Sixth Ramadan Lecture Presented by Al-Sayyid Abdul Malik Badruddin Al-Houthi, 1443 A.H.
I seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan, the outcast.
In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.
Praise is to Allah, the Lord of Worlds. I believe that there is no god but Allah, He is the Sovereign and the Manifest Truth; and that Muhammad, our master, is His servant, messenger, and last prophet.
O Allah, confer Your Salat (prayers) and blessings upon Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad just as You conferred Your Salat (prayers) and blessings upon Ebrahim and the Family of Ebrahim. You are Owner of Praise, Owner of Glory! And be pleased with Muhammad good companions and all Your righteous servants and mujahedeen.
Brothers and sisters, peace be upon you, as well as the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
O Allah, guide us and grant us acceptance, for You are the All-Hearing and the All-knowing; accept our repentance, for You are the Most Relenting and the Most Merciful.
In the context of having firm belief in the Hereafter and its importance as a main factor for keeping to Taqwa, we spoke yesterday and before on this subject, and we are going to continue speaking on it for its great importance.
One of the main aspects the Holy Quran focuses on when it comes to Muttaqin and what comes as part of their main concerns and characteristics is their constant and serious efforts to be saved from the torment of Allah (Glory be to Him) and their deep sense of responsibility towards their actions, behavaiours, sayings, and attitudes which they believe to be related to reward. So, they act based on responsibility. They also pay attention to this issue in their Dua, as asking for salvation from Allah's torment and hell comes high on their prayers and supplications. That is because they do believe in Allah's warning and take it seriously in their supplication as they keep praying for being saved from His torment. The Holy Quran sheds light on this issue, combining between the informative and educational discourse to inform us about this habit on the one hand and teach us what we should pay attention to in our pursuit of being one of those who are Muttaqin.
Therefore, one of the main prayers that Allah (Glory be to Him) describes His servants with is their supplication, {'And they are those who say, ‘‘Our Lord, avert from us the punishment of Hell; indeed, its suffering has been ever adhering (66) It is indeed bad as a residence and dwelling place”'}[Al-Furqan 25:65-66]. In addition to seeking repentance, getting rid of disobedience and sins, and remedying all aspects of their shortcomings and negligence on regular basis (which indicates practical efforts seek forgiveness and return to Allah), they also take great care of prayers, as they keep asking Allah for salvation from His torment and the fire of Jahannam: {'And they are those who say, ‘‘Our Lord, avert from us the punishment of Hell; indeed, its suffering has been ever adhering”'}[Al-Furqan 25:65-66]. It is a very severe torment that is lasts forever without any dose of mercy: It will never come to an end, so the suffering will never end even for a single moment.
Among the supplications mentioned in the Holy Quran is the supplication that says, {'Our Lord! Grant us the good of this world and the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire'} [Al-Baqarah 2: 201]. It says {'and protect us from the torment of the Fire'}, and this is how Allah teaches us and describes His pious and believing servants. So, this indicates their great concern and their awareness of the seriousness of the issue and its importance; therefore, it comes high in their prayers.
In the same context, Allah (Glory be to Him) says, {'Our Lord! We have believed'}—which is one of their descriptions—{'so forgive our sins and protect us from the torment of the Fire'}[Ali 'Imran 3:16]. {'Protect us from the torment of the Fire'}; therefore, we need to ask Allah to protect us from the torment of the Fire, as it is the case with His pious servants. That is how their prayers focus on directly asking for salvation from the torment of the Fire, from the torment of Allah (Glory be to Him).
They also take great care about intensively asking for forgiveness, which comes as one of their most important requests. Top on the list of what they ask for is forgiveness, forgiveness! And they seek to get rid of sins, to repent, to remedy shortcomings, and to pay attention to the causes of forgiveness, which Allah guides to in the Holy Quran and promises forgiveness in return, a promise that is one of the most important things that make these actions attractive and draw attention to their great importance. Among the characteristics Allah has described Muttaqin with in the Holy Quran is that they are 'repentant', which indicates that repentance is a constant quality they stick to: They keep repenting to Allah (Glory be to Him) out of their awareness of shortcomings and out of their great care for avoiding negligence and rectify sins and misdeeds.
