The reason for the mistaken claim that Shaykh al-Islam held the view that the Fire will perish goes back to the fact that Ibn al-Qayyim, in his book Hādī al-Arwāḥ, mentioned the different views about whether the Fire will end or not, and he pointed out that Ibn Taymiyyah reported some of these views, among them the view that the Fire will come to an end.
But there is nothing in this that proves Ibn Taymiyyah himself held this false opinion. He merely reported these views, as others from Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah did, such as the explainer of al-ʿAqīdah al-Ṭahāwiyyah. And his books are full of places where he mentions the opinions of various groups, but only in order to refute them, not to affirm them. This is clear and does not need further explanation.
As for Imam Ibn al-Qayyim, then he has two views on this matter. The first is that he leaned toward the opinion that the Fire will come to an end, and he supported it and brought evidence for it. This is found in his books Hādī al-Arwāḥ and Shifāʾ al-ʿAlīl. He also showed hesitation about the matter in his book al-Ṣawāʿiq al-Mursalah.
The second view of Ibn al-Qayyim, which agrees with the position of Ahl al-Sunnah, is the view that the Fire is eternal and does not perish. He clearly stated this in his books al-Wābil al-Ṣayyib and Ṭarīq al-Hijratayn.
He said in al-Wābil al-Ṣayyib: “As for the Fire, it is the abode of filth in speech, action, food, and drink, and the abode of the wicked. Allah gathers filth together, one part upon another, and heaps it as things are heaped up one atop the other, then places it in Hell along with its people. Nothing is in it except filth. And since people fall into three categories: a pure one untouched by filth, a wicked one with no purity in him, and a third who has both filth and purity, their abodes are likewise three: an abode for pure ones, and an abode for the wicked, and these two abodes never perish.
Then there is an abode for those who have both filth and purity, and this is the abode that will perish, which is the abode of sinful monotheists. For there will remain in Hell no one from among the sinful believers. Once they are punished according to the measure of their deeds, they will be taken out of the Fire and admitted into Paradise. So what remains is the abode of the purely pure and the abode of the purely wicked.”
From this, it is clear that to say without qualification that Ibn al-Qayyim holds the view that the Fire will perish is a mistake. Rather, he held two views. The real question is: which of the two views is his final position that abrogates the earlier?
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Some researchers have leaned toward the opinion that what he wrote in al-Wābil al-Ṣayyib and Ṭarīq al-Hijratayn came later and therefore overrides what he mentioned in Hādī al-Arwāḥ, Shifāʾ al-ʿAlīl, and al-Ṣawāʿiq al-Mursalah.
This conclusion is supported by several pieces of reasoning, which can be reviewed in the book Kashf al-Astār li-Ibṭāl Idʿāʾ Fanāʾ al-Nār by ʿAlī al-Ḥarbī, published by Dār Ṭayyibah.
As for the view that the Fire will perish, it has been attributed to some of the Salaf, such as ʿUmar, Ibn Masʿūd, Abu Hurayrah, and Abu Saʿīd al-Khudrī. However, these reports are either not authentically attributed to them or must be understood in another way, other than a belief in the actual end of the Fire.
See the discussion of these reports and the refutation of using them as proof in Sharḥ al-ʿAqīdah al-Ṭaḥāwiyyah by Ibn Abī al-ʿIzz (2/626-627) in the footnotes.
Translation: Ibn Abi Al Izz says: So, from the evidences for the first view among them are the saying of Allah, Most High, “He will say, The Fire is your abode, you will remain in it forever, except what Allah wills. Surely your Lord is Wise, Knowing.” (al-An’am: 128) And His saying, Most High, “But as for those who are wretched, they will be in the Fire. For them therein is sighing and wailing.
They will remain in it as long as the heavens and the earth endure, except what your Lord wills. Surely your Lord is Doer of what He wills.” (Hud: 106–107) After these two exceptions, there does not come what comes after the exception mentioned for the people of Paradise, which is His saying, “A gift without end.” (Hud: 108) And His saying, Most High, “They will remain in it for ages.” (an-Naba: 23)
This view, meaning the view that the Fire will perish while Paradise will not, is reported from Umar, Ibn Mas’ud, Abu Hurairah, Abu Sa’id, and others.
(Shuayb Al Arnaoot comments and says: The narration from Umar was recorded by ‘Abd ibn Humayd, from Sulayman ibn Harb, from Hammad ibn Salamah, from Thabit, from al-Hasan, who said: Umar ibn al-Khattab said… This chain is weak due to disconnection, because al-Hasan did not hear from Umar, and the mursal narrations of al-Hasan are weak according to them, as he would take from anyone. Ibn Sirin, as reported from him by ad-Daraqutni in his Sunan 1/171, who was knowledgeable regarding Abu al-‘Aliyah and al-Hasan, said: Do not accept the mursal narrations of al-Hasan or Abu al-‘Aliyah, for they did not care from whom they took.
