Surah Al-Lail (92) — Ayah 15

(Ayah 16,15){ لَا يَصْلٰىهَاۤ اِلَّا الْاَشْقَى … :} From this verse, the Murji'ah (a false sect which believes that faith is only the affirmation of the heart) have argued that only disbelievers will enter Hell, and no Muslim, no matter how sinful, will enter Hell. But this belief is against those clear verses and hadiths from which it is known that many Muslims, whom Allah wishes to punish, will enter Hell for some time, then they will be taken out by the intercession of the Prophet (peace be upon him), the angels, and other righteous people, or merely by Allah's mercy. The evidence for this is this verse: « اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ اَنْ يُّشْرَكَ بِهٖ وَ يَغْفِرُ مَا دُوْنَ ذٰلِكَ لِمَنْ يَّشَآءُ » [ النساء : ۱۱۶ ] "Indeed, Allah does not forgive that partners be associated with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills." Now, if a person who does not commit shirk but is a Muslim will never enter Hell, then {’’ وَ يَغْفِرُ مَا دُوْنَ ذٰلِكَ لِمَنْ يَّشَآءُ ‘‘} (but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills) becomes completely meaningless; then it should be said that He will forgive everything else, and there would be no need for the condition {’’ لِمَنْ يَّشَآءُ ‘‘} (for whom He wills). This is also proven by the hadiths of intercession mentioned in Sahih Bukhari.

What is said in this verse, that only the most wretched will enter Hell, means that those who are confirmed disbelievers and extremely wretched, Hell is actually made for them, in which they will definitely, inevitably, and eternally enter. If some disobedient Muslims enter Hell, they will not enter it definitely, inevitably, or eternally, but will enter as a punishment, and their entry will be temporary.