“I am convinced about the veracity of my opinions, but I do consider it likely that they may turn out to be incorrect. Likewise, I am convinced about the incorrectness of the views different from mine, but I do concede the possibility that they may turn out to be correct.” — Imam Shafa’i

It is often said that selecting a single ayah for discussion and understanding of the Quranic message can be very misleading. The answer is Yes and No. “No”, because very recently we have discussed a single ayah deliberating beautifully on several topic: “A Beautiful and Melodious Ayah of the Quran, Deliberating on more than one issue Of Shari’ah”. The present index ayah endorses the “Yes”. How? It must be realized that one of the important conditions to correctly interpret an ayah is to comprehend clearly who is being addressed in the ayah. This ayah does not provide even a clue as to who are the addressee of “you” when it declares “and there is not one of you but shall pass through it”. Instead, the the explanation is provided by few ayahs preceding the index ayah. On reading these ayahs which describe the disbelievers, as huddled on their knees in the Fire, the index ayah sounds as a logical conclusion of what is being said in these ayahs. Read for yourself:^[3]

“And man says, “Is it that, once I die, I shall be brought forth alive?” Does not the man remember that We created him before when he was nothing? So, by your Lord, We will definitely gather them together with the devils, then We will definitely make them present around the Jahannam, fallen on their knees. Then WE will certainly draw out, from every group, those who are more rebellious against the Rahman (All-Merciful). Then of course, WE are most aware of those who are more deserving to enter it (the Jahannam). (Then the index ayah follows) And there is none among you who is not to arrive at it. This, on the part of your Lord, is a matter finally decided, bound to happen”.

Hence, according to some of the classical authorities and more recently Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi, the mentor of the research scholar and teacher Javed Ahmed Ghamdi the pronoun “you” relates to the sinners spoken of in the preceding passages, and particularly to those who refuse to believe in resurrection.

Other commentators, the majority according to Dr. Mohammad Asad the famous scholar and exegist have not appreciated this connection with the previous ayahs. Hence they have concluded that all human beings, sinners and righteous alike, are included this address of “you”. In other words all mankind “will come within sight of it” ie hellfire . This obviously is a tricky and problematic situation. How can you associate the pious and the hellfire? It is suggested that the righteous will just “cross over it” so that they can glance over it without plunging into it. All sorts of explanations and justifications have been put forward in the hadith literature for this anomaly of the pious and righteous found in or in the vicinity of hellfire. To give some examples: Several commentators state that when the righteous “pass through” Hell, its flames will subside or become cool for them, so that they will not even be aware of having passed through them; the pious believers on entry into Hell will feel no discomfort because its fires will cool down and will do no harm to them; they will enter the fire, but they will then emerge from it because of their good deeds. Others assert that the Fire will not touch the righteous at all as they pass through Hell. A novel explanation is that the righteous approaching the Fire refers to their suffering fevers and illnesses in this world. Still others suggest that the righteous believers are made to pass through the Fire, so that they may know the extent of God’s Bounty and Favor toward them and can thus enjoy greater happiness in the Garden. Lastly, a Pul Sirat—a straight bridge—has been suggested in the hadith literature to accomplish the passage of the whole humanity—devout and disbeliever—over hellfire and to rationalize this embarrassing situation. More on this, later.

Allaamaa Yousuf Ali has nicely summarised the interpretation of this ayah in a short paragraph in his voluminous tafseer of the Quran. He states “Three interpretations are possible (for the interpretation of the index ayah):
(1) The general interpretation is that every soul must pass through or by or over the Fire. Those who have had Taqwā  will be saved by God’s Mercy, while unrepentant sinners will suffer the torments in ignominy.
(2) If we refer (he pronoun “you” to those “in obstinate rebellion” in verse 69 above, both leaders and followers in sin, this verse only applies to the wicked.
(3) Some refer this verse to the Bridge over Hell, the Bridge Sirat, over which all must pass to their final Destiny. This Bridge is not mentioned in the Qur-ān.”

