اسلام میں تصور انقطاع عذاب: امام ابن قیم الجوزیؒہ کی آراء کا علمی و تحقیقی جائزہ

The Concept of Cessation of Punishment in Islam: An Analytical and Scholarly Study of the Views of Imam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah

Abstract

This study examines the concept of Cessation of Punishment (Inqita al-Adhab) in Islamic theology with particular reference to the views of Imam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah. While the majority of Jumhoor scholars of Ahlu Sunnah maintain that the punishment of Hell for disbelievers is eternal, a minority opinion—associated with Imam Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Qayyim—suggests that Hell’s punishment may cease after a prolonged period. The article analyzes the linguistic and theological meanings of inqita al-adhab and examines Qur'anic expressions such as illa ma sha'a rabbuk and labithina fiha ahqaba, which are interpreted by some scholars as indicating a conditional or limited duration of punishment. It also evaluates Ibn Qayyim’s arguments based on the scope of divine mercy and his interpretation of the term khulud as denoting a very long duration rather than absolute eternity. By comparing these views with the majority Jumhoor position—grounded in explicit Qur'anic expressions like khalidina fiha abadan—the study concludes that Ibn Qayyim’s perspective represents a minority interpretive opinion, whereas the dominant Sunni view affirms the eternal punishment of Hell for disbelievers.