Looking at the views of two different religions about the same topic, 'life after death'.

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

A Study Of Muslim And Christian Beliefs About Life After Death

God sent his prophets on the earth to teach people that god creates them and he has given a purpose of living this life in his remembrance and eventually he will raise them to see how they have followed his instructions. Thus the belief in life after death is an improvement point of believing in god. They laid so much emphasis on this that even a slight doubt in the belief of life after death meant denying God. So this made all other beliefs meaningless. Almost every religion has this belief but depending on the teachings of the scriptures the views might be different. For example some explain the term of passing the test in this world by continuously being reborn until they have reached perfection and this is known as reincarnation and some think it as a resurrection of the soul and other talk about the body resurrection.

People of faith believe that the belief in life after death makes a believer to behave in an appropriate way, as he knows that if he did some thing wrong he will be punished and for a good deed there is a reward in hereafter.

Based on this Islamic teaching the belief about life after death is very necessary as the Hadith below explains.

“You must believe in Allah, His messengers, His holly books, in the last day and life after death.” [HADITH]

Basically this Hadith explains the whole Islamic belief and testifies that the belief in last day and life after death is necessary as this gives the meaning to this life and purpose for it.

Muslims believe that God does not create any thing without a purpose. So, there is a purpose to this life and after all there should be a reward for those who were on their target in this life and a punishment for those who deny God or His teachings.

Islam also teaches that the death is not the end of the life. The life is simply divided into two parts one is the life on this earth, which is thought to be the test for the one to come, which is eternal. In Quran Allah says:

“Be sure we shall test you with something lost of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruit of the toil, but give the gladding to those who patiently preserve.” (2:55)

This encourages Muslims to respond the evil and suffering in a positive way. This also makes Muslims believe that God is almighty and knows the future and test is to see who does believe in God.

Allah also says in Quran:

“Every living thing will have to die and come back to us.” (surah: aya ?)

The verse above testifies the belief, which is described in the second parts of the verse as ‘And come back to us’. However in Quran Allah has given good enough reasons to his people to believe that He will be able to resurrect the whole world and states:

“Does the man think that we will not reconstruct his bones? Yes indeed; we are able to reconstruct his fingertips. But the human being tends to believe in what he sees in front of him.” (36:4-6)

God has condemned the disbelievers and asked them the question. He also emphasised that God is able to do whatever he wants to do. Above God addresses a man as brainless in a way because he just believes in what he sees and never goes beyond. In the verse below He addresses them and says:

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“And they say: ‘what is there but our lives in this world? We shall die and live, and nothing but time can destroy us. ‘But of that they have no knowledge: they merely conjecture: and when our signs are rehearsed to them, them their argument is nothing but this: they say ‘Bring us back our forefathers, if what ye says is true!” (45:24-25)

Now God is criticising the disbelievers who deny the life after death and think no one could destroy them but they will be decomposed as a natural process. God call them as foolish as they have no knowledge of future and ask for their forefathers to be back if the concept of the life after death is true. Surely God will raise all the dead but no one except Him knows when, as he has his own plans of things as in Quran He addresses to His prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H):

“ Say, no one in the heavens and the in the earth know future except God. They don’t even perceive how and when they will be resurrected.” (27:65)

In Quran Allah also mentions:

“Those who disbelieve said, ‘after we turn into dust, and also our parents, do we get brought out?” (27:67)

In the verse above God answers disbelievers by saying:

“He produces the live from the dead, and produces the dead from the live, and he revives the land after it had died, you are similarly resurrected.” (30:19)

God has given the answer by giving the example of land saying “he revives the land after it had been died,” to help understand the term consider a potato plant as an example which is planted in its growing season and produces many other potatoes but as the growing season ends the plant dies off and turns into the soil but as the next season it starts growing again. For a religious person this is how he is will be resurrected again from the soil.

Many Muslims believe that when a person dies he stays in the grave until the day of judgement but others believe that the reward or the punishment starts straight after burying. Neither of these believes could be proved right or wrong as there are quotations found in Quran supporting both of them.

Islam also teaches that an hour will come when every thing in the world be destroyed and will be raised again in front of Allah. That is the beginning of the endless life. This concept in Islam comes from Quran and Hadith.

“On the day of judgement, the whole of the earth will be but his handful and the heaven will be rolled up in his right hand… the trumpet will be sounded when all that are in the heavens and the earth will swoon except such as it will please God to exempt. Then will a second one sounded, when, behold, they will be standing and looking on and the glory of its lord.” (39:67-69)

These two verses taken from Quran explain the judgement day and the power of God. Muslims believe that when there will be the judgement day Prophet Isa (Jesus) will be sent by God to guide the people of God on the right way. An angel will also be sent who will blow the trumpet and every thing in the earth will be destroyed and at the second blow the dead will be raised and every one will be in front of God. And those who have done well in their life will have a reward of:

“The dwellers of paradise will be, on that day, happily busy. They abide with their spouses in beautiful shade, enjoying comfortable furnishings. They will have fruits therein; they will have any thing they wish. Greetings of peace from most merciful lord.” (36:55-58)

The verse above describes the rewards for the person in heaven and encourages Muslims to obey God. God uses the words spouses and comfort to show Muslims that sure in this life they have the restrictions but that is for a limited time and if they obey God and stay in their boundaries then God will make sure that they have every thing they wish for with best wishes of God.

