Heaven and Hellfire are two of the most important ideas about the afterlife in Islam. Jahannam, often known as Hellfire, is a location of severe retribution reserved for people who have disregarded faith and committed serious offenses. It is a world of agony and suffering, vividly described in Islamic texts, where the intensity of a person's punishment is directly related to the severity of their acts. On the other hand, heaven, also known as Jannah, is the highest recompense for Muslims who have followed the teachings of Islam and led moral lives. According to popular belief, Jannah is a paradise of unending delight where the pious are reunited with their loved ones, enveloped in beauty, and given the pleasure of being in Allah's presence. Muslims are strongly encouraged to uphold moral and spiritual principles during their worldly lives in order to avoid the former and achieve the latter in the hereafter. This is demonstrated by the descriptions of both Hellfire and Heaven.
There is a natural curiosity about how many of us will perish in Hellfire and how many of us will be able to escape and reach heaven if Allah is real and Hellfire exists. Although it's interesting, Allah does provide information regarding Hellfire dwellers and the anticipated number of people who will enter there. These two hadiths describe how Allah would approach Adam, the first man, and prophet, and urge him to separate all those who are part of the Hellfire.
1) Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The first man to be called on the Day of Resurrection will be Adam who will be shown his offspring, and it will be said to them, 'This is your father, Adam.' Adam will say (responding to the call), 'Labbaik and Sa`daik' Then Allah will say (to Adam), 'Take out of your offspring, the people of Hell.' Adam will say, 'O Lord, how many should I take out?' Allah will say, 'Take out ninety-nine out of every hundred." They (the Prophet's companions) said, "O Allah's Apostle! If ninety-nine out of every one hundred of us are taken away, what will remain out of us?" He said, "My followers in comparison to the other nations are like a white hair on a black ox."
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، حَدَّثَنِي أَخِي، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ ثَوْرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الْغَيْثِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " أَوَّلُ مَنْ يُدْعَى يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ آدَمُ، فَتَرَاءَى ذُرِّيَّتُهُ فَيُقَالُ هَذَا أَبُوكُمْ آدَمُ. فَيَقُولُ لَبَّيْكَ وَسَعْدَيْكَ. فَيَقُولُ أَخْرِجْ بَعْثَ جَهَنَّمَ مِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِكَ. فَيَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ كَمْ أُخْرِجُ فَيَقُولُ أَخْرِجْ مِنْ كُلِّ مِائَةٍ تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ ". فَقَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِذَا أُخِذَ مِنَّا مِنْ كُلِّ مِائَةٍ تِسْعَةٌ وَتِسْعُونَ، فَمَاذَا يَبْقَى مِنَّا قَالَ " إِنَّ أُمَّتِي فِي الأُمَمِ كَالشَّعَرَةِ الْبَيْضَاءِ فِي الثَّوْرِ الأَسْوَدِ ".
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 6529
In-book reference : Book 81, Hadith 118
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 8, Book 76, Hadith 536
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2) In this second Hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) tells us how many people would perish in the Hellfire, including Gog and Magog (Yajooj and Majooj). In Islamic eschatology, Yajuj and Majuj (Gog and Magog) are described as a mysterious and powerful people who would arise soon after Jesus kills the Anti-Christ and are linked to confusion and general mayhem.
Narrated Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "On the day of Resurrection Allah will say, 'O Adam!' Adam will reply, 'Labbaik our Lord, and Sa`daik ' Then there will be a loud call (saying), Allah orders you to take from among your offspring a mission for the (Hell) Fire.' Adam will say, 'O Lord! Who are the mission for the (Hell) Fire?' Allah will say, 'Out of each thousand, take out 999.' At that time every pregnant female shall drop her load (have a miscarriage) and a child will have grey hair. And you shall see mankind as in a drunken state, yet not drunk, but severe will be the torment of Allah." (22.2) (When the Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned this), the people were so distressed (and afraid) that their faces got changed (in color) whereupon the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "From Gog and Magog nine-hundred ninety-nine will be taken out and one from you. You Muslims (compared to the large number of other people) will be like a black hair on the side of a white ox, or a white hair on the side of a black ox, and I hope that you will be onefourth of the people of Paradise." On that, we said, "Allahu-Akbar!" Then he said, "I hope that you will be) one-third of the people of Paradise." We again said, "Allahu-Akbar!" Then he said, "(I hope that you will be) one-half of the people of Paradise." So we said, Allahu Akbar."
حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ حَفْصٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " يَقُولُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَا آدَمُ. يَقُولُ لَبَّيْكَ رَبَّنَا وَسَعْدَيْكَ، فَيُنَادَى بِصَوْتٍ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تُخْرِجَ مِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِكَ بَعْثًا إِلَى النَّارِ. قَالَ يَا رَبِّ وَمَا بَعْثُ النَّارِ قَالَ مِنْ كُلِّ أَلْفٍ ـ أُرَاهُ قَالَ ـ تِسْعَمِائَةٍ وَتِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ فَحِينَئِذٍ تَضَعُ الْحَامِلُ حَمْلَهَا وَيَشِيبُ الْوَلِيدُ {وَتَرَى النَّاسَ سُكَارَى وَمَا هُمْ بِسُكَارَى وَلَكِنَّ عَذَابَ اللَّهِ شَدِيدٌ} ". فَشَقَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى النَّاسِ حَتَّى تَغَيَّرَتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مِنْ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ تِسْعَمِائَةٍ وَتِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ، وَمِنْكُمْ وَاحِدٌ، ثُمَّ أَنْتُمْ فِي النَّاسِ كَالشَّعْرَةِ السَّوْدَاءِ فِي جَنْبِ الثَّوْرِ الأَبْيَضِ، أَوْ كَالشَّعْرَةِ الْبَيْضَاءِ فِي جَنْبِ الثَّوْرِ الأَسْوَدِ، وَإِنِّي لأَرْجُو أَنْ تَكُونُوا رُبُعَ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ ". فَكَبَّرْنَا ثُمَّ قَالَ " ثُلُثَ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ ". فَكَبَّرْنَا ثُمَّ قَالَ " شَطْرَ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ ". فَكَبَّرْنَا. قَالَ أَبُو أُسَامَةَ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ {تَرَى النَّاسَ سُكَارَى وَمَا هُمْ بِسُكَارَى} وَقَالَ مِنْ كُلِّ أَلْفٍ تِسْعَمِائَةٍ وَتِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ. وَقَالَ جَرِيرٌ وَعِيسَى بْنُ يُونُسَ وَأَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ {سَكْرَى وَمَا هُمْ بِسَكْرَى}.
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 4741
In-book reference : Book 65, Hadith 263
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 6, Book 60, Hadith 265
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Furthermore, Islam says that Hellfire will eventually allow weak believers to enter Heaven by purifying them. According to some academics, the shortest time spent in hellfire is 1000 years, which is the age of the first prophet Adam. Not to mention, it is debatable about whether the 1000 years correspond to Earth time or the afterlife. Besides, every 1000 years, the Hellfire Gatekeeper will appear to remind the people who have entered the hellfire that they are not yet permitted to depart.
Nowise shall We be unjust to them, but it is they who have been unjust themselves. They will cry: "O Malik! (chief gatekeeper of Hell), would that thy Lord put an end to us!" He will say, "Nay, but ye shall abide!" (Quran 43:74-77)
To sum up, according to the two hadiths mentioned above, the believers will make up the 1% that will survive the Hellfire, and enter Heaven. Who are those believers, many argue? Believers in Islam are those who acknowledge that there is only one God, Allah, and that He sent all 314 Messengers and 124,000 Prophets. Those who have succumbed to one message and accepted the next prophet or messenger are considered believers. Muslims must accept the new teachings of the coming messengers and recognize Allah, the One God, as the highest religious authority. For instance, Jesus served as both their prophet and messenger until the year 609 AD (pbuh), and it would be Muhammad (pbuh) after 610 AD. What percentage of us will be in that 1%? That would make sense given when the person passed away, the identity of his prophet and messenger, and the degree to which he was able to live up to the religious precepts and observe them. All we can do is hope for the best, for Allah alone has the authority to determine our intention, and ultimate destination.
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