It cannot be overemphasized that rendering our Holy Text can sometimes be very challenging. I some times feel, understanding the Quran is also part of the test and examination imposed on mankind in his life time which in fact is stated by God Almighty as the very reason for HIS creation of life on the planet. God Almighty is watching and assessing how do we navigate through the problems we face to understand our Holy Text as declared in this ayah:^[4]

“He Who created Death and Life, that He may try which of you is best in deed: and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving”
The key word in the index ayah is وارِدُها. What does this mean? The lexicon can give the answer. But I feel, consulting several tafaaseer gives the breadth and depth of the meaning. Here is what وارِدُها is rendered as by different authors: “come to it; shall approach it; pass over it; shall go down to it; will come within sight of it”. Obviously, “ pass over it” is entirely and significantly different from “shall go down to it”. This means that everybody – be he a believer or an infidel – will go across Hell. This leads to the burning question “will the righteous enter hell”? There are some traditions that suggest that “pass over it (Hell)” means to enter Hell. But none of these traditions are authentic as per Maulana Maudoodi. The Quran clearly states that the true believers will never be cast into Hell. This is supported by great many authentic traditions, says Maulana Maudoodi. Another great scholar Mufti Mahmood Shafi quotes a hadith narrated by Sayyidna Abu Sumayya that the Holy Prophet once said that: “Everybody whether he is a pious man or a sinner will initially enter Hell, but for the pious believers the fire will cool down just as the fire of Namrud cooled down when Sayyidna Ibrahim was cast into it. Thereafter, the believers will be taken to Paradise.”

Nasr Sayyed Hussain et al in their modern tafseer quote a hadith which says “the Prophet declared that none of those present with the Muslims at the Battle of Badr and Ḥudaybiyah will enter the Fire. The Prophet’s wife Ḥafṣah then asked him about verse 71, indicating all would approach the Fire, and he responded by continuing to recite verse 72, which states that God shall save those who are reverent”.

Feel confused? You are not alone here. The rendering of this index ayah is in fact perplexing and divisive. If you focus on the ayahs preceding the index verse, it is very clear that only the disbelievers and infidels are referred to in this ayah. Therefore no questions follow. However instead of this, if one brackets the index ayah with the one following it, which says :”But We shall save those who guarded against evil…….” the above rendering comes under question. It will now appear that the ayah is probably referring to all mankind—pious and rebellious raising many queries. ……..And God Almighty knows best.

I would like to vote for Imam Islahi who has restricted this ayah to unbelievers and hypocrites mentioned in the ayahs immediately preceding the index ayah and not to all human beings. Hence no explanations are required. Maulana Maudoodi prefers the other view and puts it this way “every human being will be presented before Hell”.

What happens after this presentation of “every human being will be presented before Hell” is described in the ayah following the index ayah:^[5]

“But We shall save those who guarded against evil, and We shall leave the wrong-doers therein, (humbled) to their knees”.

The astounding scholar Sayyid Qutb deals with this ayah in composed and unconcerned manner in his renowned tafseer Fi Dhilalil Quran as “The believers witness this fearful scene as they too are brought near to it.They arrive there, look at hell as it burns fiercely, asking for more feed. They also see the tyrants and the hardened sinners as they are made to enter into it. The believers, however, have a different end. He then quotes the ayah which I have mentioned above :“But We shall save those who are God-fearing, and leave the wrongdoers there, on their knees.”

Now about the Pul Sirat, as promised earlier. First a description of it as stated in Hadiths followed by a discussion.

This is a  bridge over Jahannam, generally referred to in the Indian sub-continent as the ‘Pul Sirat’. The word is a combination of the Arabic and the Urdu/Persian words for bridge. In Arabic, the word ‘sirat’ translates as bridge. Thus, As-Sirāt (Arabic: الصراط aṣ-ṣirāṭ) is the bridge or road which passes from the top of Hell which every human must pass on the Yawm al-Qiyamah (“Day of Resurrection”) to enter Paradise but for those who have rolled down to the fires of Hell down below, which burn the sinners. Those who performed acts of goodness in their lives are transported across the path in speeds according to their deeds leading them to the Hawd al-Kawthar, the Lake of Abundance. Some will pass like the blink of an eye, or like lightning, or like the wind, or like swift horses or she-camels. It is also stated that some will cross running, some walking, some crawling, but others will be snatched and thrown into the Fire, each according to his deeds. It is said that the bridge is thinner than a strand of hair and as sharp as the sharpest knife and hotter than fire. It is even suggested, very strangely that “As for the disbelievers, they will not pass over it, because on the Day of Resurrection they will be driven directly to Hell”. It makes a mockery of the whole idea and need of a bridge. I specially selected this statement to highlight that even elementary reasoning is ignored in discussing hadith content.

This word Pul Sirat has no reference in the Holy Quran. As we have accounted earlier, the majority interpretation of the index ayah envisages the entire humanity passing over the hellfire. Not a single person will be able to escape from walking over this bridge – neither the people of Paradise, nor the people of Hell. How will they accomplish this feat? Naturally the idea of a bridge comes to mind. And it did in many a minds. Hence all sorts of stories, versions and descriptions are seen in the hadith literature in circulation as described above.