The narration from Ibn Mas’ud, “There will come a time upon Hell when there will be no one in it,” and something similar from Abu Hurairah, were both commented on by Imam al-Baghawi in his Tafsir 4/398, and then he said after mentioning them: “Its meaning, according to Ahl al-Sunnah, if it is established, is that there will remain no one in them from the people of faith, but the places of the disbelievers will remain filled forever.”
Al-Tabari also recorded the narration from Ibn Mas’ud in his Tafsir 5/484 with a broken chain that is not to be considered, nor should it be relied upon. As for the narration from Abu Hurairah, it was mentioned by Ibn al-Qayyim in Hadi al-Arwah, page 252, through Ishaq ibn Rahuyah: Ubaydullah ibn Mu’adh told us, my father told us, Shu’bah told us, from Yahya ibn Ayyub, from Abu Zur’ah, from Abu Hurairah, who said: “I am not the one to say that there will not come upon Hell a day when there is no one left in it,” and he recited the verse: “But as for those who are wretched, they will be in the Fire. For them therein is sighing and wailing…” Ubaydullah—who was the teacher of Ishaq—said: “Our companions used to say: He means the people of tawheed.” Its chain is authentic, but as you see, it does not prove the claim being argued.
As for the narration from Abu Sa’id, al-Tabari recorded it in his Tafsir 18/482 through Abd al-Razzaq, from Ibn al-Taymi, from his father, from Abu Nadrah, from Jabir or Abu Sa’id (meaning al-Khudri), or from a man among the companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, about His saying, “except what your Lord wills. Surely your Lord is Doer of what He wills,” he said: “I heard Abu Majliz say: It is His recompense, so if Allah wills, He will pardon the punishment.”
Although its chain is authentic, it is understood as applying to the people of tawheed. Ibn Jarir mentioned it after quoting those who interpreted the exception in His saying, “except what your Lord wills,” as referring to the people of tawheed.
They said the meaning is: unless your Lord wills to pardon them and not enter them into the Fire, and they interpreted the exception as returning to His saying, “But as for those who are wretched, they will be in the Fire,” meaning except those whom Allah wills to forgive, not as an exception from eternal residence.
Ya’qub ibn Sufyan also recorded in his History 2/103, from Bundar, from Abu Dawud, from Shu’bah, from Abu Balj, from Amr ibn Maymun, from Abdullah ibn Amr who said: “There will come a time upon Hell when its doors will flutter and there will be no one in it.” Then Ya’qub said: Abu Dawud said: Ali ibn Salamah told us, from Thabit, he said: I asked al-Hasan about this narration, and he rejected it. As for Abu Balj—whose name is Yahya ibn Sulaym or Ibn Abi Sulaym—there is disagreement about him, and Imam al-Dhahabi considered this narration one of his calamities in al-Mizan 4/385.
So, it is clear from what we have mentioned that the claim of the Fire’s extinction cannot be established from any of the Companions, and what is authentically reported from them does not prove the point being argued, which is the view that the Fire will perish.)
Sharḥ al-ʿAqīdah al-Ṭaḥāwiyyah by Ibn Abī al-ʿIzz (2/626-627)
The Different Opinions about the Eternity of the Fire
Ibn al-Qayyim explains that there are well-known differences of opinion about whether the Fire (Hell) will last forever or eventually end. He says that this disagreement existed among the Salaf (early Muslims) and the Tabiʿin (Successors). He lists seven main opinions:
- Eternal Punishment for All Who Enter
The Khawarij and Muʿtazilah hold that everyone who enters the Fire will remain there eternally, never to leave. - Punishment Turns into Pleasure
Ibn ʿArabi al-Ta’i, leader of the Ittihadiyyah, claims that after some time, the punishment will turn into delight for its people, as the Fire will suit their nature. He says Allah’s praise is for fulfilling promises, not threats, so punishment is not real for them, only in appearance. - Punishment for a Fixed Period, then Exit
The Jews, as mentioned in the Quran, said the Fire will only touch them for a limited number of days, after which they will leave and others will replace them. Ibn al-Qayyim says the Prophet and the Quran refuted this, affirming that the disbelievers will remain in the Fire forever and will not enter Paradise. - People Exit, but Fire Remains
Some say that people will leave the Fire after being punished, but the Fire itself will stay empty. Ibn al-Qayyim says this view is also rejected by the Quran and Sunnah. - The Fire Will Perish
Jahm ibn Safwan and his followers say that since the Fire is created, it will not last forever and will eventually perish, just as Paradise would. - The Inhabitants Become Lifeless
Abu al-Hudhail al-ʿAllaf says the people of the Fire will lose their life, movement, and feeling, becoming lifeless bodies, based on his belief that infinite events cannot go on forever. - The Fire Will End by Allah’s Will after a Term
Ibn al-Qayyim reports that this was said by some of the companions, like ʿUmar, Ibn Masʿud, Abu Hurayrah, and Abu Saʿid. Chains of narration are given, and it is shown that this opinion was known among leading scholars.
