Events of the Day of Resurrection and the Beginning of Creation

Ibn `Abbas reported God's messenger as saying, "The inhabitant of hell who will have the lightest punishment will be Abu Talib, and he will be wearing two sandals from which his brain will bubble." Bukhari transmitted it.

Anas reported God's messenger as saying, "The one among the inhabitants of hell who had the pleasantest life in the world will be brought on the day of resurrection and dipped once in hell. Then will be said, `Son of Adam, have you ever experienced any good? Has any pleasantness come your way?' to which he will reply, `No, my Lord, I swear by God.' Then the one among the inhabitants of paradise who had the most miserable life in the world will be brought and dipped once in paradise. Then will be said, `Son of Adam, have you ever experienced any misfortune? Has any distress come your way?' to which he will reply, `No, my Lord, I swear by God, no misfortune has ever come my way, and I have never experienced any distress'." Muslim transmitted it.

He quoted the Prophet as stating that on the day of resurrection God will say to the inhabitant of hell who has the lightest punishment, " If you had everything the earth contains would you seek to ransom yourself with it? " and when he replies that he would, He will say, "I desired less than that from you when you were in Adam's loins, viz. that you should associate nothing with Me[*], but you insisted on associating others with Me." *The reference here is to what is mentioned in Quran, 7:172, regarding the covenant with the descendants of Adam. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Samura b. Jundub reported the Prophet as saying, "There will be some to whose ankles the fire will reach, some to whose knees the fire will reach, some to whose waist the fire will reach, and some to whose collar-bone the fire will reach." Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "The distance between the shoulders of an infidel in hell will be a three days' journey for a swift rider." A version says the molar tooth of an infidel will be like Uhud and the thickness of his skin a three nights' journey. Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported the Prophet as saying, "Hell was kindled for a thousand years till it became red, then it was kindled for a thousand years till it became white, then it was kindled for a thousand years till it became black, and it is black and dark." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

He reported God's messenger as saying, "On the day of resurrection the molar tooth of an infidel will be like Uhud, his thigh like al-Baida'[1], and his abode in hell a three nights' journey like ar-Rabadha[2]." There are various places with this name. Mirqat, 5, 314, quotes the vague statement that it is a mountain. It is the name of an acclivity near Mecca leading to at-Tanim. Cf. Yaqut, Mu'jam, 1, 792 ff., for different explanations. A place not far from Madinah. There is another in Najd. Cf., Yaqut, Mu'jam, 2, 749. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

He reported God's messenger as saying, "The thickness of an infidel's skin will be forty-two cubits, his molar tooth will be like Uhud, and his seat in Jahannam will be like the distance between Mecca and Medina." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Ibn `Umar reported God's messenger as saying, "The infidel will drag his tongue a league and two leagues with people treading on it." Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted it, the latter saying this is a gharib tradition.

Abu Sa`id reported God's messenger as saying, "The ascent[*] is a mountain in hell up which people will be made to climb for seventy years and down which they will be made to fall a like distance, and so on forever." *Quran; 74:17.Tirmidhi transmitted it.

He reported the Prophet as saying about God's words, "Like molten copper[*]," that it is like the sediment of olive-oil, and that when it approaches one's face the skin of one's face will fall into it." *Quran; 18:29; 44:45; 70:8Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported the Prophet as saying, "The hot water[1] will be poured over their heads and the hot water will penetrate till it comes inside a man. It will scour what is inside him till it comes out at his feet; and that is the melting[2]. He will then be restored as he was[3]." Quran; 22:19 Quran; 22:20 Quran; 4:56Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Abu Umama reported the Prophet as saying about God's words, "He will be given to drink some liquid pus which he will gulp[1]," that it will come near his mouth and he will dislike it, then when it is brought near him it will scald his face and the skin of his head will fall away. Then when he drinks it, it will cut his entrails to pieces till it comes out at his posterior. God most high says, "They will be given to drink a boiling liquid and it will cut their entrails to pieces[2]." He also says, "And if they ask for help, they will be helped with a liquid like molten copper which will scald their faces. How evil a drink it is[3]!" Quran; 14:16 f. Quran; 47:15 Quran; 18:29Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported the Prophet as saying, "The awnings of hell have four thick walls, each wall a distance of forty years." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

He reported God's messenger as saying, "If a bucket of the pus of the inhabitants of hell were poured into the world, the people in the world would have an offensive stench." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Ibn `Abbas told that God's messenger recited this verse, "Fear God as He ought to be feared, and die only as Muslims[1]," after which he said, "If a drop of az-Zaqqum[2] were to fall on this world it would corrupt the people's means of livelihood, so what about those whose food it is?" Quran; 3:102 A tree growing in the bottom of hell. Cf. Quran; 37:62, 44:43; also 17:60.Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan sahih tradition.

Abu Sa'id reported the Prophet as saying regarding "And they in it will be showing their teeth[*]," that the fire will roast a person and his upper lip will retract till it reaches the middle of his head, and his lower lip will hang down till it strikes his navel." *Quran; 23:104Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Anas reported the Prophet as saying, "O people, weep, but if you are unable to do so, then pretend to weep, for the inhabitants of hell will weep in hell till their tears flow on their faces as though they were streams, and when the tears stop blood will flow and the eyes will be made sore. If ships were blown along in them, they could sail." It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna.

Abud Darda' reported God's messenger as saying, "Hunger will be cast upon the inhabitants of hell and will be equal to the punishment they are experiencing. They will cry for help and will be helped with food of dari' [1] which neither fattens nor satisfies hunger. They will then call for food and will be fed with food which chokes[2]. So, remembering that they helped down choking food with drink when they were in the world they will ask for drink and the scalding drink[3] will be presented to them on iron flesh-hooks. When they approach their faces they will scorch their faces, and when they enter their bellies, they will cut in pieces the contents of their bellies. They will then ask the guards of Jahannam to be called and they will say, `Did your messengers not bring you the clear signs?' and when they reply, `Yes,' they will say, `Then make supplication, but the supplication of the infidels is only in error[4].' They will then ask Malik to be called and will say, `0 Malik, would that your Lord might put an end to us!' He will reply to them, `You are remaining'[5] (al-A`mash[6] saying he had been informed that the period between their appeal and Malik's reply to them would be a thousand years). They will then say, `Call your Lord, for no one is better than your Lord,' and they will say, `0 our Lord, our adversity was too much for us and we were a people who were astray. 0 our Lord, bring us out of it; then if we return to evil, we shall indeed be wrongdoers.' He will then answer them, `Retreat into it in shame and do not speak to Me[7].' They will then despair of all good and will begin to sigh, grieve and bemoan themselves." `Abdallah b. `Abd ar-Rahman[8] said that people do not trace this tradition back to the Prophet. 1. Cf. Qur'an, 88:6. The name of a thorny plant which animals avoid. It is used in the Qur'an of some substance which, as Taj al-'arus says, is more bitter than aloes, more offensive than a corpse, and hotter than fire. 2. Cf. Qur'an, 73:13. 3. Cf. Qur'an, 22:19 f. 4. Qur'an, 40:50. 5. Qur'an, 43:77. Malik is the angel in charge of hell. 6. One of the transmitters of the tradition. 7. Qur'an, 23:106 ff. 8. i.e., Darimi, whose Musnad is frequently quoted.Tirmidhi transmitted it.

I heard God's messenger say, "I have warned you of hell, I have warned you of hell," and he kept on saying it so loudly that if he had been where I am just now the people in the street would be able to hear it. He went on till a cloak he was wearing fell down at his feet. Darimi transmitted it.