DESCRIPTION OF HELL - [9] Ta‘am Dhi Ghussa (Throat Gripping Food)

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Surah Muzammil reveals: ‘“‘Verily, We have appointed for the denizens of Hell, heaps of fire, food that will choke their throats and dire punishment.”

Ibn ‘Abbas (رضي الله عنه) said: ‘“Ta‘am Dhi Ghussa is a sharp thorn that will get stuck in the throat; it will neither pass down the throat nor will it come out.” 

(Targhib).

It is narrated on the author

Authority of Hadrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet ( Muhammad Rasulullahﷺ) observed: ‘The denizens of Hell will suffer from such severe pangs of hunger that this torment of hunger alone will be equal to all torments of Hell that they would be suffering already.” Thereupon they would be given Zari‘-food’ which neither nourishes them nor bitter in taste. Imagine then the condition of that person whose food will be nothing else but Zaqqum.” 

( Targhib)

Ghassaq ‘

لَّا يَذُوقُونَ فِيهَا بَرْدًۭا وَلَا شَرَابًا ٢٤

إِلَّا حَمِيمًۭا وَغَسَّاقًۭا ٢٥

‘They shall not taste anything cool or drink anything else except boiling water and ‘Zaqqum’.” 

(Surah Naba’: Ayat 24-25)

The Holy Prophet (Muhammad Rasulullahﷺ) observed: ‘‘If one bucket of Ghassaq is poured over the world, the whole world would be upset by its foul smell.’’ What is Ghassaq ?——-eminent religious figures of Ummah have defined it in various manners :

The author of Muirgat has copied four statements :

(1) It denotes the sinners’ pus and filth;

(2) It stands for the sinners’ tears;

(3) It points to Zamhinr,  the torment of Hell & in which the tormented person will be frozen;

(4) It is a cold rotten pus and it will be so frozen that the sinners will be unable to drink it (but they shall perforce drink it to satiate their hunger). In any case, Ghassaq is a very foul thing.

Kate (The Dreg of Oil) 

وَقُلِ ٱلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ فَمَن شَآءَ فَلْيُؤْمِن وَمَن شَآءَ فَلْيَكْفُرْ ۚ إِنَّآ أَعْتَدْنَا لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ نَارًا أَحَاطَ بِهِمْ سُرَادِقُهَا ۚ وَإِن يَسْتَغِيثُوا۟ يُغَاثُوا۟ بِمَآءٍۢ كَٱلْمُهْلِ يَشْوِى ٱلْوُجُوهَ ۚ بِئْسَ ٱلشَّرَابُ وَسَآءَتْ مُرْتَفَقًا ٢٩

‘‘And when they shall cry out of thirst, they would be given water that will be like the dreg of oil to drink and it will burn their faces. What an evil water it would be and what a terrible place the Hell indeed is’. 

(Surah Kahfi: Ayat 29).

Water of Pus

‘This person (the denizen of Hell) will be directed to drink water of pus. He will drink it draught by draught. He will get it down through hi’ throat with great suffering and thus it would appear as if death was approaching him from all sides, yet he will not die. (Ibrahim). The inference is that while passing through many sufferings it would appear to the person that death was imminent yet there will be nothing to wash out his sins and release him from everlasting punishment.

Boiling Water ;

مَّثَلُ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ ٱلَّتِی وُعِدَ ٱلۡمُتَّقُونَۖ فِیهَاۤ أَنۡهَـٰرࣱ مِّن مَّاۤءٍ غَیۡرِ ءَاسِنࣲ وَأَنۡهَـٰرࣱ مِّن لَّبَنࣲ لَّمۡ یَتَغَیَّرۡ طَعۡمُهُۥ وَأَنۡهَـٰرࣱ مِّنۡ خَمۡرࣲ لَّذَّةࣲ لِّلشَّـٰرِبِینَ وَأَنۡهَـٰرࣱ مِّنۡ عَسَلࣲ مُّصَفࣰّىۖ وَلَهُمۡ فِیهَا مِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَ ٰتِ وَمَغۡفِرَةࣱ مِّن رَّبِّهِمۡۖ كَمَنۡ هُوَ خَـٰلِدࣱ فِی ٱلنَّارِ وَسُقُوا۟ مَاۤءً حَمِیمࣰا فَقَطَّعَ أَمۡعَاۤءَهُمۡ ۝١

“‘[And can] the parable of the paradise which the God-conscious are promised [a paradise] wherein there are rivers of water which time does not corrupt, and rivers of milk the taste whereof never alters, and rivers of wine delightful to those who drink it, and rivers of honey of all impurity cleansed, and the enjoyment of all the fruits [of their good deeds] and of forgiveness from their Sustainer -: can this [parable of paradise] be likened unto [the parable of the recompense of] such as are to abide in the fire and be given waters of burning despair to drink, so that it will tear their bowels asunder.” 

(Surah Muhammad : Ayat 15).

Ta‘am Dhi Ghussa (Throat Gripping Food)

Surah Muzammil reveals:

إِنَّ لَدَيْنَآ أَنكَالًۭا وَجَحِيمًۭا ١٢

 ‘Verily, We have appointed for the denizens of Hell, heaps of fire, food that will choke their throats, and dire punishment.”

[Surah Muzammil: Ayat 12]

Ibn ‘Abbas (رضي الله عنه) said: ‘*Ta‘am Dhi Ghussa is a sharp thorn that will get stuck in the throat; it will neither pass down the throat nor will it come out.” 

(Targhib).

Surely with Us are fetters and flaming fire, and food that chokes, and a painful punishment...73:12-13). The terrible punishment of the Hereafter is described in these verses. First, there is the mention of ankal which is the plural of nakal. It denotes 'fetter, chain, shackle'. Then, there is the mention of 'flaming fire'. Then, verse [ 13] describes the 'choking food' the inmates of Hell will be given to eat.

The word ghussah literally denotes 'a thing by which one is choked'. For example, a morsel may block the throat in such a way that it can neither be swallowed nor can it be brought up. The inmates of Hell will be given Bari and zaqqum (thorny fruits) to eat. These fruits fit the description.

[Sayyidna Abdullah Ibn Abbas ؓ(رضي الله عنه) said: "In it will be thorns of fire that will choke." [ God save us!].]

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Darda (رضي الله عنه) that the Holy Prophet ( Muhammad Rasulullahﷺ) observed: ‘The denizens of Hell will suffer from such severe pangs of hunger that this torment of hunger alone will be equal to all torments of Hell that they would be suffering already.’ They would be given Zari‘-food’ which neither nourishes them nor alleviates their hunger. Hence, they will entreat for food, and get ‘ta‘am dhi ghussa’  throat gripping food. When they are hard put as to how to get this food down their throats, they will recall, that they used to wash down the choking food by drinking liquids. Hence they will ask for something to drink. Boiling water would be given to them in iron - goblets. Approaching these goblets will seriously burn their faces. When this boiling water goes down into their bellies, it will tear up all the internal organs (i.e. intestines, etc.). 

(Mishkat Al Musabbih).

It is narrated on the authority of  Abu Umamah (رضي الله عنه) that the Holy Prophet (Muhammad Rasulullahﷺ) after reciting the verse observe that when the denizen of Hell lifts the liquid pus to his lips he will recoil; when it approaches nearer, it will burn his face and the skin of his head will peel off. After that when he drinks it, the liquid will tear off his intestines which will excrete through his anus. Later the Holy Prophet (Muhammad Rasulullahﷺ) recited these verses :