Why am I with Genghis Khan?

Hell is the abode of evil people. No one disagrees with that.

What everyone disagrees is, what defines evil.

In classical theology, evil is the opposite of God’s order. That evil, manifests as a sin which the person is held against.

Therefore the more a person commits sin, the more evil they are perceived.

The greatest sin a person can commit is simply disbelief, or Shirk.

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِۦ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدِ ٱفْتَرَىٰٓ إِثْمًا عَظِيمًا ٤٨

Indeed, Allah does not forgive associating others with Him ˹in worship˺, but forgives anything else of whoever He wills. And whoever associates others with Allah has indeed committed a grave sin.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran, An-Nisa (4:48)

To die upon this great sin, is to condemn’s oneself to the fire for eternity. There is no dispute in that.

However, what if someone commits attrocities and seeks forgiveness?

That person is usually forgiven then sent to Heaven

So technically, Hell is filled with unrepentent sinners.

However, what if I didn’t repent? or even worse, I did not know there was something I needed to repent for.

Am I to be sent to the same domain as murderers and tyrants? is this not unfair?

This the fundamental question every thiests typically questions.

However, Hell in Islamic esctology is a domain with degrees. It is not a single plain in which all evil doers are placed in.

إِنَّ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقِينَ فِى ٱلدَّرْكِ ٱلْأَسْفَلِ مِنَ ٱلنَّارِ وَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُمْ نَصِيرًا

Surely the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire—and you will never find for them any helper—

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran, The Women (4:145)

The word ٱلدَّرْكِ (Darakat), are levels going downwards. Therefore, the higher in Hell one resides, the better they are. The deeper one goes, the more foul the punishment and it’s inhabitants.

Therefore, Hell is not a simple domain but rather a well that contains torment and each portion of this well contains people who vary in degrees of sin. Which underpins the idea that those who are similar in evil, will be acquaintances.

Just as Genghis Khan will be with people who he is like, so will other criminals and deniers.

And no person will ever be oppressed.

ربِّ زِدْنِي عِلْماً
My Lord, increase me in knowledge.