Is Hell Eternal?
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Meteora,
According to that logic, which I agree with, go over to the Monotheists thread and rally against Ahmad Bilal who is heck bent on refuting 262 where it says "anyone who does deeds of righteousness.." to mean just Jews, Christians, Sabians or Muslims (as we see the term used today).
Sabians = followers of other belief systems (or apostates).
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almarh0m
"Are you saying that the threat of being thrown into "the eternal fire" is all about scare mongering to keep us all in line ?"
That is precisely my argument, actually. I think it has always been a means of social control.
I must also concur with those who say, it is very hypocritical of a God who claims to be the Most Merciful to burn someone in hell even for a year for a life lived in disbelief of Qur'an or God in general when they may have lived a very honorable life and gave much to charity and aided many orphans and homeless.
Yup! My thoughts exactly
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Here are some interesting verses to ponder...
11106 As for those who are distraught, they will be in the Fire; in it for them is a sighing and a wailing.
11107 Abiding therein as long as the heavens and the earth exist, except for what your Lord wishes. Your Lord does as He pleases.
11108 As for those who are fortunate, they will be in the Paradise; abiding therein as long as the heavens and the earth exist, except for what your Lord wishes, a giving without end.When we tell someone "I will love you forever" is that really possible? One day we will cease to exist. Just a figure of speech.
Many of us are still stuck in the literal, traditionalist mindset. -
The Qur'an says throughout that to God we will be made to return and that destiny is to God. so nothing is forever except God. Paradise is forever only if we consider Paradise also the culmination of the return to God. Hell therefore cannot be forever unless we consider hell to include being returned to God.
Also the meaning of forever... what is it when we have minds which are unable to comprehend "forever". We do not know, we do not feel, we just imagine, and from a point of view of an atemporal thought, everything is forever. For somebody outside time or over time, anything that happens is forever. And even we feel that. When we are in horrendous suffering, there is no past or future, we are just inmmersed in it. This idea that a merciful being could keep some of his creatures in suffering eternaly and without end is absolutely illogical, abhorrent and sufficient by itself to make anybody run away from such thirst for revenge and cruelty. Between a number of days and eternally there is a monstrous difference-
Also, if we consider that we reap what we saw, we shoudl understand that the suffering we get here or in the hereafter is nothing but the cobweb we have spinned for ourselves with our unfaithfulness. Unless we have the power to creat something eternal, our hell cannot be eternal either. ONLY GOD IS ETERNAL.
Salaam
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Salaam everyone!
This is from Quran.com. It is 6128 from the Quran. I thought this would be a point of interest
Sahih International
And , the Day when He will gather them together , "O company of jinn, you have many of mankind." And their allies among mankind will say, "Our Lord, some of us made use of others, and we have reached our term, which you appointed for us." He will say, "The Fire is your residence, wherein you will abide eternally, except for what Allah wills. Indeed, your Lord is Wise and Knowing."Pickthall
In the day when He will gather them together (He will say) O ye assembly of the jinn! Many of humankind did ye seduce. And their adherents among humankind will say Our Lord! We enjoyed one another, but now we have arrived at the appointed term which Thou appointedst for us. He will say Fire is your home. Abide therein for ever, save him whom Allah willeth (to deliver). Lo! thy Lord is Wise, Aware.Yusuf Ali
One day will He gather them all together, (and say) "O ye assembly of Jinns! Much (toll) did ye take of men." Their friends amongst men will say "Our Lord! we made profit from each other but (alas!) we reached our term - which thou didst appoint for us." He will say "The Fire be your dwelling-place you will dwell therein for ever, except as Allah willeth." for thy Lord is full of wisdom and knowledge.The translations say at the end of the verse, 'you will stay in the fire for ever EXCEPT for what Allah wills'.
Is this verse trying to show us that Hell is eternal or that some people may be extracted? Also take into account that Allah is the Most Merciful. Allah is most merciful to everyone, including Non-Believers. So does that mean eventually everyone will be extracted from hell due to the most merciful attribute of Allah?What is definite from the translations is that there is a possibillty that you may stay in hell forever (eternally). So therefore, hell itself, must be eternal. Whether people will stay in hell eternally is upto the will of Allah. Indeed, everything that happens, happens due to the will of Allah.
This is just my personal view on it, please try not to take this as fact. And please correct me if i have said anything wrong.
May Allah forgive us for our sins. -
Perhaps this can spur some ideas
http//servantofthelight.com/content/view/29/54/
I found it not too long ago on the famous and infamous website of SOL. I have just browsed through it once and haven't been able to check out the consistency with what is written, but for any one who is interested in heaven and hell from a quranic perspective, it might be worthwhile to read, whether to reject or follow up upon.
It appears that the author understands Hell as a condition from which it is possible, but ridiculously difficult, to exit. The author argues that the guards of Hell are there not only as guards, but also as some sort of mentors. The whole point of this seems to be that those who end up in Hell must eventually improve themselves until they can once again "come close" to Allah. They will be in misery and torment until truth has caused a real change in them. Then they can move on.
Weigh it and consider. I have not checked the arguments or language of the article against the quran, to see whether they hold water or not. But I thought I'd put it forth as a thing to read for those interested in the topic.
Peace
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According to some very important early scholars there is no eternal hell. They are hiding this fact from today's Muslims while it's clearly explained in detail in "Hadil Erwah" by Ibn al Qayyim.
For those who are really interested http//www.onlineislamicstore.com/b7160.html