Chapter 5: Islamic Hell

In the previous two chapters we saw Hell and its fire mentioned quite frequently. This topic receives the most mention in the Quran. I think a short side trip, to gain an understanding of what Hell means in Islam, will not be out of place here.
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The Seven Gates of Hell

Hell is referred to in the Quran mostly as Gehenna (Jahanna, Jahannam etc.), a variation on the Hebrew word “Gey-Hinnom”, meaning “The valley of Hinnom”, a valley near Jerusalem where pagans child-sacrifice used to take place.
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Jewish scholars decided that as this fiery place is where the basest sinners were, it would be fitting to borrow its name for the final destination of the sinners after their death.
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There are hundreds of mentions of Hell and its tortures in the Quran. It is referred to more as the “Fire” (“Nar” in Arabic) than “Hell”. I will present here a small sample, to give you an idea of what Muhammad’s listeners were subjected to. Let’s start with 15:43-44:
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“Gehenna shall be their gathering place all together. Seven gates it has, and unto each gate a set portion of them belongs”
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Commentators tell us that these gates lead to different levels or departments in Hell, into which different types of sinners enter and stay. I assume that the 7 departments of Hell differ in the severity of torture.
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According to Margoliouth, the lowest (worst) level is for the Hypocrites (we know that Muhammad hated these guys), then Arab pagans, then the Mazdeans (or Zoroastrians, Persian polytheists who were included with the people of the Book as the “not so bad” Unbelievers early in Muhammad’s career), then the Sabians (similar to the Mazdeans, but apparently from Haran), the third level from the top for the Christians, the second level from the top for the Jews, and the top level is reserved for Believers (that is Muslims) who have transgressed.
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It appears that the Jews were later downgraded and the Christians upgraded, but it is not very clear.
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The 7 departments of Hell are found in one of the Midrash (legends and homiletic exegesis on the Hebrew Scriptures) collections. The Midrash does not elaborate on the nature and purpose of these departments. If this is the source for the Quranic 7 gates of Hell, then we have yet another instance where human homiletic material ends up as the word of Allah, etched for eternity in the Mother of the Book.
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At the gates of Hell and Heaven (which are in the same place, near the lowest Heaven), while those destined to Hell are on their way, they meet those who are going to Paradise, and they pass each other on two sides of a wall.
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This is narrated in the seventh surah (7:44-51): On top of the wall will be sitting those whose destiny is yet to be determined. They recognise the two groups by signs or badges, and greet the dwellers of Paradise with peace, while beseeching Allah not to join them with the dwellers of Hell.
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The dwellers of Hell beg the dwellers of Paradise for some of the water that Allah had provided for their sustenance, but are refused. There’s more detail in the Quranic passage, but you get the idea.
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In our surah, Hell and its fire are mentioned some 15 times, mostly as the “Fire” that will burn the Unbelievers and the Hypocrites. The main function of Hell is to eternally torture the sinners in extremely high temperatures.
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The Tortures of Hell

All of mankind, including the Believers, must visit Hell (19:71): “There is not one of you who will not go down to it: That is settled and decided by your Lord.” Then Allah will rescue those who fear him, and the others will stay behind, on their knees.
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74:26-31 “… I shall surely roast him in Sakar. And what will teach you what is Sakar? It will not leave and will not let alone. It scorches the flesh. In charge of it nineteen.” Sakar is an extremely hot fire. Allah appointed nineteen angels as the guards and custodians of Hell.
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The Unbelievers will be used as fuel and kindling for the fire of Hell:
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3:10 “… and these it is who are the fuel of the fire.” 21:98 “Indeed you and what you worship besides Allah are the firewood of hell …” and 72:15 “And as to those who go astray, they are fuel of hell.”
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The water in Hell is festering and boiling hot. The sinners will drink it, swim in it, and it will be poured over their heads:
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6:70 “… they shall have a drink of boiling water and a painful chastisement because they disbelieved”, 14:16 “Hell is before him and he shall be given to drink of festering water”, 56:42 “In scorching wind and scalding water”
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Their food will be fire, bitter and poisonous fruit or food fit only for animals:
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4:10 “… surely they only swallow fire into their bellies and they shall enter burning fire”, 47:12 “… those who disbelieve enjoy themselves and eat as the beasts eat, and the fire is their abode”, 56:52 “you shall eat of a tree called Zakkoum”, 88:6 “no food for them but cactus thorn.”
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Besides eating fire, those who earned the abode of Hell will be burnt by that fire, which is hotter than its Earthly equivalent:
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23:104 “The fire shall scorch their faces, and they therein shall be in severe affliction”, 36:64 “roast well in it today, for that you were unbelievers”, 83:16 “Then indeed they shall enter the burning fire”, 9:81 “… The fire of hell is much severe in heat …” According to Islamic tradition, Hell fire is 69 times hotter than Earth fire.
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The tortures that await those who are destined for Hell are extremely painful:
4:55 “Surely those who disbelieve in Our signs, We shall certainly roast them in the Fire. As soon as their skins are wholly burned, We shall give them in exchange other skins, that they may taste the chastisement. Surely Allah is mighty, wise”.
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4:55 tells us that Allah himself will do the roasting and the re-skinning. Other verses, such as the Sakar roasting verse quoted above and many more, also suggest that the tortures of Hell will be administered by Allah himself.
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Muhammad’s Eye Witness Report of Hell

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According to Ibn Ishaq, the entry to Hell is from the lowest Heaven. In one of the versions of the “Night’s Journey” and Muhammad’s ascent to the Seventh Heaven, we get a glimpse of what Hell looks like from Muhammad’s perspective.
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In Sira:268, when Gabriel brought Muhammad to the lowest heaven, all the angels smiled at him, except one: Malik, the keeper of Hell.
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Muhammad asked Gabriel to order Malik to show him Hell, so Malik obliged, and took the covers off, “and the flames blazed high into the air until I thought that they would consume everything.” So Muhammad asked Gabriel to order Malik to send the flames back.
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In Sira:269, Adam sits in the lowest heaven and speaks to the spirits of men, his offspring, passing by, rejoicing with the good ones and frowning at the bad:
“… the spirit of a believer excited his pleasure, and the spirit of an infidel excited his disgust.”
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It is not stated which side of the wall mentioned in surah 7 Adam’s seat was. It is also not stated how Adam greeted those who sat on top of the wall.
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Continuing with Sira:269, Muhammad tells of who he sees in Hell:
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The spirits of those who devoured the wealth of orphans had lips like camels, and were thrusting pieces of fire into their mouths, which came out of their posterior.
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The spirits of men who forsook their permitted women and went after forbidden women were eating stinking meat, even though good meat was right in front of them.
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The spirits of women who produced bastards were hanging by their breasts.
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I think this gives us a fairly good idea of what Hell is in Islam.