HELL’S VAULT AND ITS KEEPERS
Allah Almighty said:
“Over it are nineteen [Angels]. And We have not made the keepers of the Fire except Angels. And We have not made their number except as a trial for those who disbelieve” (Al-Muddaththir (74): 30-31)
Adam Ibn Abu Iyyas conveyed from Hammad Ibn Salamah, from Al-Azraq Ibn Qays, that a man from the tribe of Tamlm said: cWe were in AbuVAwam’s council, when he recited this verse,
“Over it are nineteen”
and asked, ‘What do you think this means—nineteen Angels?’ I said:‘No. Nineteen thousand [Angels].’ He asked,‘How do you know that?’ I said: ‘Because Allah Almighty said:
“And We have not made their number except as a trial for those who disbelieve.”
He said: ‘You are correct! In addition to that, in the hands of each of them is an iron gavel with two branches. He strikes with it, causing seventy thousand [people of Hell] to fall down. Between the shoulders of each Angel is the distance of such-and-such.’ According to Abu’l-Awam and those who agree with him, the disbelievers’ trial lies in mentioning the number that gives the false impression of scarcity,since the unit is omitted.
This is similar to what Sa‘id Ibn Bashir narrated from Qatadah regarding Allah’s saying
“…And none knows the soldiers of your Lord except Him… “ (Al-Muddaththir (74): 31)
Meaning, ‘because of their great numbers.’
Similarly, Ibrahim Ibn Al-Hakam, who is a weak narrator, narrated from his father that Ikrimah said: “As soon as the people of Hell-fire reach it, they find at its doors four hundred thousand Angels of Hell, with dark faces and grim teeth; Allah having removed all mercy from their hearts, so that none of them has even an atom’s weight of mercy. If a bird flew off the shoulder of one of them, it would take two months of flying before reaching the other shoulder. They then find at the door the nineteen [Angels], the width of their chest is a seventy day journey for the rider. They fall from one door to another, each fall taking five hundred years, and they find Angels at each door like they found at the first, until they reach its end.’ Stated by Ibn Abi Hatim.
This indicates that at each door of Hell, there are nineteen Angels, who are the chief Angels, under each of them are four hundred thousand Angels.
It’s commonly known among the early and later scholars that the trial originates from stating the number of the Angles, which deludes the disbelievers by their scarcity. It makes them think they can oppose and face them, not knowing that all humanity cannot resist even a single Angel. That is why Allah Almighty said:
“And We have not made the keepers of the Fire except Angels. And We have not made their number except as a trial for those who disbelieve…”
until He said:
“…And none knows the soldiers of your Lord except Him… “ (Al-Muddaththir (74): 31)
Al-Suddi said: “A man from Quraysh called Abu’i-Ashadayn sarcastically remarked, ‘O people of Quraysh! Do not be frightened by the nineteen Angels! I will push ten Angels away from you with my right shoulder and nine with my left shoulder, then you will be free to pass to Paradise.’ Thereupon, Allah the Exalted said:
“And We have not made the keepers of the Fire except Angels. And We have not made their number except as a trial for those who disbelieve…”
Qatadah said: “We were told that when this verse was revealed, Abu Jahl said: ‘O people of Quraysh,can every ten of you not take on one Angel of Hell, for you are many and this fellow of yours [referring to the Prophet (pbuh)] claims they are nineteen?’
Qatadah also said: ‘It is stated in the Torah and the Injil that the Angels of Hell are nineteen.’
Hurayth narrated from Al-Sha’bi, from Al-Bara, regarding the verse,
“Over it are nineteen”
He said: ‘A group of Jews asked a man from the Prophet’s (pbuh) Companions about the Angels of Hell, and he said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’ The man came to the Prophet (pbuh) and mentioned it to him, whereupon Allah revealed the verse,
“Over it are nineteen”
He told his Companions and said: ‘Invite them to come.’ They came and asked him about the Angels of Hell, so he flashed his fingers twice; keeping his thumb closed the second time.‘ Stated by Ibn Abi Hatim; Hurayth is the son of Abu Matar, and he is a weak narrator.
A similar hadith is stated by Tirmidhi, 456 through Mujahid, from Al-Sha’bi, that jabir (radiyAllahu ‘anhu) said: ‘A group of Jews said to a group of the Prophet’s (pbuh) Companions, ‘Does your Prophet know the number of Angels of Hell-fire?’ They said: ‘We will not know until we ask him.’ Thereupon, a man came to the Prophet (pbuh) and said: ‘O Muhammad! Your companions were defeated today.’ He asked, “In what way were they defeated?” He replied, ‘The Jews asked them: Does your Prophet know the number of Angels of Hell-fire?’ He said: “Are people defeated who are asked about something that they do not know, merely because they said: We do not know until we ask our Prophet? But these people had asked their Prophet and said: ‘Show us Allah outright. ‘ Bring me the enemies of Allah. [Verily, I will ask them about the soil of Paradise, and it is Al-Darmak].’ When they came, they said: ‘O Abu’l-Qasim! How many Angels of Hell are there?’ He (pbuh) replied, “This, and this, “ pointing with ten fingers, and then with nine fingers. They said: ‘Yes… “ This is more authentic than the hadith of Hurayth, which was already mentioned, according to Al-Bayhaqi and others.
