Paradise and Hell
What a Muslim believes about Paradise and Hell: that both already exist, will never end, and who is destined for each.
Paradise, called Jannah, already exists. It is a place of comfort and every kind of good thing, which Allah will give to the people who did good, as a reward. Neither Paradise nor the people in it will ever end. No one in Paradise will ever feel pain, sadness, or trouble again; they will live in peace and joy forever, each one according to how much good they did.
Hell, called Jahannam, already exists too. It is a place of terrible punishment, with fire, snakes, scorpions and chains, prepared for people who did wrong and disobeyed Allah, as what their sins deserve.
Who stays in Hell, and who does not
- Neither Hell nor the people in it will ever end. People who did not believe in Allah, and people who worshipped others besides Him, will stay in Hell forever; they will not die, and they will never escape.
- Some Muslims who sinned will go to Hell too, but they will not stay there forever. Anyone who has even the tiniest bit of faith in their heart will eventually be taken out of Hell. After being punished for their sins, they will be saved, either through Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ intercession or simply through Allah's mercy, and taken into Paradise.
Paradise (Jannah) has already been created. It is a place of comfort and luxury, filled with countless blessings and delights, granted by Allah's grace to the righteous as a reward for their good deeds. Neither Paradise nor its dwellers will ever perish; its people will never experience any pain, sorrow, or hardship, and will instead live in everlasting peace and joy, each according to the level of their good deeds.
Hell (Jahannam) has already been created. It is a place of intense punishment, filled with fire, snakes, scorpions, chains, and various forms of torment, prepared as recompense for wrongdoers because of their sins and disobedience.
| Group | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Disbelievers and polytheists | Remain in Hell forever; they will not die, nor find any escape from continuous torment. |
| Sinful Muslims | Will also enter Hell, but not remain there forever. Anyone with even the slightest amount of faith in their heart will eventually be removed, after facing punishment proportionate to their sins, saved either through the intercession of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ or through Allah's mercy alone, and admitted to Paradise. |
Al-Jannah has already been brought into existence (makhlūqah al-ān). It is a domain of comfort and abundance, containing blessings and delights without limit, granted by Allah's grace to the righteous as recompense for their good works. Neither al-Jannah nor its inhabitants will ever cease to exist (lā fanāʾ); its people will never know pain, grief, or hardship, but abide in everlasting peace and joy, each in the degree corresponding to the deeds they performed.
Jahannam, too, has already been brought into existence. It is a place of severe torment (ʿadhāb shadīd), containing fire, serpents, scorpions, and chains, prepared as jazāʾ (recompense) for the disobedient on account of their sins.
| Category | Ruling |
|---|---|
| Kuffār and mushrikīn | Abide in Jahannam eternally (khālidūn); they neither die nor find release from perpetual torment. |
| Sinful Muslims (ahl al-kabāʾir among the muwaḥḥidīn) | Enter Jahannam but are not eternal there. Anyone retaining even the smallest measure of īmān in the heart will, after punishment proportionate to their sin, ultimately be extracted (by the intercession of the Prophet ﷺ, or by Allah's mercy alone) and admitted to al-Jannah. |
Terms on this page
Related
- Belief in the Last Day What happens from the questioning in the grave through the signs of Qiyamah, the Scale, the reckoning, the Bridge, and the Prophet's intercession.
- Kufr, shirk, and treating a sin as permitted What counts as disbelief or associating partners with Allah, the two kinds of sin, and the three steps of repentance.
- Belief in the prophets, and the life of the Prophet ﷺ What a Muslim believes about the prophets and their miracles, and a brief account of the life of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
- The virtue of sending salutations on the Prophet ﷺ What the Prophet ﷺ brought to the world, what he said about sending blessings upon him, the days it is best recited on, and why durood is woven into the prayer itself.