Allah (Glory be to Him) also says, {'and who seek forgiveness before dawn'}[Ali 'Imran3:17]. So, it is a characteristic they always stick to as they continuously repent and seek forgiveness. They even choose the best times, or of the best time, known for granting response from Allah (Glory be to Him) and for drawing near to Him.
No matter how great their efforts or sacrifices might be, they do not become arrogant or reach to the point that they become blind to their shortcoming and their need for forgiveness. Falling into such a state is in contrast with faith and Taqwa, and that is why Allah describes those Ribiyon [Allah-devoted people], who have reached a great state of faith, sacrifice, and Jihad in the cause of Allah, by saying, {'And all they said was, “Our Lord! Forgive our sins and excesses, make our steps firm, and grant us victory over the disbelieving people”'}[Ali 'Imran 3:147]. Even though sacrifice and suffering are at their highest, and as these Ribiyon walk in the path of Allah and fight in the cause of Allah, when facing specific failures or great and increasing suffering or giving more sacrifices, they turn to Allah (Glory be to Him) for forgiveness as they strongly sense their shortcoming in fulfilling their duty to Allah (Glory be to Him).
At the end of one of the most important supplications that reflects the faith-based identity, affiliation, and characteristics, Allah (Glory be to Him) says in teaching us in an informative way, {'"Our Lord, do not hold us accountable, if we forget or make a mistake and, Our Lord, do not place on us a burden such as You have placed on those before us. And our Lord, do not make us bear that for which we have no strength. And pardon us. And grant us forgiveness. And have mercy on us. You are our Lord. Help us, then, against the disbelieving people"'}[ Al-Baqarah 2:286].
So we find in these supplications and within all of these paragraphs in this blessed supplication what reflects a sense and awareness of the importance of deeds and the consequences of human behavior which aslo includes all that are committed by mistake out of forgetfulness. So, they have consequences at least in this life, and they can lead to additional heavy burden even in the field of fulfilling responsibility in the cause of Allah (Glory be to Him), even these deeds committed by mistake or out of forgetfulness, let alone deeds intentionally committed, which lead to serious consequences. Therefore, they appeal to Allah (Glory be to Him) as part of their supplication, {'And pardon us. And grant us forgiveness' }, asking for His forgiveness, pardon, and mercy to avoid heavy burdens and consequences of their mistakes and unintentional wrong behaviours. (It is intentional wrong behaviours that represents the greates source of danger on the person.) So, there is no room for complacency, recklessness, or carelessness towards actions, attitudes, and practical performance; we can see a deep sense of responsibility as well as deep awareness of the importance of how a person behave.
We also find in the Holy Quran that the first thing the prophets (Peace be upon them), despite their great status of faith and how great their nearness to Allah is, repeatedly focus on asking for forgiveness in their supplications: {' Our Lord! Forgive me and my parents'}[Ibrahim 14:41]; {'My Lord! Forgive me and my parents'}[Nuh 71:28]. So, {'My Lord! Forgive me'} is of frequent occurrence in the supplications of Prophet Nuh, Prophet Ebrahim, and all other prophets. Even Last Prophet Muhammad [PBUH&F] is ordered to, {'So know that there is no god but Allah, and ask forgiveness for your misdeed, and for believing men and believing women'}[Muhammad 47:19]. Ordering him to ask forgiveness repeats in different passages in the Holy Quran, even though there is no doubt he was keen to ask for forgiveness. Indeed, it was narrated that he almost did not get up from any of his gatherings without asking Allah for forgiveness with great care and constantly.
This state reflects awareness of how serious actions are; what consequences they might lead to in case of negligence, carelessness, and disopidience; and the need to seek immediate remedy, [for Allah says], {' And they do not persist in their wrongdoing while they know'} [Ali 'Imran 3:135]: When they realize their wrongdoing they don't persist in committing transgression, nor in sticking to a state of negligence. No! They are quick to repent to Allah (Glory be to Him).
