Hell is too Cruel?

Hell is too Cruel?

Question:


How should I reply to someone who says that hell is too cruel, and that Allah is evil for creating it, i.e. he is referring to people being burned and tortured there for eternity, and saying that even though people should be punished for their evildoings, hell is too unjust - e.g. If someone kills my mother, off course I will be angry and whim to be punished for that, but I would not want him to die and burn over and over again in the hellfire forever, and burn his brain and torture him eternally with all those other horrible punishments, etc, since that is just inhumane - has anybody got any good replies?




Answer:

You are comparing apples with oranges here. For Allah is not like your mother. Your mother is a limited and finite human being. Justice demands that the punishment must fit the crime. The punishment committed against your mother is that of finite magnitude, thus calling for a finite punishment.

However, Allah is infinite and beyond limitations. Thus, one who rejects the infinite God for no valid reason (e.g. he wasn't insane, he wasn't in a coma, he received the correct message, etc.), has committed a crime that is of infinite magnitude. Thus, since the punishment must fit the crime and the crime is that of infinite magnitude, objective logic demands that the punishment must also be infinite and that is burning in hell forever.

Objective logic states that a crime commited against the infinite God should draw in an infinite punishment. But it is our emotions and personal subjective opinions that say other wise.

Also, we tend to look at the magnitude of the crime (e.g. simply rejecting a religion) but we do not tend to try and imagine the magnitude of whom the crime is being committed against.

Also, simply not liking, understanding or agreeing with something is not evidence against that thing. For example, in China you have people who commit tax evasion being executed. Now, I don't agree, understand or like that law, but that does not change the fact that the law is a reality in China.

Similarly, not liking, understanding or agreeing with people being burnt in hell forever, is not evidence against its reality. Us Muslims submit to the truth rather we like it or not. We don't care about what people like, agree or understand, we care about the truth. If the truth is something that we don't like, well then as the saying goes 'Truth hurts'.

Allah knows best.



http://www.ahlalhdeeth.com/vbe/showthread.php?t=1250



Also, another argument to put forward is this; ask the person -

Now that you've been informed of the clear and simple message, would you still reject it? {if they reject it, tell them] And if you were given a life of eternity, would you still deny the favours of your Lord for that life of eternity?


If you remained ungrateful to Him and disbelieved in Him, then you would be punished for eternity, similarly you would be rewarded for eternity if you were to be grateful and obedient to Him.

He has made this life temporary for us, and He has created death for each one of us - then, soon we will die and return to Him and He will inform us of all that we did. No-one will be dealt with unjustly on that day.


Those who were grateful and did good to please their Creator and Sustainer - they will be rewarded eternally for believing in His Promise and pleasing Him in this temporary journey, but those who were ungrateful in this small, short lasting life and were disobedient to Him - then they will be punished for their own evil.


So this life is temporary, but the consequences of it will be for eternity. Choose the path which is better for you, before death comes - when it will be too late to turn back, and regret will be of no help.