Jahannam

Letter J · Updated Sep 4, 2026

In plain terms

Jahannam is Hell: the place of punishment the Qur'an and hadith describe for those who die in disbelief. Scholars differ on questions such as who ultimately remains there, and for how long. It stands opposite jannah, Paradise.

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See the term in context

What is the number of the gates of Hell (Jahannam) and what are their names, and why was each gate given that name, and who enters through each gate?
The gates of Hell are seven, as Allah Almighty stated in His Book: "And indeed, Hell is the promised abode for them all. It has seven gates; for every gate is a [specific] portion [of them] prescribed." The names of…
What is the ruling on using the words "Jahannam" (Hell) and "Jaheem" (Blazing Fire) metaphorically in poetry to express intense torment, or intense fire, or extreme distress, and what is the danger of these expressions?
There is no harm in likening the heat of this world to the heat of Hellfire. The one who says it intends to liken their situation to that of the tormented in the Fire, and this is a well-known Arabic figure of speech.…
What is the wisdom behind the eternal torment of disbelievers and polytheists in the painful Fire, and does Allah know that they will never believe, and is this an interpretation of the verse (And if they were returned, they would return to that which they were forbidden; and indeed, they are liars)? And is it possible that Allah might alleviate the torment for some of them, and what is Zamhareer Jahannam, and is the torment of disbelievers sometimes by fire and sometimes by extreme cold? And what is the ruling on a believer asking these questions?
The eternal dwelling of the people of Hellfire in Hell is just, because the punishment for disbelief in God—which is the greatest sin—is severe and constant for them, even if they were returned to the world, they would…

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