Understanding the View Attributed to ʿUmar
Those who transmitted this view from ʿUmar said he only meant the real inhabitants of the Fire—the disbelievers. The phrase “the people of the Fire” refers to them, not to sinful monotheists, who will eventually be taken out after being punished for their sins. The Quran’s words about the people of the Fire not dying or living refer to those who remain forever after others have left. When the appointed term ends, the Fire and its punishment will come to an end, just as the universe itself will perish.
The Meaning of “Except What Allah Wills”
Ibn al-Qayyim discusses the words “except what Allah wills” in Quran verses about the Fire. He rejects the belief that it means extra punishment or refers to the period before entering the Fire. Instead, he says it refers to Allah’s will regarding who remains and for how long, and that some may be taken out after a time. Confessions from the people of the Fire show their regret and recognition of Allah’s justice. The exception could include sinful monotheists and others, not just believers.
Reports from the Companions and Tabiʿin
Ibn al-Qayyim brings several reports from the Sahabah and early generations. These include statements from Ibn Masʿud, Abu Hurayrah, and Abdullah ibn ʿAmr, which say that after many ages, there will be a time when no one remains in Hell. Some reports clarify that this means sinful monotheists, while disbelievers remain. He also says that Allah’s will about Paradise’s eternity is clear, but His will about the Fire is left open.
The Fire as the Abode of Filth
Ibn al-Qayyim says the Fire is the place of filth—bad deeds, words, food, and drink—and is the abode of the wicked. Allah gathers all impurity together and places it in Hell. People fall into three groups: purely pure (the righteous), purely impure (disbelievers), and those with a mix of both. The abodes of the first two are eternal. The third group—sinful monotheists—enter the Fire for their sins, then are taken out and admitted to Paradise, so their abode does not last.
Thirteen Points on the End of Punishment in the Fire From Ibn Al Qayyim
Ibn al-Qayyim lists thirteen reasons showing the punishment of the Fire will end while Paradise’s bliss will never end:
- Allah told us Paradise’s bliss is never cut off or begrudged, but said nothing like this for the Fire’s punishment.
- Verses show the Fire’s punishment will end, but there is nothing about the end of Paradise’s bliss.
- Hadiths about the Fire ending do not mention the end of Paradise’s bliss.
- The Companions and Tabiʿin only spoke about the end of the Fire’s punishment.
- Some people are admitted to Paradise without deeds, unlike the Fire.
- Allah creates new beings for Paradise to enjoy it, not for the Fire.
- Paradise is from Allah’s mercy, the Fire is from His anger. More enter the Fire than Paradise, but Allah’s mercy is always greater than His anger.
- Paradise is the abode of bounty, the Fire of justice. Bounty overcomes justice.
- The Fire is where Allah takes His right; Paradise is where He fulfils His promise to His servants. He may waive His right but never the right He made binding on Himself.
- Paradise is the true goal in the Hereafter and in this life; disbelief and the Fire are not the goal, but worship and mercy are.
- Bliss comes from Allah’s names and attributes and lasts as long as He does; punishment comes from His actions and ends when its purpose is fulfilled.
- Punishment is only a means, not an end; mercy and bliss are ends in themselves.
- Allah’s mercy encompasses everything, comes before His anger, and is written for Himself. It must reach even those being punished; if anyone remained forever, His mercy would not reach them.
Specific and General Mercy
If it is said that Allah’s mercy is only for those who fear Him, Ibn al-Qayyim explains that what is decreed for those who fear Allah is a specific mercy, while a general mercy still reaches everyone. The Quran uses both specific and general language, sometimes mentioning the general after the specific. Allah’s mercy must reach everyone, even the people of the Fire, as the angels say: “Our Lord, You have encompassed everything in mercy and knowledge” (Ghafir 7).
Translation: As for the eternal nature of the Fire and its everlasting duration, Shaykh al-Islam said that there are two well-known views about it from both the Salaf and those who came after, and the disagreement on this is known among the Tabiʿin.
I say: there are seven opinions on this matter:
The first: that whoever enters it will never leave it, rather every person who enters it is eternally doomed in it forever and ever. This is the view of the Khawarij and the Muʿtazilah.
