Imagine someone has just thrown you into a pit of blazing fire. You 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. And over time, the excruciating pain from being burnt gets more and more severe.
One day passes: you aren’t sure how, but you’re 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.
Somehow, you are still alive and the agony of having your whole body burnt has continued to increase during this period. Words cannot describe the level of pain you’re going through!
The worst place to find oneself
Well I’m going to tell you that there is a pain people will be experiencing that is far worse than the awful situation described above. What do you think that is?
Allah says,
“So taste [the penalty], and never will We increase you, except in torment.” [1]
al-Sa’di (rahīmahullah) said regarding this verse,
“‘…never will We increase you, except in 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 ‘Āshūr (rahīmahullah) 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 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 Allah over them].” [3]
Thought of Hell should help us improve
Perhaps now you feel quite stressed, that would be understandable. But leverage it to your advantage by changing any sinful ways.
At this point, you may also have tears coming out of your eyes. Let them flow, for perhaps those tears due to the fear of Allah’s punishment will lead to your salvation!
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
“One who weeps out of fear of Allah, 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 to 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 ultimately chase the pleasure of people or Dunya (worldly life).
Let’s now be humble and focused on succeeding in the Hereafter.
We must get onto the right path
We must repent for all our sins, stop oppressing or wronging others, return back anything we’ve taken unlawfully, adopt humility before Allah, and not worry too much about whether people will like us or not, especially in trying to do the right thing.
We’ve got something way more important to think about now: how to save ourselves from Allah’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 Islamic knowledge, work towards righteous goals, stand up against injustice — including raising awareness and speaking up against oppression.
Above all, we do these good actions to sincerely please Allah, so that we can be forgiven and escape this agonising punishment.
May Allah forgive us and protect us. Āmīn.
Source: Islam21c
This article was originally published by Siddeeqoon Success.
Notes
[1] al-Qur’ān, 78:30
[2] Tafsīr al-Sa’dī, 78:30
[3] Tafsīr Ibn ‘Āshūr, 78:30; https://www.islamweb.net/en/fatwa/336427/bliss-of-paradise-and-torment-of-hellfire-will-continue-to-increase
[4] Riyād al-Sālihīn, 448; https://sunnah.com/riyadussalihin:448
[5] Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi; https://islamqa.info/en/answers/46911/weeping-for-fear-of-allah
