Jahannam

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Jahannam جهنم is the Islamic equivalent to hell. Its roots come from the Hebrew word Gehinnom, which is a valley south of Jerusalem that was used as a garbage dump by the Israelites. In the pre-Israelite times the Canaanites worshipped the god Moloch and performed child sacrifices in the valley, burning them in an offering to the deity. Consequently the valley long had an association with burning fires and distateful things. The name Gehinnom is derived from the Hebrew Gai Ben Hinnom meaning the valley owned by Ben Hinnom. According to Islamic eschatology only God knows who will go to Jahannam and who will go to Jannah. Those who ignored, or only pretended to believe in Allah remain in Jahannam after Yaum al-Qiyamah (Judgment Day).

The seven levels of Jahannam are Jaheem, Jahanam, Sa'ir, Saqar, Ladha, Hawiyah, and Hutama. The most severe level is Hutama for religious hypocrites (those who pretend to believe but deny faith inwardly).

Zaqqum is a thorned tree that grows in Jahannam. It has bitter thorned fruit which the damned are compelled to eat so as to intensify their torment. Its fruits are shaped like devils' heads. Quote from the Qur'an:

^* Surely the tree of the Zaqqum,

^* Is the food of the sinful

^* Like dregs of oil; it shall boil in (their) bellies,

^* Like the boiling of hot water.

Surah Al-Baqara of the Qur'an states that along with Muslims, Allah will also save other People of the Book from Hell:

"Those who believe, Jews, Nazarenes (Christians), and Sabaeans - whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and does good deeds - shall be rewarded by their Lord; they have nothing to fear nor are they saddened." :^*

It should be noted that Muslim scholars have commented that those saved from Hell other than Muslims are those people from pre-Islamic times who followed the teachings of their respective prophet. People who did not receive the true message of Islam will also be saved.

You can go to hell in Islam, and then go from there to Heaven after serving your time in Hell. There is a certain ratio for time in earth, to time in hell.

Islamic eschatology

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