Have you ever wondered how many Jahannam in Islam? Did you know that there are several levels of hell in Islam , each more terrifying than the one before it? In this article, we will take you on a journey through the seven levels of Jahannam as mentioned in the Qur’an and Sunnah, exploring their names, descriptions, and who will enter them.
Definition of hell (Jahannam)
Hell (Jahannam) is the abode that Allah has prepared for those who disbelieve in Him, reject His messengers, and rebel against His commands and the path of His religion. It is where He punishes them for their defiance.
There are two types of people who will enter Jahannam:
- The disbelievers who rejected Allah Almighty
- The sinners (from among the believers) who disobeyed His commands.
Verses from the Qur’an about Jahannam:
Allah the Almighty says:
“أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّهُۥ مَن يُحَادِدِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ فَأَنَّ لَهُۥ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَـٰلِدًۭا فِيهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْخِزْىُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ ٦٣”
“Do they not know that whoever opposes Allah and His Messenger will be in the Fire of Hell forever? That is the ultimate disgrace.”
Jahannam in the Prophetic Sunnah:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
”يؤتى بجهنم يومئذ لها سبعون ألف زمام مع كل زمام سبعون ألف ملك يجرونها” (رواه مسلم)
“Ibn Mas’ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Hell will be brought on that Day (the Day of Resurrection) with seventy thousand bridles; and with every bridle will be seventy thousand angels, pulling it”. [Muslim].
After explaining the definition of hell (Jahannam) in Islam, let us now explore the several levels of hell in Islam.
What are The Seven Levels of Jahannam in Islam?
There are several levels of hell in Islam, and they include 7 doors, which are
1. Jahannam
This is the first and least severe level among the seven levels of Jahannam. It has been mentioned over 70 times in the Qur’an. It is where disobedient Muslims will enter.
Qur’anic evidence:
“وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمَوْعِدُهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ ٤٣”
“And surely Hell is their destined place, all together.”
(Al-Hijr 15:43)
2. Lazā
This is the name of the second level of Hell. The word appears once in the Qur’an. Ibn Manzur Al-Afriki (may Allah have mercy on him) stated that it is named so because it is the most intense of fires.
Qur’anic evidence:
“كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ ١٥”
“But no! There will certainly be a raging Flame.”
(Al-Ma’arij 70:15)
3. Al-Hutamah
This is the third level among the 7 levels of hell. The word appears twice in the Qur’an and is named so because it crushes and destroys everything it touches.
Qur’anic evidence:
“وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْحُطَمَةُ ٥”
“And what will make you realize what the Crusher is?”
(Al-Humazah 104:5)
4. As-Sa‘īr
This name appears multiple times in the Qur’an. It is the fourth level of Jahannam. It is called As-Sa‘īr due to the blazing flames and intense burning of its fire.
Qur’anic evidence:
“وَقَالُوا۟ لَوْ كُنَّا نَسْمَعُ أَوْ نَعْقِلُ مَا كُنَّا فِىٓ أَصْحَـٰبِ ٱلسَّعِيرِ ١٠”
“And they will lament, ‘If only we had listened and reasoned, we would not be among the residents of the Blaze!'”
(Al-Mulk 67:10)
5. Saqar
This is the fifth level among the levels of hell in the Quran. The word appears more than four times and refers to the fire that burns and leaves nothing behind.
Qur’anic evidence:
“يَوْمَ يُسْحَبُونَ فِى ٱلنَّارِ عَلَىٰ وُجُوهِهِمْ ذُوقُوا۟ مَسَّ سَقَرَ ٤٨”
“On the Day they will be dragged into the Fire on their faces, ˹they will be told,˺ ‘Taste the touch of Hell!'”
(Al-Qamar 54:48)
6. Al-Jaheem
This word is mentioned in the Qur’an more than 23 times. Ibn Faris (may Allah have mercy on him) stated that it refers to intense heat and flame, hence the name Al-Jaheem.
Qur’anic evidence:
“وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَكَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَآ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْجَحِيمِ ١٠”
“As for those who disbelieve and deny Our signs, they are the residents of the Hellfire.”
(Al-Ma’idah 5:10)
7. Al-Hāwiyah
It was mentioned in the Qur’an only once, and it is the highest punishment in Jahannam. The renowned scholar Al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) explained the reason behind its name, saying, “The Fire was called Hawiyah because one falls into it due to the depth of its bottom.”
Qur’anic evidence:
“وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَٰزِينُهُۥ٨ فَأُمُّهُۥ هَاوِيَةٌۭ ٩ وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا هِيَهْ ١٠ نَارٌ حَامِيَةٌۢ ١١”
“And as for those whose scale is light, their home will be the abyss. And what will make you realize what that is? ˹It is˺ a scorching Fire.”
(Al-Qari’ah 101:8-11)
After discussing these several levels of hell in Islam and learning that they are seven in total, we now move on to the Hadiths that highlight the torment of hell and its severity.
Hadiths Highlighting the Severity of Jahannam
Numerous hadiths describe the severe torment in Hell, including:
حَدَّثَنَا الْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الدُّورِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُوسَى، حَدَّثَنَا شَيْبَانُ، عَنْ فِرَاسٍ، عَنْ عَطِيَّةَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ نَارُكُمْ هَذِهِ جُزْءٌ مِنْ سَبْعِينَ جُزْءًا مِنْ نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ لِكُلِّ جُزْءٍ مِنْهَا حَرُّهَا. ”
“Abu Sa’eed narrated that the Prophet (s.a.w) said, “This fire of yours is one part from seventy parts of the fire of Hell, each part of it is like the heat of this one.”
وعنه قال: قال رسول الله، صلى الله عليه وسلم : “يؤتى بأنعم أهل الدنيا من أهل النار يوم القيامة، فيصبغ في النار صبغة، ثم يقال: يا ابن آدم هل رأيت خيراً قط؟ هل مر بك نعيم قط؟ فيقول: لا والله يا رب. ويؤتى بأشد الناس بؤساً في الدنياً من أهل الجنة، فيصبغ صبغة في الجنة، فيقال له: يا ابن آدم هل رأيت بؤساً قط؟ هل مر بك شدة قط؟ فيقول: لا، والله، ما مر بى بؤس قط، ولا رأيت شدة قط” ((رواه مسلم)).
“Anas bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Among the inmates of Hell, a person who had led the most luxurious life in this world will be brought up on the Day of Resurrection and dipped in the Fire and will be asked: ‘O son of Adam! Did you ever experience any comfort? Did you happen to get any luxury?’
He will reply: ‘By Allah, no, my Rubb.’ And then one of the people of Jannah who had experienced extreme misery in the life of this world will be dipped in Jannah. Then he will be asked: ‘O son of Adam! Did you ever experience any misery? Did you ever encounter difficulty?’ He will say: “By Allah, no my Rubb, I neither experienced misery nor passed through hardship”.
Conclusion:
We have now explored the several levels of hell in Islam, learning about their names and meanings as mentioned in the Qur’an and Sunnah.
This reminder urges us to reflect deeply and strive for righteousness before the inevitable moment of death. We ask Allah for protection from Hellfire and from all its levels.
And because knowledge is the path to salvation, Rahiq Academy offers you a unique opportunity to learn the Holy Qur’an and the noble Hadiths online, under the supervision of a group of specialized scholars and teachers.
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