The Hereafter ends in two abodes, and there is no third. Paradise [al-Jannah] is the home Allah prepared for His believing servants, and the Hellfire is the home He prepared for those who disbelieved in Him and disobeyed His messengers. Both are real, both exist now, and both are everlasting, and their people remain in them forever.
This page is drawn from Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen’s Explanation of the Three Fundamental Principles, the third matter of its Last Day section (printed pp. 167 to 168), from his Commentary on Al-‘Aqidah Al-Wasitiyyah, Vol. 2, at the close of Concerning the Major Resurrection (printed pp. 259 to 261), from Question 25 in the Aqeedah [creed] section of his Fiqhul ‘Ibaadaat (printed pp. 83 to 84), and from Shaykh ‘Abdur-Rahman ibn Nasir as-Sa’di’s Tafsir, Vol. 6 on Surah al-Kahf and Vol. 7 on Surah as-Sajdah.
Paradise
Paradise is the place of bliss Allah has prepared for the pious, obedient believers: those who believed in everything Allah obligated them to believe in, worshipped Him alone with sincerity, and followed His Messenger ﷺ. It contains every kind of delight, and its people live in it forever and do not die. Above every bliss in it is Allah’s pleasure with them, and their pleasure with Him and with the reward He gives them on that Day.
Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen defines Paradise in the Wasitiyyah commentary, then proves from the Book that it exists now and will remain forever. Inside his words stand Surah Aal ‘Imran 3:133 and Surah Hud 11:108, in his book’s rendering:
“Paradise: is the abode prepared by Allah, Exalted is He, for His Awliyā’. In it, is what the souls desire, and what the eye will enjoy. In it, is what has never been seen by the eyes, nor heard by the ears nor imagined by the heart of a human.
Paradise exists now, according to His statement, Exalted is He: Prepared for Al-Muttaqūn (the pious). And the Ḥadīths with this meaning are Mutawātir. And it will remain forever, according to His statement, Exalted is He: And those who are blessed, they will be in Paradise, abiding therein for all the time that the heavens and the earth endure, except as your Lord will, a gift without an end.”
Shaykh as-Sa’di describes what Paradise contains on Allah’s words in Surah al-Kahf (18:107 to 108): he renders the verses, then explains Jannat al-Firdaws [the gardens of Paradise]:
“But those who believe and do righteous deeds will have gardens of paradise as a dwelling place, to abide therein forever, with no desire to leave.
Jannat al-Firdaws (the gardens of paradise) are the dwelling places of those who believed and did righteous deeds, and what dwelling place could be better or greater than these dwellings which include everything that brings joy to hearts and souls, and physical pleasures? In it is that which will delight hearts and eyes, of elegant dwellings, verdant gardens, fruitful trees, singing birds, delicious food, refreshing drinks, beautiful women, plentiful servants, flowing rivers, splendid scenery, beauty of all types and eternal bliss.”
The reward is stated in Surah al-Bayyinah (98:7 to 8), carried whole in the expanded rendering of Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen’s explanation:
“Those who truly believe in Allah and His Messenger and worship Allah alone, making their worship purely and sincerely for Him - establishing the Prayer, giving the zakaat, and obeying Allah concerning what He has ordered and forbidden, then they are the best of creation. Their reward is with their Lord on the Day of Resurrection: everlasting gardens with rivers flowing beneath the trees within them. They will live and remain therein forever and will not die. Allah is pleased with them for their obedience to Him in the worldly life, and they are pleased with Him and the reward He will give them on that Day. That is for those who fear Allah, openly and secretly, in the world - and therefore do what He commands them and avoid committing sins.”
And part of that reward is hidden from every soul in this life. Shaykh as-Sa’di, on Surah as-Sajdah (32:17), explains the requital [the reward given in return for deeds] and carries in his words the hadith in which Allah speaks of what He has prepared, a hadith reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim:
“As for the requital for their deeds, Allah says: No soul knows - this includes all souls and indicates that no soul at all knows what is kept hidden in store for them of delight namely much good, abundant blessings, joy, happiness and pleasure, as Allah has told us on the lips of His Messenger: I have prepared for My righteous slaves that which no eye has seen, no ear has heard, nor has it ever crossed the mind of any man.
Just as they pray at night and call upon Him, and conceal their good deeds, Allah will reward them in a manner that matches their deeds; therefore He has concealed their reward. Hence He says: as a reward for what they used to do.”
The Hellfire
The Hellfire is the place of punishment Allah has prepared for the disbelievers and the transgressors who disbelieved in Him and disobeyed His messengers. It contains punishments and torments beyond what a person can imagine, and its people whose end it is remain in it forever.
The warning against it stands in Surah Aal ‘Imran (3:131), in the rendering of Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen’s explanation:
“And beware of the Fire which Allah has made ready for those who disbelieve in Him.”
