Sifat al-Nar li-Ibn Abi al-Dunya
- Author died
- 281 AH
- Editions
- Dar Ibn Hazm
Sifat al-Nar (Arabic: صفة النار, lit. 'The Description of Hellfire') is an eschatological and hortatory treatise by the Baghdadi traditionist and educator Ibn Abi al-Dunya (208–281 AH / 823–894 CE) . The book compiles prophetic traditions and early reports describing Hellfire, its topography, intensity, and the punishments endured by its inhabitants .
Subject and Content
Composed within the tradition of Islamic devotional and ascetic (zuhd and raqa'iq) literature, Sifat al-Nar gathers narrations detailing eschatological descriptions of the afterlife . The treatise addresses several core thematic areas regarding the Fire, including:
- Topography and Structure: Narrations concerning the gates of Hellfire (abwab Jahannam), its perimeter walls (suradiq), its vast depth and abyss, and its valleys, mountains, pits, and prisons .
- Physical Characteristics: Reports describing the extreme heat of the Fire, its pitch-black darkness, and its various tiers (darakat) .
- Instruments and Forms of Torment: Accounts describing chains, yokes (aghlal), iron maces (maqami'), and serpents and scorpions .
- Diet and Condition of Inmates: Narrations on the food (such as zaqqum and dari') and scalding drinks provided to the damned, alongside descriptions of their physical affliction, intense weeping, and distress .
Method and Structure
Ibn Abi al-Dunya structures the work around transmitted texts (riwayah), documenting each report with its complete chain of transmission (isnad) tracing back to the Islamic prophet Muhammad, Companions such as Abdullah ibn Mas'ud and Abu Hurayrah, or prominent figures from the Successors (al-Tabi'un) . The author records marfu' (prophetic), mawquf (Companion-level), and maqtu' (Successor-level) traditions without extensive personal commentary, functioning primarily as a comprehensive thematic compiler .
Reception and Citations
The work is frequently referenced and cited by classical and later scholars in works on eschatology, hadith commentary, and creed. Authors citing its narrations include Ibn al-Jawzi in al-'Ilal al-Mutanahiyah , Ibn Kathir in al-Nihayah fi al-Fitan wa-al-Malahim , and al-Saffarini in al-Buhur al-Zakhirah fi 'Ulum al-Akhirah . Modern hadith scholars, including Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani, also examined its transmission chains when analyzing eschatological traditions .
Publication History
The work remained preserved in manuscript form before being edited and published in print . A notable edition was prepared by Muhammad Khayr Ramadan Yusuf and published by Dar Ibn Hazm in Beirut (first edition in 1417 AH / 1996–1997 CE; second edition in 1421 AH / 2000 CE) .
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