Question

Dear valued Sheikh, will the torment of Hell-Fire be a physical torment to the body? Or is it a state of mind or something? And how can a person endure the pain?

Answer

All praise be to Allah and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, upon his family, his Companions, and those who follow him.

The torment of Hell-Fire (may Allah protect you, us, and all Muslims from it) is real for oneself, and the body feels the pain. There is no disagreement between the adherents of the Sunnah and others about that, then the body is rebuilt again as was created in the world: Flesh, body, and soul. So, the body which obeyed Allah shall enjoy along with the soul, whereas the body which disobeyed Allah shall be tortured with the soul; both body and soul shall unite together for the bliss or torture. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: “And as for those who are Fâsiqûn (disbelievers and disobedient to Allâh), their abode will be the Fire, every time they wish to get away there from, they will be put back thereto, and it will be said to them: Taste you the torment of the Fire which you used to deny.” [Surat As-Sajdah: 20].

Allah (may He be Exalted) described the denizens of the Fire: “I will cast him into Hell-fire.* And what will make you know (exactly) what Hell-fire is? * It spares not (any sinner), nor does it leave (anything unburnt)! * Burning and blackening the skins! * Over it are nineteen (angels as guardians and keepers of Hell). * And We have set none but angels as guardians of the Fire. And We have fixed their number (19) only as a trial for the disbelievers, in order that the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) may arrive at a certainty [that this Qur’ân is the truth as it agrees with their Books regarding the number (19) which is written in the Taurât (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] and that the believers may increase in Faith (as this Qur’ân is the truth), and that no doubt may be left for the people of the Scripture and the believers, and that those in whose hearts is a disease (of hypocrisy) and the disbelievers may say: “What Allâh intends by this (curious) example?” Thus Allâh leads astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And none can know the hosts of your Lord but He. And this (Hell) is nothing else than a (warning) reminder to mankind.” [Surat Al Muddathir: 26- 31].

Allah (Exalted be He) says: “Then let him call upon his council (of helpers). * We will call out the guards of Hell (to deal with him)!” [Surat Al `Alaq: 17 – 18]. More than one Companion and Follower such as Abu Hurayrah, `Abdullah ibn Al Harith, `Ata’ said: They are angels. Qatadah said: They are the angels of Hell as reported in the words of Arabs. Muqattil said: They are the keepers of Hells.

As for how the body endures the torment of Hell-Fire may Allah protect us from it, a resident of Hell will be magnified as Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The width between the two shoulders of a Kafir (disbeliever) will be equal to the distance covered by a fast rider in three days.” [Reported by Al Bukhari with his own wordings, Muslim, and others].

Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “The molar teeth of a disbeliever will be like Uhud, His thigh will be like Al Bayda’ [i.e., a place near Ar-Rabdhah or the name of a mountain], his place in hell will be like the distance between Qadid and Makkah, and the thickness of his skin is 42 arm-length of Al Jabbar [a king in Yemen whose arm was long].”

Reported by Ahmad with his own wordings, and reported by Muslim and its wordings are:

“The molar of a disbeliever will be like Uhud and the thickness of his skin is as length as three days.” [At-Tirmidhy narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah who narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “On the Day of Resurrection, the molar tooth of an infidel will be like Uhud. His thigh will be like Al Bayda’ [i.e., a place near Ar-Rabdhahor the name of a mountain], and his seat in Hell will be a journey of three nights like Rabadhah.” [At-Tirmidhy said: This Hadith is Hassan Gharib (a good Hadith that is strange to come from this chain of narration)].

In another narration of At-Tirmidhy from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The thickness of the skin of the disbeliever will be forty-two cubits, his molar tooth will be like Uhud and his seat in Hell will be as the distance between Makkah and Medina.” [At-Tirmidhy said: This is a good, authentic, and Gharib Hadith].

The Hadith was reported by Ibn Hibban in his Sahih with the following wordings: “The thickness of the skin of the disbeliever will be forty-two cubits as the length of Al Jabbar‘s arm-length, and his moral teeth will be like Uhud.” [A good Hadith, and was reported by Al Hakim who graded it as authentic and its wordings correspond a narration of Imam Ahmad with a good chain of transmission], it reads: “On the Day of Resurrection, the molar tooth of an infidel will be like Uhud. The thickness of his skin is seventy cubits, his shoulder will be like Al Bayda’, his thigh will be like Warqan [i.e., a mountain in the way between Makkahand Medina], and his seat of Fire will be as the distance between Medina and Ar-Rabdhah.”

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: It was said: His stomach shall be like the abdomen of Idam [The name of a mountain or a place].”

Abu Sa`id Al Khudry narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “The seat of a disbeliever in Hell will be as the distance of three days walk, every molar teeth will be like Uhud, his thigh will be like Warqan [i.e., a mountain in the way between Makkahand Medina], and [the thickness of] his skin without his flesh and bones is forty cubits.”[Reported by Ahmad, Abu Ya`la, and Al Hakim]. Mujahid said: Ibn `Abbas asked me: Do you know who wide is Hell? I said: No. He said: By Allah you do not know that between the lobe of his ear and his shoulder is as distance as seventy years walk within which there are valleys of pus and blood. I asked him: Rivers? He said: no, valleys.” [Reported by Ahmad with an authentic chain of transmission and Al Hakim who said: Its chain of transmission is authentic].

You may also ponder over Allah’s Saying: “Surely! Those who disbelieved in Our Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.), We shall burn them in Fire. As often as their skins are roasted through, We shall change them for other skins that they may taste the punishment. Truly, Allâh is Ever Most Powerful, All-Wise.” [Surat An-Nisa’: 56].Whenever their fleshes are burnt, we replace them with new fleshes. [As was reported in Tafsir At-Tabary: 8/484].

For more information, see the book of An-Nihayah fi Al Fitan wal Malahim of Ibn Kathir.