Eternal Punishment in Hell (Follow Up)
Question:
Salaam sir,
Please clarify the following:
1 Why ordinary sinners will not be punished at all?
2. If the hell were to be a temporary platform why is the Quran silent about that?
Answer:
Salam,
Before answering your question, please do consider that since in my view description of heaven and hell are among the allegorical verses of the Qur'an, we should always be cautious about discussing them in too much detail, as we may end up discussing something that may not literally happen the way that we think it is going to happen. It is enough to understand and appreciate from the Qur'an that our bad personality and performance in this world can significantly damage our destiny in the hereafter. This 'significant damage' is referred to in the Qur'an with the allegorical expression of 'permanent punishment'. The exact nature of this punishment is not comprehensible for us and is therefore not been explicitly and entirely revealed to us.
The following answer therefore is within the scope of simply analyzing what the Qur'an has literally told us, rather than discussing how literal we should take the meaning of these verses.
**********
First, please note that we are in no position to say who will be punished, who will not be punished. All we can say is that what our understanding of the Qur’an with regard to punishment is.
Based on the Qur’an, the criteria for being punished or not is whether the person has become arrogant enough to allow his sins to dominate his personality.
In the Qur’an we read:
بَلى مَنْ كَسَبَ سَيِّئَةً وَ أَحاطَتْ بِهِ خَطيئَتُهُ فَأُولئِكَ أَصْحابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فيها خالِدُون
Truly, those who have earned evil and their sin has totally encompassed them are the companions of Hell, in it they shall remain forever. (2:81)
Accordingly, those who commit sin but do not persist on it and repent before letting the sin dominate them can hope for God’s compassion and mercy, as we read:
قُلْ يا عِبادِيَ الَّذينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَميعاً إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحيم
Say: O my servants who have acted extravagantly against yourselves, do not despair of God's mercy, God forgives sins altogether, He is the All forgiving, the All compassionate. (39:53)
As for your second question, I never said that hell will be a temporary platform. Quite contrary I wrote that the Qur'an tells us that hell is a permanent place for those who will be punished.
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Related Topics:
- How Can You Be So Sure That the Punishment is For Eternity
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March 2014
Salaam sir,
Please clarify the following:
1 Why ordinary sinners will not be punished at all?
2. If the hell were to be a temporary platform why is the Quran silent about that?
Answer:
Salam,
Before answering your question, please do consider that since in my view description of heaven and hell are among the allegorical verses of the Qur'an, we should always be cautious about discussing them in too much detail, as we may end up discussing something that may not literally happen the way that we think it is going to happen. It is enough to understand and appreciate from the Qur'an that our bad personality and performance in this world can significantly damage our destiny in the hereafter. This 'significant damage' is referred to in the Qur'an with the allegorical expression of 'permanent punishment'. The exact nature of this punishment is not comprehensible for us and is therefore not been explicitly and entirely revealed to us.
The following answer therefore is within the scope of simply analyzing what the Qur'an has literally told us, rather than discussing how literal we should take the meaning of these verses.
**********
First, please note that we are in no position to say who will be punished, who will not be punished. All we can say is that what our understanding of the Qur’an with regard to punishment is.
Based on the Qur’an, the criteria for being punished or not is whether the person has become arrogant enough to allow his sins to dominate his personality.
In the Qur’an we read:
بَلى مَنْ كَسَبَ سَيِّئَةً وَ أَحاطَتْ بِهِ خَطيئَتُهُ فَأُولئِكَ أَصْحابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فيها خالِدُون
Truly, those who have earned evil and their sin has totally encompassed them are the companions of Hell, in it they shall remain forever. (2:81)
Accordingly, those who commit sin but do not persist on it and repent before letting the sin dominate them can hope for God’s compassion and mercy, as we read:
قُلْ يا عِبادِيَ الَّذينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَميعاً إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحيم
Say: O my servants who have acted extravagantly against yourselves, do not despair of God's mercy, God forgives sins altogether, He is the All forgiving, the All compassionate. (39:53)
As for your second question, I never said that hell will be a temporary platform. Quite contrary I wrote that the Qur'an tells us that hell is a permanent place for those who will be punished.
----------
Related Topics:
- How Can You Be So Sure That the Punishment is For Eternity
----------
March 2014
