Jahannam

mythological place of suffering in Islam

Jahannam (Arabic: جهنم) is the Quranic and Islamic term for Hell. The word is similar to the Hebrew term Gehinnom (גֵּיהִנּוֹם), from which derives the Greek word Gehenna (Γέεννα).

A fragment of the Miraj Nameh depicting Muhammad visiting Hell during the Night Journey.

This page quotes from the most prominent Quranic passages and verses about Jahannam. The translation used is The Clear Quran by Dr. Mustafa Khattab, and the links go to Quran.com, which provides additional translations. For more information, refer to the Wikipedia article on Jahannam.

Quotes edit

Scripture edit

 
A Persian depiction of sinful women strung up by their hair while being subjected to fiery torment. The torture is overseen by a zabaniyah, a warden of Hell.
  • إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ سَوَآءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَأَنذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنذِرْهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ خَتَمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَعَلَىٰ سَمْعِهِمْ ۖ وَعَلَىٰٓ أَبْصَـٰرِهِمْ غِشَـٰوَةٌۭ ۖ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌۭ
  • فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱلنَّارَ ٱلَّتِى وَقُودُهَا ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلْحِجَارَةُ ۖ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
  • وَقَالُوا۟ لَن تَمَسَّنَا ٱلنَّارُ إِلَّآ أَيَّامًۭا مَّعْدُودَةًۭ ۚ قُلْ أَتَّخَذْتُمْ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ عَهْدًۭا فَلَن يُخْلِفَ ٱللَّهُ عَهْدَهُۥٓ ۖ أَمْ تَقُولُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ بَلَىٰ مَن كَسَبَ سَيِّئَةًۭ وَأَحَـٰطَتْ بِهِۦ خَطِيٓـَٔتُهُۥ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـٰلِدُونَ
    • Quran 2:80–81
    • Translation:
      • ˹Some of˺ the Jews claim, "The Fire will not touch us except for a number of days." Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ "Have you taken a pledge from Allah—for Allah never breaks His word—or are you ˹just˺ saying about Allah what you do not know?" But no! Those who commit evil and are engrossed in sin will be the residents of the Fire. They will be there forever.
 
A Persian depiction of sinful women being subjected to fiery torment in Hell. The women are strung up by hooks thrust through their tongues.
  • وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ أَوْلِيَآؤُهُمُ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتُ يُخْرِجُونَهُم مِّنَ ٱلنُّورِ إِلَى ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ ۗ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـٰلِدُونَ
  • إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا سَوْفَ نُصْلِيهِمْ نَارًۭا كُلَّمَا نَضِجَتْ جُلُودُهُم بَدَّلْنَـٰهُمْ جُلُودًا غَيْرَهَا لِيَذُوقُوا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًۭا
    • Quran 4:56
    • Translation:
      • Surely those who reject Our signs, We will cast them into the Fire. Whenever their skin is burnt completely, We will replace it so they will ˹constantly˺ taste the punishment. Indeed, Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.
  • قَالَ ٱدْخُلُوا۟ فِىٓ أُمَمٍۢ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِكُم مِّنَ ٱلْجِنِّ وَٱلْإِنسِ فِى ٱلنَّارِ ۖ كُلَّمَا دَخَلَتْ أُمَّةٌۭ لَّعَنَتْ أُخْتَهَا ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا ٱدَّارَكُوا۟ فِيهَا جَمِيعًۭا قَالَتْ أُخْرَىٰهُمْ لِأُولَىٰهُمْ رَبَّنَا هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ أَضَلُّونَا فَـَٔاتِهِمْ عَذَابًۭا ضِعْفًۭا مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ ۖ قَالَ لِكُلٍّۢ ضِعْفٌۭ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا تَعْلَمُونَ وَقَالَتْ أُولَىٰهُمْ لِأُخْرَىٰهُمْ فَمَا كَانَ لَكُمْ عَلَيْنَا مِن فَضْلٍۢ فَذُوقُوا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْسِبُونَ
    • Quran 7:38–39
    • Translation:
      • Allah will say, "Enter the Fire along with the ˹evil˺ groups of jinn and humans that preceded you." Whenever a group enters Hell, it will curse the preceding one until they are all gathered inside, the followers will say about their leaders, "Our Lord! They have misled us, so multiply their torment in the Fire." He will answer, "It has already been multiplied for all, but you do not know." Then the leaders will say to their followers, "You were no better than us! So taste the torment for what you used to commit."
  • وَنَادَىٰٓ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْجَنَّةِ أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلنَّارِ أَن قَدْ وَجَدْنَا مَا وَعَدَنَا رَبُّنَا حَقًّۭا فَهَلْ وَجَدتُّم مَّا وَعَدَ رَبُّكُمْ حَقًّۭا ۖ قَالُوا۟ نَعَمْ ۚ فَأَذَّنَ مُؤَذِّنٌۢ بَيْنَهُمْ أَن لَّعْنَةُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَى ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًۭا وَهُم بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ كَـٰفِرُونَ
    • Quran 7:44–45
    • Translation:
      • The residents of Paradise will call out to the residents of the Fire, "We have certainly found our Lord's promise to be true. Have you too found your Lord's promise to be true?" They will reply, "Yes, we have!" Then a caller will announce to both, "May Allah's condemnation be upon the wrongdoers, those who hindered ˹others˺ from Allah's Way, strived to make it ˹appear˺ crooked, and disbelieved in the Hereafter."
 