However Islam also gives Muslims the concept of hell, which gives the fear to Muslims and helps them to be more conscious of God and what they do in their lives by having the idea of Allah’s punishments for those who do wrong and disobey him.

In Quran Allah says:

“O, You who believe, save yourselves and your families from a fire whose fuel is men and stones…” (At- tahreem: 6)

By studying the verse above a many Muslim will obviously get shocked as the fuel of fire is described as men then he or she will try their best to not to become that fuel of the fire.

Muslims think that this life is an opportunity to change for better, to obey Allah and worship him, as he deserves to be worshipped. As Allah in Quran says:

“And spend of that which we have provided you, before the death comes to one of you and he says ‘my lord! If only you defer me for a little while, then I should give sadqah and be among the righteous.’ But Allah defers no soul when its appointed term arrives. Allah is well acquainted with all that you do.” (63:9-11)

At this point for a Muslim there are two lessons one of them is that the death will come at its appointed time and second that there will no escape and there is only one chance to do the best no soul will be deferred and Allah also knows what is being done by some one.

Basically what Allah is saying in Quran about life after death is that it is eternal and it will have to come and it is up to human how they respond in this life as good will leave to heavens and bad deeds will leave to hell fire.

The final earthquake and the transformation of the earth into hollow sphere, rising from the grave, a time when our hands feet and tongue will become witness against us, and the opening of gate in the sky, through which every one will be removed to some other higher dimensions beyond the dying universe, are the main theme of the Day of Judgement which are described in the Quran.

Above an account of Islamic beliefs about life after death is being explored and now Christianity will be considered, which is also well known religion that believes in the life after death.

“Many that sleep in the dust shall awake up to the everlasting life.” Daniel (12:1-4)

This reinforces the concept of life after death as in the verse above God explains the dead bodies as they are in sleep and grave is explained as dust.

“If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; and of Christ has no been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain.”

(St. Paul, 1 Corinthians 15:13-14)

“The Resurrection of Christ, a central doctrine of Christianity, is based on the belief that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead on the third day after his Crucifixion and that through his conquering of death all believers will subsequently share in his victory over "sin, death, and the devil." The celebration of this event, called Easter, or the Festival of the Resurrection, is the major feast day of the church. The accounts of the Resurrection of Jesus are found in the four Gospels — Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John — and various theological expressions of the early church's universal conviction and consensus that Christ rose from the dead are found throughout the rest of the New Testament

However Christians hold the different concept about what would happen to the body and the soul some one dies. As some believe that when someone dies the body stays in the grave unconsciously, in a state of non-existence and with no self-awareness. The body decomposes. At the second coming of the Jesus the body will be resurrected and will be judged.

Where as other believe that the soul is separated from the body at the death time and is kept at the place and at the second coming of Jesus the body and the soul will be reunited and will be judged by God.

Others believe that the soul is being transferred to the hell or heaven instantly after the death.

In these concepts believe the second coming of Jesus as He said:

“I promise that today you will be in paradise with me” Luke (23:43)

Despite the fact that Christians believe that it is not easy though, to imagine just what life will be like here after. They take their teachings on the matter from the bible. This reinforces the belief that Christians will spend eternity in the presence of God.

Christians believe that the heaven is a place to life forever with God and a good Christian believes the heaven is a place, which cannot be visited while he is alive but it will be his home after he dies and leaves this world. Christians believe that there are many good people on earth who love God and want to do the right things and these are the good people who know that their lives on the earth is no eternal but their mission is to get the life in heaven, which is eternal and any one who follows Christ will be in heaven and everyone in there will be happy.

Christians also believe that there is a time of judgment to be faced in bible this appears to a straight forward matter of dividing the good, bound for heaven, from the evil, bound for hell as in bible it says:

“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, depart from me, ye cursed, in to everlasting fire, prepared for devil and his angel.”

Matthew (25:41)

This explains the hell as the everlasting fire, which is reward for the evil spirit and the followers of it. This verse gives the general idea of how hell is like and makes them more aware of what they are doing in the their precious life. There are many other explanations of the hell in Bible as it says:

“…Take him away, and cast him into outer darkness.”

Matthew (22:13)

Here God explains the hell as darkness and he is here probably addressing to angels to take a disbeliever or a devil to hell.

“The warm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.” Mark (9:48)

This emphasizes the everlasting punishment for be a disbeliever and not obeying God. Christians also think that the concept of hell plays a major role in converting the sinners into righteous worshippers of God. Bible also teaches that the righteous will be rewarded as in bible it says:

“Will be sent off to eternal punishment, but the righteous will go to eternal life.” Matthew (25:46)

This emphasises the belief that the good will be remembered and the one who does good will be rewarded. This judgment allows Christians to think the purpose of this life and to focus on their actions, as they have to be judged by God one day, which will affect their eternal life.

“Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned “ (John 5:28, 29, NIV).

This emphasis that the good will be rewarded and go to heaven and bad is going to go in to hell a punishment.

After looking at the views of two different religions about the same topic, ‘life after death’, I found that there is no lot difference between the concepts of events thought to be taken place at the judgement day e.g. the hell is described with the same meanings in both holy books and however among both religions there are different ideas. According to both religions the belief in life after death is important and that there shall be an eternal existence beyond the grave for every human being who has lived on earth. Although there is no right or wrong answer to whether or not life after death exists as no body claim to be an authority on life after death, for as yet none of us have entered in that other life.