Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 , Department of Jurisprudence and Fundamentals of Islamic Law, Allameh Tabatabai University, Tehran, Iran
2 Student of Fiqh and Fundamentals of Islamic Law/Theology Faculty of Allameh Tabatabai University/Tehran/Iran/Level 3
Abstract
The issue of eternal punishment in hell is among those topics that have sparked significant debate among Shiite and Sunni philosophers and theologians. Although some Qur'anic verses explicitly indicate eternal punishment, figures such as Ibn Arabi consider eternal punishment impossible. Some scholars, like Mulla Sadra, acknowledge its possibility but doubt its occurrence, while others, like Allameh Tabataba'i, accept both the possibility and occurrence of eternal punishment. The main challenge underlying these differing views, which even impacts the interpretation of some of God's names and attributes, is the perceived contradiction between eternal punishment and God's mercy. The argument is that God's encompassing mercy includes all creatures, preventing them from remaining in hell and being punished forever. How, then, can one assert that eternal punishment directly relates to God's vast mercy? This research, conducted using descriptive and analytical methods and referencing written sources, arrives at the following conclusions: Eternal punishment in hell is explicitly stated in the Qur'an and cannot be interpreted otherwise. Eternal punishment does not contradict God's all-encompassing mercy but is, in fact, a necessity and manifestation of it. God bestows upon individuals what they are predisposed to and need for their ultimate misfortune, which is the realization of their wickedness to its fullest extent and its transformation into a permanent state. If the effect of such a state is eternal punishment, it does not contradict God's general mercy but is itself a manifestation of His mercy, a necessity and a consequence of it.
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