Intercession and Those who will come out of the Fire (of Hell)

‘I asked Abā ʿAbdillāh (a) about the inmates of Hell [who are released after their punishment], so he said, “[My father] Abū Jaʿfar used to say, ‘They Will come out from it and will be taken to a spring at the gate of Paradise called the Spring of Life. They will then be showered with its water and their flesh, skin and hair will grow [back] just as plants grow.’”’”

“I said to Abā ʿAbdillāh (a), ‘They say: do not be impressed by the group which claims that Allah will remove some people from the Fire and place them among the inhabitants of Paradise with His friends.’ So he said, ‘Do they not read the verse in which Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, says: There are two other Gardens below these two (Q55:62)? It refers to a paradise besides Paradise and a fire besides the Fire. They will not dwell with the friends of Allah [but rather, in another paradise].’ And he said, ‘There is, by Allah, a level [or two levels] between them, but I cannot talk about it [here]. Their matter is more constricted than a [tight] noose. Indeed, were the Riser to rise, he would start with these people.’”

“I asked Abā ʿAbdillāh (a) about one who is put in the Fire and then removed therefrom and placed in Paradise. He said, ‘If you wish, I will tell you about what my father used to say regarding it. He said, “Verily some people will come out of the Fire after having been burnt coal-black [by the Fire], and they will be taken to a river at the gate of Paradise which is called the [River of] Life (al-ḥayawān). Its water will then be showered upon them so their flesh, blood and hair will grow [back].”’”

“I heard a righteous servant (ʿAbd Ṣāliḥ)[1] say regarding the inmates of Hell [who are released after their punishment], ‘They are made to enter the Fire due to their sins, and they come out therefrom through the pardon of Allah.’”

“I heard Abā Jaʿfar (a) say, ‘Verily a group will be burnt in the Fire until when they become coal-black, they attain intercession. Then they will be taken to a river that flows from the perspiration of the inhabitants of Paradise and they will bathe therein, so their flesh and blood will grow [back], and the effects of burning in the Fire will be removed from them. They will then enter Paradise, and they will be called al-Jahannamiyyūn (inmates of the Fire). Together, they will cry out, “O Allah, remove from us this name!” So He will remove it from them.’ Then he said, ‘O Abā Baṣīr, verily the enemies of ʿAlī will remain in the Fire forever, they will not attain intercession.’”

“Verily the last one to come out of the Fire will be a man called Hammām, who will call out therein [continually] for a lifetime: ‘O Compassionate! O Munificent!’”

“I told Abū ʿAbdillāh (a), ‘There is a ḥadīth that people are narrating [and then he mentioned it to him].’ So he said, ‘It is not as they are saying.’ Then he said, ‘The Messenger of Allah (ṣ) said, “Verily the last person will then be ordered into the Fire. When it is commanded that he be thrown into the fire, he will turn [and look back]. So Allah, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, will say, ‘Have they been hasty with him? [Bring him to Me].’ So when he is brought, He will ask, ‘My servant, why did You turn to look back?’ So he will say, ‘O Lord, this was not how I had perceived You to be!’ So the Majestic Lord will say, ‘My servant, what was your perception of Me?’ He will reply, ‘O Lord, I had thought that You would forgive my sins and admit me into Your Paradise [to dwell therein]!’ So Allah, the All-Powerful, Majestic and Exalted is He, will say, ‘O My angels, by My might and bounty, by My mastery and majesty, by My loftiness and exalted station, My servant never thought positively of Me even for a moment in his life, for if he had thought positively of Me even for a single moment of his life, I would not have frightened him with the Fire. Yet let his lie stand, and place him in Paradise.’” Then the Messenger of Allah (ṣ) said, “A servant does not think positively of Allah but that he will find Allah to be as he had thought of Him. And he does not think negatively of Him but that he will find Allah to be as he had thought of Him. That is the [interpretation of] the verse in which He,the Exalted, says: It was the [negative] thoughts you entertained about your Lord that has led to your ruin, so you have become losers (Q41:23).”’”

8.Muḥammad ibn Abī ʿUmayr attributed it to Abū ʿAbdillāh (a) that he said, “A servant will be brought on the Day of Judgment having no good deed [in his record], so it will be said to him, ‘Remember and recollect, do you have any good deed?’ So he will [try to] recall and will say, ‘My Lord, I have no good deed except that Your believing servant so-and-so passed by [one day] and asked me for water so that he could perform ablution and pray, so I gave it to him.’ So Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, will say, ‘Admit My servant into Paradise.’”

“I heard Abā Jaʿfar (a) say, ‘Verily the disbelievers and the polytheists will taunt the monotheists in the Fire saying, “We do not see how your belief in one God benefitted you in any way. You and us are indeed the same!” So the Lord, to Whom belong might and majesty, will dislike that for them and will say to the angels, ‘Intercede [for them],’ so they will intercede for whomever Allah wills, and He will say the same to the believers [telling them to also intercede for them] until no one [among them] remains but that the intercession reaches him. Then He, the Blessed and Exalted, will say, ‘I am the Most Merciful of all who show mercy. Come out [from the Fire] by My mercy!’ So they will come out [therefrom] like moths.” Then Abū Jaʿfar (a) said, “Then the columns will be extended over them [closing them off], and it will be, by Allah, [for] eternity.”[1]

“I told Abū ʿAbdillāh (a), ‘We have been informed that Hell will be filled until its gates are [crammed] shut[1] [is that true]?’ So he said, ‘No, by Allah, it is [going to remain as it is] for eternity!’ I asked, ‘[What about the verse that states:] [They will] remain therein forever, as long as the heavens and the earth will endure, except what your Lord wills (Q11:107)?’ He said, ‘That is for those who will come out from the Fire [with the permission of Allah].’”

“ʿAlī (a) said, ‘I will surely tell you a ḥadīth that it behoves every believer to be aware of [and remember].’ He related it to us in the morning but we forgot it by nightfall. So we returned to him and said, ‘We have forgotten the ḥadīth you told us in the morning, and you had said that it behoves every believer to be aware of it, so please repeat it [for us].’ So he said, ‘There is no believer who commits a sin and is then pardoned for it by Allah in this world, but that Allah is more majestic and noble than to punish him again for it in the Hereafter after having [pardoned him and] granted him respite in the world.’ Then he recited the verse: Whatever affliction befalls you is because of what your own hands have committed, and He pardons much. (Q42:30).”

“I told Abū Jaʿfar, ‘May I be made your ransom! Pray to Allah for me, for verily I have [committed] many sins.’ So he said, ‘Stop, O Abā ʿUbaydah! Let Satan not be a helper of your base-self. Verily the pardon [and forgiveness] of Allah cannot be compared to anything.’”