Mohammed Visiting Jahannam
The Islamic conception of hell is similar to the Christian conception of hell: Muslim hell is called Jahannam and it is a place of fire and torture. Deceased sinners enter through one of seven gates, according to the nature of their sins, and are given clothing made of fire (which sounds like it would be hard to dry-clean). The souls are mercilessly burned until they become black like charcoal. Nineteen angels oversee the administration of fire-based torture.
But Jahannam does have a special garden feature lacking from Christian hell. In the middle of the fiery realm is a great malevolent tree named Zaqqum with roots that snake down into the raging fires beneath the world. Zaqqum has fruits which are shaped like devil’s heads. The hungry spirits trapped in hell eat these fruits, which are the only foodstuff to be had, but the fruits only intensify the suffering of the damned. The Quran directly mentions the pain caused by eating Zaqqum’s fruit:
[44.43] Indeed, the tree of zaqqum
[44.44] Is food for the sinful.
[44.45] Like murky oil, it boils within bellies
[44.46] Like the boiling of scalding water.
Other references compare eating the fruit of Zuqqum to swallowing boiling brass, or relate how consuming the fruit is so painful that it causes the eaters’ faces to fall off!
There are no known allusions to Zuqqum before Mohammed. The concept originated with his revelations. Since the writing of the Quran, a number of thorny, poisonous, or bitter trees from Muslim lands have derived their common name from Zuqqum the great misery tree of Jahannam which feeds directly on the fires of hell.
The Tree of Zaqqum (Homa, 2012, Ink and watercolor on canvas)
ferrebeekeeper 
5 comments
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July 5, 2012 at 10:47 PM
Diana
So interesting. Thinking of it (of course) in relation to the Tree of Knowledge — what gave us our suffering through knowledge and Christ was crucified on. Sounds like religions got some beef with trees.
July 7, 2012 at 4:31 PM
Wayne
Or an obsession with them. Islamic heaven has a tree too. It marks the closest one can come to being with Allah. And Buddha received Enlightenment under a tree.
July 9, 2012 at 5:34 PM
SpiderGoddes
In Chinese Buddhism there is the Asipatta, the Hell where trees have sword shaped leaves. This being just one of the many hells one can be sent to, based upon their crimes.
July 14, 2012 at 7:49 AM
Michaela Jayne
Actually. . .I quite like this idea in a way. The whole ‘tree of knowledge’ thing has always rubbed me the wrong way. . .but this, this I can deal with.
I kind of like the idea of the tree feeding of the wickedness under the earth. . .much more interesting than ‘heres this delicious fruit on this lovely little tree. . .BUT DONT YOU DARE THINK ABOUT EATING IT CAUSE YOULL DIE!’.
Its too bad that there isnt a really detailed classical art piece depicting the hell tree feasting on the fires of hell. . .that would beat anything Ive seen on a Slayer shirt Ive seen by far. . .and apparently theyre illegal in some places. Even Slayers got nothing on the evil hell tree.
July 14, 2012 at 11:49 AM
Wayne
I was frustrated by the lack of pictures too–maybe I need to break out the paint box and create a huge hell tree triptych.