Therefore, we can see the great living consciences and feeling they enjoyed and the deep sense of alertness they had towards shortcomings, mistakes, and their consequences. However great their care is, they, as we have said, don't get overwhelmed by self-conceit and a false and illusory reassurance that leads the person to believe that s/he has become eligible for Jannah immediately and to think highly of him/herself as if s/he had no shortcoming, mistake, act of disobedience! Allah says about the righteous,{'and those who bring whatever they bring while their hearts tremble, knowing that to their Lord they are returning '}[Al-Mu'minun 23:60]. Whatever they bring and however great that thing might be, they still feel blameful and remain mindful that returning to Allah for reckoning and judgment requires constant repentance and readiness.
They also fear the torment of the Day of Resurrection and its events and horrors; they do fear their standing [before Allah] before getting rid of their shortcomings and burdens: Allah says, {'They fear a Day when hearts and sight(s) will turn over'}[An-Nur 24:37]; He also says, {'And [they] fear a Day whose evil will be widespread'}[ Al-Insan 76:7].
Paying no attention to all of that and falling into a state of negligence and recklessness as if it were a matter that has nothing to do with the person as if s/he too blameless to feel any shortcoming or threat, is the state of those who are negligent and ignorant and who have gone too far in their state of negligence.
This is also the state of those rejecting truth, whom Allah tells about, {'But no! In fact, they do not fear the Hereafter'}[Al-Muddaththir 74:53], and also says, {'For they never expected any reckoning '}[An-Naba 78:27]. That is why they were negligent and reckless. They lived as if they were completely reassured, as if Allah had promised them in advance that He would not torment them, punish them, or call them to account. What a terrible state their state is!
As for the positive and beneficial state (the state that indicates faith, awareness, Taqwa [piety], and at the same time has its great positive effect that plays a key role in adhering to righteousness and obedience), it is this state of vigilance, fear, and awareness of the dangers of sins, the dangers of negligence, and the dangers of disobedience. This state has a positive effect on the inclination of the soul, for Allah (Glory be to Him) says in the Holy Quran: {'But as for the one who feared standing before his Lord and prevented the soul from inclination'} [An-Nazi'at 79:40]; {'But as for the one who feared standing before his Lord and prevented the soul from inclination'}. When the soul is attracted to temptations, desires, material ambitions, and whatever leads it to commit disobedience and bear burdens and sins, what can help curb it, control it, stop it? It is the fear of the punishment and the torment (Allah forbid).
In addition, about fears, which affect a lot of people, they represent a factor that prevents them from responding to Allah [Glory be to Him) in what He has instructed, and in what has commanded to be done of important deeds and great responsibilities. That is why Allah (Glory be to Him) says in the Holy Quran, {‘So do not fear them, but fear Me if you are believers’}[Ali ‘Imran 3:175].
{‘So do not fear them’}: Do not fear the enemies of Allah. Fear of criminals, the oppressive, tyrants, and the enemies of Allah affects many people, as it makes them decide to stop carrying out their responsibilities, working for the achievement of the right, establishing justice, fighting in the cause of Allah, commanding to what is fair, forbidding what is deplorable, preventing the oppressive, and stopping criminals and transgressors. Therefore, they shy away and walk away from responsibilities, and then violate most of the instructions of Allah (Glory be to Him). The consequences of that are bad in this worldly life and in the Hereafter.
So, when Allah (Glory be to Him) says, {‘but fear me if you are believers’}, [that means] this fear makes you overcome all fears. That is because the others whom you might fear (and so you shy away from your responsibilities, walk away from your responsibilities, and evade your duties), what do they have in hands? What can they do to you? All they have in hands (abilities, might, means of cruelty) equals nothing; that does not equal one moment in the fire of Jahannam. This represents an important factor to overcome fears on the first hand, and on the other hand, to overcome temptation, whims, psychological interests, and self-love. This fear has its benefits: It constitutes protection to people from torment. Muttaqun and believers realize this great benefit as they are together in Jannah trying to remember. Allah mentions that about them in the Holy Quran, about the reasons of their salvation, winning, and getting to the Jannah of Allah and His delight. [Allah says,] {‘They said, “When we were still with our families, we used to live in fear (26) So Allah has graced us and protected us from the torment of [Hell’s] scorching heat (27) Indeed, we used to pray to Him before. He is truly the Most Kind, Most Merciful” (28)’}[At-Tur 52:26-28]. Hence, this fear, this cautiousness, and this care toward responsibilities, deeds, behaviours, and sayings, as well as adjusting them to the standard of Taqwa, adjusting them to the measure of Taqwa, has its benefits of salvation from the torment of Allah, and so does supplication (prayers) and turning to Allah (Glory be to Him). {‘Indeed, we used to pray to Him before. He is truly the Most Kind, Most Merciful” (28)’}. All of that has great importance.
