Why Eternal Hellfire? (2)

Question:
Regarding the eternal punishment, I’d like to give you my feedback:

i) Even if those verses are metaphorical, still we know for sure that hell will be a place of immense suffering and some of its dwellers will reside therein forever.

ii) This point makes a lot of sense. The Qur’an is not shy at all to mention the eternal punishment again and again for some people. I think, it is so as being rebellion against God and lifting yourself to such a stage of kufr when you become deaf and blind is such a grave crime that its common-sense-based punishment is eternal. I think the confusion comes in when we underestimate the sin of kufr. Whom are you persistently denying, attributing lies to (shirk) and/or sinning against even after the truth is absolutely made clear to you? It’s God, the Almighty, the Creator, the all Knowledgeable, Powerful, Wise and Eternal! You used all your chances, you proved yourself haughty and arrogant again and again and you actually chose hell against some short term benefits, now the only just thing is that you should be ready to get burned for an eternity no matter how much you scream, plead or cry!

iii) This point is a bit confusing. I think, the Qur’an, as you know better, is quite clear in the case of the eternal punishment that it leaves no room for anything else to think about. I think, the punishment will last forever because it will fulfill some purpose (other than showing God’s Justice alone). Maybe the dwellers of paradise would see these people and then compare their situation with them - this would enable them to thank God for saving them from the miseries of hell (I guess the Qur’an itself mentions something like this).

iv) This point can only casually be put forward in a conversation between two believers for it contains circular reasoning. To a Jehovah Witness, for example, the eternal punishment itself shows that the Muslim God is cruel and unjust; therefore, we cannot satisfy his intellect with this very point.

Response:
In metaphorical verses you have to accept only what is apparent and are not expected to go beyond it. Therefore the mention of eternity is what you get from these verses and what exactly it implies is beyond our reach of understanding.

We do not have any clear concept of eternity in this life. Normally when we say ‘I will never forgive you, never, ever’, we don’t mean anything in the statement except a concept which is eternal in its application only to the extent we will survive.

Qur’an is clear intrinsically. We can have problems in understanding because of our limitations.

I will not invite Jehovah Witnesses to faith on the basis of the mention of hellfire. I will tell them how I internalize verses on the issue when I read them. I will extend invitation to them on the basis of the verses I have understood more fully.

Views: 251