A Persian depiction of sinful women strung up by hooks through their breasts and being subjected to fiery torment.
  • وَنَادَىٰٓ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ أَنْ أَفِيضُوا۟ عَلَيْنَا مِنَ ٱلْمَآءِ أَوْ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ ۚ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ حَرَّمَهُمَا عَلَى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ دِينَهُمْ لَهْوًۭا وَلَعِبًۭا وَغَرَّتْهُمُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۚ فَٱلْيَوْمَ نَنسَىٰهُمْ كَمَا نَسُوا۟ لِقَآءَ يَوْمِهِمْ هَـٰذَا وَمَا كَانُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا يَجْحَدُونَ
    • Quran 7:50–51
    • Translation:
      • The residents of the Fire will then cry out to the residents of Paradise, "Aid us with some water or any provision Allah has granted you." They will reply, "Allah has forbidden both to the disbelievers, those who took this faith ˹of Islam˺ as mere amusement and play and were deluded by ˹their˺ worldly life." ˹Allah will say,˺ "Today We will ignore them just as they ignored the coming of this Day of theirs and for rejecting Our revelations."
  • وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقِينَ وَٱلْمُنَـٰفِقَـٰتِ وَٱلْكُفَّارَ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ هِىَ حَسْبُهُمْ ۚ وَلَعَنَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ۖ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌۭ مُّقِيمٌۭ
  • قَالَ هَـٰذَا صِرَٰطٌ عَلَىَّ مُسْتَقِيمٌ إِنَّ عِبَادِى لَيْسَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَـٰنٌ إِلَّا مَنِ ٱتَّبَعَكَ مِنَ ٱلْغَاوِينَ وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمَوْعِدُهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ لَهَا سَبْعَةُ أَبْوَٰبٍۢ لِّكُلِّ بَابٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ جُزْءٌۭ مَّقْسُومٌ
    • Quran 15:41–44
    • Translation:
      • Allah said, "This is the Way, binding on Me: you will certainly have no authority over My servants, except the deviant who follow you, and surely Hell is their destined place, all together. It has seven gates, to each a group of them is designated."
 
