The River of Life

 بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

‌قُدُّوسٌ ‌قُدُّوسٌ ‌قُدُّوسٌ

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

Holy, Holy, Holy

One of the beliefs of Ahl us-Sunnah which sets us apart from the misguided Khawarij and Mu’tazilah is that whoever has even a speck of Faith in his heart shall eventually be released from Hell. The Kharijites, Mu’tazilites and some other misguided people believe that major sinners are doomed to Hell for eternity! But the Holy Prophet Muhammad, sall Allahu alaihi wasallam, said:

إِذَا دَخَلَ أَهْلُ الْجَنَّةِ الْجَنَّةَ وَأَهْلُ النَّارِ النَّارَ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ مَنْ كَانَ فِي قَلْبِهِ مِثْقَالُ حَبَّةٍ مِنْ خَرْدَلٍ مِنْ إِيمَانٍ فَأَخْرِجُوهُ‏ فَيُخْرَجُونَ قَدِ امْتُحِشُوا وَعَادُوا حُمَمًا فَيُلْقَوْنَ فِي نَهَرِ الْحَيَاةِ فَيَنْبُتُونَ كَمَا تَنْبُتُ الْحِبَّةُ فِي حَمِيلِ السَّيْلِ

When the people of Paradise have entered Paradise, and the people of the Fire have entered the Fire, Allah will say, “Take out (of the Fire) whoever has got Faith equal to a mustard seed in his heart.” They will come out, and by that time they would have burnt like charcoal, and then they will be thrown into the River of Life and they will spring forth just as a seed grows on the bank of a rainwater stream (Sahih al-Bukhari)

The River of Life spoken of here surely corresponds to what is mentioned in the Bible: “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Revelation 22:1, KJV). So we believe in the existence of this incredible River of Life, which proceeds from the Throne and flows through Paradise, and the last people to enter Paradise will be taken out of Hell while they are all burnt up and have died. They will then be tossed into this River of Life through whose water they shall be revived. Now Allah says concerning the unbeliever who shall enter Hell for eternity:

ثُمَّ لَا یَمُوۡتُ فِیۡہَا وَلَا یَحۡیٰی

Then he will not die therein nor live

(Surah 87, Ayah 13)

But as for the sinful Muslim who does go to Hell, he will die therein and be taken out, and shall be revived after being submerged into the River of Life, or having water from it poured upon him:

أَمَّا أَهْلُ النَّارِ الَّذِينَ هُمْ أَهْلُهَا فَإِنَّهُمْ لاَ يَمُوتُونَ فِيهَا وَلاَ يَحْيَوْنَ وَلَكِنْ نَاسٌ أَصَابَتْهُمُ النَّارُ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ- أَوْ قَالَ بِخَطَايَاهُمْ - فَأَمَاتَهُمْ إِمَاتَةً حَتَّى إِذَا كَانُوا فَحْمًا أُذِنَ بِالشَّفَاعَةِ فَجِيءَ بِهِمْ ضَبَائِرَ ضَبَائِرَ فَبُثُّوا عَلَى أَنْهَارِ الْجَنَّةِ ثُمَّ قِيلَ يَا أَهْلَ الْجَنَّةِ أَفِيضُوا عَلَيْهِمْ‏ فَيَنْبُتُونَ نَبَاتَ الْحِبَّةِ تَكُونُ فِي حَمِيلِ السَّيْلِ

The people of Hellfire will remain there, never dying and never living. There will also be people who will enter Hell because of their sins, and they will die therein. They will turn into charcoal and ashes and permission will be granted for intercession to be made and they will be brought out of the Hellfire in groups, and spread over the sides of the rivers of Paradise. It will be said, “O People of Paradise! Pour water upon them!” So they will grow like seeds in the silt left by a flood (Sahih Muslim)