Is hell real ?

[Devoted]

There have been quite a few times where I came across the "Why would you believe-" arguments..

One from a christian that goes

"Why would you believe in a religion that doesn't guarantee you a place in Heaven? You can do your best in life and at best you HOPE that Allah will grant you His mercy and let you enter Heaven. Whereas in Christianity you are guaranteed a place in Heaven."

-I find this "argument" so strange because it shows that the person's faith is based on which religion is the easiest rather than which is the most logical/true.

The threadstarter stated a different question but on a similar basis. However, it is still a valid question.

Great answers have been given by the bros/sis and I don't think there's any need for me to add more sugar to the cake.

[Maripat]

(1) Yes, it is real.
(2) We worship Him to avoid hell.
(3) You are invited to be one of us.

[Scorpion]

Incorrect. For those who came after muhammad , one of the conditions is to believe in his message and follow his ways. But for for those who came before him those who believed in the prophets of their time and followed their ways are in the same category of 'believers'.

Does this mean that only Jews and Christians and Muslims can go to heaven?
What about Buddhists and Hindus?

[Devoted]

Does this mean that only Jews and Christians and Muslims can go to heaven?
What about Buddhists and Hindus?

Only the righteous will enter Heaven.

If one is a buddhist/hindu/any other faith and has been presented with the truth yet they deny then they will be denied by God on the day of Judgement. There is no place for religious pluralism in Islam. If it doesn't matter which religion you follow and you still enter Heaven that we all might as well pick the easiest religion. But that is not the case, it is about a sincere search for the truth from the Creator.

Those who are mentally incapable of comprehending will be excused by God.

You won't find anyone here who will tell you to "JUST BELIEVE"(i actually saw that on a forum of another religion), rather we ask you to put aside any arrogance/ego/presumptions you have of our religion and actually learn about it. If you are hell-bent on proving yourself right whether what you're trying to prove is true or not then it is evidence of arrogance/ego at play. I'm not saying you are arrogant/egoistic, but if your intention here is to WIN an argument then there's not much you have to gain here. Don't take offence, I'm just saying it in general. Personally I don't think that is your intention.

[Maripat]

Does this mean that only Jews and Christians and Muslims can go to heaven?
What about Buddhists and Hindus?

God has created this world for some purpose.
In short the purpose is to decide which one of the people use the free will given to them to be obedient to him.
These obedient people will be accepted into heaven.
So this world is a test, an examination.
Now think of this examination where you are in an interview. The question is asked about production of goods and you answer about publicity management. The answer might be internally correct but in appropriate for you have displayed your lack of discerning between production and publicity. If the next question is about marketing and you give a very lucid explanation of transport management then the same conclusion as earlier applies to this reply too.
God sent messengers to all the groups of people that he created. It was the right thing for those people to follow their messengers.
Finally God decided to sent the final and last messenger Hazrat Muhammed (PBUH) with a universal message. This message is for all people at that time and all people that came after that and all who will come till last day. If some one now wants to follow Christianity or Judaism or Buddhism or Hinduism it is strange. It is like a US citizen today insisting that I liked Ronald Reagan as president for me he still is the president and Barack H. Obama is irrelevant for me. This does not make sense.

And such things-whether to follow Islam or other religion, should be taken seriously. Decisions of God are firm, fair and obvious. If He allows murders to be committed in this world then the pious should get worried that His punishment for bad deeds will be as straightforward as the crimes taking place in this world. And what can be greater crime than disobedience to Him?

[Scorpion]

Incorrect again. The verse 71 in Surah (chapter) Maryam (Mary) is in reference to the crossing over Hell, which everyone believer and disbeliever will have to cross.

I quoted the quran, but you tell me it is incorrect. I posted a quote from the Pickthall translation which is distributed free by Saudi Arabia, so it must be well regarded.
But I cannot read Arabic so I am forced to try to understand what the quran says from English translations.
Here are all the translations of sura 19.71 that I have access to.



