Muslim and Christian Fear of Hell – Is There a Solution?

Fear helps us avoid danger. Yet some fear causes worry: a spouse fearing his/her mate is being unfaithful, a parent fearing a child will not return from school and a breadwinner fearing the loss of a job.

One fear that haunts Muslims and Christians is the fear of death and hell. Is there any way for us to rid ourselves of this fear?

The Muslims View of Hell

There is a great fear of hell in Islam. Muslims believe in seven levels of hell. The level with the most severe punishment is called Jahanam. They claim people are boiled in hell. It expels flames as large as mountains. Fire from hell is 70 times hotter than fire that burns on earth.

Hell is so hot that if opened no larger than the eye of a needle all of the inhabitants of the world would immediately be incinerated (Quran, Sura Al-Mulk [67]:7; Sura Al-Mursilat [77]:32).

How God’s Book Describes Hell

Hell is a lake of fire that burns forever. Those going there experience the “Second Death.” They are “far from the presence of God.” This punishment is eternal. Thus, there is wailing and gnashing of teeth. There is no escape. (Injil: Revelation 20:14, Matthew 13:42, Mark 9:43, II Thes.1:9, Jude 1:7).

How Muslims Deal with the Fear of Hell

An Indonesian religious leader wrote, “Strengthen daily prayers and practice self-control during the Fast month. Pay your tithe and go on a pilgrimage to Mecca. Perform all kinds of religious acts for merit, for example do Koranic recitation, religious prayers, repetition of confession of faith, zikir (repeat again and again specific phrases), say special prayers, stay in the mosque for several days at a time. Avoid all evil ways that cause God’s anger and punishment.”

This advice is confusing for one Hadith says: “There are no good works . . . which can . . . save a person from hell . . .” (HR. Muslim No. 2817).

If you think adding spiritual activities can eradicate the fear of hell, please email us.

Can the Christian Gospel Eliminate the Fear of Hell?

The Gospel promises that those who believe in Jesus will immediately enter heaven when they die. Therefore, there is no fear in death.  

“Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies [die], for then we will be at home with the Lord” (II Cor. 5:8, NLT).

A Religious Woman Escapes Her Fear of Death and Hell

She writes, “At this time, though now 56, I am no longer afraid to die. I was very faithful in performing religious duties including five daily prayers. I went to the mosque to hear visiting preachers.

Yet I had no certainty that I would avoid going to hell. Finally, I decided to set aside five nights for special prayer. On the fifth night I heard a voice, ‘You are searching for heaven. I am the Way.’ I was convinced it was the voice of Isa Al-Masih.

I shared my experience with my husband. He said, “That’s the voice of Satan.” So I prayed again asking God to free me from the fear of death. With His face shining with brilliance, He spoke again saying, ‘Follow me. I am the one you are seeking.’” (If you have ever had an experience like this, please email us.)

You, too, can rid yourself of the fear of death! Believe in Isa Al-Masih as your Savior. Isa Al-Masih promises you eternal life!

(Author – Jason Gilead)

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QUESTIONS FOR CONTEMPLATION

1. Why do most religions fail to deliver their followers from the fear of death?
2. There is fear of hell in Islam. Have you experienced the fear of hell? Explain what you have done to rid yourself of that fear. What is the best way to help people who live in the fear of hell? Explain your answer in detail.
3. We encourage our readers to comment on the article above. Comments that don’t directly relate to the topic will be removed.

[We invite you to visit us at https://www.isaandislam.com/way-of-salvation to learn more about God’s gift of Salvation. God loves you and waits to hear from you. Isa clearly said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (Injil, John 14:6). For a deeper understanding of Isa, we suggest you subscribe to “Isa, Islam, and Al-Fatiha” at this link.]