Yaqzat Uli al-Itibar
- Author died
- 1307 AH
- Editions
- Maktabat 'Atif - Dar al-Ansar
Yaqzat Uli al-I‘tibar (Yaqẓat Ulī al-I‘tibār mimmā Warada fī Dhikr al-Nār wa-Aṣḥāb al-Nār) is an eschatological treatise in Arabic by the Indian scholar Siddiq Hasan Khan (1248–1307 AH / 1832–1890 CE), dedicated to the descriptions of Hellfire and its inhabitants based on the Quran and Hadith .
Background and Purpose
Siddiq Hasan Khan noted in his introduction that after writing his treatise on Paradise, Muthīr Sākin al-Gharām ilā Rawḍāt Dār al-Salām, he intended to author a work on the terrors and nature of Hellfire limited strictly to the Quranic verses and authentic prophetic traditions . He observed that while Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya had composed a comprehensive treatise on Paradise to serve the purpose of spiritual encouragement (targhīb), he had not encountered an independent work dedicated specifically to Hellfire and its terrors to fulfill the purpose of religious admonition and deterrence (tarhīb), prompting him to write this book when the opportunity arose .
Contents and Structure
The book is structured into an introduction (muqaddimah), multiple thematic chapters (abwāb), and a conclusion (khātimah) .
Among its core sections and discussions:
- The Present Existence of Hellfire: A chapter establishing that Hellfire is already created and in existence, citing the consensus of the Companions, Successors, the people of the Sunnah and Hadith, Muslim jurists, and ascetics, while refuting the theological innovators who maintained that it will only be created on the Day of Resurrection .
- Quranic Descriptions of Hell: Chapters compiling verses concerning Hellfire and the conditions of its inhabitants, including linguistic explanations and doctrinal implications, such as rejecting the arguments of the Mu'tazilites and Kharijites regarding the eternal punishment of sinful monotheists .
- Hadith Criticism and Theological Inquiries: The work addresses textual and theological debates, including the hadith concerning the sectarian division of the Muslim community, where the author discusses the addition "all of them are in the Fire except one," noting its weakening by scholars such as Ibn Hazm, Ibn al-Wazir, and al-Shawkani . It also addresses historical discussions around the potential cessation of Hellfire (fanā’ al-nār) and stances attributed to Ibn Taymiyya .
Publication History
The work was printed during the author's lifetime in Bhopal in 1294 AH (1877 CE) in 135 pages . Later editions include a printing by Matba‘at al-Imtiyaz in 1398 AH, and an edition edited by Ahmad Hijazi al-Saqqa published by Maktabat ‘Atif in Cairo .
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