Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear Brother Burhan,

salaam ale i kum

One of my friend asked me this question:

Okay I understand that if we are going to hell we are going to be in the hell fire? But how long we are going to be grilled ? What will Allah get out of it?  

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

What will Allah get by putting non-muslims in hell?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Nowhere in the Holy Quran does Allah mention that Hindus, or Sikhs, or Christians or Jews will all go to Hell! The aayahs will always say that people who do deeds of shirk, or kufr, or hypocrisy will be doomed to the torment of the Hell Fire. The criteria of Allah Subhanah is not what is the name of the person or what does the census state about the name of his religion. The Criteria of Judgement on the Day of Qiyaamah will be whether or not the individual followed the guidance sent by Allah, whether or not he believed in the Messengers sent by Allah, and whether or not the individual lived his life according to the guidance of Allah and His Messenger (saws).

Your Question: But how long we are going to be grilled ?

Allah has declared in the Glorious Quran that those who committed shirk, or kufr, or hypocrisy will stay in the fire of Hell for eternity! In light of the various aayahs of the Quran, and the authentic narrations of the Messenger of Allah (saws), there will be no end and no death after the death of this worldly life. Anyone who enters Paradise will never taste death again, and will never be asked to leave these Gardens of Bliss; and similarly, whoever is condemned to Hell Fire, will never die and will stay in the torment for ever and ever!

The life of this world is nothing but a test and is only for a short period of time; the real life is the everlasting life of the Hereafter, which will never ever end!

Your Question: What will Allah get out of it?  

Our Magnificent Lord and Creator is All Self-Sufficient and Self Praise-Worthy, and He requires and gets absolutely nothing from His Creation! He is not in need of any of us, nor is He in need of any of our worship, or awe, or praise! He is indeed Self-Sufficient and Self Praise-Worthy!

It is we who are in need of Him at all times; and it is we who need to thank Him, and Praise Him, and live our lives in Awe and Worship for all the blessings and grace that He has bestowed on us.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumar verse 7:If you disbelieve, Allah is independent of you!; yet He does not approve of disbelief for His servants. And if you are thankful, He approves it for you.

The reason Allah Subhanah has decreed Paradise for His obedient slaves, and the everlasting torment of Hell Fire for the deniers of Truth, is because, apart from being Self-Sufficient and Self-Praise-Worthy, the Merciful Lord is also the All Just! Allah will get absolutely nothing, nor does He ever want anything from His creation; but it is the believers who will get justice, and it is Allah Subhanah Who will give them their justice.

The believers spent their whole lives in the obedience of Allah and His Messenger (saws), when the deniers of Truth formulated their own ways and followed their own paths, and apparently enjoyed the short worldly life without a care or thought of gratitude for their Creator! Allah has promised to honor the gratitude of His obedient Slaves, and promised them their just reward; and Allah will punish those who belied Him and His Messenger (saws), denied His Revelations, and lived their lives as they willed!

Allah Subhanah will get no more or no less than what a Just Judge gets when he condemns the traitor or murderer in a Court of Law. The Judge gets nothing more than justice, and Allah Subhanah is indeed the Best of Judges.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 68 Surah Qalam verses 34-40:Surely for the God Fearing there are Blissful Gardens with their Lord. Shall We then treat the obedient as We treat the criminals? What has happened to you (O disbelievers)? How ill you judge? Have you (O disbelievers) a book in which you study that you shall have there (in the Hereafter) the same that you choose for yourselves? Or, have you covenants binding on Us till the Day of Resurrection that you shall have there whatever you shall demand? Ask them which of them will guarantee this?

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 95 Surah Teen verses 7-8: Therefore, who can belie you (O Prophet) after this, concerning the rewards and punishments? Is not Allah the Greatest of all Judges?

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan