Islamic Universalism: Ibn Qayyim al‐Jawziyya's Salaf? Deliberations on the Duration of Hell‐Fire

Abstract

unprecedented in their thoroughness and length.In his argumentation, the Fire no longer functions retributively to punish as in the classical doctrine but therapeutically to cleanse from sins, even the sins of unbelief ( kufr ) and associationism ( shirk ).Does then the punishment of unbelievers come to an end?Does the Fire pass away when its purposes have been attained?As we will see, some scholars have concluded that Ibn al-Qayyim answers these questions affirmatively to yield a doctrine of universal salvation.Yet, closer examination of his texts shows that coming to this conclusion is not as simple as it first appears.This article investigates three lengthy discussions on the duration of punishment and the Fire by Ibn al-Qayyim that come from the later years of his life.These three have emerged in recent controversial literature as the fullest and most significant of Ibn al-Qayyim's deliberations on the topic.5 I have not undertaken an exhaustive search for additional treatments elsewhere in Ibn al-Qayyim's vast corpus, and no attempt is made here to provide a comprehensive overview of his thought on this subject.Rather, this study seeks to clarify Ibn al-Qayyim's views in the key texts under consideration, note debts to his teacher Ibn Taymiyya, and explore the means by which he circumvents the classical Sunn i consensus.

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