The place, where unbelievers will remain for all eternity is specially created to give pain to the human body and soul. That is solely because the unbelievers are guilty of great wrong.
Being ungrateful and rebellious to the Creator, the One who gives man a soul, is the greatest wrong action that can be committed in the whole universe. Hell is where Allah’s justice will be meted out for this wrong. Man is created to be a servant of Allah. If he denies the main purpose of his creation, then he surely receives what he deserves. Allah states the following in one of the verses:
...those who are too arrogant to serve Me will surely find themselves in Hell – in humiliation! (Surat al-Ghafir: 60)
Since the majority of people will be sent to hell at the end and punishment in it is timeless and eternal, then the main aim, the basic goal of humanity should be to avoid hell. The biggest threat to man is hell and nothing can be more important than saving one's soul from it.
Despite this, almost all people on earth live in a state of unconsciousness. They occupy themselves with other troubles in their daily lives. They work for months, years, even decades for insignificant issues, yet never think of the biggest threat, the gravest danger to their eternal existence. Hell is right next to them; yet, they are too blind to see it:
Closer and closer to mankind comes their Reckoning: yet they heed not and they turn away. Never comes (aught) to them of a renewed Message from their Lord, but they listen to it as in jest, their hearts toying as with trifles. (Surat al-Anbiya: 1-3)
Such people engage in vain effort. They spend all their lives chasing after chimerical goals. Most of the time, their goals are being promoted in the company, marrying, having a "happy family life", earning a lot of money or being an advocate of an ideology. These are deeds that one may hope to benefit from both in this world and in the next as long as they are performed for Allah’s good pleasure. What is wrong, however, is to take them as one’s sole purpose in life. People with this mindset are unaware of the big threat ahead of them.
In fact, hell is more real than this world. The world will cease to exist after some time, but hell will remain for all eternity. Allah, the Creator of the universe and the world and all the delicate balances in nature, has likewise created the hereafter, paradise and hell. A grievous punishment is promised to all unbelievers and hypocrites:
Enough for them is hell: In it they will burn, and evil is that destination. (Surat al-Mujadala: 8)
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Hell, the worst place that can ever be imagined, is a source of the sheerest torture. This torture and pain is not similar to any kind of pain in this world. It is much more intense than any pain or misery one can ever face in this world. It is surely the work of Allah, the Exalted in Wisdom.
This torture will be timeless and eternal for unbelievers. The majority of people in this ignorant society assume that unbelievers will "serve their sentence" in hell for a certain period and that then they will be forgiven. They assume that they can indulge in worldly pleasures as much as possible. According to the same belief, they will attain paradise after receiving punishment in hell for a while. However, Allah informs us in the Qur'an that hell is surely a place of everlasting torment for the unbelievers. The following verse makes this fact explicit: "They will dwell therein for ages." (Surat an-Naba: 23)
Being ungrateful and rebellious to the Creator Who "gave hearing and sight and intelligence and affections" (Surat an-Nahl 78) certainly deserves unceasing suffering, except as Allah wills. The excuses one puts forth will not save one from hell. The verdict given for those who display indifference or worse, animosity to the religion of his Creator is certain and invariable. In the world, they were arrogant and avoided submitting to Almighty Allah. They were also bitter enemies of true believers. On the day of judgement, they will hear the following:
So enter the gates of hell, to dwell therein. Thus evil indeed is the abode of the arrogant. (Surat an-Nahl: 29)
The most fearsome characteristic of hell is its eternal nature. Once in hell, there will be no return, unless Allah wills otherwise. The only reality is hell together with many other kinds of torture. Encountering such an eternal torture, a person falls into desperate hopelessness. He has no further expectations. This state is described as follows in the Qur'an:
As to those who are rebellious and wicked, their abode will be the Fire. Every time they wish to get away therefrom, they will be forced thereinto, and it will be said to them: "Taste you the Penalty of the Fire, which you were wont to reject as false." (Surat as-Sajdah: 20)
