Akhirah (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062))

Life After Death

Life After Death (Akhirah)

• All Muslims believe in Akhirah – it is part of both the six Articles of Faith and the five Roots of Usul ad Din

  • Muslims believe that Allah knows and determines when people die

  • Death is not the end of life

  • Muslims accept that there is an afterlife, which is made possible by the power and grace of Allah

• Where a person will go is determined by the choices they make on earth, thus this life is seen as a preparation for the next life

• Our mortal lives are a test and we will be judged according to how we have lived

• As humans, we have been given free will, so we are able to make choices about what to believe and how to treat others

• Muslims believe that humans are accountable for their actions. After death, in the grave, they will be asked about their faith by angels

  • The two judging angels, Munkar and Nakir, will question each person, testing their faith

• Akhirah is a significant theme in the Qur’an with about a quarter of it dedicated to this topic

Life after death and the verses of the Qur'an

Day of Judgement

• The Angel Israfil will blow a trumpet to announce the Day of Judgement

• Muslims believe that, for those who die before that day, the angel of death, Azrail, will come to take their souls to await the day

• They will be kept in a state of barzakh (waiting) until the sound of the final trumpet is heard

• There are many signs which will mark the end of the world for Muslims but the most important will be the appearance of the Mahdi and the second coming of Isa (Jesus)

• Other signs include: abundance of earthquakes, the spreading of killing, rejection of Islam, increase in dishonesty, drunkenness, obscenity, nakedness and fornication

• On the Day of Judgement, the dead will be raised from their graves and all people will stand before God to be sentenced according to the way they have lived their lives

• A book which represents everything an individual has done, is presented to each of them. If the person’s good deeds outweigh the bad, then they will receive the book in their right hand and pass into heaven. If it is placed into their left hand, they will be among the damned

Human Responsibility & Accountability

Human Responsibility and Accountability

• Although many Muslims believe in Al- Qadr (predestination) they also believe that humans have the ability to make choices on how to live their lives

• The Qur’an gives many warnings about the Day of Judgement and Muslims are encouraged to question themselves: Am I ready to face death? What have I done to prepare for that day?

  • Therefore, all humans are responsible for their own actions and are accountable for any wrongdoings they have committed

  • On the Day of Judgement, the Book of Deeds will be read, in which ‘every small and great thing is recorded’ (Qur’an 54:52)

  • Following the judgement all humans are eternally rewarded or punished depending on their actions

• Muslims believe that Akhira:

  • Shows that God is just (fair) and will make up for any hardships on earth with reward in paradise

  • Shows that people who have done bad things will not get away with them

  • Gives hope for the future and makes it easier to deal with the difficult times in life

• It makes Muslims try hard to follow God’s rules, for example by practising the five pillars and by avoiding harming other people

• Life after death makes sense of our short existence on earth and why we are here at all

Resurrection in Islam

Resurrection in Islam

• On the Day of Judgement, the world will be transformed into a new world (akhirah) and everyone who has ever lived will be resurrected (brought back to life) and will be judged

• Muslims believe that before someone goes to heaven or hell their soul will go to Barzakh while their body will decompose in the grave

• In the grave the soul will be tested by the two angels Munkar and Nakir who will ask: Who is your Lord? What is your religion? Who is your prophet?

• Depending on the responses, the soul’s time will either be pleasant or unpleasant, giving an indication of what the next life will be like

• This will continue until Allah ends the world and unites souls with resurrected bodies on the Day of Resurrection

• The Qur’an indicates that the resurrection will be both in body and soul. It is not necessarily the same physical existence but it is both physical and spiritual

• On the Day of Judgement Allah will decide where the resurrected person goes

Heaven and Hell in Islam

Heaven and Hell

• Muslims believe that people go to heaven or hell for eternity after the Day of Judgement

• After judgement, faithful and righteous Muslims will pass over the very narrow bridge of As-Sirat before going to heaven

• The wicked, those whom God has damned, will fail to pass over the As-Sirat In trying to cross they will fall into hell

• Faithful and righteous Muslims will go to heaven. Non-Muslims and unrighteous Muslims will go to hell

• God weighs our deeds God judges each person’s actions, but intentions (niyyah) are also taken into consideration

• Muslims have different interpretations of what heaven and hell are like but the Qur’an has many descriptions of both places