Hell

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ قُوٓاْ أَنفُسَكُمۡ وَأَهۡلِيكُمۡ نَارٗا وَقُودُهَا ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلۡحِجَارَةُ عَلَيۡهَا مَلَـٰٓئِكَةٌ غِلَاظٞ شِدَادٞ لَّا يَعۡصُونَ ٱللَّهَ مَآ أَمَرَهُمۡ وَيَفۡعَلُونَ مَا يُؤۡمَرُونَ ﴿٦﴾

O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded.

Context Madinan, from at-Tahrim. Addressed to believers, about themselves and their families.

The warning turns inward first: protect yourself and those you love. Its keepers are angels who only do what Allah commands.

سَأُصۡلِيهِ سَقَرَ ﴿٢٦﴾ وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا سَقَرُ ﴿٢٧﴾ لَا تُبۡقِي وَلَا تَذَرُ ﴿٢٨﴾ لَوَّاحَةٞ لِّلۡبَشَرِ ﴿٢٩﴾ عَلَيۡهَا تِسۡعَةَ عَشَرَ ﴿٣٠﴾

I will drive him into Saqar. And what can make you know what is Saqar? It lets nothing remain and leaves nothing [unburned], Blackening the skins. Over it are nineteen [angels].

Context Makkan, about a man who heard the Quran and called it "magic" (74:18-25). 74:31 says the number is a test.

The Quran gives a number, nineteen, and stops there. Who the nineteen are is not detailed; "none knows the soldiers of your Lord except Him" (74:31).

أَذَٰلِكَ خَيۡرٞ نُّزُلًا أَمۡ شَجَرَةُ ٱلزَّقُّومِ ﴿٦٢﴾ إِنَّا جَعَلۡنَٰهَا فِتۡنَةٗ لِّلظَّـٰلِمِينَ ﴿٦٣﴾ إِنَّهَا شَجَرَةٞ تَخۡرُجُ فِيٓ أَصۡلِ ٱلۡجَحِيمِ ﴿٦٤﴾ طَلۡعُهَا كَأَنَّهُۥ رُءُوسُ ٱلشَّيَٰطِينِ ﴿٦٥﴾ فَإِنَّهُمۡ لَأٓكِلُونَ مِنۡهَا فَمَالِـُٔونَ مِنۡهَا ٱلۡبُطُونَ ﴿٦٦﴾

Is Paradise a better accommodation or the tree of zaqqum? Indeed, We have made it a torment for the wrongdoers. Indeed, it is a tree issuing from the bottom of the Hellfire, Its emerging fruit as if it was heads of the devils. And indeed, they will eat from it and fill with it their bellies.

Context Makkan, from as-Saffat, set against the people of Paradise in 37:40-61.

Zaqqum is stated as a tree rising from the Fire's depths. Scholars explain "heads of the devils" as an image of horror no one has seen.

فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ شَقُواْ فَفِي ٱلنَّارِ لَهُمۡ فِيهَا زَفِيرٞ وَشَهِيقٌ ﴿١٠٦﴾ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا مَا دَامَتِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتُ وَٱلۡأَرۡضُ إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ رَبُّكَۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ فَعَّالٞ لِّمَا يُرِيدُ ﴿١٠٧﴾ ۞وَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ سُعِدُواْ فَفِي ٱلۡجَنَّةِ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا مَا دَامَتِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتُ وَٱلۡأَرۡضُ إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ رَبُّكَۖ عَطَآءً غَيۡرَ مَجۡذُوذٖ ﴿١٠٨﴾

As for those who were [destined to be] wretched, they will be in the Fire. For them therein is [violent] exhaling and inhaling. [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. 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.

Context Makkan, closing Hud's stories of past nations.

Both abide "as long as the heavens and the earth endure, except what your Lord should will."

Most read the exception as sinful believers who leave the Fire, as hadith in al-Bukhari and Muslim describe; for the rest it is forever. A minority, discussed by Ibn al-Qayyim, held the Fire may end.