Creation of Paradise and Hell: Islamic Belief in Light of Aḥādīth
Source: Fatāwā Aminpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Aminpuri
Question
Has Hell already been created?
Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd!
✿ Paradise and Hell are creations of Allah Almighty, and they have already been created.
❀ Ḥaḍrat Abū Hurayrah (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
اشتكت النار إلى ربها فقالت : رب أكل بعضي بعضا، فأذن لها بنفسين؛ نفس فى الشتاء ونفس فى الصيف، فأشد ما تجدون من الحر ، وأشد ما تجدون من الزمهرير.
“Hell complained to its Lord, saying: ‘O my Lord! Part of me has consumed the other part.’ So Allah allowed it two breaths: one in winter and the other in summer. The extreme heat you experience (in summer) and the extreme cold you experience (in winter) are due to these breaths.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3260, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 617)
Statements of Scholars
❀ Ḥāfiẓ Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr (RA) (463 AH):
“In this ḥadīth there is evidence that Paradise and Hell have been created, and this is the view of the Ahl al-Sunnah, the jurists, and the muḥaddithīn.”
(al-Istidhkār 1/103)
❀ ʿAllāmah Ibn al-ʿArabī (RA) (543 AH):
“In this ḥadīth there is proof that Hell is created, as a refutation of those who say: ‘It has not been created yet and will only be created when needed, i.e., on the Day of Resurrection.’”
(al-Masālik fī Sharḥ Muwaṭṭaʾ Mālik 1/454)
❀ Ḥāfiẓ Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr (RA):
“This ḥadīth is evidence that Paradise and Hell are created, as stated by the Ahl al-Sunnah, who are the group whose creed is binding proof—comprising the jurists and muḥaddithīn.”
(al-Istidhkār 3/86)
❀ ʿAllāmah Ibn Abī al-ʿIzz al-Ḥanafī (RA) (792 AH):
“The Ahl al-Sunnah are agreed that Paradise and Hell have already been created and presently exist. The Ahl al-Sunnah have always remained firm upon this belief, until a faction of the Muʿtazilah and Qadariyyah appeared and denied it, claiming: ‘Paradise and Hell have not yet been created; Allah will create them on the Day of Resurrection.’ They based this on their corrupt reasoning, which they made a law upon Allah’s actions, saying what Allah should and should not do. They likened Allah’s actions to those of creation, thus becoming anthropomorphists in action and negators in belief. They said: ‘Creating Paradise before its use is futile, as it would remain empty for a long time.’ Hence, they rejected many texts contrary to their invented laws for Allah, altered the meanings of many other texts, and declared as misguided and innovators all those who opposed them.”
(Sharḥ al-ʿAqīdah al-Ṭaḥāwiyyah, p. 420)
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