The second: that its people are punished in it for a period, then it turns into something pleasurable for them, and it becomes a fire-like nature that brings them delight because it suits their own nature. This is the view of the leader of the Ittihadiyyah, Ibn ʿArabi al-Ta’i.
He said in his Fusus: “Praise is for fulfilling the promise, not for fulfilling the threat. And the Divine Presence seeks praise by essence, so praise is given for the fulfilment of promise, not for the fulfilment of threat, but for forgiveness.” Then he cited the verse: “So do not think that Allah will break His promise to His messengers” (Ibrahim 47). He did not say ‘His threat,’ but rather said: “And We shall overlook their evil deeds” (al-Ahqaf 16), even though He had threatened about that. He also praised Ismaʿil for being true to his promise, and possibility has been removed in the case of Allah, because it would require a determining cause.
So there remains only the fulfilment of promise.
And the threat of the Truth has no actual reality.
And if they enter the Abode of Misery, indeed they
Will have a pleasure in it, a delight that is different.
A delight unlike that of the Gardens of Eternity, but the matter is one,
Though there is a difference between them when unveiling occurs.
It is called punishment due to the sharpness of its taste,
But that is like the peel, and the peel is protective.
This view stands at one end, and the Muʿtazilah who say that it is not allowed for Allah to break His threat, and that He must punish those He threatened with punishment, stand at the opposite end. For those ones, no one who enters the Fire is saved from it at all, while for this one, no one is punished by it at all. Both groups contradict what is necessarily known from what the Messenger came with and informed about from Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.
The third: the view of those who say that its people will be punished in it for a fixed period, then they will exit it and be replaced by others. This is the view that the Jews reported to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and he belied them in that, and Allah belied them in the Quran.
He said: “And they say, the Fire will not touch us except for a few numbered days. Say: Have you taken a covenant with Allah, for Allah never breaks His covenant, or do you say about Allah what you do not know? Rather, whoever earns an evil deed and his sin surrounds him, those are the people of the Fire. They will be in it forever” (al-Baqara 80 to 81).
And He said: “Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Book, being called to the Book of Allah to judge between them, then a group among them turns away, while they are averse? That is because they said, the Fire will not touch us except for a few numbered days. But they were deceived in their religion by what they invented” (Aal Imran 23 to 24).
So this opinion is only the saying of the enemies of Allah, the Jews. They are its elders and the main ones who hold it.
The Quran, the Sunnah, the consensus of the Companions and the Tabiʿin, and the Imams of Islam all show its falsehood. Allah said: “And they will not come out of the Fire” (al-Baqara 167), and He said: “And they will not be removed from it” (al-Hijr 48), and He said: “Every time they want to come out of it due to grief, they will be returned to it” (al-Hajj 22), and He said: “Every time they want to come out of it, they will be returned to it” (al-Sajda 20), and He said: “It will not be decreed for them to die, nor will its punishment be lightened for them” (Fatir 36), and He said: “And they will not enter Paradise until the camel passes through the eye of the needle” (al-Aʿraf 40).
This is the strongest expression that shows the impossibility of their entering Paradise.
The fourth: the view of those who say that they will come out of it and it will remain as a Fire on its own, with no one being punished in it. This was reported by Shaykh al-Islam.
But the Quran and Sunnah also refute this view, as has already been explained.
The fifth: the view of those who say that it will perish on its own, because it was created after not existing, and whatever is proven to be created cannot remain forever or be eternal.
This is the view of Jahm ibn Safwan and his followers, and he makes no difference between Paradise and the Fire in this regard.
The sixth: the view of those who say that the life and movement of its people will perish, and they will become lifeless, unmoving, unfeeling bodies.
This is the view of Abu al-Hudhail al-ʿAllaf, the leader of the Muʿtazilah, based on his position that there cannot be infinite events without end. He applied the same judgement to both Paradise and the Fire.
The seventh: the view of those who say that their Lord and Creator, Blessed and Exalted, will make it perish, for He has appointed a term for it which, when reached, it will cease and its punishment will end.
Shaykh al-Islam said: This view has been reported from ʿUmar, Ibn Masʿud, Abu Hurayrah, Abu Saʿid, and others.
ʿAbd ibn Humayd, who is among the greatest scholars of hadith, narrated in his famous tafsir: Sulaiman ibn Harb told us, from Hammad ibn Salamah, from Thabit, from al-Hasan, who said: ʿUmar said, “If the people of the Fire were to remain in it for as long as the sand of ʿAlij, there would come a day when they would be brought out from it.”
And he said: Hajjaj ibn Minhal told us, from Hammad ibn Salamah, from Humayd, from al-Hasan, that ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “If the people of the Fire stayed in the Fire for the number of grains of sand of ʿAlij, there would still be a day when they would be brought out from it.”
