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Hell is not a concept to be brushed aside or spoken of lightly. In Islam, the reality of Jahannam, or Hellfire, is one of the core elements of our belief in the unseen - the ghayb. It is part of our belief in the Last Day, one of the six pillars of faith - also known as arkan al-iman, and it is an essential concept repeated frequently in The Quran.
Understanding Hell is not about spreading fear for the sake of fear, it is about developing God-consciousness, instilling moral responsibility, and awakening the heart to the consequences of sin, disbelief, and hypocrisy. Allah (SWT), in His infinite Wisdom, has revealed descriptions of both Jannah and Jahannam so that human beings may reflect, choose the path of righteousness, and realize that this life is not the end.
In a time where many are distracted by the material world and desensitized to sin, the subject of Hell is especially relevant. Young Muslims around the world often struggle with weak connection to the akhirah, and communities can fall into spiritual stagnation when reminders of accountability are absent. For this reason, scholars from the earliest generations always emphasized not only the mercy of Allah (SWT), but also His justice.
The Quran itself balances the two, with verses about Paradise often followed by verses about Hell to create a complete picture that leads to hope and fear, raja' wa khawf, in Allah (SWT).
This article will aim to explore the concept of the seven layers of Hell in Islam, as described in The Quran and hadith. Each layer represents a deeper level of punishment, designated according to the severity of disbelief, hypocrisy, and sin. Drawing from classical sources of tafsir, hadith, literature, and spiritual reflections, this piece seeks to educate and awaken the Muslim reader with sincerity and clarity.
In a lengthy and descriptive hadith, the Prophet (SAW) has said, "When Allah created Paradise and Hell, He sent Jibraeel (AS) to Paradise, saying, 'Look at it and what I have prepared in it for its inhabitants.' So he went and looked at it, then came back and said, 'By Your Glory, no one hears of it but will enter it.' So He surrounded it with hardships and said, 'Go back and look at it and what I have prepared in it.' So he went and looked at it, then said, 'By Your Glory, I fear that no one will enter it.' Then He said, 'Go to Hell and look at it and what I have prepared in it.' So he found it in layers, one above the other. Then He surrounded it with desires and said, 'Go back and look at it.' So he said, 'By Your Glory, I fear that no one will be saved from it.'" (Tirmidhi)
This powerful hadith illustrates the reality, danger, and layers of Hell. The Quran refers to Hell more than 130 times, using different names that describe its qualities and severity such as Jahannam, Sa'ir, Saqar, Laza, Jaheem, Hutamah, and Hawiyah - all of which we will explore below.
The Prophet (SAW) said, "Whoever says, 'La ilaaha ilallah' and has in his heart goodness equal to a barley grain will be taken out of the Fire." (Sahih Muslim) However, the suffering experienced in Jahannam, even temporarily, is beyond our imagination. It is still a fire fueled by people and stones (The Clear Quran(R), 2:24), and not something a believer should take lightly.
The lesson here is don't rely solely on "being Muslim"; our actions matter, and sincere repentance is essential.
In The Quran, Allah (SWT) says, "But no! There will certainly be a raging Flame ripping off scalps. It will summon whoever turned their backs on Allah and turned away from the truth, and gathered and hoarded wealth." (The Clear Quran(R), 70:15-18)
Who will enter this level? This level is for those who:
Who enters this level? This level is for those who:
Prayer is not a ritual of the deen, it is a covenant between the servant and his Lord. It is a marker of faith. Those who let go of salah may fall into the path of Saqar if they die unrepentant.
Who enters this level? This is a level for people who:
Allah (SWT) says in The Quran, "[...] then as for those who transgressed and preferred the fleeting life of this world, the Hellfire will certainly be their home." (The Clear Quran(R), 79:37-39)
Who enters this level?
Allah (SWT) says in The Quran, "In fact, they deny the Hour. And for the deniers of the Hour, We have prepared a blazing Fire." (The Clear Quran(R), 25:11)
In the verses following this ayah, Allah (SWT) even goes as far as saying that the inhabitants of this realm of Hell will hear the fire fuming and growling from a distance, they will cry out when they are thrown in narrow spaces whilst they're bounded in chains, and they will be told to cry repeatedly because surely this is a consequence of their own actions.
So, who will enter this level?
Further, Allah (SWT) says in another chapter, "Surely the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire-and you will never find for them any helper-," (The Clear Quran(R), 4:145)
Who enters this level?
Let the knowledge of Jahannam awaken your heart not to despair, but to the desire to strive for better.
We seek refuge in You from the instigations of the accursed Satan, and his plots and traps, and from trusting in his false hopes, promises, deceptions, and snares, or that he should desire to mislead us away from obeying You, and disgrace us with disobedience to You, or make seem good to us what he beautified for us, or make burdensome to us what he has made hateful to us.
Protect us from him [Satan] with Your good care, and suffice us from his harm, turn his back to us, and cut off his tracks from us.
Do not allow him an entry into our hearts, nor let him establish any dwelling with us.
Whatever falsehood he suggests to us, make us know it, and once You make us know it, protect us from it, and show us how to resist him with it.
O' Allah (SWT), grant us Paradise, for we seek Your protection from all levels of Hell!
Ameen!
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