the Burning!' ) (22: 19-20) And: ( If they call for help, they will be helped with water like seething molten brass, frying their faces. What a noxious drink! What an evil repose!