The short answer
For those who die rejecting Allah and associating partners with Him, the Quran says Hell is eternal. Believers who sinned may be punished for a time if Allah does not forgive them, but anyone with even an atom's weight of faith will eventually be taken out and enter Paradise.
Two kinds of sin. "Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills" 1. Shirk (worshipping others besides Allah), if a person dies upon it, is not forgiven. Every other sin is under Allah's will: He may forgive it completely or punish for it.
Believers leave the Fire. The Prophet ﷺ said whoever said "La ilaha illallah" and has in his heart good equal to the weight of a barley grain, then a wheat grain, then even an atom, "will be taken out of Hell" 2. Those who leave it enter Paradise 3.
Those who remain. The Quran says disbelievers among the People of the Scripture and the polytheists will be in the fire of Hell, "abiding eternally therein" 4, and of those who disbelieve and do wrong, "they will abide therein forever" 5. After everyone has entered their final home, death will be brought and slaughtered, and it will be announced: "O people of Paradise, no more death! O people of the Fire, no more death!" 6 About the words "except what your Lord should will" in Surah Hud 7, many commentators, such as Ibn Kathir and al-Mukhtasar, explain that the exception refers to sinful believers whom Allah removes.
Allah's justice. "Never would We punish until We sent a messenger" 8. Allah wrongs no one: judgment depends on the message having reached a person, and He knows each heart. Our job is not to assign people to Hell, but to hold on to tawhid ourselves, repent while we can, and share the message with wisdom.
Allah does not forgive shirk but forgives anything less for whom He wills.
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَغۡفِرُ أَن يُشۡرَكَ بِهِۦ وَيَغۡفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَآءُۚ وَمَن يُشۡرِكۡ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدِ ٱفۡتَرَىٰٓ إِثۡمًا عَظِيمًا ٤٨
Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. And he who associates others with Allah has certainly fabricated a tremendous sin
Whoever has an atom's weight of faith with La ilaha illallah will be taken out of Hell.
Narrated Anas: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever said "None has the right to be worshipped but Allah and has in his heart good (faith) equal to the weight of a barley grain will be taken out of Hell. And whoever said: "None has the right to be worshipped but Allah and has in his heart good (faith) equal to the weight of a wheat grain will be taken out of Hell. And whoever said, "None has the right to be worshipped but Allah and has in his heart good (faith) equal to the weight of an atom will be taken out of Hell
حَدَّثَنَا مُسْلِمُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " يَخْرُجُ مِنَ النَّارِ مَنْ قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ، وَفِي قَلْبِهِ وَزْنُ شَعِيرَةٍ مِنْ خَيْرٍ، وَيَخْرُجُ مِنَ النَّارِ مَنْ قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ، وَفِي قَلْبِهِ وَزْنُ بُرَّةٍ مِنْ خَيْرٍ، وَيَخْرُجُ مِنَ النَّارِ مَنْ قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ، وَفِي قَلْبِهِ وَزْنُ ذَرَّةٍ مِنْ خَيْرٍ ". قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ أَبَانُ حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ حَدَّثَنَا أَنَسٌ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مِنْ إِيمَانٍ ". مَكَانَ " مِنْ خَيْرٍ ".
Some people will come out of the Fire after being touched by it and enter Paradise.
Narrated Anas bin Malik:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Some people will come out of the Fire after they have received a touch of the Fire, changing their color, and they will enter Paradise, and the people of Paradise will name them 'Al- Jahannamiyin' the (Hell) Fire people
حَدَّثَنَا هُدْبَةُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا هَمَّامٌ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " يَخْرُجُ قَوْمٌ مِنَ النَّارِ بَعْدَ مَا مَسَّهُمْ مِنْهَا سَفْعٌ، فَيَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ، فَيُسَمِّيهِمْ أَهْلُ الْجَنَّةِ الْجَهَنَّمِيِّينَ ".
