Boiling, Festering and Simmering Waters: Punishing the Non-believers

Allah does not always send water as a gift. It can also be a violent punishment. The unbelievers and those who take their religion “as jest and frolic” will be burned by rains of fire, and boiling water will be poured over them. In Hell, the unbelievers will be forced to drink from a source of simmering water (Al-Ghashiyah 88:5). They will drink boiling, festering water (Al-An`am 6:70) that will tear their innards apart (Muhammad 47:15), and they will be dragged in fetters through boiling water (Ghafir 40:72) and receive it over their heads (Al-Hajj 22:19), burning their skin.

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In the earthly context, water can also be a source of suffering. Indeed the quantity and quality of the water Allah sends down from heaven determines whether it will be a blessing or a punishment. The Qur’an distinguishes between different types of water: {one palatable and sweet, the other salt and bitter} (Fatir 35:12) Salt, bitter, and brackish water cannot quench thirst or bring life to the land; it will only bring suffering. It is not only the quality; the quantity of water also determines whether it will bring life or destruction.

Again, this decision lies in Allah’s power: {Who sent down water from the heaven in measure}(Az-Zukhruf 43:11). This means the rains can bring life to barren land, bringing forth crops for the people and their cattle (As-Sajdah 32:27), but the Qur’an also speaks of rains of hail (An-Nur 24:43), rains of fire (11:82) and of punishment {darkness, thunder and lightning.} (Al-Baqarah 2:19)

“Water, Greenery and a Lovely Face”: Images of Islamic Paradise

The poetic and Qur’anic metaphors in which water is used to symbolize Paradise, righteousness and Allah’s mercy are, however, much more frequent. From the numerous Qur’anic references to cooling rivers, fresh rain and fountains of flavored drinking water in Paradise, we can deduce that water is the essence of the gardens of Paradise. It flows beneath and through them, bringing coolness and greenery, and quenching thirst. The believers will be rewarded for their piety by {rivers of water incorruptible; and rivers of milk unchanging in taste, and rivers of wine, delicious to the drinkers, and rivers of honey purified} (Muhammad 47:15).

The water in Paradise is never stagnant; it flows, rushes, unlike the festering waters of Hell. The Qur’an also equates the waters of Paradise with moral uprightness:

{In the garden is no idle talk; there is a gushing fountain} (Al-Ghashiyah 88:11-12).

The many specific statements about the topography of Paradise in the Qur’an led to many attempts to map Paradise. Throughout history, Muslim rulers from Moorish Spain to Persia sought to reproduce the image of Paradise in the design of their palace gardens, creating elaborate water features, pools and fountains. The gardens of the Alhambra in Spanish Granada, the Bagh-é-Tarikhi in Iran’s Kashan, and the gardens of the imperial palaces in Morocco’s Marrakesh all testify to this desire to emulate Qur’anic Paradise on earth. All are designed around water features and fountains that have been subtly woven into the layout of the beautiful parks, hence combining water and the beauty of natural landscape to fill the human soul with faith, joy and happiness.

This article was originally published in November 2002