In the Wasitiyyah commentary, the Shaykh then sets out the Fire itself, that it exists now, and that its inhabitants remain in it forever. The verses inside his words are the closing words of Surah Aal ‘Imran 3:131 and Surah al-Ahzab 33:64 to 65, in his book’s rendering:
“As for the Fire, it is the abode which Allah, Exalted is He, prepared for His enemies. Therein are various categories of punishment and torment that are unbearable. It exists now, according to His statement, Exalted is He: Prepared for the disbelievers. Its inhabitants shall remain therein forever, according to His statement, Exalted is He: Verily, Allah has cursed the disbelievers, and has prepared for them a flaming Fire (Hell). Wherein they will abide forever.”
Why its punishment never ends is explained by Shaykh as-Sa’di on Surah as-Sajdah (32:14), where Allah tells its people to taste what they had forgotten. He quotes the verse’s words at the head and the tail of his explanation:
“so taste the eternal punishment that is, the never-ending punishment, for if the punishment had an end and a set term, that would give some hope of relief. But the punishment of hell - may Allah protect us from it - has no respite and no end. for what you used to do of disbelief, evildoing and sin.”
Why This Matters
These two abodes are the final return of every person. Belief in them is part of belief in the Last Day, the fifth pillar of iman [faith], and it is what gives the deeds of this world their weight: the servant works in this short life for a home that does not end. The full teaching on that pillar stands on the page Belief in the Last Day.
How the people end, in each abode, is stated by Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen at the close of his answer on belief in the Last Day in Fiqhul ‘Ibaadaat. His words carry the one mention of intercession [pleading for another] that this page needs, in a single clause, and no further:
“Then the reckoning will take place as it is stated in the Book of Allah and in the Sunnah of His Messenger, and people will end up either in Paradise (al-Jannah) or in Hell-Fire. Whoever enters Paradise will live and remain therein forever and will not die. As for him who enters the Hell-Fire, if he is from those who committed acts of disobedience, and is not saved by way of intercession or does not receive a special Mercy (pardon) from Allah, will eventually leave it after he is punished for what he deserves. He will not stay therein forever. As for the unbeliever, however, he will reside in it forever.”
Key Lessons
Paradise and the Hellfire are real, they exist now, and they remain forever. Paradise is the abode Allah prepared for His believing servants, holding what no eye has seen and no ear has heard, and the greatest of its bliss is His pleasure with its people. The Fire is the abode prepared for those who disbelieved, and its punishment has no end for them. A disobedient Muslim who enters it leaves after his punishment; the unbeliever stays forever.
References
- Explanation of the Three Fundamental Principles, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen, Al-Hidaayah Publishing and Distribution, First Edition 1418 AH / 1997 CE, translated by Aboo Talhah Daawood ibn Ronald Burbank: the section on belief in the Last Day, its third matter, Paradise and the Hellfire (printed pp. 167 to 168): Surah al-Bayyinah 98:7 to 8 in the book’s expanded rendering (printed pp. 167 to 168) and Surah Aal ‘Imran 3:131 in the book’s rendering (printed p. 168).
- Commentary on Al-‘Aqidah Al-Wasitiyyah, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen, Dar-us-Salam, Vol. 2: the close of the chapter Concerning the Major Resurrection, “And Paradise and the Fire” (printed pp. 259 to 261): Paradise defined, existing now, and remaining forever (printed pp. 259 to 260), and the Fire (printed pp. 260 to 261).
- Fiqhul ‘Ibaadaat, Aqeedah section, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen, rendered into English by Dr. Saleh as-Saleh; the held copy names no publisher, edition, or year: Question 25, the close of the answer, on where people end up (printed pp. 83 to 84).
- Tafsir as-Sa’di, Shaykh ‘Abdur-Rahman ibn Nasir as-Sa’di, IIPH English Edition 1, 2018, translated by Nasiruddin al-Khattab: Vol. 6, on Surah al-Kahf 18:107 to 108 and Jannat al-Firdaws (printed pp. 45 to 46); Vol. 7, on Surah as-Sajdah 32:14 (printed p. 370) and 32:17 (printed pp. 372 to 373).
The books cited print “Allaah” and “Allāh”; inside quotations on this page the name is spelled Allah, by the site’s rule.
Further Reading
- Belief in the Last Day: belief in the Last Day, the fifth pillar of iman, and what it includes
- The Hereafter: the levels of people in the Hereafter, rank by rank
Verified on 2026-10-26 against: Explanation of the Three Fundamental Principles (Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen), Commentary on Al-‘Aqidah Al-Wasitiyyah, Vol. 2 (Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen), Fiqhul ‘Ibaadaat, Aqeedah section (Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen), and Tafsir as-Sa’di, Vols. 6 and 7 (Shaykh ‘Abdur-Rahman ibn Nasir as-Sa’di).