He mentioned that in his tafsir of the verse: “They will remain in it for ages” (al-Naba 23). This was reported by ʿAbd, who is one of the memorisers and scholars of the Sunnah, from these two great figures, Sulaiman ibn Harb and Hajjaj ibn Minhal, both of whom narrated from Hammad ibn Salamah. And that is enough. Hammad narrated it from Thabit and Humayd, both of whom narrated it from al-Hasan. And that is enough as a noble chain.
Even though Al-Hasan Al Basri did not hear directly from ʿUmar, he only narrated it from one of the Tabiʿin, and if it were not sound in his view from ʿUmar, he would not have firmly stated it as “ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab said.”
And even if it were not firmly preserved from ʿUmar, the fact that these great scholars passed it around without rejecting or objecting to it, even though they would reject anyone who opposed the Sunnah in lesser matters than this, shows that if this view were considered among them to be one of the innovations that contradict the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of His Messenger, and the consensus of the Imams, they would have been the first to reject it.
Hadi al-Arwah ila Bilad al-Afrah by Ibn Al Qayyim (2/730-734)
Translation: He said: There is no doubt that whoever reported this view from ʿUmar and transmitted it from him only intended by it the general people of the Fire who are its true inhabitants. As for those who were afflicted due to their sins, it is known to these and others that they will come out from it, and that they will not remain in it for a period like the sand of ʿAlij, nor anything close to it.
The phrase “the people of the Fire” does not refer specifically to the monotheists, rather it is specific to those other than them, just as it is said: As for the people of the Fire who are its people, they will not die in it nor live. And this does not contradict His saying: “They will remain in it forever” and His saying: “They will not be removed from it” (al-Hijr 48). Rather, what Allah has informed of is the truth and certainty that can never be opposed. However, when its term ends and it perishes just as the universe perishes, it will no longer remain a Fire and its punishment will no longer exist.
Those who hold this view said: In the tafsir of ʿAli ibn Abi Talhah al-Walabi, from Ibn ʿAbbas, regarding His saying: “He will say, the Fire is your abode, remaining therein, except what Allah wills. Indeed, your Lord is Wise, All-Knowing” (al-Anʿam 128). He said: “No one should judge on behalf of Allah regarding His creation, nor declare them to be in Paradise or the Fire.”
They said: This threat in the verse is not exclusive to those of the qiblah, for Allah said: “And on the Day He gathers them all together, O assembly of jinn, you have increased in humankind. And their human allies will say, Our Lord, some of us benefited from others and we have reached the term You appointed for us. He will say, the Fire is your abode, remaining therein, except what Allah wills. Indeed, your Lord is Wise, All-Knowing. And thus We make some of the wrongdoers allies of others because of what they used to earn” (al-Anʿam 128–129).
The human allies of the jinn include the disbelievers without doubt, as they are more deserving of that alliance than sinful Muslims, as Allah said: “We have made the devils allies of those who do not believe” (al-Aʿraf 27).
And He said: “Indeed, he has no authority over those who believe and rely upon their Lord. His authority is only over those who ally with him and those who associate partners with Him” (al-Nahl 99–100).
And He said: “Indeed, those who are mindful, when a thought from Shaytan touches them, they remember, and then they see clearly. But their brothers drag them deeper into misguidance and do not stop” (al-Aʿraf 201–202).
And He said: “Do you take him and his descendants as allies besides Me?” (al-Kahf 50).
And He said: “So fight the allies of Shaytan” (al-Nisa 76).
And He said: “Those are the party of Shaytan. Indeed, the party of Shaytan are the losers” (al-Mujadilah 19).
And He said: “Indeed, the devils whisper to their allies to argue with you, and if you obey them, you would surely be polytheists” (al-Anʿam 121).
So the exception in the verse occurred in the verse that speaks of the entry of the allies of Shaytan into the Fire. From this, Ibn ʿAbbas said that no one should rule on Allah’s creation.
They said: As for the saying of some that the phrase “except what Allah wills” means “other than what Allah wills to add to their punishment in kind or duration” this contradicts the nature of exclusion in language between the excepted and that from which it is excluded. What is understood by listeners is that what comes after “except” differs from what came before it.
They said: And the saying of those who claimed that the exclusion refers to the time before their entry into the Fire, such as the period of the grave and the standing, and the duration of worldly life as well, is not supported by the structure of the verse.
The exclusion is from a factual statement that they will remain in the Fire as long as the heavens and the earth remain except what Allah wills.
The intent is not to exclude the time before entry, and this is not understood by the listener. Do you not see that He addresses them with this while they are in the Fire, when they say: “Our Lord, some of us benefited from others, and we have reached the term You appointed for us” (al-Anʿam 128), so He says to them at that time: “The Fire is your abode, remaining therein except what Allah wills” (al-Anʿam 128).