Disbelievers among the People of the Scripture and the polytheists abide eternally in Hell.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِنۡ أَهۡلِ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ وَٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآۚ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمۡ شَرُّ ٱلۡبَرِيَّةِ ٦
Indeed, they who disbelieved among the People of the Scripture and the polytheists will be in the fire of Hell, abiding eternally therein. Those are the worst of creatures
Those who disbelieve and do wrong will abide in Hell forever.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَظَلَمُواْ لَمۡ يَكُنِ ٱللَّهُ لِيَغۡفِرَ لَهُمۡ وَلَا لِيَهۡدِيَهُمۡ طَرِيقًا ١٦٨ إِلَّا طَرِيقَ جَهَنَّمَ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَدࣰ اۚ وَكَانَ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ يَسِيرࣰ ا ١٦٩
168 Indeed, those who disbelieve and commit wrong [or injustice] - never will Allah forgive them, nor will He guide them to a path 169 Except the path of Hell; they will abide therein forever. And that, for Allah, is [always] easy
Death is slaughtered; no more death for the people of Paradise or the Fire.
Narrated Ibn `Umar:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "When the people of Paradise have entered Paradise and the people of the Fire have entered the Fire, death will be brought and will be placed between the Fire and Paradise, and then it will be slaughtered, and a call will be made (that), 'O people of Paradise, no more death ! O people of the Fire, no more death ! ' So the people of Paradise will have happiness added to their previous happiness, and the people of the Fire will have sorrow added to their previous sorrow
حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ أَسَدٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، أَخْبَرَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّهُ حَدَّثَهُ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِذَا صَارَ أَهْلُ الْجَنَّةِ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ، وَأَهْلُ النَّارِ إِلَى النَّارِ، جِيءَ بِالْمَوْتِ حَتَّى يُجْعَلَ بَيْنَ الْجَنَّةِ وَالنَّارِ، ثُمَّ يُذْبَحُ، ثُمَّ يُنَادِي مُنَادٍ يَا أَهْلَ الْجَنَّةِ لاَ مَوْتَ، يَا أَهْلَ النَّارِ لاَ مَوْتَ، فَيَزْدَادُ أَهْلُ الْجَنَّةِ فَرَحًا إِلَى فَرَحِهِمْ. وَيَزْدَادُ أَهْلُ النَّارِ حُزْنًا إِلَى حُزْنِهِمْ ".
The wretched abide in the Fire and the prosperous in Paradise, "except what your Lord should will".
فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ شَقُواْ فَفِي ٱلنَّارِ لَهُمۡ فِيهَا زَفِيرࣱ وَشَهِيقٌ ١٠٦ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا مَا دَامَتِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتُ وَٱلۡأَرۡضُ إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ رَبُّكَۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ فَعَّالࣱ لِّمَا يُرِيدُ ١٠٧ ۞وَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ سُعِدُواْ فَفِي ٱلۡجَنَّةِ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا مَا دَامَتِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتُ وَٱلۡأَرۡضُ إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ رَبُّكَۖ عَطَآءً غَيۡرَ مَجۡذُوذࣲ ١٠٨
106 As for those who were [destined to be] wretched, they will be in the Fire. For them therein is [violent] exhaling and inhaling 107 [They will be] abiding therein as long as the heavens and the earth endure, except what your Lord should will. Indeed, your Lord is an effecter of what He intends 108 And as for those who were [destined to be] prosperous, they will be in Paradise, abiding therein as long as the heavens and the earth endure, except what your Lord should will - a bestowal uninterrupted
Allah never punishes until He has sent a messenger.
مَّنِ ٱهۡتَدَىٰ فَإِنَّمَا يَهۡتَدِي لِنَفۡسِهِۦۖ وَمَن ضَلَّ فَإِنَّمَا يَضِلُّ عَلَيۡهَاۚ وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةࣱ وِزۡرَ أُخۡرَىٰۗ وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّىٰ نَبۡعَثَ رَسُولࣰ ا ١٥
Whoever is guided is only guided for [the benefit of] his soul. And whoever errs only errs against it. And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. And never would We punish until We sent a messenger
This answer was compiled with the help of AI, using only the verified texts shown here. Every reference links to its source. If you find a mistake, please report it. Updated 2026-09-24