The concept of life after death is found in almost all religions, but it varies from the Islamic concept. In Islam, word Akhirah is used to refer to life after death. This belief holds Muslims to do good deeds and avoid evil. Islam says this life is a taste for human beings after death; human beings will be tried out for their deeds. Those who do good, indeed get the reward, and those who act evils would be punished. After death again soul would be put into the dead body for interrogation, two angels Munkar, and Nakeer will ask questions.
Holy Quran says:
“Every soul has to taste the death”
Christian and Jews also have similar beliefs in life after death. Whereas, this concept is different in Hinduism and Buddhism. Holy Quran says none can escape death because it is inevitable. Those who don’t believe this will be thrown into the fire, and they will never be forgiven for the denial concept of life after death.
In this article, you will get the answers to many complicated questions about life after death, for supposing, what happens after death? What is the concept of heaven and hell? Is there reckoning with the creator? What is the concept of life after death in Islam and other religions? Now, let us discuss the concept of life after death in detail.
Concept of life after death in major religions
Christianity, Islam, and Judaism say human beings survive death, and the very essence of a person that must answer for the earthly deeds is good or bad. Hinduism, too believes soul survives and it is eternal.
Buddhism teaches individuals a transient combination of five aggregates, matter, sensation, perception, predisposition, and consciousness- but it doesn’t have a permanent soul. All most all other religions, too, believe after death, the spirit moves on to another existence. Some religions approve the concept of heaven and hell, while some reject it. There is a little difference in the concept of life after death in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.
Interestingly, in Hinduism, there is a concept of transmigration of the soul. According to transmigration belief, all human beings will be questioned for their deeds, but those who commit sins, there would be transmigrated into the shape of animals like dogs, pigs, etc as punishment. Whereas people with good deeds would remain in the same shape as they were found on this earth. In fact, the concept of Hinduism on life after death is rejected by all other schools of thought.
Islamic Perspective Of Life After Death
Quran Says:
And Allah created you; then He will take you in death. And among you is he who is reversed to the most decrepit [old] age so that he will not know, after [having had] knowledge, a thing. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Competent. (Surah Nahl,70)”.
It’s very hard to accept death, but brave people can only recognize that they die one day. Because of what Islam says about death, heaven, hell, and communication with the dead. However, Islam says all creatures have to taste the death one day.
In a simple way, it means separation of soul from body is a must. After death, body becomes useless and buried .indeed; there are different rituals for dead, some bury the dead body, some cremate the dead and some throw body in the rivers and seas.
Whatever! Souls dwell in Barzakh as mentioned in the Holy Quran. What is Barzakh? It is an immediate state or place of rewards or punishments which awaits the soul. The sacred book of Islam clearly declares, soon after death, that dead person begins experiencing reward or punishment.
Holy Prophet Muhammad(SAWW) said,
The grave is one of the gardens of paradise or one of the pits of fire.
In fact, as soul feels comfortable and tormented so would be its feeling for rewards and punishment in both physical and spiritual form. Hence, the concept of life after death is very vivid about having life on earth is like a class that will be examined after death.
Either deeds will lead towards heaven or to hell depends on life in this world. This life is a trial for next life after death.
Why Believe In Life After Death
There are various reasons to have a firm belief in life after death such as
- If all human beings come to accept this belief, this world will become a paragon of peace and harmony.
- All the Prophets including the last Prophet Muhammad(SAWW), insisted on believing in life after death.
- Unlimited nations were destroyed because they rejected this belief.
- If human beings reject this belief, they will feel no apprehension of rewards and punishment which will lead them to commit vices.
- This belief plays role of a bulwark in restricting murder, theft, injustices, and many other heinous crimes in everyday life.
Stage of the Life Here After
Here, we will just mention the names of stages of life hereafter; its description would be given in next articles related to the same topic.
- First :Al-akheer, the last breath
- Second: 14 phases of the life here after.
- Three: Wahsahat -qabar.
- Fourth: graves construction.
- Fifth: Questions by Munkar and Nakir.
- Sixth: The barzakh.
- Seventh: Qiyamah, day of judgment.
- Eighth: Al hasher, the gathering.
- Ninth: A Mizan, the scales of the deeds.
- Tenth:Al Hisab, The Reckoning.
- Eleventh :tasleem Safeet Al A mal.
- Twelfith: As-sirat al mustaqeem.
Conclusion
Like every journey, the journey of life is also to end no matter what age ever one has. We see dying people in our everyday life. None can observe a person living for thousands of years..with the advancement of science and technology. Even the life span has also decreased due to some reasons. Nothing is permanent is only a true fact.
Whereas, we have to believe in barzakh and day of judgment. Philosophy, psychology, science and many other disciplines couldn’t disapprove of the fact of life after death; all these disciplines now accept this truth that this life is only for the examination after death.
