Jannah and Jahannam are the two final homes the Quran and the Sunnah describe in detail: Jannah, the Paradise Allah has prepared for the believers, and Jahannam, one of the Quran’s names for Hellfire. This page gathers our two series on them, 20 articles built only on the Quran and authentic hadith, each with the Arabic text, its source, its grade and what it means for us today.
الْجَنَّةُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى أَحَدِكُمْ مِنْ شِرَاكِ نَعْلِهِ، وَالنَّارُ مِثْلُ ذَلِكَ
“Paradise is nearer to any of you than the strap of his sandal, and so is the Fire.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 6488 · Narrated by ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud · Translation adapted from Sunnah.com
The Encyclopedia of Translated Prophetic Hadiths explains that both are as close to us as a sandal strap is to the foot: one good act that pleases Allah can lead a person to Paradise, and one sin can lead a person to the Fire. So no good deed is too small to do and no wrong too small to avoid, and a believer holds on to both hope and fear.
Jannah (Paradise): 10 articles
Our Jannah series moves from an overview to its levels, gates, rivers and trees, the greatest reward of seeing Allah, and ends with the hadith that ties it all together.
- Jannah in Islam: 6 Authentic Hadith About Paradise: what no eye has seen and no heart has imagined
- Levels of Jannah and al-Firdaus: the 100 levels, and why to ask for al-Firdaus
- The 8 Gates of Jannah: who will be called from each gate
- Dua for Jannah: 4 Authentic Duas: how to ask Allah for Paradise
- The Last Person to Enter Jannah: even the lowest rank is beyond imagining
- Seeing Allah in Jannah: the greatest reward in Paradise
- Rivers of Jannah: water, milk, honey and al-Kawthar
- Trees in Jannah: the endless shade and the trees of dhikr
- 70,000 Who Enter Jannah Without Reckoning: the people of complete trust in Allah
- No One Enters Jannah by Deeds Alone: only by Allah’s mercy
Jahannam (Hellfire): 10 articles
Our Jahannam series is a stern reminder, with hope in every article: what the Fire is, how to be protected from it, and how wide Allah’s mercy is.
- Hellfire in Islam: 6 Authentic Hadith About Jahannam: an overview from the authentic hadith
- Hellfire 70 Times Hotter Than Our Fire: what the Prophet ﷺ said about its heat
- Hellfire Breathing Hadith: two breaths, summer and winter
- The Least Punishment in Hell: what even the lightest punishment is like
- Paradise Is Surrounded by Hardships: and the Fire by desires
- Save Yourself From the Fire, Even With Half a Date: small charity, great protection
- Dua for Protection From Hellfire: 4 Authentic Duas: asking Allah for safety from the Fire
- A Mustard Seed of Faith: who is taken out of Hell
- Hadith About Women in Hellfire: the reasons and the remedy
- Allah’s Mercy in 100 Parts: 99 parts kept for the Day of Judgment
Where to start
- New to the topic? Read Hellfire in Islam and Jannah in Islam first. Each gives an overview in six authentic hadith.
- Want something to do today? Go to the two dua articles: Dua for Jannah and Dua for Protection From Hellfire.
- Finish with hope. Both series end with mercy: Allah’s Mercy in 100 Parts and No One Enters Jannah by Deeds Alone.
Allah sums up what is at stake in one verse:
كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۗ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۖ فَمَن زُحْزِحَ عَنِ ٱلنَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ ۗ وَمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَآ إِلَّا مَتَـٰعُ ٱلْغُرُورِ
Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your [full] compensation on the Day of Resurrection. So he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained [his desire]. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion.
Surah Aal-Imran 3:185 · Translation: Saheeh International, from Quran.com
Every article on this page checks its hadith against Sunnah.com and its verses against Quran.com. You can read how in Start Here.
Questions people ask
What do Jannah and Jahannam mean?
Jannah is the Arabic word for Paradise, the home Allah has prepared for the believers. Jahannam is one of the names the Quran uses for Hellfire. Both are described in detail in the Quran and authentic hadith, gathered on this page.
Where should I start reading about Jannah and Jahannam?
Start with Hellfire in Islam and Jannah in Islam, which give an overview of each, then finish with Allah’s Mercy in 100 Parts and No One Enters Jannah by Deeds Alone.
Save this to Pinterest so you can find both series again and share them
Share the reward. Send this article to someone who needs it today — teaching a hadith or dua can become a lasting good deed for you, in shaa Allah.