Bismillah, Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, to Him belong the endowments and the befitting perfections and commendations. I ask Allah to raise the rank of Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, and to protect his nation from that which he fears for it, Thereafter:
Allah says in His Book: An-Naba’ 23. {لابِثِينَ فِيهَا أَحْقَابًا}
means: They will dwell therein for (endless) ages.
Al-Kisa’iyy recited labithina (لبثين) without the alif of extension, and the meaning is the same.
The blasphemers shall dwell in Hell as long as ages last–and the ages shall not come to an end. When one age lapses, another starts, and so on the case shall be as such perpetua
lly. The term huqb (حقب) ‘age’, which is the singular form of ahqab (أحقاب) ‘ages’ is eighty (80) years in the Arabic language. Al-Qushayriyy said that the meaning is that they shall be there forever.
Some people, such as Jahm Ibn Safwan, the head of the Jahmiyyah faction , falsely claim that Hellfire will cease to exist. Some try to use this ayah and the meaning of the word huqb out of its proper context to justify this false claim that Hellfire will cease to exist. There is nothing in the aforementioned ayah or in any other ayah which gives credence to their incorrect statement. On the contrary, many ayahs talk about the perpetuity of Hellfire and the perpetuity of the torture of the blasphemers therein. As such, the Muslim scholars have judged as blasphemers those who claim that Hellfire ceases to exist. Among those scholars is the Hafidh and Mujtahid, Imam Taqqiyyud-din as-Subkiyy. He stated this judgment in his treatise, Al-I^tibar Bibaqa’ Al-Jannah Wan-Nar, in which he refuted Ibn Taymiyah’s claim that Hellfire comes to an end.
One verse is enough to refute Ibn Taymiyah and any other denier of the perpetuity of Hell and its inhabitants:
{خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا لَا يَجِدُونَ وَلِيًّا وَلَا نَصِيرًا} [الأحزاب: 65]
AlaHzaab 65 means: They will be in it forever (khaalideen feehaa) and ever (abadaa). They will not find a guardian or a supporter.
