Quora Answer: If Everyone Can be Forgiven by God, Will There be Anyone in Hell?

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “If everyone can be Forgiven by God, will there be anyone in Hell?” 

I am considering this from a Muslim theological perspective, which has a slightly different take from the doctrines of the Vicarious Sacrifice. 

Firstly, from an orthodox perspective, whilst everybody can be Forgiven does not mean everyone will be Forgiven.  Personally, I do believe that it is tenable to believe that everyone will be Forgiven. 

There is nothing in the Qur’an that argues explicitly for salvic exclusivity.  We know this because the Qur’an always refer to the mu’minin, believers, as Saved; never “muslimin”.  The term “muslim”, in the Qur’an refers to those who have submitted to Divine Will.  This is distinct from our contemporary understanding of “Muslim”, meaning an adherent to the organised religion we call Islam. 

The ahadits, prophetic narrations, speak of the people of other umam, nations, availing themselves to the tawaswswul, intercession, of their own prophets, including Jesus (a.s.), Moses (a.s.), and Abraham (a.s.). 

Secondly, we have to consider whether damnation is eternal?  Whilst there are credal positions that hold to that, I do not believe it.  It is incongruent to believe that an Eternal God will condemn someone for a temporal failing, no matter how egregious.  If we hold that the world is a temporary illusion, then to equate acts committed in that illusion to be real, would be contradictory.  Rather, sin is a failing, a non-recognition of the Divine Sovereignty that the Day of Judgement rectifies. 

سُوۡرَةُ هُود

فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ شَقُواْ فَفِى ٱلنَّارِ لَهُمۡ فِيہَا زَفِيرٌ۬ وَشَهِيقٌ (١٠٦) خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيہَا مَا دَامَتِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتُ وَٱلۡأَرۡضُ إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ رَبُّكَ‌ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ فَعَّالٌ۬ لِّمَا يُرِيدُ (١٠٧) ۞ وَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ سُعِدُواْ فَفِى ٱلۡجَنَّةِ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيہَا مَا دَامَتِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتُ وَٱلۡأَرۡضُ إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ رَبُّكَ‌ۖ عَطَآءً غَيۡرَ مَجۡذُوذٍ۬ (١٠٨) 

Those who are wretched shall be in the Fire: there will be for them therein (nothing but) the heaving of sighs and sobs: They will dwell therein for all the time that the Heavens and the Earth endure, except as your Lord Wills: for your Lord is the (Sure) Accomplisher of what He Plans.  And those who are Blessed shall be in the Garden: they will dwell therein for all the time that the Heavens and the Earth endure, except as your Lord Wills: a Gift without break. (Surah Hud:106-108) 

In the following verses, we note that there is a Divine Promise of “a Gift without break” for those in the Garden.  There is no such promise for those condemned. 

There is an atsar, narration, on the authority of Sayyidina Abu Bakr ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Utsman asw-Swiddiq (r.a.).  One of the few places that it is mentioned is in Kashf al-Mahjub of Imam Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn ‘Utsman al-Hujwiri (q.s.).  Sayyidina Abu Bakr asw-Swiddiq (r.a.) said that there will come a time, when the gates of Hell will be hanging on their hinges and Hell will be like a wheat field that has been mown, empty.  It references the hadits, prophetic narration, of when the Prophet (s.a.w.) spoke after the Isra’ wa al-Mi’raj, the Night Journey, and Ascension, where he explained his shafa’at, intercession. 

In that hadits, the Prophet (s.a.w.) described the different categories of people who are Removed from the Fire through the intercession of the Prophet (s.a.w.), the other prophets, the pious, the parents, the children, the single dzurrat, atom, of faith until there remains those in the Fire who have not even that, not even a moment where they remembered God.  The Prophet (s.a.w.) said that there would still be multitudes in the Fire.  And then God will Decree, “Remove from the Fire those which the Hand of God can Hold.”  And that is understood to mean that all are Removed, since an Infinite, Absolute Divine, is unlimited in Mercy.  By then, the fires would have burned to embers and these souls will be like ashes. 

The Prophet (s.a.w.) said that these souls will be Thrown into the River Ridhwan and there they will reform again.  And God will Ask the same Question that was Posed to us when He Drew Forth, and Assembled the Children of Adam (a.s.) in ‘Alam Alastu bi Rabbikum, the Realm before Creation: “Am I not your Rabb?”  And they will finally acknowledge.  “Rabb”, whilst often simply translated as “Lord”, has a more profound meaning.  This is the Nourisher, and Sustainer of all. 

سُوۡرَةُ الاٴعرَاف

وَإِذۡ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِنۢ بَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمۡ ذُرِّيَّتَہُمۡ وَأَشۡہَدَهُمۡ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِہِمۡ أَلَسۡتُ بِرَبِّكُمۡ‌ۖ قَالُواْ بَلَىٰ‌ۛ شَهِدۡنَآ‌ۛ أَن تَقُولُواْ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ إِنَّا ڪُنَّا عَنۡ هَـٰذَا غَـٰفِلِينَ (١٧٢) 

When your Lord Drew forth from the Children of Adam ― from their loins ― their descendants, and Made them testify concerning themselves, (Saying), “Am I not your Lord (Who Cherishes and Sustains you)?” ― They said, “Yea!  We do testify!” (This), lest you should say on the Day of Judgement, “Of this we were never mindful.” (Surah al-A’araf:172) 

On the issue of the hadits that God does not Forgive shirk, polytheism, this is in reference to major shirk during its commission.  God has Made it His Prerogative to Forgive any sin without limit, even during its commission.  The only exception is major shirk.  The Qur’an Mentions that such people will be Told on the Day of Judgement to ask from their “gods”.  What the hadits does not say, however, is that God will never Forgive.  That would contradict the rest of the Qur’an, and the Perfect Religion cannot be incongruent.  As such, the moment a person repents from it, he may seek Forgiveness and it will be Given. 

In summary, God Forgives all.  The concept of Hell is meant to be purification, not damnation.  The Sufis, the gnostics, say that God does not put people in the Fire, they do it to themselves, by their acts; and that Hell has no fire, but we bring that fire with us.  Damnation is not eternal, but temporary.  And there will be a time when even Hell is empty.