Guardians of Hell

Alaihaa…Amara Hun. (Surah Tahreem 66:6). Meaning: Guardian hell will be harsh natured angels who will never be kind or soft to people of hell. They will never do anything against the command of God, that is, their duty.

Wa Lahum…Hadeed. (Surah Hajj 22:21) meaning: There will be iron club with which they will hit those trying to flee from hell.

About the weight of the said club it is mentioned that even if all the men and jinns join together to lift that club they will not be able to lift it.

It is also mentioned that both the eyes of the said guards of hell will be dazzling like lightning flashes and their pointed teeth will be as big as mountains and flames of fire will be leaping out of their fearsome mouths. The distance between their two shoulders will be equal to a one year journey. They are able to throw seventy persons in hell with one hand at a time.

Hell And Its Gates

Lahaa Sabatu…Maqsoom. (Surah Hijr 22:21) meaning: There are seven gates in hell. Every of the sinners will enter hell through these gates as fixed for them. As informed by Ali (a.s.) the names of the these seven gates of hell are as under: - The last and the lowest floor is 'Jahannum'. The zone above it is Lazzaa, above it Hutamaa, above it Hutamaa, above it Saqar and above it Jaheem. Above it is Saeer and above it Haaviyah. There is no doubt that chastisements in all of them will be different in harshness and pain.

Hellfire Has Intelligence

The words of the Holy verses indicate that, contrary to this world's fire, the fire in hell possesses sense and intelligence. Almighty Allah says: Yawma Naqoolu…Mazeed (Surah 50:30) meaning: The Day when We will ask hell: Are you full? It will reply: Are there more worthy of punishment still? It means: I still have room to accommodate them and a wish to burn these who are worthy of being burnt.

Moreover, hellfire recognizes those who are deserving punishment. It will attack them. It has power of drawing (magnetic attribute). It will also screem.
Almighty Allah says: - Izaa Ra Athum…Zafeera (Surah Furqaan 25:12), meaning: When hellfire will see the people of hell from a distance it will, out of anger screem fiercely and it will be heard by the sinners.

The Noor (Light Or Radiance) Of The Faithfuls Will Lower Flames Of Hell
Takkaadu…Ghaiz (Surah Mulk 67:8) meaning: It is about to crash angrily on the deniers.

It is mentioned in narrations that, when a faithful will be passing over the Siraat Bridge he or she will hear the voice of hell. O faithful! Please pass away quickly from above me as your light is cooling my flames. Since a Momin has kindness and hellfire has anger, the Mercy of the Lord overtakes His anger. Yaa Man Saba Qatrah Mata Husband Ghaza Bahu (ya man sabaqat rahmatahu ghadabahu) (Dua-e-Kuamyl). In short, there are many evidences with us to show that hellfire too, like all other substances in the Hereafter, possesses life and wisdom and intellifence. It is the friend of the friends of God and the enemy of the enemies of God.

Sinners Will Live In A Very Congested Place
On of the attributes is also that despite its ability to accomadate all men and jinn and even them remaining empty, the sinners will live in extreme congestion like a nail in a wall: Wa Izaa Ulqoo…Suboora. (Surah Furqaan 25:23) meaning: When the sinners will be hurled in the congested corner of hell, bound by chains of fire. Being harshly pressed they will desire death and say: Waa Asfaah (Oh Alaas )

As the righteous will be in ease and comfort and spaciousness and in light, those in hell will be in darkness and eternal terror quite like the one who is caught in the bottom of a see engulfed by layers of darkness over darkness.
Almighty Allah says: Awka Zulu Maatin…Yaraahaa. (Surah Noor 24:40) meaning: The darkness will be so grave that he will not be able to see his own hand despite trying.

Mental Or Spiritual Toture

For the people of hell, there will be mental and spiritual tortures too in addition to physical punishments and pains. One of them will be that they will always remember and realize that they have to remain in this terrible condition forever and to bear these troubles endlessly. They will never be saved from this chastisement. This will be the most unbearable thing for the sinners. There is no doubt that those Kuffar and Munaafiqeen who died faithlessly despite the fact that arguments were completed before them, will forever remain in hellfire torture.

Lord Almighty says: Innal…Abadaa (Surah Baiyinah 98:8) and at another place: Zaalika…Khuld (Surah 41:28).
So the punishment for the enemies of God is hellfire in which they will dwell forever.