With regard to the Day of Resurrection, we talked yesterday about some of the states that the Holy Quran has talked about and some of the situations mentioned in the blessed verses. The Holy Quran talks extensively about the Hereafter, the Resurrection, the other life, Jannah, and Hellfire. Talking about Allah’s promise and his threat is repeated a lot in the Holy Quran, and it is mostly mentioned together with practical aspects: either with Allah’s encouragement and commands of doing a particular deed as well as dragging people’s attention to the importance of a particular deed, or with warnings of specific acts. So, it is connected to practical states as well as the state of knowing Allah (Glory be to Him) when it comes to His promise and His threat.
The talk in the Holy Quran is extensive because warning is of the main duties of the Holy Quran and the prophet. They [the Holy Quran and the prophet] warn us, caution us, and awake us so that we do not fall into torment. That comes true if we pay attention to this warning, benefit from it, believe in it, and realize its importance. Also, it [the Holy Quran] talks about the states of the Day of Resurrection and Judgement, whether the state of Judgement on the ground of Resurrection or the state of torment in the fire of Jahannam. (We seek refuge in Allah.) There is great focus on many reasons that lead to destruction, lead to losing, lead to torment, some of which are of behavioural aspects: Actions done by people, deeds that represent disobedience to Allah (Glory be to Him) in moral aspects, or behaviours related to self-desires, related to oppression—oppression is a title that (in the end) include all kinds of sins and disobedience. Anyway, there comes a warning in the Holy Quran to warn us of the dangers of deeds, and major sins, which cause destruction and torment to people.
Some of what the Holy Quran widely talks about with regard to the scenes of the Day of Resurrection are that aspects that many people underestimate and do not consider to be of the deeds they will be held accountable for: the matters of positions, loyalties, and affiliations. That means that some people’s sins and disobedience that can get them to the fire of Jahannam are related to the aspect of morality, such as theft, moral crimes, and what is alike. However, about positions, most people do not find any problem if they take any position or move in pursuit of material or personal gains that are away of Taqwa, the right position, or the right direction that matches the instructions of Allah (Glory be to Him). Also, they still think that the matter of fighting is too far and totally separate of the commitments of belief. This means that [they think that] people can do whatever they want and stand with whoever they want, according to their moods or (as they consider it), interests, ambitions, desires, and whims: They take the positions they want, give loyalty to whomever they want, display hostility towards whomever they want, follow whomever they want, and so on; all of that is based on self-love and away of the faith-based commitments.
However, what affects most on the reality of humans and what causes a lot of [negative] details, deeds, and behaviours, as well as causing great oppressions, is the state of conflict between humans, the state of hostility, and the state of conflict. With regard to conflicts, there is always a right path that all people have to walk in and a right position that all people have to adopt; this matter is ignored by many people.
