Levels of the Hellfire

26-12-2005 | IslamWeb

Question:

What are the levels of An-Naar (Jahannam) in the Hereafter? Can you make Du'aa to Allaah to place your "enemies" in Hell, seek equal justice on the Day of Resurrection and Dunya punishment in other means, "whom you do not wish to fight them with a sword in this Dunya"?
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

 

Hellfire is constituted of downward grades as Paradise is constituted of upward grades. Allaah Says (what means): {Indeed, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire.}[Quran 4:145] Imaam Al-Qurtubi may Allaah have mercy upon him interpreted the above verse by saying: 'The highest depth is Hellfire, then [downward wise] Lathaa, then Al-Hateemah, then As-Sa'eer, then Saqar, then Al-Jaheem, then Al-Haawiyyah.' We seek refuge in Allaah from Hellfire.'

As regards supplicating against the enemy to enter Hellfire, if what you meant by enemy is the non-Muslims, then it is stated in the Quran that it is permissible to supplicate against them. For instance, Moosaa (Moses) and Haaroon (Aaron), may Allaah exalt their mention, supplicated against Pharaoh, the enemy of Allaah, and his people. Allaah Says [speaking on behalf of Moosaa may Allaah exalt his mention] (what means): {"Our Lord, obliterate their wealth and harden their hearts so that they will not believe until they see the painful punishment."}[Quran 10:88].

Furthermore, Imaam Ahmad may Allaah have mercy upon him reported that on the day of the battle of Uhud when the non-Muslims retreated, the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: "Straighten your lines so that I may glorify my Lord", so he supplicated for a long while and said: "O Allaah! Kill the non-Muslims who deny Your Prophets and hinder men from Your Path, and inflict on them a severe and painful torment." It is also confirmed that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) supplicated against the non-Muslims on the day of the battle of Al-Khunduq (i.e. the trench) and said: "May Allaah fill their homes and graves with the Fire as they distracted us from the middle prayer ['Asr] until the sun set." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]   

Allaah Knows best.

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