The Drink of Hell

All praise is due to the All Knowing Creator. He made signs in this world as a reminder for the hereafter. He gave people a taste of this world’s joys so that they long for the bliss of Paradise. And He touched them with this world’s afflictions so that they fear Hell and its horrors; as a reminder, lesson and to motivate and to warn. Allah Almighty said:
Al Isra (17) 59: And We send not the signs except as a warning.

The believer is not heedless, frivolous and aimless, but rather thinks and takes heed. They consider all their experiences and take lessons and examples from them so that they become a driver for attaining rewards and avoiding the prohibited.

So the believer takes heed from the extremes of heat in the summer and extremes of cold in the winter of this worldly life as a reminder of the intense heat of the Day of Resurrection. The day that the sun will be brought so close that people will sweat in accordance to their sins. So remembering this will motivate them to perform deeds for attaining shade in that stern situation. And the believers take heed from the thirst of this worldly life as a reminder for the thirst of the Day of Resurrection. So they hold on to the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ so that they drink from the hawd (cistern) of the Prophet ﷺ. For :
Whoever drinks (one drink) from it, will never ever be thirsty after that.[Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2444, Grade: Sahih]

On days that are too hot or too cold to go outside, the believer remembers the suffering and restraint of the dwellers of hell. When the believer drinks something that is too hot, they remember the drinks of the dwellers of Hell. May Allah grant us, our parents and Muslims refuge from it.

Let us reflect on the drinks of the dwellers of Hell. There are multiple verses that indicate the drinks of the inhabitants of Hell. And there are a variety of drinks so that they will have multiple forms of torment. And al hamīm (boiling water) is their most mentioned drink in the Quran. For hamīm (boiling water) is the starter of the dwellers of Hell and they are received with it when they enter. Allah Almighty said:
Al Waqi’ah (56) 92-93: (92) But if he was of the deniers [who were] astray, (93) Then (for him is) a starter of boiling water

That is their initial hospitability will be with boiling water that is intensely hot. And in Hell, it is their permanent drink. Allah Almighty said:
Yunus (10) 4: But those who disbelieved will have a drink of boiling water and a painful punishment for what they used to deny.

And the Almighty said:
Al Anam (6) 70: Those are the ones who are given to destruction for what they have earned. For them will be a drink of boiling water and a painful punishment because they used to disbelieve.

And the meaning is that they will be thirsty, but they will only drink scalding water that will increase them with heat upon heat.

And in addition to boiling water, they may given ghassāq (foul pus). And ghassāq (foul pus) is a liquid that flows in Hell. And with ghassāq (foul pus) is other different types of punishment so as to increase their pain, torment and humiliation. Allah Almighty said:
Sad 57-58: (57) This – so let them taste it – is scalding water and [foul] pus. (58) And other [punishments] of its type [in various] kinds.

And Ibn Qatadah said that ghassāq (foul pus) is what oozes of discharges and pus from the skins and flesh of the people of Hell, as well as the intimate parts of the adulterers. And this substance in itself is exceedingly foul and disgusting. So how about for the one who drinks it ?! We seek refuge in Allah from Hell.

And Allah Almighty has informed about the drink of the unbeliever. Allah Almighty said:
Ibrahim (14) 16: And he will be made to drink pus-like water.

That is water which is the color, odor and taste of pus in addition to having intense heat. And it is what oozes from the bodies of the unbelievers during their torment such as pus and blood. And due to its vile color, odor and taste:
Ibrahim (14) 17: He will gulp it but will hardly [be able to] swallow it. And death will come to him from everywhere, but he is not to die. And before him is a massive punishment.

Abu Omamah, may Allah be pleased with him, related that the Prophet said regarding the verses:
Ibrahim (14) 16: And he will be made to drink pus-like water (17) He will gulp it

That is it will be brought towards him and he will despise it. Then when it is near to him, it will roast his face and the scalp of his head will fall off. Then when he drinks it, it will cut his intestines until it exits from his rectum. Allah Almighty says:
Muhammad (47) 15: And are made to drink boiling water that will sever their intestines?

And Allah says:
Al Kahf (18) 29: And if they call for relief, they will be relieved with water like murky oil, which scalds [their] faces. Wretched is the drink, and evil is the resting place. [Al Hakem 3437, Grade: Sahih]

And the inhabitants of Hell will have a spring from which they will be forced to drink as Allah Almighty said:
Al Ghashiyah (88) 5: They will be made to drink from a boiling spring.

That is a spring of extreme and intense heat.

And when the dwellers of Hell get thirsty, they cry out and ask for water. So a drink will be brought that will increase them with torment upon torment.

Al Kahf (18) 29: And if they call for relief, they will be relieved with water like murky oil, which scalds [their] faces. Wretched is the drink, and evil is the resting place.

That is the drink will be like molten lead or like caked oil from the extreme heat. And how will that be on the intestines and on the stomach?