One of the names given to the Day of Resurrection by Allah is the Day of Decision: {‘And what will make you realize what the Day of Decision is?’}[Al-Mursalat 77:14]. It is the day on which Allah decides between His servants regarding their differences: their religious differences (whether in the form of religions, creeds, or any other form), their differences in the reality of life, and their conflicts in the reality of life. The criterion Allah uses is the criterion of the truth, of belief, and Taqwa: Who is the the oppressor and the oppressed; and who is right and who is wrong. This matter is not (as some picture it) a normal matter; instead, the matter is very significant. The Day of Decision, {‘And what will make you realize what the Day of Decision is?’}, is great. {‘Indeed, the Day of Decision is the appointed time for them all’}[Ad-Dukhan 44:40]. So, it is the appointed time, in which they all gather in order to deciding between them in a strict manner: It is the day of seriousness (not a thing for amusement), the day of passing judgement on all matters such as conflicts, actions, positions, and behaviours. There will be decisions and just, final decisions from Allah (Glory be to Him), who says {‘Then to Me you will [all] return, and I will settle all your disputes’}[Ali ‘Imran 3:55]
In the Holy Quran, Allah makes it clear how the events of the Hereafter and the positions of the Reckoning are one of the most important events where Allah bestows victory upon His righteous servants who took a stand for the truth and were not affected by temptations, greed, pressures, difficulties, and sacrifices as well as suffering and pain. They stood firm in support of the right position—whatever hardships or challenges they faced—and were not influenced by temptations or ambitions. Allah says, {‘We will, without doubt, help our messengers}—not only the messengers but also—and those who believe [by supporting their cause and strengthening their position] and on the Day when the witnesses will stand forth’ }[Ghafir 40: 51]. {'We will, without doubt, help our messengers and those who believe and on the Day when the witnesses will stand forth’ }—this on the Day of Resurrection, {‘on the Day when no profit will be to the wrong-doers to present their excuses '}[Ghafir 40: 52]. So, it will not be of use for the wrong-doers to present any excuses. In this life, they used to provide justifications for their injustice, crime, aggression, tyranny, and attempt to control people and make them deviate from Allah’s path; for that end, they used to introduce excuses and launch media campaigns of propaganda. However, they will never get benefits from all their justifications, flimsy pretexts, or excuses: {‘on the Day when no profit will be to the wrong-doers to present their excuses '}. Indeed, no justification, excuse, repentance, or retraction could be introduced: {' But they will have the curse and the home of misery’ }[Ghafir 40: 52]. That is because it is the time Allah separates His servants: He will distinguish between the good-doers and the wrong-doers, and between the oppressed and the oppressor. It is then that the Reckoning, Judgment, and punishment are held.
Many contexts that are mentioned in the revelations of Allah show how the wrong-doers used to make fun of and laugh at the righteous people: {‘ Those in sin used to laugh at those who believed. And whenever they passed by them, used to wink at each other [in mockery]’ }[Al-Mutaffifin 83: 29-30]. In the end, on the Day of Judgment, the wrong-doers will be hold to account and live in humiliation, and it will be clear (after Allah has passed His judgment) that they are the deviants, the losers, the unsuccessful, the perished, and the falsifiers and that they will end up in Jahannam [Hell] (May Allah forbid).
Another context on the Day of Resurrection is that concerning al-munafiqun (men and women) as their loss becomes apparent. They are the greatest losers, and their deviation has to do with [the principle of] Al-Walla as they take the enemies of Islam as Auliya [guardians, friends, etc.], while taking Muslims as enemies— a common feature among all types of munafiqeen: Allah says, {'To the hypocrite give the glad tidings that there is for them [but] a grievous penalty, (139) those who take unbelievers as Auliya rather than believers’}[An-Nisa 4: 138-139]. As a result, al-munafiqeen’s enormous destructive role in the reality of the Ummah is obvious. They make Muslims their enemies, and they carry out the schemes and conspiracies of the enemies of Islam and Muslims from inside. An example of this is what the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates do, along with all those recruited in their ranks, loyal to them, and supportive to them: Their activities turn into aggressive and hostile activities in all fields: fighting, telling lies, misleading, and moving at the media, political, security, and military levels and all other levels in favour of the enemies of the Ummah and against the believers.
One of the scenes that shows al-munafiqeen’s loss on the Day of Judgment is mentioned in Surah Al-Hdid: {'On the [same] Day al-munafiqun (men and women) will say to those who believed, “Wait for us that we may acquire some of your light.” It is said, “Go back behind you and seek light.” And a wall will be placed between them with a door, it its interior containing mercy, but on the outside of it torment’ }[Al-Hadid 57: 13]. In this life, al-munafiqun were the enemies of Muslims, plotting against them, combating them with all means, rejecting Allah’s light and guidance Muslims had and refusing to follow it, and despising them; however, in the hereafter, their loss becomes very clear. They try to appeal to the believers to wait for them so as to get some of their light, but it is in vain. Allah’s angels will dismiss them in a humiliating and contemptible way; eventually, they will be taken to Jahannam [Hell], and a wall will be placed between them and the righteous people—a very serious situation that shows al-munafiqeen’s great loss.