The famous scholar and orator Dr. Israr Ahmed had displayed a sketch of Pul Sirat on the screen in one of the sessions of his video series of Bayanul Quran. Compare this action with the reported statement of the Holy Prophet that you cannot perceive let alone visualize ninety eight per cent of life in the other world.

There is reportedly even a Dua for crossing the Siraat bridge on Yawmul Qiyaamah:
“Our Lord, perfect for us our light and forgive us. Indeed, You are over all things competent.”
رَبَّنَا أَتْمِمْ لَنَا نُورَنَا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ It was not mentioned who suggested it and when it is to be expressed.

There are several Hadiths which form the foundation for the conception of this bridge and its descriptions. Allamah Suyuti has listed more than twenty such Hadiths. Hence it is regarded as incorrect to refute the existence of the sirat bridge over Jahannam. I have quoted some of the Hadiths hereunder:

Narrated by Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri: We, the companions of the Prophet said, “O Allah’s Apostle! What is the bridge? He said, “It is a slippery (bridge) on which there are clamps and (Hooks like) a thorny seed that is wide at one side and narrow at the other and has thorns with bent ends. Such a thorny seed is found in Najd and is called As-Sa’dan. Some of the believers will cross the bridge as quickly as the wink of an eye, some others as quick as lightning, a strong wind, fast horses or she-camels. So some will be safe without any harm; some will be safe after receiving some scratches, and some will fall down going into Hell. The last person will cross by being dragged over the bridge.” (Sahih Bukhari – Volume 9, Book 93, Number 532).

In the interest of brevity, I have quoted rest of the hadiths in the footnotes.^[6]

Before I close, how about a verdict on Pul Sirat? This should not be any problem for those of us who believe in uncritical conformity with hadith literature. Labeling a statement as hadith signals a call to surrender one’s common sense, knowledge and reasoning and immediately accept it without any questions. This is no place for a critique on this approach to hadith. For them, Pul Sirat is there for sure with all its features described above.

On the other hand, those of us who realise that hadith literature demands a thorough enquiry because it is contradictory and inconsistent in many areas; it is generally accepted it is contaminated by forgeries to favor kings, sultans, religious sects etc. It should be assured that a given hadith does not contravene a Quranic verdict, or any stronger hadith or elementary common sense and reasoning. A hadith that clears this inspection and scrutiny is the word of the Holy Prophet and demands immediate and total acceptance. Again to quote Dr. Israr Ahmed who once said in his Video series of Al-Bayan, to immediately seal your lips on hearing a hadith and gestured by fixing his index finger on his lips. Then he added in a conciliatory tone “ haan (yes), you have to investigate the hadith for its authenticity”. Despite my great respect for his knowledge and scholarship, I beg to strongly differ from him; his sequence of choice is reversed. You first investigate the hadith. If it is cleared as authentic then it is time to seal your lips and offer total submission and compliance as the word of our dear and Holy Prophet. If not, then it should be ignored or rejected.

As I have said, the Quran has no mention of Pul Sirat, but it does describe the scenes of the Hereafter on many occasions and in different styles. Not one of them needs a bridge of any sort.^[7]

“On that day, people will come out of their graves in different groups to see (the results of) their own deeds; Whoever has done an atom’s weight of good will see it and whoever has done an atom’s weight of evil, will also see it”.

“On that day, people will be like scattered moths; and mountains will be like carded wool; Those whose good deeds will weigh heavier (on the scale); will live a pleasant life; but those whose good deeds will be lighter (on the scale); Will have his home in a (bottomless) Pit”. 

“But does he not know that [on the Last Day,] whereasts is made manifest; that on that Day their Sustainer [will show that He] has always been fully aware of them”. 

A very simple and straight forward description of hereafter in elegant Arabic as befits the Divine Text. Do you see any room or need for a bridge? I do not. Such are the situations which divide Muslims into two groups: munkir-e-hadith (rejector of hadith) and rivaayat parast (worshipers/adulation of rivaayat). Fortunately there is a third group which is growing with the adoption of the Islamic value of reason and knowledge by the Muslims. When I was growing these values were taboo. Parroting even one letter (as against a word ) of the Holy Text will give ten units of piety, so was I told. As mentioned earlier, this group explores and probes into the isnaad and matan (the narrators and the substance) of the hadith before daring to attribute a statement to our beloved and Holy Prophet.

I therefore feel, attributing the idea of Pul Sirat to our beloved Holy Prophet is based on weak and false riwaayah. Conceptually, the idea is not only pointless but amusing if not ridiculous.

……..and Allah knows best.
May Allah Ta’aala bless us with true understanding–“fahm”–of our Deen, Aameen.

Dr. Khalid Mitha