Kafir Will Not Enter Paradise

Rather, God has termed the exit of a denier from hell as impossible. He says in the Holy Quran: Walaa…Khiyaat. (Surah A'raaf 7:40) meaning: They (unbelievers) will not enter paradise until a camel passes through the hole of a needle. That is, it is impossible, for a denier to enter paradise. There are many hadiths in this connection. Anyone who will have even an iota of Faith (Eemaan) will not remain in hell forever.

Deprivation From Divine Bounties Is The Worst Punishment

Another Roohani Azaab or spiritual torture is that a sinner in hell will always remember and lament that he has been deprived of innumerable Divine bounties of various kinds. Not only that, he wil never get God's mercy but only His anger.

Says the Holy Quran: Kallaa…Mahjooboon (Surah 83:15) meaning: Doubtlessly, on that Day, people will be veiled from their Lord, that is, they will not obtain Divine mercy and grace and reward. At another place: Laa Khalaaqa…Aleem (Surah Aale Imraan 3:77) meaning: For them there is no reward in Hereafter (Aakerat) and God will not even communicate with them and will have no mercy or kindness for them.

Deadly Regrets In Hell

One of the spiritual or mental tortures in hell will be the regret and sorrowfulness which will make one desirous of death had it been possible to die there daily. The Lord of the universe says about their grief pointing to their deeds: Kazaa Lika…Sabeela. (Surah Baqarah 2:167) and also Wayawma…(Surah Furqaan 25:27)

On that Day, the unjust oppressor will bite his hands with his teeth and say: Alas, how nice would it have been had I took the path of the Holy Prophet.
Imam Sadiq (a.s) is reported to have said that when the people of paradise and the people of hell will be settled in their respective places windows will open up between paradise and hell. An announcer will announce: O people of Paradise! Just look at the satations of the people of hell and their condition. Had you also disobeyed Divine Commands you too would have been in this state in hell. Then will come another voice: O people of Hell! Look at the highrise apartments of the people of Paradise. Had you obeyed Allah this comfort would have been for you also. This will make the sinners so gloomy that had it been possible to die in the Hereafter they would have died of their sorrow.

By: Ayatullah Shaheed Sayyid Abdul Husain Dastghaib

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FIQH - HAJ AT A GLANCE

POWER POINT PRESENTATION

Attachment: Fiqh_hajj.ppt

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Staying In Arafat

“For a believing man of any village who stays in Arafat,  Allah will forgive all the believing people of that village and for a single man of a believing family who stays in Arafat, Allah will forgive all the believing members of that family.”

HAJJ CLASSES - MAULANA SADIQ HASSAN

PLEASE SEE VIDEO FILE  HAJJ CLASSES FOR MOMINEENS GOING FOR HAJJ INSHALLAH

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"Repentance is an internal revolution of the human being against the self

Ayatullah Mutahhari explains repentance: "Repentance is an internal revolution of the human being against the self. Plants and animals do not act against themselves yet the human being has the ability to do so. The rise of one group of human being against another group is a natural and obvious matter since we expect the oppressed to arise against the oppressor. This is also true of the rise of one country or nation against another country or nation. But the rise of a person against the self is not so simple and obvious. Why does it happen? The reason is that, in spite of having one body, a human being is intellectually and spiritually a complex being. The human being is a mixture of animal ferocity and passion on the one hand, and of angelic qualities on the other. Sometimes the pig takes over the command as a lustful being, giving no choice to the ferocious beast, devil or angel within to act. Suddenly one part rebels against this rule and subverts it in favor of the domination of another of its aspects.

"A sinful being is one who is dominated by the beast or devil within by which the angel and its noble qualities are imprisoned. Repentance is the arising of the noble qualities within against one's own mean and wicked aspects, putting an end to their domination and destroying all their force. Thus, repentance is a reaction of the holy and noble spirit of the human being against the lower animal self; a holy rebellion of the angelic side against the evil and beastly vices within."

In a way, repentance is the reaction of the angelic or noble self of man after committing sin. Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) says in a du'a: "My God, offenses have clothed me in the garment of my lowliness, separation from Thee has wrapped me in the clothing of my misery! My dreadful crimes have deadened my heart". If a human being is not spiritually dead and has not reached the point of death, if the heart has still some life-like characteristics, then sins are bound to make one sad. The degree of remorse and regret after sins is dependent on two factors: the intensity of sin we have committed (the degree of our crime and a measure how much we have hurt our angelic aspect of self), and our closeness with Allah. The closer we are to Allah, the more we will feel pained after sinning.

