Hell and Heaven Can Be Metaphorical

Hello everyone,

I came across an interesting point while watching a video on youtube discussing worldly matters like economics, politics, and religion. The religion part happened to focus on Islam and, more precisely, the language of the Quran.

There were two people in the video, and the one being interviewed and invited in the program is known for his intelligence, dialogues, and great ideas. What caught my attention was how he described the concepts of hell and heaven in the Quran.

He used an analogy that I found fascinating: imagine talking to a baby or a young child and trying to explain an idea far beyond their understanding. We use words and concepts that the child is familiar with, in his space of easy words, piecing them together like Lego to convey something and introducing a new idea. You have to use words and concepts from their world, combining them like building blocks to create a relatable explanation. Similarly, when comparing this to a deity, no matter how many words or letters exist in a language, they cannot fully encapsulate what an all-knowing deity means because of our limited language.

We are like the child in this scenario, with limited knowledge and understanding. So, when God communicates something beyond our comprehension, He uses the words and concepts we already know. For example, hell could be metaphorical. On Earth, if the temperature reaches just 30°C, we start to sweat and feel overwhelmed. Perhaps hell is something similar, not necessarily the literal flames and gory images we often imagine.

Heaven, the same applies to "jannat tajri min tahtiha al-anhar" (gardens beneath which rivers flow). For the Arabs during Prophet Muhammad's time, living in a desert and full sahara, such imagery represented the ultimate reward. Maybe this description wasn’t meant to be taken literally but rather as a motivational trigger to encourage good deeds.

Instead, I think hell and heaven are much deeper than just physical affliction or comfort. They might represent spiritual and emotional states of being, tied to our actions and the kind of lives we lead. Hell could signify the torment of being distant from God, consumed by regret and anguish, while heaven might symbolize the ultimate peace, fulfillment, and closeness to the divine.

That being said, I don’t mind the idea of heaven being literal. What I mean is that the hell part could be metaphorical, because I believe God is still all-merciful, and I cannot imagine Him letting people burn in flames while He just watches.

I would like to bring up another concept I once came across from a popular Muslim thinker who shared thought-provoking ideas. He explained that God is inherently merciful and good—this is the default nature of God. The sense of wrath or punishment is only triggered by something severe, like genocide or a catastrophic moral failure. It’s hard to believe that God possesses wrath and mercy equally as inherent qualities. As indicated by the verse:

"My punishment—I afflict with it whom I will, BUT My mercy encompasses all things." (Surah Al-A'raf, 7:156)

This shows that mercy is the overriding attribute of God, and punishment is situational, not intrinsic to His nature but just conditional. Mercy, love, and compassion are the overriding qualities of God, and punishment, when it occurs, is a reaction to extreme wrongdoing.

I’d like to note that I’m a Muslim who holds a bit of a unique stance on the interpretation of the Quran. I believe hell is more of a state of purification rather than something eternal. This interpretation also aligns with the verse I just mentioned—that anguish and torment are situational and not inherent to God’s nature. However, we know for certain that heaven is eternal, as it aligns with the understanding that love is the default system of God.

I’m also a Muslim who doesn’t care about what scholars think for the most part. I believe I have the right to approach my religion however I want. So, to anyone in the comments who might say, "You’re going against your scholars," or "You can’t reinterpret it however you want," or even question how God could lead millions of people with different understandings if the literal sense isn’t the true one, I’m not really concerned about that. Allah says in chapter 6 verse 116, “If you follow most people on Earth, they will lead you astray.” I don’t let scholars dictate to me how I approach my religion. Anyone can approach it however they want, as long as their intentions are moral and pure.

Haha, sorry if I’ve distanced myself from the actual topic—I just connected different ideas in this post. But the main point is the possibility that hell could be something that transcends our understanding. Maybe it’s not literal but instead a place of spiritual learning or a space for growth, where you’re grounded by your actions and the lessons they bring. Something along those lines...

Again, this is just my perspective, and I believe it to be the correct interpretation, insha'Allah. Allah knows best.

Edit: TL;DR : I believe hell and heaven could be metaphorical, representing our emotional, spiritual, or moral states, rather than being interpreted literally. Our language, even with every letter in the alphabet, cannot fully capture the meanings intended by God, who exists in an infinite space of knowledge while ours is finite. I use the analogy of a child’s limited understanding compared to an adult's broader knowledge to illustrate this. God’s mercy encompasses all things, and punishment is situational. Allah is not wrathful and merciful in equal measure but instead that mercy is the default state of God.