When Will the Gates of Hell Open?
Happiness and misery have different ranks. Neither everyone who is in Heaven nor everyone who is in Hell have the same rank. The Hell has seven doors, each taking the newcomer to a different place. The more sever one’s sins, the lower the rank of the Hell he enters.
The Gates of Hell:
According to Holy Qur’an, “And verily, Hell is the promised abode for them all! To it are seven gates: for each of those gates is a (special) class (of sinners) assigned.” (Al-Hijr: 43 and 44)
The Ranks of Hell:
Imam Baqir said about the above-mentioned verse, “God has appointed seven floors for the Hell. In the highest floor of Hell, the sinners stand on top of a rock and their brains boil, just like a pot of hot water.”
According to Holy Qur’an , “But those who reject Faith and belie our Signs, they shall be companions of Hell-fire.” (Al-Ma’ida: 86)
And also, “By no means! for it would be the Fire of Hell!- Plucking out (his being) right to the skull!” (Al-Ma’arij: 15 and 16)
Mansour Bin Ammar said, “I went to a mosque one day and I saw a young man who was saying his prayers humbly. I thought he looked familiar. So, I waited till he finished saying his prayers. Then I asked him if he knew about the desert in the Hell, in which people were imprisoned and there was no escape or them from the fire. The young man shouted, passed out and died.”
God says in Holy Qur’an, “For the Rejecters we have prepared chains, yokes, and a blazing Fire.” (Al-Insan: 4)
The Gates of Hell:
The doors of the Hell are closed, but when the sinners get there on the Doomsday, the gates will be opened, “The Unbelievers will be led to Hell in crowd: until, when they arrive, there, its gates will be opened. And its keepers will say, "Did not apostles come to you from among yourselves, rehearsing to you the Signs of your Lord, and warning you of the Meeting of This Day of yours?" The answer will be: "True: but the Decree of Punishment has been proved true against the Unbelievers!"” (Az-Zumar: 71)
According to Prophet Muhammad, on the Ascension night, he told Malik, the guard at the gates of the Hell, to open the doors to Hell. Once Malik opened one door the flames of fire rushed out. Gabriel commanded Malik to close the door and so he did. This door was opened only once, due to the request of Prophet Muhammad, and it will remain closed till the Doomsday.
Imam Ali said, “Hell has seven gates and seven floors.” Then he put one of his hands on the top of the other hand and said, “Just like this.”
It is said different ranks of Heaven, which are believed to be seven, are all on the same floor while there are different floors for the Hell.
Translated by: Sadroddin Musawi
Other links:
Receiving one’s Record from Behind the Back
Our Records Are Inside Us
When Will the Doomsday Come?
Why Do We Fear Death?
Resurrection
