2009/01/01 by Einar Thomassen · 3 citations
Arts and Humanities · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Ambiguity #Archaeology and Historical Studies #Epistemology #Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies #History of religions #Islam #Islamic Studies and History #Linguistics #Philosophy #Psychology #Punishment (psychology) #Religious studies #Social psychology #Sociology #Theology
paper · doi:10.1163/156852709x405062
openalex publication_date 2009/01/01 · openalex created_date 2022/05/12 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
Ideas about punishment in hell (the Fire, Jahannam ) have an important place both in the Qur'an and in later Muslim literature. The article surveys the scenarios of hell given in these sources and discusses the various functions of hell-talk in Islamic discourse. In particular, a tension exists between conceiving hell as a place of punishment for sins and as a place reserved for disbelievers, or non-Muslims. The two perspectives meet in the idea that disbelief ( kufr ) is the worst of all sins, though ambiguities regarding who belong in hell remain. Strategies to mediate this ambiguity are found in the ideas that hell is divided into several levels or that the punishment in hell is only temporary.