In their words “Our Lord, some of us benefited from others, and we have reached the term You appointed for us” is a kind of confession, submission, and humility. Meaning: the jinn took pleasure from us, and we took pleasure from them, so we shared in shirk, its causes, and its reasons.
We preferred mutual enjoyment over obeying you and obeying Your Messengers. Our appointed terms ended, and our lives were spent in that. We did not earn Your pleasure during that time. Our whole concern during our lifespans was only for the enjoyment of some of us with others.
So reflect on the truth of what they admitted, and how it became clear to them on that Day. They knew that what they had spent their lives on was their portion of mutual enjoyment, and they had not taken pleasure in worshipping their Lord, nor in knowing Him, nor affirming His oneness, nor loving Him, nor preferring His pleasure.
This is like their saying: “If only we had listened or used reason, we would not have been among the companions of the Blaze” and His saying: “So they confessed their sins” (al-Mulk 10–11) and His saying: “So they knew that the truth belongs to Allah” (al-Qasas 75) and similar verses.
The intended meaning is that the phrase “except what Allah wills” refers back to those mentioned in that verse and is specific to them, or that it includes both them and the sinful among the monotheists. As for claiming that it is specific only to sinful Muslims and excludes the disbelievers, that has no basis.
When some people realised the weakness of this last claim, they said that the exception refers to the period of the grave and the standing. But the weakness of this interpretation has become clear.
Another group said: the exception refers to another kind of punishment besides the Fire.
They said: the meaning is that you are in the Fire forever except for what Allah wills to punish you with by means of something else, like the freezing cold (zamharir).
Allah said: “Indeed, Hell lies in wait, a home for the wrongdoers. They will remain in it for ages” (al-Naba 21–23).
They said: Eternity cannot be measured in ages.
Ibn Masʿud said about this verse: “A time will come upon Hell when there is no one left in it.” That is, after they remain in it for ages. And Abu Hurayrah said something similar. Al-Baghawi mentioned this from both of them. Then he said: And its meaning, according to Ahl al-Sunnah if it is confirmed, is that no one remains in it from among the people of faith.
They said: This has been confirmed from Abu Hurayrah, Ibn Masʿud, and ʿAbdullah ibn ʿAmr. And Harb asked Ishaq ibn Rahuyah about this verse, and he said: I asked Ishaq, I said: The saying of Allah, the Exalted: “Remaining therein as long as the heavens and the earth endure except what your Lord wills” (Hud 107) what do you say about this verse in relation to every threat in the Quran?
Hadi al-Arwah ila Bilad al-Afrah by Ibn Al Qayyim (2/735-739)
Translation: Ubaydullah narrated to us, he said: My father narrated to us, he said: Shuʿbah narrated to us, from Yahya ibn Ayyub, from Abu Zurʿah, from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: “I am not the one who would say that there will not come upon Hell a day in which no one remains in it,” and he recited: “As for those who are wretched, they will be in the Fire, in it they will have sighing and roaring” (Hud 106).
ʿUbaydullah said: Our companions used to say: He meant by that the people of tawheed.
Abu Maʿn narrated to us, he said: Wahb ibn Jarir narrated to us, he said: Shuʿbah narrated to us, from Sulayman al-Taymi, from Abu Nadrah, from Jabir ibn ʿAbdillah or some of his companions regarding the verse: “They will remain in it as long as the heavens and the earth endure except what your Lord wills” (Hud 107). He said: This verse applies to the entire Quran.
Ibn Jarir mentioned this view in his tafsir from a group of the Salaf. He said: Others said that this verse refers to the people of the Fire, and to everyone who enters it. Then he mentioned those who said this and their reports:
ʿAbd al-Razzaq said: Ibn al-Taymi narrated to us, from his father, from Abu Nadrah, from Jabir or Abu Saʿid or from a man among the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), about the verse: “Except what your Lord wills, indeed your Lord does what He wills.” He said: This verse applies to the entire Quran. He said: And I heard Abu Majlaz say: Their recompense is Hell, but Allah may overlook their punishment if He wills.
Ibn Jarir said: Al-Hasan ibn Yahya narrated to us, ʿAbd al-Razzaq informed us, and he mentioned it. He said: And I was informed from al-Musayyib, from someone who mentioned it from Ibn ʿAbbas: “They will remain in it as long as the heavens and the earth endure except what your Lord wills.” He said: “They will not die, nor will they be taken out from it as long as the heavens and the earth endure, except what your Lord wills.” He said: Allah made an exception and commanded the Fire to consume them.
Ibn Masʿud said: “A time will come upon Hell in which its gates will creak and there will be no one in it, after they have remained in it for ages.”
