Sijjin

Sijjin (Arabic: سِجِّين lit. Netherworld, Underworld, Chthonian World) is in Islamic belief either a prison, vehement torment or straitened circumstances at the bottom of Jahannam, i.e. Gehenna or hell, below the earth (compare Greek Tartarus),^[1]^[2] or, according to a different interpretation, a register for the damned or record of the wicked,^[3] which is mentioned in Quran 83:7^[4] of the Quran. The antithesis of Sijjin is Illiyin.

Etymology[]

The word as an adjective means "vehement" or "intense" and is derived from the root S-J-N (س ج ن) related to gaoling or imprisonment. The Arabic word for prison sijn (Arabic: سِجْن), along with verbs from the root, appears several times in Surah Yūsuf in relation to the account of Joseph in prison.^[5]

A similar-sounding word (but of unrelated etymology from Byzantine Greek σιγίλλιον sigíllion via Classical Syriac), sijill (Arabic: سِّجِلّ) appears in a verse (21:104) and is translated as "scroll". Some exegetes who interpret the word sijjīn as a register for the damned or a book listing the names of the sinful draw a connection between the two words.

Shia tradition[]

According to some Shia traditions, the enemies of Ahl al-Bayt are created from the earth of Sijjin.^[6]

Sufi cosmology[]

According to Al-Ghazali's , after death, people will look onto the object of their desire; either God (heaven) or earth. Since, after death the perception of the earthly world will perish, a reason (aql) led by bodily desires, won't find their worldy treasures. Instead, they will find themselves looking down in Sijjin, surrounded by the devils (shayatin) to whose whisperings they yielded to during life.^[7]

In popular culture[]

The Turkish horror film series Siccîn is named after this Islamic term.

References[]

^ Abdul-Rahman, Muhammad Saed (2018). Tafsir Ibn Kathir Part 30 of 30: An Nabaa 001 To An Nas 006. Muhammad Saed Abdul-Rahman. p. 75. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
^ Christian Lange Locating Hell in Islamic Traditions BRILL 978-90-04-30121-4 p. 17
^ Imani, Sayyid Kamal Faqih. An Enlightening Commentary Into the Light of the Holy Qur'an. Tehran, Iran: Imam Ali Foundation. ISBN 9781519112446. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
^ (83:7–9)
^ "The Quranic Arabic Corpus - Quran Dictionary". corpus.quran.com. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
^ Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi The Divine Guide in Early Shi'ism: The Sources of Esotericism in Islam SUNY Press 2016 ISBN 978-0-791-49479-0 page 166
^ Al Ghazali The Exlixir of Bliss Eugen Diederichs Verlag p. 50

This Islam-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .

[1] Abdul-Rahman, Muhammad Saed (2018). Tafsir Ibn Kathir Part 30 of 30: An Nabaa 001 To An Nas 006. Muhammad Saed Abdul-Rahman. p. 75. Retrieved 3 October 2019.

[2] Christian Lange Locating Hell in Islamic Traditions BRILL 978-90-04-30121-4 p. 17

[3] Imani, Sayyid Kamal Faqih. An Enlightening Commentary Into the Light of the Holy Qur'an. Tehran, Iran: Imam Ali Foundation. ISBN 9781519112446. Retrieved 3 October 2019.

[4] (83:7–9)

[5] "The Quranic Arabic Corpus - Quran Dictionary". corpus.quran.com. Retrieved 3 October 2019.

[6] Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi The Divine Guide in Early Shi'ism: The Sources of Esotericism in Islam SUNY Press 2016 ISBN 978-0-791-49479-0 page 166

[7] Al Ghazali The Exlixir of Bliss Eugen Diederichs Verlag p. 50

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]