What is your opinion of one who says that the Fire of Hell exists on earth?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : If a scholar says that the Fire of Hell exists on this earth on which we live and makes it part of the matters of faith, because the apparent meanings of the Qur'anic and Prophetic texts indicate that, such as His saying: [Al-Mutaffifin 83:7] and His saying: [Al-A'raf 7:40] and the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Shall I read the question?
The Shaykh : I understood the question, but what is the verse you read last that they use as evidence that Hell is on earth?
The questioner : Yes, they mentioned two verses, His saying:[Al-Mutaffifin 83:7] and His saying: [Al-A'raf 7:40] Yes, and the hadith is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): .
The Shaykh : Yes, okay, "return it to the lower earth" means Hell?
The questioner : By "the lower earth," they mean this earth, meaning the earth of this world.
The Shaykh : No, you did not answer me.
The questioner : Yes, to Hell.
The Shaykh : Meaning the soul is returned to Hell?
The questioner : Yes. I mean, they use it as evidence.
The Shaykh : Take it and give it to me, may Allah reward you. I understood the argument. The text of the hadith again?
The questioner : .
The Shaykh : So, "My servant" here refers to one who was in the state of life and then died. What is the intended meaning?
The questioner : There is no doubt that it is after death.
The Shaykh : I mean, he died and was buried, is this not the intended meaning?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, so if a Muslim dies and he is among the people of steadfastness, is he in Paradise? And if he is an open sinner or a disbeliever, is he in the Fire? Or is he punished in the grave by what comes to him from its heat, smoke, and fire?
The questioner : The second one.
The Shaykh : Okay, so the hadith has no connection to the Hell to which the open sinners or disbelievers will go.
The questioner : And the verse?
The Shaykh : No problem, have we finished with the hadith?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Okay. There is nothing in the verse at all of what they argue with, unless the verse is explained by the Sunnah. And they tried to explain it with this hadith, and this hadith does not address at all that Hell is in the lower earth; because it is talking about the souls of the wretched, yes. So, the verses, or the two verses that I mentioned, do not contain any indication at all that Hell is on earth, even if it is the seventh earth. Then, we must keep in mind some texts that say:[Ibrahim 14:48] So, this earth mentioned in this hadith, whatever they intend by it, it will be changed. Okay, so how can they use it as evidence that it is the abode of Hell? Then, the seven earths mentioned in the authentic hadiths are, as he said: meaning, some above others. So, in my opinion, it is a speck of Hell [Qaf 50:30] So, the earth within the known geographical limits today, and what is known according to the Sunnah or the Shari'ah is that it is layers, some above others, theoretically it cannot be the abode of Hell. So, if we add this to the previous fact [Ibrahim 14:48] it is not possible that the earth is the abode of Hell. And so we arrive at the conclusion that it is not only not obligatory to believe in this belief, but it is not permissible to believe in it, because it is not based on a binding legal evidence, even by an authentic ahad hadith; is that clear?
The questioner : Clear. Okay, and who made it part of the matters of faith based on the apparent meanings of the verses?
No! Indeed, the record of the wicked is in sijjeen.
كلا إن كتاب الفجار لفي سجينthe gates of Heaven will not be opened for them
لا تفتح لهم أبواب السماءWrite the record of My servant in Sijjin and return it to the lower earth
اكتبوا كتاب عبدي في سجين وأعيدوه إلى الأرض السفلىThe Shaykh : I understood the question, but what is the verse you read last that they use as evidence that Hell is on earth?
The questioner : Yes, they mentioned two verses, His saying:
No! Indeed, the record of the wicked is in sijjeen.
كلا إن كتاب الفجار لفي سجينthe gates of Heaven will not be opened for them
لا تفتح لهم أبواب السماءWrite the record of My servant in Sijjin and return it to the lower earth
اكتبوا كتاب عبدي في سجين وأعيدوه إلى الأرض السفلىThe Shaykh : Yes, okay, "return it to the lower earth" means Hell?
The questioner : By "the lower earth," they mean this earth, meaning the earth of this world.
The Shaykh : No, you did not answer me.
The questioner : Yes, to Hell.
The Shaykh : Meaning the soul is returned to Hell?
The questioner : Yes. I mean, they use it as evidence.
The Shaykh : Take it and give it to me, may Allah reward you. I understood the argument. The text of the hadith again?
The questioner :
Write the record of My servant in Sijjin and return it to the lower earth
اكتبوا كتاب عبدي في سجين وأعيدوه إلى الأرض السفلىThe Shaykh : So, "My servant" here refers to one who was in the state of life and then died. What is the intended meaning?
The questioner : There is no doubt that it is after death.
The Shaykh : I mean, he died and was buried, is this not the intended meaning?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, so if a Muslim dies and he is among the people of steadfastness, is he in Paradise? And if he is an open sinner or a disbeliever, is he in the Fire? Or is he punished in the grave by what comes to him from its heat, smoke, and fire?
The questioner : The second one.
The Shaykh : Okay, so the hadith has no connection to the Hell to which the open sinners or disbelievers will go.
The questioner : And the verse?
The Shaykh : No problem, have we finished with the hadith?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Okay. There is nothing in the verse at all of what they argue with, unless the verse is explained by the Sunnah. And they tried to explain it with this hadith, and this hadith does not address at all that Hell is in the lower earth; because it is talking about the souls of the wretched, yes. So, the verses, or the two verses that I mentioned, do not contain any indication at all that Hell is on earth, even if it is the seventh earth. Then, we must keep in mind some texts that say:
[It will be] on the Day the earth will be replaced by another earth, and the heavens [as well], and all creatures will come out before Allah, the One, the Prevailing.
يوم تبدل الأرض غير الأرض والسموات وبرزوا لله الواحد القهارand from the earth like them
ومن الأرض مثلهنOn the Day We will say to Hell, "Have you been filled?" and it will say, "Are there some more,"
يوم نقول لجهنم هل امتلأت وتقول هل من مزيدon the Day the earth will be replaced by another earth
يوم تبدل الأرض غير الأرضThe questioner : Clear. Okay, and who made it part of the matters of faith based on the apparent meanings of the verses?
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.