The seven gates of Hellfire

[N. Truth Seeker]

As-Salam Alaykum

Allah Almighty has given vivid descriptions of Hellfire in various Quranic Verses which the disbelievers must endure.  The Almighty also mentions that Hellfire has seven gates. 

"And indeed! for all such, hell will be the promised place.
It has seven gates, and each gate hath an appointed portion."
(V.15:43-44)  Surah Al-Hijr

But The Almighty does not state the names or titles of these different gates.  Those specifics are known to Allah alone which will be revealed to the unfortunate ones on the Day they are assigned Hellfire. 

Also Allah Almighty has confirmed that both reward and reprobation in the Hereafter have ranks. 

"And for all there will be ranks from what they do, that He may pay them for their deeds; and they will not be wronged."  (46:19) Al-Ahqaf

"There are degrees (of grace and reprobation) with Allah, and Allah is Seer of what they do."   (3:163) Al-Imran


First of all, the hadith is apparently confused between the seven gates of Hellfire and the different levels of Hellfire.  Gates and levels may not be precisely the same.  Not just that.  The hadith has also confidently specified the names of each of those seven gates without any evidence from the Noble Quran.   The Final Messenger (pbuh) knew only what The Almighty had revealed to him in the Quran.  The Quran also does not mention that during the journey of Mairaj, all gates and levels of Hellfire were shown to the Prophet (pbuh).  Would the Prophet  (pbuh) ever know or say the names of those seven gates without first receiving the information from Allah?  The answer is no, never.  Yet, hadith somehow knows the names of seven levels of hellfire, often mixing them up with the seven gates. 

Hadith has named those seven levels as Jahanum, Ladha, Saqar, Hutamah, Jaheem, Saeer and  Al-Hawiyah. 

The clever trick they have played with this idea is that they have picked several Verses of the Noble Quran and from each of those different Verses they have picked those seven words labeling them as names of the seven levels of Hell.  In reality those Quranic words are simply different Arabic descriptive terms for fire, flames and the heat of Hell.  These words have nothing to do with "levels or gates."  The Verses picked by traditionalists for supporting their Hadith are mentioned in the following link.  You can read those Verses yourself and determine that these Ayats are simply referring to the fire or flames of Hellfire, not to gates or levels.

Ummah.com - levels of Jahanum

Adding to the guesswork, the Hadithists also quote the idea of some Imam As-Saadi .. not sure who he is.  This person mentions more unwarranted fabrications, describing the architecture of the gates of Hellfire and the distance between them.  Quoting As-Saadi below:

Imam As Sa'di (Rahimahullah) mentions in his tafseer: "The gates of Hell are structured one gate below the other descending, opposite the gates of paradise, which have one gate above the other ascending. The distance between each gate is 500 years prepared for Iblees and all of his followers."

Please folks, for the sake of Allah Almighty, refrain from such imaginary ideas.  Only Allah Almighty knows these details, not Imam Saadi, not you nor me.   Allah has made it very clear in the Quran telling us that we must NOT follow that of which we have no knowledge.

"(O man), follow not that whereof thou hast no knowledge. Lo! the hearing and the sight and the heart - of each of these it will be asked."  (17:36).

[Zainab_M]

Walaikum As-Salaam brother ..   thank you. 

Hellfire for sure has seven gates.   Allah (The Highest) confirms that.  But not the names of these gates, nor how many levels there are in Hellfire nor their names. 

Reminds me of the type of conjecture they propagate by misinterpreting Surah Al-Kausar (Abundance), claiming that it's the name of a spring in Jannah.   Verse 17:36 you quoted is an excellent reminder to all those fearless story tellers that it's about time they began to heed and fear Allah.  

[N. Truth Seeker]

You're welcomed Sister.  And you're right, the claim that Kausar is a spring is similar presumption.

All we can say is that "Jahanum" stated in the Noble Quran is the name of for entire Hellfire.  Indeed Hellfire is a huge place and I am sure it has different sections, levels, grades and many gates.  But the Quran does not give us any specifics describing or naming these various gates and levels.  The hadith should not stretch it beyond what is stated by The Almighty.

[Zainab_M]

Exactly brother ....

[Ruhi_Rose]

Amazing how they are misinterpreting the Quran Verses in that ummah.com link.  You have caught its trick very correctly which involves picking the various synonyms of fire or flames of Hellfire as mentioned in the Quran - Ladha, Saqar, Hutamah, Saeer and  Al-Hawiyah - and  misinterpreting them as names of gates or levels of Hell.   "Jahanum" is the name for Hellfire and "Jaheem" comes from that.  But according to the fabricators Jahanum and Jaheem are the first & fifth gates of Hell, respectively.  Thanks also for quoting V.17:36 which is a direct warning against such speculations.  Only Allah knows how exactly He has constructed Hellfire.  None else knows it.  HE has only told us that Hellfire has seven gates, and both Jannah and Hellfire have various grades.   

[Heba E. Husseyn]

Shocking misinterpretation of Quranic Verses by Ummah.com .... honestly!   Don't these people have any fear of Allah within their souls?