THIRD QUESTION Where is Hell? T h e A n s w e r : Say: the knowledge is with God alone.(67:26) * None knows the Unseen save God.(27:65) According to some narrations, Hell is beneath the earth.4 As we have explained in other places, in its annual orbit the globe traces a circle around an area that in the future will accommodate the Great Gathering and Last Judgement. It means that Hell is beneath the area of its orbit. It is invisible and imperceptible because it consists of veiled, lightless fire. Within the vast stretch of space travelled by the earth many creatures are found that are invisible because they are without light. Just as the moon loses its existence when its light recedes, so we are unable to see numerous lightless globes and creatures, although they are before our eyes. There are two Hells, the Lesser and the Greater. In the future, the Lesser will be transformed into the Greater and is like its seed; in the future it will become one of its habitations. The Lesser Hell is under the earth, that is, at the earth’s centre. It is the inside and centre of the globe. Geology informs us that in digging downwards, the heat for the most part increases one degree every thirty-three metres. That means that since half the diameter of the earth is around six thousand kilometres, the fire at the centre is at a temperature of around two hundred thousand degrees, that is, two hundred times hotter than fire at the circumference; this is in agreement with what is stated in Hadiths.5 The Lesser Hell performs many of the Greater Hell’s functions in this world and Intermediate Realm, and this is indicated in Hadiths. Just as in the world of the hereafter, the earth will pour its inhabitants into the arena of the resurrection within its annual orbit; so at the divine command it will hand over the Lesser Hell within it to the Greater Hell. Some of the Mu‘tazilite authorities said that Hell will be created later, but such an idea is mistaken and foolish, and arises from Hell not having completely opened up at the present time and developed into a form entirely appropriate for its inhabitants. In order to see with our worldly eyes the dwelling places of the next world within the veil of the Unseen and to demonstrate their existence, either the universe has to be shrunk to the size of two provinces, or our eyes have to be enlarged to the size of stars, so that we can see and specify their places. God knows best, the dwelling-places of the hereafter are not visible to our worldly eyes, but as indicated by certain narrations, the Hell of the hereafter is connected with our world. A Hadith says about the intense heat of summer: “It gives an inkling of Hell.”6 That is to say, the Greater Hell is not visible to the tiny, dim eyes of this world’s minds. However, we may look with the light of the divine name of All-Wise, as follows: The Greater Hell beneath the earth’s annual orbit has as though made the Lesser Hell at the earth’s centre its deputy and made it perform some of its functions. The possessions of the All-Powerful One of Glory are truly extensive; He situated the Greater Hell wherever divine wisdom required. Yes, the All-Powerful One of Glory, the All-Wise One of Perfection, who issues the command of “‘Be!’ and it is,”(36:82) has tied the moon to the earth before our very eyes with perfect wisdom and order, and with vast power and perfect order tied the earth to the sun, and has made the sun travel together with its planets at a speed close to that of the annual rotation of the earth, and with His majestic dominicality, according to one possibility, made it travel towards the sun of suns, and like a fleet decked out with electric lights has made the stars luminous witnesses to His sovereign dominicality. It is not far from the perfect wisdom, tremendous power, and sovereign dominicality of one thus All-Glorious to make the Greater Hell like the boiler of an electric-light factory and with it set fire to the stars of the heavens that look to the hereafter, and give them heat and power. That is, give light to the stars from Paradise, the world of light, and send them fire and heat from Hell, and at the same time, make part of that Hell a habitation and place of imprisonment for those who are to be tormented. Furthermore, He is an All-Wise Creator who conceals a tree as large as a mountain in a seed the size of a finger-nail. It is surely not far then from the power and wisdom of such an All-Glorious One to conceal the Greater Hell in the seed of the Lesser Hell in the heart of the globe of the earth. I n S h o r t : Paradise and Hell are the two fruits of a branch of the tree of creation, which stretches out towards eternity. The fruits’ place is at the branch’s tip. And they are the two results of the chain of the universe; and the places of the results are the two sides of the chain. The base and heavy are on its lower side, the luminous and elevated on its upper side. They are also the two stores of the flood of events and the immaterial produce of the earth. The store-places vary according to the produce, the bad beneath, the good above. They are also the two pools of the flood of beings, which flows in waves towards eternity. As for the pool’s place, it is where the flood stops and gathers. That is, the obscene and filthy below, the good and the pure above. They are also the two places of manifestation, the one of beneficence and mercy, the other of wrath and grandeur. Places of manifestation may be anywhere; the All- Merciful One of Beauty, the All-Compelling One of Glory, situates His places of manifestation where He wishes. As for the existence of Paradise and Hell, they have been proved conclusively in the Tenth, Twenty-Eighth, and Twenty-Ninth Words. Here, we only say this: the existence of the fruit is as definite and certain as the existence of the branch; the result is as definite as the chain; the store as the produce; the pool as the river; and the places of manifestation are as definite and certain as the existence of mercy and wrath... Letters,First Letter BEDİÜZZAMAN SAİD NURSİ
Posted on: Thu, 04 Jul 2013 08:53:11 +0000
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