Among the scenes is that between the lowly and the arrogant. Unfortunately, most of the people who are followers of falsehood—especially those who are recruited as ordinary soldiers on the side of falsehood and who play a fundamental role in serving falsehood, protecting it, and supporting tyrants, wrong-doers, and criminals—are from the poor who suffered from poverty in life and were week at the moral level. They did not have prestige or authority. Therefore, they recruited themselves on the side of falsehood, for they had thought that the wrong-doers had the power, money,... etc. Thus, they will be with the wrong-doers on the Day of Resurrection, and they will regret that they have followed, associated themselves with, and supported them, as well as they will regret they have stood by their side, {'If only you could see when the wrongdoers will be detained before their Lord, throwing blame at each other'}[Saba 34: 31]. The wrong-doers and their followers (the lowly) will be arguing, negotiating, and throwing blame on each other on the Day of Resurrection, {'The lowly [followers] will say to the arrogant [leaders], “Had it not been for you, we would certainly have been believers"'} [Saba 34: 31].The lowly will blame the arrogant saying, 'you are the reason of our deviation from the path of faith and Taqwa. {'The arrogant will respond to the lowly, “Did we ever hinder you from guidance after it came to you? In fact, you were wicked ˹on your own"'} [Saba 34: 32]. The arrogant will respond saying, 'you (yourselves) are criminals, so you have chosen to deviate from guidance and truth.' The arrogant will blame the lowly and hold them responsible, then, the lowly will mourn great and terrible loss. Therefore, loyalties, positions, and orientations are among the main issues that are taken into consideration when it comes to the Judgment: They determine the destiny of people. In addition, negligence towards carrying out responsibility is warned against greatly in the Holy Quran —when a person stands by the falsehood.
When the Holy Quran discusses the details of the torment of Jahannam and the different types of torment there, these details are important, so it is essential for every person to stop and reflect on them so that s/he could start paying attention while still in this life and while still having a great chance to start paying attention to his/her soul and protect it with Allah's help.
The believers are the ones to whom the warning is addressed in Allah's saying in the Holy Quran, {'O you who believe, protect yourselves and your families from a fire whose fuel is people and stones, and is overseen by rigorous and stern angels, who never disobey whatever Allah commands and do whatever they are commanded’'} [At-Tahrim 66:6].
Burning is the first title of the torment in Jahannam [Hell]—burning with its fire. We all know that getting burned is one of the most painful things. When a person gets burned with the fire of this world, which is mainly a blessing, great his/her suffering and pain becomes! So, how his/her pain and suffering will be in Jahannam, in the Hereafter (may Allah forbid)? There, a person turns into a burning mass, due to the raging fire, as Allah described in this verse: {'whose fuel is men and stones'}[At-Tahrim 66: 6]. When you become its fuel, that means your whole body will be burning and turn into a mass of fire inside the fire. You will be moving while you are burning with its raging fire in extremely high temperatures. Can you imagine the pain all over your body when the fire touches every part of it and encompasses you: {'They shall have coverings of Fire, above them and covering [of Fire] beneath them'} [Az-Zumar 39:16]—the fire of Jahannam is surrounding you. Indeed, it ignites above you, below you, behind you, and in front of you, and it also ignites on your right, and on your left: The blazing of fires is everywhere and every direction around you, and you are in the middle, covered by the raging fire while burning, suffering, and feeling the severe pains in every inch of your body (May Allah forbid). This is a very terrible situation, a horrific situation indeed, {'That is what Allah warns His servants with. "So fear Me, O My servants!"'} [Az-Zumar: 16].
Everything in Jahannam is torment, starting with the air that you breathe. In life, you inhale oxygen, and you feel comfortable when you inhale it. If you get pain, diseases, or shortness of breath, you suffer badly. When the respiratory system is affected, the person may die and get suffocated as oxygen may get low in the body, leading to the death of the person.
