What is your comment on Ibn al-Qayyim’s statement regarding the annihilation of the Fire?
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The questioner: In the matter of “O Allah, send blessings upon our master Muhammad,” this is a matter.
The Shaykh :[Al-Kahf 18:24] .
The questioner: Regarding the statement of those who say what Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said, namely that the Fire will be annihilated and the inhabitants of the Fire will remain, and that the disbelievers will remain in it until it is annihilated, stating that the disbelievers will have eternal abode and the Fire will be annihilated, please give a brief indication of this statement.
The Shaykh: Naturally, the Fire in which the disbelievers are punished does not cease; rather, the Fire that ceases is the Fire in which the open sinners among the servants of Allah, the Muslims, are punished. The Fire is two fires: a Fire that remains and a Fire that ceases. The Fire that remains is the Fire of the disbelievers, and the Fire that ceases is the Fire of the open sinners, because these people do not have eternal abode, whereas those others, as He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said:[As-Sajdah 32:20] And as came in the hadith where death is slaughtered in the form of a ram: Sahih al-Bukhari 4730 in the Fire that does not cease . This is the summary of the speech. The statement that the Fire of the disbelievers ceases and that the disbelievers are not being punished in the Fire with eternal abode therein forever—no Muslim says this after mentioning the texts that have come in the Book and the Sunnah. This is what can be said in such a moment. Yes.
The questioner: There is a doubt, which is[Hud 11:107] then in Paradise, it was mentioned, they said, as naturally Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah mentioned, I want the answer to it, that he mentioned [Fussilat 41:8], and in that, as he said, naturally there is no text regarding the non-annihilation, and this.
The Shaykh: What Allah willed, did Allah will? This text is not sufficient because the question arises: Did Allah will that they not remain permanently forever in the Fire...?
The questioner: Does it indicate the opposite? The non-will.
The Shaykh: We do not stop at this text; we add to it the other texts that are decisive regarding eternal abode. But this eternal abode, if Allah willed to lift it, He would do so, for Allah is Able over all things. Did Allah will it? The answer is that there is no text that Allah willed this which He tied to His will.
The questioner: ... and it is.
The Shaykh: That is,[Al-Insan 76:30] a man wants in advance to resolve not to pray, for example. We say to him: Did Allah will that you not pray? Did he know that Allah willed that he not pray?
The questioner: No.
The Shaykh: But he knows in advance that he cannot pray except by the will of Allah. Did you understand?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: This is the realistic example.[Al-Insan 76:30] One person is not allowed to argue that he does not want to pray because Allah willed that he not pray. No, but after it happens and time passes, it is true that he did not pray, and we say that it was by the will of Allah. Is that clear?
The questioner : Is that clear?
The Shaykh: And now,[Al-An'am 6:128] Allah is true, but did Allah will to annihilate the Fire with those in it?
The questioner: ... He did not will.
The Shaykh : That is it.
The questioner: A doubt remains, which is that he used to say: The bliss in Paradise was created for the sake of the bliss itself, for the essence of the bliss, because it is a cause created for its own sake for the good. As for evil, it is not for its own sake, so it is not created for its own sake, but rather for a specific purpose. Then when this purpose is reached, this evil ends.
The Shaykh: The question returns in another way: Did the purpose occur?
The questioner: And that is the end of the punishment of the polytheists, as Ibn al-Qayyim says.
The Shaykh: Did the purpose occur? I know you are going around in circles about the philosophy of Ibn al-Qayyim.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: Did the purpose occur first, and when did it occur? And does the purpose not occur except by something like what He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said:[An-Naba 78:23] Perhaps I did not make myself clear to you?
The questioner: I understood, meaning the purpose occurs by their eternal abode therein without exit.
The Shaykh : That is it.
The Shaykh :
And remember your Lord when you forget
وَاذْكُرْ رَبَّكَ إِذَا نَسِيتَThe questioner: Regarding the statement of those who say what Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said, namely that the Fire will be annihilated and the inhabitants of the Fire will remain, and that the disbelievers will remain in it until it is annihilated, stating that the disbelievers will have eternal abode and the Fire will be annihilated, please give a brief indication of this statement.
The Shaykh: Naturally, the Fire in which the disbelievers are punished does not cease; rather, the Fire that ceases is the Fire in which the open sinners among the servants of Allah, the Muslims, are punished. The Fire is two fires: a Fire that remains and a Fire that ceases. The Fire that remains is the Fire of the disbelievers, and the Fire that ceases is the Fire of the open sinners, because these people do not have eternal abode, whereas those others, as He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said:
Every time they wish to emerge from it, they will be returned to it
كُلَّمَا أَرَادُوا أَنْ يَخْرُجُوا مِنْهَا أُعِيدُوا فِيهَاO people of Paradise! Eternity for you and no death O people of Hell
يا أهل الجنة خلود فلا موت ، ويا أهل النارeternal abode and no death
خلود فلا موتThe questioner: There is a doubt, which is
abiding therein as long as the heavens and the earth endure, except what your Lord should will
خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا [ مَا دَامَتِ السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ ] إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ رَبُّكَfor them is a reward uninterrupted.
لَهُمْ أَجْرٌ غَيْرُ مَمْنُونٍThe Shaykh: What Allah willed, did Allah will? This text is not sufficient because the question arises: Did Allah will that they not remain permanently forever in the Fire...?
The questioner: Does it indicate the opposite? The non-will.
The Shaykh: We do not stop at this text; we add to it the other texts that are decisive regarding eternal abode. But this eternal abode, if Allah willed to lift it, He would do so, for Allah is Able over all things. Did Allah will it? The answer is that there is no text that Allah willed this which He tied to His will.
The questioner: ... and it is.
The Shaykh: That is,
And you do not will except that Allah wills
وَمَا تَشَاءُونَ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُThe questioner: No.
The Shaykh: But he knows in advance that he cannot pray except by the will of Allah. Did you understand?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: This is the realistic example.
And you do not will except that Allah wills
وَمَا تَشَاءُونَ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُThe questioner : Is that clear?
The Shaykh: And now,
except for what Allah wills
إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُThe questioner: ... He did not will.
The Shaykh : That is it.
The questioner: A doubt remains, which is that he used to say: The bliss in Paradise was created for the sake of the bliss itself, for the essence of the bliss, because it is a cause created for its own sake for the good. As for evil, it is not for its own sake, so it is not created for its own sake, but rather for a specific purpose. Then when this purpose is reached, this evil ends.
The Shaykh: The question returns in another way: Did the purpose occur?
The questioner: And that is the end of the punishment of the polytheists, as Ibn al-Qayyim says.
The Shaykh: Did the purpose occur? I know you are going around in circles about the philosophy of Ibn al-Qayyim.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: Did the purpose occur first, and when did it occur? And does the purpose not occur except by something like what He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said:
In which they will remain for ages [unending].
لَابِثِينَ فِيهَا أَحْقَابًاThe questioner: I understood, meaning the purpose occurs by their eternal abode therein without exit.
The Shaykh : That is it.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.