I think many of us wonder about such questions from time to time. I know that I myself don't have perfect iman, but I'll attempt answering the questions in this post (haven't looked at the rest of the thread).
But why create such a horrible place where people will suffer and burn for enernity?
There is a hadith which states that a day will come when hell will be like a barren field, meaning that everyone will be released from hell. I do not know how strong or authentic this hadith is. A friend of mine once said that Allah judges us according to our ability. I guess what she meant was that every individual is not the same. We vary in terms of our strengths, vices, weaknesses. Your "best effort" will be different from another person and that these differences are (might be) taken into consideration by Allah. I don't think that Allah's judgment is black and white because being COMPASSIONATE and MERCIFUL also means having the ability to recognize a servant's SINCERE efforts/improvement/remorse. So, Allah takes all these things into consideration. On the day of Judgment, there will be a court to settle issues. And if you think about it, in a fair court (and Allah is fair), one considers ALL sides of an issue (ethical, emotional, psychological) before passing out a verdict. And this thought should hopefully bring some peace of mind to you because Allah is not one to just toss you to hell or to heaven without taking all factors into consideration. We're complex, and He knows that. A friend of mine once said that think of the many times Allah is referred to as "Raheem" and "Rahman", even in the Quran. Before starting even the most mundane of tasks, we recite "Bismillahir Rahman ir Raheem", in the name of Allah the most Gracious the most Merciful. We don't recite "In the Name of Allah, the Keeper of Hell, the One Who is Out to Get You." So, what does that say about Him? Reflect over that.
What good is that going to do? Why create something which is prone to making the wrong choices, why make temptations and traps, and then when the person falls into them, they would be given the torments noone can even imagine.
You know when Allah first created man, even the angels posed the same question as you. You see, angels have not been blessed with the power of free will, therefore they ALWAYS obey Allah. Man, on the other hand, has been endowed with free will. So, the angels asked Allah why He would want to create a being who will cause mischief and bloodshed upon earth. And Allah responded that He knows what they do not. Sure, Allah KNOWS that we're weak, and prone to making the gravest of mistakes, BUT Allah ALSO KNOWS that we ALSO have the potential for greatness. We have the potential to help others, heal others, to do what is good. Allah gave us the title Ashraful Makhlookhat which means "The Best of Creation" and in my opinion, as I type this, I think it's because He knows that our efforts to be good are worth more.
Angels will automatically always do good, they don't have to overcome evil thoughts and desires. Humans, on the other hand, have to strive to do good. And the more effort that's put into something, the more valuable and precious. Something that's handmade is more special and precious than something popped out of a machine. It costs more. A meal made from scratch has more value than one cooked from a box. The efforts are more appreciated by the onlooker because more heart and soul, time and energy, and sacrifice was involved. The Prophet SAWS said that if one reads the Quran with difficulty (stumbling over words, etc), he is rewarded even more for his efforts. So, He KNOWS that things are harder for us (temptations, etc) which is why our efforts and striving is more appreciated and has greater value because of the VERY FACT that it doesn't always come easy to us.
Like hareem said, life is a test. What are being tested for? Our creator is flawless and could well have created us flawless. Why leave margin for error and then punish what you created?
As Pysah stated earlier, Allah loves us more than a mother. Do you think parents enjoy punishing their children? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you were wondering if Allah is going to sit back and enjoy watching us roast in hell. I doubt it. If that were the case, why would Allah bother with sending a thousand some prophets and one holy book after the other. He knew that our natures are weak and require reinforcing. And to send numerous reinforcements only goes to show that He finds no joy in sending us to hell. He could have created us flawless. That's true. BUT HE DIDN'T WANT TO. The angels are created to never rebel Allah. But I think that's boring. Sure, they won't go to hell because they're created to never even entertain the thought about defying God. BUT, there's a beauty in having the power to think, and reason, and to make mistakes, and to own those mistakes, and to let your mistakes mold you into a stronger and wiser being. There is a hadith where the Prophet SAWS told someone that had Allah created us perfect, He would destroy us and then create people that WILL sin and make mistakes. So, that's just how we're supposed to be. As mentioned in the second paragraph, our being prone to sins requires greater effort to be good, and that increases the worth and value of our efforts cuz it don't come easy.
Here's another thing to think about. It is in our nature to desire justice. You're upset that Allah will punish for eternity. First of all, how do you know that you'll be punished for eternity? What if it's only a week? Or a month? I don't think that divine time and human time correspond. Secondly, why is that we sentence a murderer to life in prison? Life in prison? Yikes, that is eternity of one's life in the slammer. Keeping religion out of it, our human nature knows that in order to establish justice there needs to penalties. There has to be some sort of punishment that would deter people from committing a crime and thus hurting themselves or others. There has to be some** PENALTY** (whether it's a fine, or revocation of a license, permanent removal from a position, being fired, going to prison) that will encourage someone to at least THINK TWICE before doing something stupid regardless of how "prone" their natures might be.
^And when you think about this example, ALSO reflect over the fact that a boss might only allow one mistake and then you're fired. A friend might break ties for committing one stupid mistake. A relative might not speak to you forever for some tactless comment that you may not even remember. BUT ALLAH, on the other hand, forgives time and time and time and time and time again. He made our natures weak, but He gave us aqal and ability. He set penalties (hell), but we as humans set penalties to run society and even relationships more smoothly. Think of your mom. You can offend your mom time and time again, but she still loves you despite your imperfections and she always manages to find it within her to forgive you. It is said by the Prophet SAWS that Allah's love is 70 times greater than a mother. So, try to find comfort in that.
Your creating this thread has made me think about this issue from various angles and with various analogies. I got my brain thinking. I apologize for the long post, I'm sure you must have rolled your eyes when you first saw it. But I think I put sincere effort into answering some of your questions and I hope that you will take the time, if not to read, then at least skim through it.
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