And when they eat from the tree originating from the bottom of the Hellfire and become thirsty due to its heat, they will be given something even hotter to drink and that is scalding water. Allah Almighty said:
As Saffat 66-67: (66) And indeed, they will eat from it and fill with it their bellies. (67) Then indeed, they will have after it a mixture of scalding water.

And the torment of the dwellers of Hell will not be limited to drinking scalding water. Rather it will be poured on their heads until it melts their insides and their skins from its intense heat. Allah Almighty said:
Al Haj (22) 20: By which is melted that within their bellies and [their] skins.

And Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet ﷺsaid:
Indeed Hamim will be poured over their heads, then Hamim will penetrate until it finds its way to his insides. Then whatever is inside him will fall out until it pours over his feet while it melts away. Then he will be reformed to how he was. [Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2582, Grade: Hasan]

And when the people of this world get hot, they cool off with water. And the dwellers of hell, due to its intense heat, turn to Hamim to cool down. Then they will add heat to their heat and torment to their torment. Allah almighty said:
Ar Rahman (55) 43-44: (43) This is Hell, which the criminals deny. (44) They will circulate between it and scalding water, heated [to the utmost degree].

And that means that they will walk back and forth between the place of the fire and Hamim. So when the heat of the fire hits them, they ask to cool off. Then the water became clear to them, so they go to it and its heat hits them, so they turn back to the fire, continuously.

These are the drinks of the dwellers of Hell as Allah Almighty mentioned in the Quran. And they are drinks with the utmost heat, foul odor, vile taste and ugly appearance. The inhabitants of Hell will gulp them and due to their intense heat they will sever their intestines.

And Allah Almighty has warned those who drink alcohol in this world with a drink in Hell. As the Prophet ﷺ said:
Every intoxicant is prohibited. Allah Almighty has made a covenant regarding those who drink intoxicants to give them from Tinat al-Khabaal to drink. They said: Oh Messenger of Allah, and what is Tinat al-Khabaal? He replied, the sweat of the inhabitants of hell, or the discharge of the inhabitants of hell. [Muslim 2002]

And likewise the arrogant are promised a drink in Hell. As the Prophet ﷺ said:
The arrogant will be gathered on the Day of Resurrection like tiny particles in the image of men. They will be covered with humiliation, they will be dragged into a prison in Hell called Bulas, above them is the Fire of Fires, drinking the drippings of the people of the Fire, Tinat al-Khabaal. [Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2492, Grade: Hasan]

Oh Muslims:Inferring the conditions of the hereafter from the conditions of this world is the way of those with faith. And taking heed from its heat for the heat of the hereafter is the way of the wise. So it drives them towards righteous deeds; as a precaution against a severe endless torment. And the Prophet ﷺ has guided us to this reflection when he informed us that the extremes of temperature are due to the Hell Fire breathing. So how about the entire Hell Fire? And what are the conditions of its inhabitants? We seek refuge in Allah from it and the condition of its occupants.

And our righteous predecessors were amazing in their fear of Hell to the point that it guided their lives, humbled their hearts, weakened their lusts and propelled them towards righteous deeds. And when Qatadah, may Allah have mercy on him, interpreted the following verse:
Ibrahim (14) 16-17: (16) And he will be made to drink pus-like water. (17) He will gulp it but will hardly [be able to] swallow it.

He said, are you able handle this, are you able to endure this? Obedience of Allah Almighty is easier for you. Oh people, so obey Allah and his messenger.

And it was related about Ibn Omar, may Allah be pleased with him, that he drank cool water and began to weep and then wept profusely. Then it was said, what makes you weep? Then he replied, I remembered a verse from the Book of Allah Almighty:
Saba (34) 54: And prevention will be placed between them and what they desire

And then I knew that the inhabitants of Hell do not desire anything. Their desire is cool water. And Al Hasan Al Basry brought a jug of water to break his fast. And when he brought it near to his mouth he wept and said, I remembered the wish of the inhabitants of Hell and what they say:
Al Araf (7) 50: Pour upon us some water or from whatever Allāh has provided you.

And I remembered the response to them:
Al Araf (7) 50: Indeed, Allāh has forbidden them both to the disbelievers

And ‘Ataa’ Al Sulamy, may Allah have mercy on him, said, when I remember Hell, I have no appetite for any food or drink. And Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, said, fear prevents me from eating food and drinking so I do not crave them. So let us take heed like they took heed and let us compete with them in what they did. For every doer will find what they did. Allah Almighty said:
Al Zalzalah 7-8: (7) So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, (8) And whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.

We ask Allah Almighty for refuge from the Hellfire and from the deeds of its dwellers. And to guide us to what pleases Him with us and our parents and the Muslims.

Al Furqan (25) 65-66: (65) Our Lord, avert from us the punishment of Hell. Indeed, its punishment is ever adhering; (66) Indeed, it is evil as a settlement and residence.

Indeed Allah is All Hearing, Near, Answering.

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