Fuzzy Memories

When reading the book on Muhammad, I found the idea of the Qur'an's version of Hell being vague and undetailed quite interesting.  I wonder if the Bedouin's belief that being forgotten is the worst thing which can happen to a person might have prompted this vagueness; if people do not even know much about the details of Hell, then of course they will not remember the names or lives of those who end up there.  In this way, the worst part of Hell might not be the various tortures which Hell's denizens would presumably force one to endure, but instead the lack of remembrance in the minds of those still living.  This may seem strange to modern readers of the Qur'an, particularly those in the United States, with its focus on punishment and reward which comes with capitalism and a retributive justice system.  It reminds me somewhat of the apparent strangeness of the attitude people in Jesus' time would have had to crucifixion, with the worst part being the destruction of the body rather than the pain.  However, the Bedouin were not the only ancient culture to emphasize remembrance; Viking culture, which may be more familiar to the contemporary American or European reader, also placed far more value on fame and memorable deeds than on physical comfort.