Sufist view of Hell?

[Many Sages One Truth]

Do Sufis still believe in a literal hell as a place of torment, or do they believe there is symbology and hidden metaphor in what the Qur'an says about hell?

 

[.lava]

Do Sufis still believe in a literal hell as a place of torment, or do they believe there is symbology and hidden metaphor in what the Qur'an says about hell?

since Sufis are Muslims, of course Sufi would believe that's written in Qur'an. there's always somethings hidden though we should act according to what we know from Qur'an

.

 

[Many Sages One Truth]

So Sufis don't believe hell is a metaphor?

 

[.lava]

So Sufis don't believe hell is a metaphor?

not the ones i know and i don't take it as a metaphor. though some parts of hell could be taken like that. it is said there are seven levels and it is possible to spend that long time knowing that there's a God and you're not allowed to see it. that could be a kind of torture for some people. torture is not always physical. this is assumption of course. i would not know now


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[jamaesi]

Hell is Earth.

 

[Tonymai]

Why is hell needed when those who do not want be with God effectively choose non-existence as reality? Why not have mercy on them and make them sleep eternally.

 

[A-ManESL]

This is from something I posted long back on the forum regarding the concept of hell/heaven from a Sufi prespective.

Everything there is derives its existence from God. Man also has a part of him from this divine plane, and this part gives him an angst (which some can feel and some can) which propels him towards evolving back and rejoining himself with the essence of the divinity, i.e. with God. In Sufi terminology, this angst, this uniting force (which by the way also subtly pulls us towards everything else too, for the divinity in each recognizes the other) is termed as love. Heaven is the term which hide behinds it the real purpose of being in union with the essence of God.

There is a hadith(tradition of the Prophet Muhammad(pbuh)) that after judgement day has come and all people have been amply rewarded, God will ask man "Are you satisfied?" Everyone in heaven will proclaim that indeed they are. Then God will reveal his own Self to man, and the wonders that they had been enjoying in heaven would become of no consequence, and all the happiness and joy that previously had been enjoyed in heaven would appear to be nothing in front of this indescribable joy.

This union is what Rabia Basri was referring to when she said:

"O my Lord,
if I worship you from fear of hell, burn me in hell.
If I worship you from hope of Paradise, bar me from its gates.
But if I worship you for yourself alone,
grant me then the beauty of your Face."

So union with the essence of God is the real heaven and the rest is allegory for understanding as per the context and time of the people when the revelation occured. This union is the target of the people who turn their nature's towards God. For those who arent interested in God, they will not achieve that essence in totality. They shall remain part of the divine plane, but on the opposite end...the seperation of them from the essence is what is termed as hell. Even this is possible with the beneficence of God, for as Rumi says: “The inhabitants of Hell will be happier in Hell than they were in the world, for in the world they had no idea of God, whereas in Hell they will think of Him--and nothing can be sweeter than knowledge of God.”

Regards

 

[Bob Dixon]

Is there a way, then, to join God even in Hell? Is Hell always eternal? Can God grant you His mercy and take you out of Hell?

 

[fenrisx]

since Sufis are Muslims, of course Sufi would believe that's written in Qur'an. there's always somethings hidden though we should act according to what we know from Qur'an

.

Or....... sufis have many variations, opinions may as well

 

[fenrisx]

This is from something I posted long back on the forum regarding the concept of hell/heaven from a Sufi prespective.

Everything there is derives its existence from God. Man also has a part of him from this divine plane, and this part gives him an angst (which some can feel and some can) which propels him towards evolving back and rejoining himself with the essence of the divinity, i.e. with God. In Sufi terminology, this angst, this uniting force (which by the way also subtly pulls us towards everything else too, for the divinity in each recognizes the other) is termed as love. Heaven is the term which hide behinds it the real purpose of being in union with the essence of God.

There is a hadith(tradition of the Prophet Muhammad(pbuh)) that after judgement day has come and all people have been amply rewarded, God will ask man "Are you satisfied?" Everyone in heaven will proclaim that indeed they are. Then God will reveal his own Self to man, and the wonders that they had been enjoying in heaven would become of no consequence, and all the happiness and joy that previously had been enjoyed in heaven would appear to be nothing in front of this indescribable joy.

This union is what Rabia Basri was referring to when she said:
So union with the essence of God is the real heaven and the rest is allegory for understanding as per the context and time of the people when the revelation occured. This union is the target of the people who turn their nature's towards God. For those who arent interested in God, they will not achieve that essence in totality. They shall remain part of the divine plane, but on the opposite end...the seperation of them from the essence is what is termed as hell. Even this is possible with the beneficence of God, for as Rumi says: “The inhabitants of Hell will be happier in Hell than they were in the world, for in the world they had no idea of God, whereas in Hell they will think of Him--and nothing can be sweeter than knowledge of God.”

Regards

that quote; bingo