In Jahannam, instead of oxygen you will inhale and breathe al-samom, which is extremely hot air (May Allah forbid). Allah says about them: {'[They will be] in scorching heat and boiling water, (42) in the shade of black smoke, (43)neither cool nor refreshing'} [Al-Waqi’ah 56: 42-44]. Therefore, you will be inhaling al-samom, which torments and burns you from your inside. You will be inhaling it with great effort while surrounded by raging fire in all your surroundings: Allah says about this process of inhalation: {'where they will be sighing and gasping'} [Hud 11:106]. It is a very serious condition: {'sighing and gasping'}. The breathing process does not come naturally as it is in this life where you inhale oxygen comfortably. There, you will inhale very hot air and you will take it out with great difficulty. Exhaling and inhaling air, you experience great pain that gathers on your body, and you are tormented with everything.
Regarding beverages, a person, because of the intense heat, will feel very thirsty. S/he will even get thirstier and feel an urgent need for drinking water—because in Jahannam, s/he will be severely punished with suffering from a raging thirst. S/he will horribly get too thirsty; s/he will seriously suffer from the most severe and the most drastic thirst at its highest. Allah says, {‘And if they call for relief’}, which means that s/he will call for relief and urgently appeal for getting some water to drink. {‘And if they call for relief, they will be relieved with water like murky oil, which scalds [their] faces’}[Al-Kahf 18: 29].(We seek refuge in Allah.) Then, water will be brought to them, but it will be like the oil waste, dirty water, not pure water, water that is filled with bad an loathsome impurities! So, it is filthy and very terribly stinky. At the same time, it is too hot to the point that it can scald his/her face (We seek refuge in Allah.): {‘which scalds [their] faces’}. With regard to their interior parts, {‘And be given, to drink, boiling water, so that it cuts up their bowels’}[Muhammad 47:15]. It is a very terrible state of pain. It [that water] will never quench their thirst; instead, it will increase their agony because they are too thirsty. It is too terrible that it cannot be imagined. So, s\he will drink even the pus-fluid, which is boiling and too dirty. It is stinky in terms of smell and disgusting in terms of taste, and it is too hot: {‘He will try to swallow it in small sips. But he can barely swallow it’}[Ibrahim 14:17]. They will swallow it in small amounts (sip after sip) because of its stink, its dirt, its dreadful heat, its highly unpleasant smell, and its too bad taste. However, all of that is due to their drastic thirst, which is even beyond our imagination because of its severity.
{‘Death will overwhelm them from every side, yet they will not [be able to] die’}[Ibrahim 14:17]. Torment and pain are getting worse and worse to the level that a small portion of such pain is enough to cause death. A small portion of torment on any part of their bodies is enough to inflict death upon them if there is still death, but there is no death, just very severe pain.
In addition to their torment by thirst, torment by hunger comes, and they will be starving very hard; they try to get food, so they insist, grovel, and beg for food. Then, what they get is horrible kinds of food, the first of which is the Zaqqum [the tree of Jahannam]: {‘Surely the tree of Zaqqum (43) will be the food of the evildoer (44) Like murky oil’}[ Ad-Dukhan 44: 43-45]. Also, it tastes too horrible. It boils inside them, {‘Like murky oil, it will boil in the bellies (45) like the boiling of hot water’}[ Ad-Dukhan 44:45-46]. Indeed, it is terribly hot that it will boil in their bellies due to its high temperature. [Imagine] how their pains will be as they are eating it and when it arrives in their bellies. However, they do eat from it because of their extreme hunger, by which they are being tormented: {‘The evildoers will certainly eat from it, filling up their bellies with it’}[ As-Saffat 37:66].The extreme hunger puts pressure on them, so they eat more and more till their bellies are filled up. It boils inside them, and they suffer the toughest pain and ache.
When it comes to their clothes, {‘Garments of Fire will be cut out for them’}[ Al-Hajj 22:19]: Fire-made clothes are made for them to wear them. They [the clothes] are a continuous source of horrible heat, in which they continuously burn and feel pain. The same is the case when it comes to their shower! They are in a terrible state of intense burning, and they move as bodies of fire in Jahannam. They will be in an eternal state of burning and pain. Allah says in a verse of the Holy Quran, {‘Whenever their skins are burnt completely, We will replace them’}[ An-Nisa 4:56].
In such conditions , if they want to cool themselves and their bodies from that intense burning and endless and so horrible heat, what will they get? {'They will alternate between its flames and scalding water'}[Ar-Rahman 55:44]. They go to hot boiling water where heat is at its highest); their bodies will heat up, and their pain will increase. {'And boiling water will be poured over their heads (19) melting whatever is in their bellies, along with their skins (20)'} [Al-Hajj 22:19-20]. That means that when it is poured over their heads, it will melt their skins and bellies. That is because of its extreme heat. It is too horrible!
