Escaping The Most Dangerous Destination

Imagine someone threw you into a pit of blazing fire. 

You now emit a blood-curdling scream due to the pain of being burnt alive! Try to really imagine how that would feel.

You are unable to get out from the pit.

Over time, the excruciating pain from being burnt gets more and more severe!

One day passes. You are still alive and the extremity of the pain just keeps on increasing! Once again, imagine how you’d actually feel at this point.

One week passes. One month passes. One year. Ten years. You are still alive and the painfulness of having your whole body burnt has continued to increase during this period! Words cannot describe the level of pain you're going through!

Well I’m here to tell you the fact that there is a pain people would be experiencing that is far worse than what I have just described to you above. What do you think that is?

Allāh (God) says,

'So taste you (the results of your evil actions); no increase shall We give you, except in torment.' [1]

This 'torment' is in Hell for its people!

As-Sa'di (rahimahuAllāh) said regarding this verse:

"{We shall not increase you in aught but torment} and at all times and every moment their punishment will increase. This verse is the sternest of those verses that describe the severity of the punishment for the people of hell." [2] 

Ibn ‘Āshoor (rahimahuAllāh) said:

"It means their punishment will be increased in the future times... This style opens with a hint to good tiding {taste (the penalty}, and 'never will We increase you', but ends with a mention of punishment {except in torment}, which adds to their sadness and grief; as when they have assumed that they were already subjected to the ultimate and severest punishment and they have become sad upon hearing it, they will be informed that there is a severer punishment awaiting for them, which adds to their sadness and grief. This is the connotation of the style used in the verse, and it indicates the intensity of the wrath {of Allāh over them}..." [3]

Perhaps now you feel quite stressed. Leverage it to your advantage by changing the sinful ways.

You may also at this point have tears coming out of your eyes. Let the tears come out for perhaps those tears coming out due to the fear of Allāh's punishment will lead to your salvation!

The Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) said, "One who weeps out of fear of Allāh, will not enter the Hell till milk returns back in the udder..." [4] In other words, it is impossible for the milk to return back in the udder, thus such an individual will absolutely not be entering Hell. [5]

Whilst you're in that state, realise you're still alive and have the opportunity to repent. Do you not want to repent after what you have read above?

Quickly repent and change your ways right now before it's too late! Before death overtakes you!

There’s no point in trying to chase ultimately the pleasure of people or dunyā (worldly life).

Let’s now be humble and focused on succeeding in the Hereafter. 

We must repent for all our sins, stop oppressing/wronging others, return back anything we’ve taken unlawfully, adopt humility before Allāh, not worry too much about whether people will like us or not in trying to do the right thing and so on. We've got something way more important to think about now – how to save ourselves from Allāh's painful punishment, the torment of which keeps on increasing over time. 

Thus, we pray on time, have back up voluntary prayers, recite Qur’ān, gain islāmic knowledge, work towards righteous goals, stand up against injustice [including raising awareness and speaking up against oppression] – all sincerely to please Allāh so that we can be forgiven and escape this extremely dangerous torment of Hell that keeps on increasing over time!

May Allāh forgive us and protect us. Āmīn.

Footnotes

[1] Al-Qur'ān, 78:30

[2] Tafsīr as-Sa'di, 78:30

[3] Tafsīr Ibn 'Āshoor, 78:30. Translation Amended (slightly). Accessed from: https://www.islamweb.net/en/fatwa/336427/bliss-of-paradise-and-torment-of-hellfire-will-continue-to-increase 

[4] Riyād as-Sāliheen, 448. Hasan Sahīh (at-Tirmidhī). Translation Amended (slightly). Accessed from: https://sunnah.com/riyadussalihin:448 

[5] Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi. Accessed from: https://islamqa.info/en/answers/46911/weeping-for-fear-of-allah