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Our repentance refers to every level of turning away from our self and towards Allah.

Allah says in the Holy Qu'ran, "Say: O my servants! who have acted extravagantly against their own souls, do not despair of the mercy of Allah; surely Allah forgives the faults altogether; surely He is the Forgiving, the Merciful." (39:53)

The word tawbah (repentance) means literally to turn or return from one thing to another. One of Allah's names is At-Tawwaab (He Who turns) and the verb from its root is used both for Allah's turning toward man and man's turning toward Allah. Our repentance refers to every level of turning away from our self and towards Allah.

Repentance is not a verbal statement, rather it is an internal revolution. It is a psychological and spiritual state, a revolution of the mind. It emanates in the heart of the sinner with a deep feeling of loss and sorrow. This internal revolution brings about a return to the right path with a resolve not to commit the same sin again.

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Allah has allowed repentance because of unbounded mercy which He has made obligatory on Himself.....

Allah has allowed repentance because of unbounded mercy which He has made obligatory on Himself. "Say: O my servants! who have acted extravagantly against their own souls, do not despair of the mercy of Allah; surely Allah forgives the faults altogether; surely He is the Forgiving, the Merciful." (39:53) "The Forgiver of the faults and the Acceptor of repentance, severe to punish, Lord of bounty; there is no God but He; to Him is the eventual coming." (40:3) But the doors of repentance are closed once death approaches: "And repentance is not for those who go on doing evil deeds, until when death comes to one of them, he says 'Surely now I repent', nor (for) those who die while they are unbelievers. These are they for whom We have prepared a painful chastisement." (4:18) Muhammad ibn Muslim has narrated from Abu Ja'far (peace be upon him) that he said: '"O Muhammad ibn Muslim! Sins of the believer are forgiven to him when he repents from them. Therefore, the believer should perform his deeds afresh after repentance and forgiveness. But, by Allah! It is not but for the people of faith." I said, "But what if he relapses into sins after repentance and forgiveness, and then repents again?" He said, "O Muhammad ibn Muslim! Do you think that a believer servant feels remorse for his sin and asks forgiveness from Allah for it and repents and then Allah will not accept his repentance?" I said, "Then if he does so repeatedly, commits sin and repents and asks forgiveness?" Then he said, "Whenever the believer returns asking for forgiveness and repenting, Allah the High, returns to him with forgiveness; and surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. He accepts repentance and pardons the evils. Therefore, be careful, lest you make the believers lose hope of Allah's mercy."' (Al-Kafi) We conclude our discussion with reciting a part of a du'a, the Whispered Prayer of the Repenters (Taibeen) from Sahifa Sajjadia: "My God, offenses have clothed me in the garment of my lowliness, separation from Thee has wrapped me in the clothing of my misery! My dreadful crimes have deadened my heart, so bring it to life by a repentance from Thee! O my hope and my aim! O my wish and my want! By Thy might, I find no one but Thee to forgive my sins and I see none but Thee to mend my brokenness! I have subjected myself to Thee in repeated turning, I have humbled myself to Thee in abasement. If Thou castest me out from Thy door, in whom shall I take shelter? If Thou repellest me from Thy side, in whom shall I seek refuge? O my grief at my ignominy and disgrace! O my sorrow at my evil works and what I have committed!"

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The Way Out from Vicious Circles

The vicious circles can be broken by two kinds of forces: internal and external ones.

The internal factors lie within man himself. Misguidance, or any evil for that matter, is like a blind alley. After a certain level, one either perishes or returns back to the truth. The internal revolution is bound to happen. When one realizes his ailment and seeks medicine for it, the circle is broken. The change will happen only when man takes the initiative himself and seeks redressal for the evils he is suffering from: "...surely Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change their own condition..." (13:11)

In sermon 86, Imam Ali says: "O' creatures of Allah! the most beloved of Allah is he whom Allah has given power (to act) against his passions, so that his inner side is (submerged in) grief and the outer side is covered with fear. The lamp of guidance is burning in his heart." This requires a revolution of thoughts, a revolution of conscious, and a revolution of purity.

