The Refutation of Those Who Say That the Fire Will Cease to Exist
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This is a letter received from 'Abd al-Rahman from Iraq, in which he says: I read in the book *Al-Shifa al-'Atil* by Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him), where he states: After millions of years of the abiding punishment in the Fire, Allah will erase the Fire. He relies on verses from the Qur'an, including the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-An'am: 128] and His saying: [Al-An'am: 128]. He says: Abiding means settling for a specific period of time; if they were to abide in it forever, Allah the Exalted would have said: "Abiding in it forever." The questioner says: But there is one verse in the Qur'an in Surat al-Jinn in which Allah the Exalted says: [Al-Jinn: 23].
He says: So I do not know if a scholar like Ibn al-Qayyim would miss this verse, and what is the validity of what he said? May Allah bless you.
Answer: This is a statement made by some of the Salaf, narrated from some of the Salaf and some of the Companions. Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned it, and Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah mentioned it, and others mentioned it as well.
However, it is a weaker position among the people of the Sunnah, a weak statement. The correct position, which is the position of the people of the Sunnah and the community, and the position of the majority of them, is that the Fire will remain forever, and that its inhabitants will remain in it forever, and they are the disbelievers. As He, Exalted and Majestic, said: [Fatir: 36] And He, the Exalted, said regarding them: [Al-Ma'idah: 37], meaning: it is continuous. We ask Allah for safety.
And He, the Exalted, said: [Al-Baqarah: 167]. So the position of the people of the Sunnah and the community, except for the rare and few, is that the punishment of the Fire is eternal, eternal forever, with no end. So they are continuing in it, remaining in it forever, and it remains forever.
Ibn al-Qayyim returned to this point and clarified it in his book al-Wabil al-Sayyib, stating: "The Fire will remain forever, and only the people of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) will be brought out of it. Those who are brought out are those who died upon the tawhid of Allah, but who had committed sins that caused them to enter the Fire. This is the truth, for the people of the Sunnah and the community (Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah) say that the sinners will not remain in the Fire eternally. Whoever dies upon Islam but enters the Fire due to sins—whether through zina (unlawful sexual intercourse), drinking khamr (intoxicants), riba (usury or interest), undutifulness to parents, or other sins—these people will not remain in it eternally. Allah, the Exalted, will bring into the Fire from among the sinners whom He wills, those whom He does not forgive , and they will remain in it as long as Allah wills, according to the measure of their evil deeds. When they are purified and cleansed, and their impurity is removed, Allah will bring them out of the Fire to a river called the River of Life. They will grow in it as a seed grows in the flood of a torrent. When their creation is complete, Allah will admit them into Paradise. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) will intercede for them, and the angels, the believers, the prophets, and the foremost in faith will intercede for them. This is what has come in the mutawatir (mass-transmitted) Sunnah from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih Ibn Hibban 47:127 And in the other wording: Sahih Muslim 117.
So the people of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) who died upon tawhid, upon Islam, but entered the Fire due to their sins, these people do not abide in it. Rather, Allah takes them out of the Fire into Paradise. This is the statement of the people of truth from the people of the Sunnah and the community, contrary to the Khawarij and contrary to the Mu'tazilah and those who are of their ilk, who say: The sinners abide in the Fire. This is a false statement. The statement of the Khawarij and the Mu'tazilah regarding the eternal abiding of sinners in the Fire is false, contrary to what has come in the numerous texts from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), which are mass-transmitted and established.
As for the disbelievers, they abide in it forever. This is the truth upon which the majority of the people of the Sunnah are, and it is upon which the scriptural proofs are established.
So you, O questioner, should adhere to this and not turn to anything else. And Allah is the One who grants success.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.
wherein you will abide eternally, except for what Allah wills
خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُabiding therein forever
خَالِدِينَ فِيهَاAnd whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger - then indeed, for him is the fire of Hell; they will abide therein forever.
وَمَنْ يَعْصِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَإِنَّ لَهُ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًاHe says: So I do not know if a scholar like Ibn al-Qayyim would miss this verse, and what is the validity of what he said? May Allah bless you.
Answer: This is a statement made by some of the Salaf, narrated from some of the Salaf and some of the Companions. Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned it, and Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah mentioned it, and others mentioned it as well.
However, it is a weaker position among the people of the Sunnah, a weak statement. The correct position, which is the position of the people of the Sunnah and the community, and the position of the majority of them, is that the Fire will remain forever, and that its inhabitants will remain in it forever, and they are the disbelievers. As He, Exalted and Majestic, said:
[Death] is not decreed for them so they may die, nor will its torment be lightened for them. Thus do we recompense every ungrateful one.
لا يُقْضَى عَلَيْهِمْ فَيَمُوتُوا وَلا يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمْ مِنْ عَذَابِهَا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي كُلَّ كَفُورThey will wish to get out of the Fire, but never are they to emerge therefrom, and for them is an enduring punishment.
يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يَخْرُجُوا مِنَ النَّارِ وَمَا هُمْ بِخَارِجِينَ مِنْهَا وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُقِيمٌAnd He, the Exalted, said:
Thus will Allah show them their deeds as regrets upon them. And they are never to emerge from the Fire.
كَذَلِكَ يُرِيهِمُ اللَّهُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ حَسَرَاتٍ عَلَيْهِمْ وَمَا هُمْ بِخَارِجِينَ مِنَ النَّارِIbn al-Qayyim returned to this point and clarified it in his book al-Wabil al-Sayyib, stating: "The Fire will remain forever, and only the people of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) will be brought out of it. Those who are brought out are those who died upon the tawhid of Allah, but who had committed sins that caused them to enter the Fire. This is the truth, for the people of the Sunnah and the community (Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah) say that the sinners will not remain in the Fire eternally. Whoever dies upon Islam but enters the Fire due to sins—whether through zina (unlawful sexual intercourse), drinking khamr (intoxicants), riba (usury or interest), undutifulness to parents, or other sins—these people will not remain in it eternally. Allah, the Exalted, will bring into the Fire from among the sinners whom He wills, those whom He does not forgive , and they will remain in it as long as Allah wills, according to the measure of their evil deeds. When they are purified and cleansed, and their impurity is removed, Allah will bring them out of the Fire to a river called the River of Life. They will grow in it as a seed grows in the flood of a torrent. When their creation is complete, Allah will admit them into Paradise. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) will intercede for them, and the angels, the believers, the prophets, and the foremost in faith will intercede for them. This is what has come in the mutawatir (mass-transmitted) Sunnah from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
That Allah will take out of the Fire whoever has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of faith.
أن الله يخرج من النار من كان في قلبه مثقال حبة خردل من إيمانhaving faith equal to the weight of a dust particle
مثقال ذرة من إيمانSo the people of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) who died upon tawhid, upon Islam, but entered the Fire due to their sins, these people do not abide in it. Rather, Allah takes them out of the Fire into Paradise. This is the statement of the people of truth from the people of the Sunnah and the community, contrary to the Khawarij and contrary to the Mu'tazilah and those who are of their ilk, who say: The sinners abide in the Fire. This is a false statement. The statement of the Khawarij and the Mu'tazilah regarding the eternal abiding of sinners in the Fire is false, contrary to what has come in the numerous texts from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), which are mass-transmitted and established.
As for the disbelievers, they abide in it forever. This is the truth upon which the majority of the people of the Sunnah are, and it is upon which the scriptural proofs are established.
So you, O questioner, should adhere to this and not turn to anything else. And Allah is the One who grants success.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.