A fragment of the Miraj Nameh depicting sinners being given boiling liquid to drink.
  • هَـٰذَانِ خَصْمَانِ ٱخْتَصَمُوا۟ فِى رَبِّهِمْ ۖ فَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ قُطِّعَتْ لَهُمْ ثِيَابٌۭ مِّن نَّارٍۢ يُصَبُّ مِن فَوْقِ رُءُوسِهِمُ ٱلْحَمِيمُ يُصْهَرُ بِهِۦ مَا فِى بُطُونِهِمْ وَٱلْجُلُودُ وَلَهُم مَّقَـٰمِعُ مِنْ حَدِيدٍۢ كُلَّمَآ أَرَادُوٓا۟ أَن يَخْرُجُوا۟ مِنْهَا مِنْ غَمٍّ أُعِيدُوا۟ فِيهَا وَذُوقُوا۟ عَذَابَ ٱلْحَرِيقِ
    • Quran 22:19–22
    • Translation:
      • As for the disbelievers, garments of Fire will be cut out for them and boiling water will be poured over their heads, melting whatever is in their bellies, along with their skin. And awaiting them are maces of iron. Whenever they try to escape from Hell—out of anguish—they will be forced back into it, ˹and will be told,˺ "Taste the torment of burning!"
  • بَلْ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِٱلسَّاعَةِ ۖ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِمَن كَذَّبَ بِٱلسَّاعَةِ سَعِيرًا إِذَا رَأَتْهُم مِّن مَّكَانٍۭ بَعِيدٍۢ سَمِعُوا۟ لَهَا تَغَيُّظًۭا وَزَفِيرًۭا وَإِذَآ أُلْقُوا۟ مِنْهَا مَكَانًۭا ضَيِّقًۭا مُّقَرَّنِينَ دَعَوْا۟ هُنَالِكَ ثُبُورًۭا لَّا تَدْعُوا۟ ٱلْيَوْمَ ثُبُورًۭا وَٰحِدًۭا وَٱدْعُوا۟ ثُبُورًۭا كَثِيرًۭا
    • Quran 25:11–14
    • Translation:
      • In fact, they deny the Hour. And for the deniers of the Hour, We have prepared a blazing Fire. Once it sees them from a distance, they will hear it fuming and growling. And when they are tossed into a narrow place inside ˹Hell˺, chained together, then and there they will cry out for ˹instant˺ destruction. ˹They will be told,˺ "Do not cry only once for destruction, but cry many times over!"
  • أَذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌۭ نُّزُلًا أَمْ شَجَرَةُ ٱلزَّقُّومِ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَـٰهَا فِتْنَةًۭ لِّلظَّـٰلِمِينَ إِنَّهَا شَجَرَةٌۭ تَخْرُجُ فِىٓ أَصْلِ ٱلْجَحِيمِ طَلْعُهَا كَأَنَّهُۥ رُءُوسُ ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينِ فَإِنَّهُمْ لَـَٔاكِلُونَ مِنْهَا فَمَالِـُٔونَ مِنْهَا ٱلْبُطُونَ ثُمَّ إِنَّ لَهُمْ عَلَيْهَا لَشَوْبًۭا مِّنْ حَمِيمٍۢ ثُمَّ إِنَّ مَرْجِعَهُمْ لَإِلَى ٱلْجَحِيمِ
    • Translation:
      • Is this ˹bliss˺ a better accommodation or the tree of Zaqqûm? We have surely made it a test for the wrongdoers. Indeed, it is a tree that grows in the depths of Hell, bearing fruit like devils' heads. The evildoers will certainly ˹be left to˺ eat from it, filling up their bellies with it. Then on top of that they will be given a blend of boiling drink. Then they will ultimately return to ˹their place in˺ Hell.
 
A fragment of the Nahj al-Faradis depicting the tree of Zaqqum and sinners being tormented by zabaniyah.
  • إِنَّ شَجَرَتَ ٱلزَّقُّومِ طَعَامُ ٱلْأَثِيمِ كَٱلْمُهْلِ يَغْلِى فِى ٱلْبُطُونِ كَغَلْىِ ٱلْحَمِيمِ خُذُوهُ فَٱعْتِلُوهُ إِلَىٰ سَوَآءِ ٱلْجَحِيمِ ثُمَّ صُبُّوا۟ فَوْقَ رَأْسِهِۦ مِنْ عَذَابِ ٱلْحَمِيمِ ذُقْ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْكَرِيمُ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا مَا كُنتُم بِهِۦ تَمْتَرُونَ
    • Quran 44:43–50
    • Translation:
      • Surely ˹the fruit of˺ the tree of Zaqqûm will be the food of the evildoer. Like molten metal, it will boil in the bellies like the boiling of hot water. ˹It will be said,˺ "Seize them and drag them into the depths of the Hellfire. Then pour over their heads the torment of boiling water." ˹The wicked will be told,˺ "Taste this. You mighty, noble one! This is truly what you ˹all˺ used to doubt."
  • وَأَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلشِّمَالِ مَآ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلشِّمَالِ فِى سَمُومٍۢ وَحَمِيمٍۢ وَظِلٍّۢ مِّن يَحْمُومٍۢ لَّا بَارِدٍۢ وَلَا كَرِيمٍ
  • ثُمَّ إِنَّكُمْ أَيُّهَا ٱلضَّآلُّونَ ٱلْمُكَذِّبُونَ لَـَٔاكِلُونَ مِن شَجَرٍۢ مِّن زَقُّومٍۢ فَمَالِـُٔونَ مِنْهَا ٱلْبُطُونَ فَشَـٰرِبُونَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ ٱلْحَمِيمِ فَشَـٰرِبُونَ شُرْبَ ٱلْهِيمِ
  • وَلِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِرَبِّهِمْ عَذَابُ جَهَنَّمَ ۖ وَبِئْسَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ إِذَآ أُلْقُوا۟ فِيهَا سَمِعُوا۟ لَهَا شَهِيقًۭا وَهِىَ تَفُورُ تَكَادُ تَمَيَّزُ مِنَ ٱلْغَيْظِ ۖ كُلَّمَآ أُلْقِىَ فِيهَا فَوْجٌۭ سَأَلَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَآ أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ نَذِيرٌۭ قَالُوا۟ بَلَىٰ قَدْ جَآءَنَا نَذِيرٌۭ فَكَذَّبْنَا وَقُلْنَا مَا نَزَّلَ ٱللَّهُ مِن شَىْءٍ إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلَّا فِى ضَلَـٰلٍۢ كَبِيرٍۢ وَقَالُوا۟ لَوْ كُنَّا نَسْمَعُ أَوْ نَعْقِلُ مَا كُنَّا فِىٓ أَصْحَـٰبِ ٱلسَّعِيرِ فَٱعْتَرَفُوا۟ بِذَنۢبِهِمْ فَسُحْقًۭا لِّأَصْحَـٰبِ ٱلسَّعِيرِ
    • Quran 67:6–11
    • Translation:
      • Those who disbelieve in their Lord will suffer the punishment of Hell. What an evil destination! When they are tossed into it, they will hear its roaring as it boils over, almost bursting in fury. Every time a group is cast into it, its keepers will ask them, "Did a warner not come to you?" They will reply, "Yes, a warner did come to us, but we denied and said, 'Allah has revealed nothing. You are extremely astray.'" And they will lament, "If only we had listened and reasoned, we would not be among the residents of the Blaze!" And so they will confess their sins. So away with the residents of the Blaze!
 