Ibn Humayd narrated to us, Jareer narrated to us from Bayan, from al-Shaʿbi, who said: “Hell is the faster of the two abodes to be populated, and the faster of them to be destroyed.”
Ibn Jarir also mentioned another view, saying: Others said that Allah informed us of His will concerning the people of Paradise, so we understand the second verse “a gift without end” to mean an increase beyond the duration of the heavens and the earth. But He did not inform us of His will concerning the people of the Fire, so it is possible that His will involves increasing it, or possibly decreasing it.
Yunus narrated to me, Ibn Wahb informed us, he said: Ibn Zayd said regarding the verse: “They will remain in it as long as the heavens and the earth endure except what your Lord wills,” until he reached: “a gift without end” (Hud 108). He said: He informed us of what He willed for the people of Paradise, saying: “a gift without end,” but He did not inform us of what He willed for the people of the Fire.
Ibn Mardawayh said in his tafsir: Sulayman ibn Ahmad narrated to us, Khayr ibn ʿArafah narrated to us, Yazid ibn Marwan al-Khallal narrated to us, Abu Khalid narrated to us, Sufyan al-Thawri narrated to us from ʿAmr ibn Dinar, from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) recited: “As for those who are wretched, they will be in the Fire, in it they will have sighing and roaring. They will remain in it as long as the heavens and the earth endure except what your Lord wills” (Hud 106–107). Then the Messenger of Allah said: “If Allah wills to bring out some people from among those who were wretched, He will do so and admit them into Paradise.”
This hadith shows that the exception is referring to exiting the Fire after having entered it, contrary to the claim that it refers to a time before entering it. But this only proves the removal of some people from the Fire, and that is undoubtedly true. It does not negate the possibility of it ceasing to exist, or its punishment ending, or it consuming those within it. They will be punished in it as long as it remains, and they will not be removed from it. The hadith indicates two things:
First: that some of those who were wretched, if Allah wills, He will bring them out from the Fire while it is still the Fire, and He will do that. The exception, then, applies to after they have entered it, not before.
Based on this, the meaning of the exception is: except for those of the wretched whom your Lord wills not to remain in it forever. Thus, the wretched are of two types: one type will be removed from it, and the other will remain in it forever. So they were among the wretched at first, then became among the blessed later. So both wretchedness and blessedness gather for them at different times.
They said: Allah said: “Indeed, Hell lies in wait, a home for the transgressors. They will remain in it for ages. They will not taste in it coolness nor drink, except scalding water and pus, a fitting recompense. Indeed, they did not expect reckoning, and they denied Our signs with denial” (al-Naba 21–28).
This is a clear threat to the disbelievers who denied His signs, and eternity cannot be measured by ages or any other term, just as pre-eternity cannot be measured. That is why ʿAbdullah ibn ʿAmr said, as narrated by Shuʿbah, from Abu Balj, who heard ʿAmr ibn Maymun narrating from him: “A day will come upon Hell when its gates will be shut and no one will be inside it. That will be after they have remained in it for ages.”
Hadi al-Arwah ila Bilad al-Afrah by Ibn Al Qayyim (2/741-745)
Ibn Al-Qayyim Holding The View That The Fire Will Perish Is A Mistake, In His Book Al-Wabil Al-Sayyib
Translation: As for the Fire, it is the abode of filth in words, deeds, food, and drink. It is the abode of the wicked. Allah, the Exalted, said: “That Allah may distinguish the impure from the pure, and heap the impure one upon another, and pile it up all together, and cast it into Hell. It is they who are the losers” (al-Anfal 37). So Allah gathers the impure together, one part on top of another, and heaps them as something piled and stacked, then places them in Hell along with its inhabitants. There is nothing in it except filth.
And since people are of three categories: pure with no trace of filth, impure with no trace of purity, and those who have a mix of both filth and purity, their abodes are likewise three:
An abode for the purely pure, and an abode for the purely impure, and these two abodes do not perish. And an abode for those who have both filth and purity, and this is the abode that will perish. It is the abode of the sinful among the people of tawheed. For none of the sinful monotheists will remain in Hell. When they are punished according to the measure of their deeds, they will be taken out of the Fire and admitted into Paradise. So only the abode of the purely pure and the abode of the purely impure will remain.
Al-Wabil al-Sayyib By Ibn Al Qayyim Pg 42-43
Translation:
One: Allah, exalted is He, informed us that the bliss of Paradise will never end, that the gift granted to its people is never cut off, and that it is not begrudged. None of this was mentioned regarding the punishment of the people of the Fire.
Two: He informed us in several verses of what shows that the punishment of the people of the Fire will come to an end, as has been mentioned earlier, but He did not inform us of anything indicating the end of the bliss of Paradise. That is why those who argue for the perpetuity of Hell without end are forced to interpret those verses away from their apparent meaning. However, with regard to the bliss of Paradise, there is no need for such interpretation.
