On the Day when We will say unto Hell: “Are you filled?

On the Day when We will say unto Hell: “Are you filled?” It will say: “Are there any more?” Hell is intelligent in some way or another as it is addressed by God Almighty and thus replies His question: “Are there any more?” Likewise, people of Hell used to say the same when they were preoccupied in this world with worshipping worldly possessions and offices and transgressing people’s rights.

📌The imperative verbal form; “Remember” in the blessed Verse in question may refer to destiny, namely: “O Muhammad [SAW]! Remember the Day when Hell will be filled with jinn and mankind and God Almighty asks Hell: “Are you filled?” Hell will reply in verbal or non-verbal language: “Are there any more?” The blessed Verse bears testimony to the point that Allah’s promises and warnings are true and Hell shall be filled with disbelievers and the disobedient.

Surah Qaf - Verses 31-33 وَاُزْلِفَتِ الْجَنَّةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ غَيْرَ بَعِيدٍ هَذَا مَا تُوعَدُونَ لِكُلِّ أوَّابٍ حَفِيظٍ مَنْ خَشِيَ الرَّحْمَن بِالْغَيْبِ وَجَاء بِقَلْبٍ مُّنِيبٍ 31. And Paradise will be brought near to the God fearing, not far off. 32. [It will be said unto them:] “This is what you were promised – [it is] for the repentant and preservers [of Allah’s bounds], 33. “Who feared the Most Gracious [Allah] inwardly and brought a heart turned in repentance [to Him].

Piety and fear of God drive man closer to Paradise. Following a treatment of disbelievers’ state after death and blowing of the Trumpet and their arrival at Divine Tribunal and torment of Hell, the blessed Verses in question reflect the state of the God fearing. The former shall be entangled with hardship and torment and Hell drives them toward itself and expects enthusiastically more of the people of the Hell; au contraire, the latter shall proceed toward Paradise.

“Not far off” may reflect that Paradise shall not be far away from the God fearing, but it is in their inward natural disposition manifesting itself on the Day of Resurrection. The antecedent of the demonstrative pronoun ‘this’ in the blessed Verse 32 is Paradise promised to whoever turned from disbelief and polytheism to monotheism and abstained from committing what was forbidden.

Such people fear God in their hearts without perceiving the same with their outward senses and live in such state at all times; (“Who feared the Most Gracious [Allah] inwardly and brought a heart turned in repentance [to Him]”).

✦ ✦ ✦