[When] they face all of these torments, burns, and pains, {'there they will be screaming'}; their screams will constantly be getting louder. However [hard] they scream, seek help, cry, pain, groan, and sigh, none of that will help them. They will ask Allah in these very terrible conditions, {'“Our Lord, take us out [and send us back]. We will do good, unlike what we used to do.”'}. Allah will not respond to them, even though they supplicate more and more. {'Allah will respond, “Be despised in there! Do not [ever] plead Me [again]!'}[Al-Mu'minun 23:108]. That is because they lost their chance in this worldly life. Here in this life, there is an opportunity for you to pray, to seek help in Allah in this life, and to do what protects you from all that torment. (We seek refuge in Allah.)
Each time they call for help, it is not accepted from them. They ask for mediation from the guards of Jahannam to lighten the torment for even one day: {'Pray to your Lord to lighten the torment for us for one day'}[Ghafir 40:49]. [They ask for] one day, but their request is not accepted. They even ask for death, and they tell the Keeper of Jahannam, {'Let your Lord finish us off'}[Az-Zukhruf 43:77]. Death to them (if it becomes true) is the best they wish, yet their request is not accepted.
They desperately try to escape out of it. Definitely, they move with great effort, severe torment, and terrible pain. However, {'Whenever they try to escape from Hell out of anguish, they will be forced back into it’} [Al-Hajj 22:22]. They are beaten with maces of iron, and they are brought back to their first specific places in the fire of Jahannam. (We seek refuge in Allah.) As time passes on, [they are told,] {'So taste it. We will only increase the punishment for you!'}[An-Naba 78:30], {‘wherein they will live forever’}. It is a dreadful situation out of which they cannot go. They remain in continuous state of torment and suffering; also, they regret. It is a horrible matter.
Allah has mentioned all these details in the Holy Quran in advance: He has introduced His warning to us in advance as we still have a chance to be cautious and careful. This requires us to believe in Allah's promise and His warning. If we consider, nothing is worth the risk, or is worth to be the reason to get us into Jahannam. Nothing [is worthy]! Desires, whims, fears, troubles, hardships, challenges, or dangers are nothing compared to Jahannam and that intense torment.
So, we have a chance in this life in order for us to take the lead. Allah invites us; He invites us to Jannah, to forgiveness, and to mercy. In His commands, He describes for us the righteous deeds in which lies goodness for us mainly in this life, in which lies righteousness in our life, in which lies what fixes our life in this world, and in which lies our great victory in the Hereafter, as well as being of His servants who are Muttaqin {‘in a place free from fear’}[Al-Dukhan 44:51]. He says, {‘In a place free from fear’} so that we can be saved from Allah's torment, and we win what Allah has promised His servants: the great bliss. Instead of going through these sufferings, there is Al-Jannah under which rivers flow: milk rivers, pure honey rivers, and rivers of wine that is delicious, rivers of water that is not polluted, and all kinds of good fruit, as well as the great bliss in its palaces, in its huge villas, in its good houses, and in all its goodness and great bliss: {‘Eternal is its fruit as well as its shade’} [Ar-Rad.13, 35]—the shadow in Jannah in its serenity and comfort.
So why does a person not take a serious approach, guard against negligence, seek Allah's help (Glory be to Him) and appeal to Him, and Allah has promised to increases such a person in guidance: {'And as for those who are guided , He increases them in guidance and gives them their Taqwa'}[ Muhammad 47:17]. He comes to your aid when you seek His help, and He guides you and grants you success. Just return to Him and do not turn your back to Him; take His guidance, accept it , and seek His help, for He is sufficient as a helper.
We ask Allah (Glory be to Him) to grant us success and lead us to what satisfies him. O Allah (Glory be to You), have mercy on our martyrs, heal the wounded among us, set free our captives, and grant us victory. You are All-Hearing! O Allah, accept our fast, night prayers, and good deeds. You are All-Hearing!
Peace be upon you, as well as the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
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