A contemporary depiction of the tree of Zaqqum, a cursed tree which springs out from the bottom of Hell.
  • إِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ كَانَتْ مِرْصَادًۭا لِّلطَّـٰغِينَ مَـَٔابًۭا لَّـٰبِثِينَ فِيهَآ أَحْقَابًۭا لَّا يَذُوقُونَ فِيهَا بَرْدًۭا وَلَا شَرَابًا إِلَّا حَمِيمًۭا وَغَسَّاقًۭا جَزَآءًۭ وِفَاقًا إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ لَا يَرْجُونَ حِسَابًۭا وَكَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا كِذَّابًۭا وَكُلَّ شَىْءٍ أَحْصَيْنَـٰهُ كِتَـٰبًۭا فَذُوقُوا۟ فَلَن نَّزِيدَكُمْ إِلَّا عَذَابًا
    • Quran 78:21–30
    • Translation:
      • Indeed, Hell is lying in ambush as a home for the transgressors, where they will remain for ˹endless˺ ages. There they will not taste any coolness or drink, except boiling water and ˹oozing˺ pus—a fitting reward. For they never expected any reckoning, and totally rejected Our signs. And We have everything recorded precisely. ˹So the deniers will be told,˺ "Taste ˹the punishment˺, for all you will get from Us is more torment."
  • أَرَءَيْتَ إِن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰٓ أَلَمْ يَعْلَم بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرَىٰ كَلَّا لَئِن لَّمْ يَنتَهِ لَنَسْفَعًۢا بِٱلنَّاصِيَةِ نَاصِيَةٍۢ كَـٰذِبَةٍ خَاطِئَةٍۢ فَلْيَدْعُ نَادِيَهُۥ سَنَدْعُ ٱلزَّبَانِيَةَ
  • إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ فِى نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمْ شَرُّ ٱلْبَرِيَّةِ

Literature edit

 
A painting from the Siyer-i Nebi, depicting Ali beheading Nadr ibn al-Harith in the presence of Muhammad and his companions.
  • After preaching Islam in secret and among a small circle for some time, Mohammad … summoned the Qoraysh chiefs to a meeting on the hill of Sara, and when all were assembled, besought them to embrace Islam. From their midst Abu Lahab stood up and shouted angrily, "Perish you, Mohammad! Did you invite us here for this?" The answer to Abu Lahab's challenge came in verse 1 of sura 111 (ol-Masad), in which the same Arabic word meaning "perish" appears: "Perish Abu Lahab's hands, and may he (himself) perish!" Abu Lahab was proud of his wealth and children. God said, "His wealth will not give him security, nor will the gains that he has made. He will roast in a flaming fire" (verses 2 and 3). Nor would his wife, Omm Jomayyel, who had strewn thorns in the Prophet's path, be left unpunished: "And his wife, the carrier of the firewood sticks, will have a rope of palm fiber on her neck."
  • I should like to consider the Koranic hell. … Muhammad really let his otherwise limited imagination go wild when describing, in revolting detail, the torments of hell: boiling water, running sores, peeling skin, burning flesh, dissolving bowels, and crushing of skulls with iron maces. And verse after verse, sura after sura, we are told about the fire, always the scorching fire, the everlasting fire. From sura 9.69 it is clear that unbelievers will roast forever.

See also edit

External links edit

 
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