Imam Ahmad stated the hadith narrated by ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Amr Ibn Al-‘As (radi Allahu ‘anhuma), who said: ‘The Messenger (pbuh) came out upon us one day as onewho bidsfarewell,so he said: “It is I, Muhammad, the illiterate Prophet,” thrice, and added, “There is no Prophet after me. I was given collective manners of eloquence, and words that are concise yet comprehensive in meaning. I was taught the number of Angels of Hell-fire and the Carriers of the Throne…’” and he continued the hadith. (Ahmad, 2/172, 212)
Section One:
Interpreting the Verse: ‘Over which are [appointed] Angels, harsh and severe’
Allah, the Exalted, has described the Angels of Hell with harshness and severity. Allah, the Exalted, said:
“… over which are [appointed] Angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded. “ (al-Tahrim (66): 6)
Abu Nu’aym stated [through a chain of narrators] that Ka’b said: ‘For the Angel of Hell, the distance between its shoulders is a year-long journey for the rider. Each one of them has an iron rod with two branches, with a single push he causes seven hundred thousand [inhabitants] to fall in Hell.’
‘Abdullah, the son of Imam Ahmad, narrated [through a chain of narrators] that Abu ‘Imran Al-Jawni said: ‘We heard that the distance between the shoulders of the Angel of Hell is a one-year journey for the rider. He strikes the Hell-fire inhabitants once leaving them crushed from top to bottom.’ In another version, he said: ‘We heard that the Angels of Hell are nineteen, the distance between the shoulders of each of them is a one-year journey for the rider, and they have no mercy in their hearts, they were only created to mete out punishment.’
Al-Jawzani related [through a chain of narrators] that Salih Abu’l-Khalil said: “On the night that the Prophet (pbuh) was taken on the journey of Isra’ and Mi’raj, Allah sent him a group of Messengers to receive him, they received him with happiness and joy (in Jerusalem). However in the corner of the masjid, there was someone praying who did not turn to him.The Prophet (pbuh) said: “There is none of you except I have seen happiness and joy from him, except the one in that corner.” They said: ‘He is happy to see you like we are, but he is an Angel of Hell.’
Bakr Ibn Khunays conveyed from Abdu’l-Malik Al-Jasri, from Al-Hasan, that Jibrll (‘alayhi as-salam) told the Prophet (pbuh), “ If an Angel of Hell looked upon the people of the Earth, the people of Earth would die from the deformation of his appearance.” This hadith is mursal and weak.
Section Two:
Interpreting the Verse: “And they will call, ‘O Malik ‘”
Allah, Almighty said:
“And they will call,‘O Malik… ‘“ (Al-Zukhruf (43): 77)
Malik is the Gatekeeper of Hell-fire; he is the chief and leader of the Angels of Hell-fire. The Prophet (pbuh) saw him on the night of the Journey of Isra and Mi’raj, and Malik greeted him.(Muslim, #163 on the authority of Anas (radiyAllahu ‘anhu).) Prophet (pbuh) also saw him in his dream, and he has a repulsive appearance, the most repulsive appearance you ever saw someone having’ this was previously stated in the hadith of Samurah Ibn Jundub (radiyAllahu ‘anhu).
Section Three:
Interpreting the Verse: “Then let him call his associates; We will call the Angels of Hell”
Allah, the Exalted said:
“Then let him call his associates; We will call the Angels of Hell. “ (al-’Alaq (96): 17-18)
Abu Hurayrah (radiyAllahu ‘anhu) said: ‘It refers to the Angels of Hell.’ (This saying and the subsequent ones aim to interpret the Arabic word ‘zabaniya’, which is translated in the verse as ‘the Angels of Hell’) ‘Ata’ said: ‘It refers to the harsh and severe Angels.’ Mujahid said: ‘It refers to the gatekeepers of Hell.’ Qatadah said: ‘The Arabs use it to refer to [security] officers.’‘Abdullah Ibn AlHarith said: ‘Their heads are in the ground and their legs are in towards the sky.’ Stated by Ibn Abi Hatim.
He also stated [through a chain of narrators] that Al-Minhal Ibn ‘Amr said: ‘When Allah, Almighty says,
“Seize him and shackle him.” (al-Haqqah (69): 30)
There are seventy thousand Angels that go out like this—meaning each opens his arms—and throws seventy thousand in Hell-fire.’
By Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali
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