Sayyiduna Ya'la bin Umayyah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates this saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "The sea is Hell." The people spoke to Sayyiduna Ya'la about this, and he said: "Have you not seen that Allah Almighty has said: 'A Fire (or Hell) whose walls will surround them'?" Sayyiduna Ya'la (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "No, by the One in whose hand is the soul of Ya'la, I will never enter it (that is, the sea) until I am presented before Allah Almighty, and not a single drop of it will reach me until I appear before Allah Almighty (that is, I will not do so until my dying breath)."
Ahmad recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).
Hadith Referenceمجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد / كتاب صفة أهل النار / 18569
Hadith Gradingمحدثین:إسنادہ صحیح
Hadith Takhrij«اخرجه احمد فى المسند (223/4) ، أخرجه مسند أحمد برقم: 17500»