Three: The hadiths that speak of the end of the punishment of the Fire do not include anything indicating the end of the bliss of Paradise.
Four: The Companions and the Tabiʿin only spoke of the end of punishment. No one among them mentioned the end of the bliss of Paradise.
Five: It is confirmed that Allah, exalted is He, admits some people into Paradise without any deeds at all, unlike the Fire.
Six: He creates new beings for Paradise to enjoy it, but He does not create beings for the Fire to punish them in it.
Seven: Paradise is the result of His mercy, while the Fire is the result of His anger. And those who enter the Fire are far more in number than those who enter Paradise. So if the punishment of these were to last as long as the bliss of those, His anger would surpass His mercy, and His wrath would be the dominant and foremost attribute. And that is impossible.
Eight: Paradise is the abode of His bounty, and the Fire is the abode of His justice. And His bounty overcomes His justice.
Nine: The Fire is the place where His right is taken in full, while Paradise is the place where He fulfils the right He made obligatory upon Himself. And He, exalted is He, may forgo His own right, but He never neglects the right He made binding upon Himself.
Ten: Paradise is the final goal for which people were created in the Hereafter, and its deeds are the goal for which they were created in this life. As for the Fire, He did not create creation for the sake of disbelief or polytheism. Rather, He created them to worship Him and to show them mercy.
Eleven: Bliss arises from His names and attributes, while punishment arises only from His actions. He said: “Inform My servants that I am the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful, and that My punishment is the painful punishment” (al-Hijr 49–50), and He said: “Indeed, your Lord is swift in punishment, but indeed He is Forgiving, Merciful” (al-Aʿraf 167), and He said: “Know that Allah is severe in punishment and that Allah is Forgiving, Merciful” (al-Ma’idah 98). Whatever results from His names and attributes continues as long as He continues to exist.
If it is said: But punishment also results from His might, wisdom, and justice, and these are beautiful names and perfect attributes. So what results from them should also continue as long as they do.
It is said: By Allah, yes, the punishment does indeed result from His might, wisdom, and justice. But its ending, when its purpose has been fulfilled, also results from His might, wisdom, and justice. So the punishment and its ending both come from His might, wisdom, and justice. However, at the time of its ending, His might is joined with mercy, and His wisdom is joined with generosity, kindness, pardon, and forgiveness. So His might and wisdom have neither ceased nor diminished. Everything He creates and commands comes from His might and wisdom.
Twelve: Punishment is intended for something else, not for its own sake. Whereas mercy, kindness, and bliss are intended in themselves. So bliss and kindness are a goal, while punishment and suffering are only a means. So how can one be compared to the other?
Thirteen: He, exalted is He, informed us that His mercy encompasses everything, that His mercy precedes His anger, and that He has written mercy upon Himself. Therefore, His mercy must encompass even those being punished. If they were to remain in punishment forever without end, His mercy would not have encompassed them. This is very clear.
If it is said: But He said right after that: “I shall decree it for those who fear Me” to the end of the verse (al-Aʿraf 156). So others are excluded because they lack the description that earns it.
It is said: The mercy He decreed for those is different from the vast mercy that encompasses all creatures. The mercy written for those who fear Him is a specific mercy, exclusive to them, which He assigned to them alone and not to others. They are the people of success, who are not punished at all.
They are the people of mercy, success, and bliss. Mentioning the specific after the general is a known rhetorical technique in the Quran. In fact, sometimes the general is mentioned after the specific, such as in His saying: “He is the One who created you from a single soul, and made from it its spouse so he may find comfort in her.
Then, when he covers her, she carries a light burden and continues with it. Then, when she becomes heavy, they both call upon Allah, their Lord: If You give us a righteous child, we will surely be among the grateful. But when He gave them a righteous child, they associated partners with Him in what He gave them.
Exalted is Allah above what they associate with Him” (al-Aʿraf 189–190). This is a transition from speaking about the parents to speaking about the offspring.
Another example is His saying: “Indeed, We adorned the lowest heaven with lamps, and made them missiles for the devils” (al-Mulk 5). The ones made into missiles are not the same as those by which the heavens were adorned. But it transitions from one kind to another and returns the pronoun to the first, because both fall under the same general category.
Likewise is His saying: “My mercy encompasses everything, so I shall write it for those who fear Me” (al-Aʿraf 156). What is written for those who fear Him is a specific kind of the expansive mercy.
The point is that mercy must encompass the people of the Fire, and it must reach the extent of His knowledge, just as the angels said: “Our Lord, You have encompassed everything in mercy and knowledge” (Ghafir 7).
Shifa’ al-‘Alil By Ibn Al Qayyim (2/321-324)