Quran sura 19:71

Pickthall- There is not one of you but shall approach it. That is a fixed ordinance of thy Lord.

Yusuf Ali- Not one of you but will pass over it: this is, with thy Lord, a Decree which must be accomplished.

Hilali-Khan- There is not one of you but will pass over it (Hell); this is with your Lord; a Decree which must be accomplished.

Shakir- And there is not one of you but shall come to it; this is an unavoidable decree of your Lord.

Sher Ali- And there is not one of you but will come to it. This is an absolute decree of thy Lord.

Khalifa- Every single one of you must see it; this is an irrevocable decision of your Lord.

Arberry- Not one of you there is, but he shall go down to it; that for thy Lord is a thing decreed, determined.

Palmer- There is not one of you who will not go down to it,- that is settled and decided by thy Lord.

Rodwell- No one is there of you who shall not go down unto it - This is a settled decree with thy Lord -

Sale- There shall be none of you but shall descend into the same [hell]: [This] is an established decree upon thy Lord.

As can be seen there are only two translations that speak of crossing over hell, most of them speak of decending into it.
Maybe you are reading the Arabic quran, or maybe you have other sources such as a Hadith, for your views?

[xs11ax]

As can be seen there are only two translations that speak of crossing over hell, most of them speak of decending into it.

no

[Maripat]

The hint is that everyone will be shown what hell is. At the present moment hell is part of Islamic belief. We believe in it without ever having seen it. That is faith, belief, eeman. The crux of faith is to believe certain things without seeing them. On the Judgment Day we shall be shown all those things that we believed in. If hell is not shown to the pious and they are directly sent to Jannah then for them hell will become just a chimera. Thus their visit, and that is just passing over it via Path Bridge, is to impress upon them what Merciful God has saved them from. Out of the seven levels of hell the upper most is Jahannum and the Path Bridge will be established over it.

[Scorpion]

I have read nothing in the Quran, about a bridge over hell. Does this come from a hadith?

I must say that in my efforts reading the Quran, I am gradually beginning to agree with Muslims who have said, you cannot know what is in the Quran unless you can read it in Arabic. There are so many different English translations, and each seems to say something a little different. (Not to mention the fact that the original Quran was in ancient Arabic which had no vowels)

The following is all the translations I have of the verse 19.72 which qualifies verse 19.71



19:72

Pickthall- Then We shall rescue those who kept from evil, and leave the evil-doers crouching there.

Yusuf Ali- But We shall save those who guarded against evil, and We shall leave the wrong-doers therein, (humbled) to their knees.

Hilali-Khan- Then We shall save those who use to fear Allah and were dutiful to Him. And We shall leave the Zalimun (polytheists and wrongdoers, etc.) therein (humbled) to their knees (in Hell).

Shakir- And We will deliver those who guarded (against evil), and We will leave the unjust therein on their knees.

Sher Ali- And WE shall save the righteous, and shall leave the wrongdoers therein, on their knees.

Khalifa- Then we rescue the righteous, and leave the transgressors in it, humiliated.

Arberry- Then We shall deliver those that were godfearing; and the evildoers We shall leave there, hobbling on their knees.

Palmer- Then we will save those who fear us; but we will leave the evildoers therein on their knees.

Rodwell- Then will we deliver those who had the fear of God, and the wicked will we leave in it on their knees.

Sale- Afterwards we will deliver those who shall have been pious, but we will leave the ungodly therein on their knees.


These verses do seem to say that all will go to hell, but the godfearing will be saved.
Because if they were only passing over hell why would they need to be saved from it?

[nameuser]

if u know atleast science..u know that for every action there is a reaction to it.

so hell is not for every one..Hell is for the bad people..similar to crime..if u do crime u will get punishment right!

Allah swt. also made Jannah(paradise) for good people..similar to reward. if u do good u will be rewarded/honored right!