The external factors include the chain of Prophets (peace be upon them) and Imams (peace be upon them), and the prominent role of scholars. Allah established a system of guidance in addition to the internal one. This system is that of the Prophets and Imams: "He it is Who raised among the inhabitants of Mecca an Messenger from among themselves, who recites to them His communications and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and the Wisdom, although they were before certainly in clear error." (62:2)

"And certainly We raised in every nation a messenger saying: Serve Allah and shun the Shaitan. So there were some of them whom Allah guided and there were others against whom error was due; therefore travel in the land, then see what was the end of the rejecters." (16:36)

The guides sent by Allah break the circles of evil in a nation afflicted with various evils, and they lead the people on the path of salvation. Keeping this in mind, the role of righteous scholars and leaders becomes very significant too. During the occultation of Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance), the leadership of the Ummah is supposed to be in the hands of scholars. At all levels, the righteous scholars work as caring and cautious parents for the community. They monitor the conditions of people carefully and take redressal actions wherever required. They help to break vicious circles.

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Fasting on Twenty-fifth of Zilqad

Bismilla-heer-Rahmaneer-Raheem Imām Alī ibn Mūsā al-Rezā (A.S.) said: "Ibrahim (a.s.) and Isa bin Maryam (a.s.) were born on 25th Zilqad, earth was spread under the Holy Kaaba in this night only and one who fasts on this day will get the reward of fasting for sixty years.”    [Reference:  Sawaabul A’amaal, page 116] [*Please check the dates with  local Masjid/ Islamic Center  in your country/area]

Music is very addictive............Desist from listening to music and songs

Music is very addictive; if one listens to it, the effect is like that of drugs or smoking – you want more and more, and pretty soon it becomes very difficult or seemingly impossible to stop. Muadda Ibne Ziyad says: I was in the company of Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) when a person said, "When I go to the toilet, I can hear the singing girls next door. Sometimes I remain (in the toilet) longer so that I may listen to more of it." Imam said in reply: "Desist from listening to music and songs attentively." The man further said: "Master, I do not go to music gatherings! I only hear the sounds!" Imam replied: "Have you not read this Qur'anic verse? – 'Surely, the hearing and the sight and the heart, all of these shall be questioned about.'" (17:36) The man said: "I was not aware of this verse. I regret my actions. I shall not do so in the future. I repent for my past sins, and I seek forgiveness from my Lord." Seeing his condition, Imam said: "Get up! Go and perform Ghusl and offer Salat and pray for forgiveness. You have certainly been involved in a deadly sin and a terrible situation. You have repented for it, and I thank Allah for that; and I seek forgiveness of Allah for all those things that He dislikes. Certainly, Allah only dislikes the evil things. Leave the evil things to the evil people, because there are different people suitable for different things." (Al-Kafi) This incident teaches us that no matter where we are, no matter how attractive the voice may be, we should restrain ourselves from listening to music – even if we are faced with it without initially intending to listen to it.

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IF WE ARE INVITED TO A MIXED GATHERING AND WE DECIDE NOT TO GO, WE ARE DOING TABARRA

Tabarra of words is great, but quite meaningless if it only stays there. The wife of Pharoah, Lady Asiyah (peace be upon her), was a great example to show us how Tabarra should be performed. When she was severely tortured by her tyrant husband for accepting the call of Prophet Musa (peace be upon him), Lady Asiyah's prayer to Allah was: "O my Lord! Build for me, in nearness to Thee, a mansion in the Garden, and save me from Pharaoh and his doings, and save me from those that do wrong." (66:11) She could have simply asked Allah to save her from the tyrant Pharoah, but instead she desired separation from "his doings" and every type of falsehood and evil. When we do Tabarra, we must exactly do this. The effect of this would be to create within us repulsion towards the actions that made the accursed worthy of Allah's curse.  As we do Tabarra against Yazid, we express disgust towards all his doings, and through our actions, we do nothing that resembles his actions. A person who curses Yazid would not go near alcohol. A girl who really curses Yazid cannot step out of her house without Hijab. Is Tabarra only towards personalities in the past? Of course not! Tabarra is an always active form of worship that we need to be mindful of every day of our lives. If we are invited to a mixed gathering and we decide not to go, we are doing Tabarra.  As we kill our desire for that creamy Frappucino at Starbucks or that cool Motorola Droid cell phone, we are doing Tabarra as we are boycotting Zionist goods. Every step we take against falsehood is Tabbara. "The curse of Allah is on the wrong-doers." (Quran 7:45) Tags: islamic talks