Islam's Views of Death and the Afterlife

A Basic Overview of Islamic Faith

Islam, also referred to as the Muslim faith, is one of the world's fastest growing religions. Almost 1 Billion people around the world practice Islam today, with more converting daily. Muslims follow the law of their holy book, The Koran (or Qur’an), which reveals the will of Allah as narrated to his chosen prophet, Muhammad. 

The chief pennant of Islam is the statement, “There is no other God but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet." Muslims believe that Muhammad, who lived from 570 to 632 A.D., was a chosen prophet and is to be revered but not worshiped. Islam also recognizes that there were other prophets before Mohammad -- Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and Jesus – but strongly believe that no other prophets will follow Muhammad.

There are six basic beliefs in Islam:

1. Belief in God – Allah as the one true all-powerful God with no partner, equal, or son. No other God is to be worshiped but Allah.

2. Belief in the Angels – Honored creatures that do Allah’s work. Gabriel was the angel that brought the Qur’an down to Muhammad.

3. Belief in God’s Revealed Books – Muslims believe that God sent his message to prophets to record in books to serve as guidance for all mankind.

4. Belief in the Prophets and Messengers of God – Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and Jesus (among others). Muhammad is the last of these chosen prophets.

5. Belief in the Day of Judgment – A day of judgment will take place when all people that have ever lived will be resurrected and judged by God according to their deeds and beliefs.

6. Belief in Al-Qadar – Al-Qadar is Divine Predestination. Although Allah has given man freewill, we are free to choose right and wrong and will be held responsible for our actions. Predestination includes four main facets: God knows everything that has happened and will happen, God has recorded all that has and will happen, What God wills to happen will happen and what he does not will, will not happen, and God is the Creator of everything.


Along with these basic beliefs that Muslims hold, there are ‘Five Pillars of Islam’. These five pillars represent the blueprint that a proper Muslim is to follow in their life. These five pillars are:

1. The Testimony of Faith – Saying with conviction, “La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadur rasoolu Allah.” Translated to mean, “There is no true god but God (Allah), and Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of God.”

2. Prayer – Muslims pray directly to Allah five times per day.

3. Giving Zakat – Zakat is the giving of a percentage of one’s property and wealth to the needy. A Muslim may give as much as he or she sees fit to charity.

4. Fasting During the Month of Ramadan – Ramadan is the ninth month of the lunar Islamic calendar. The fast takes place from dawn until sundown and Muslims abstain from all food, drink, and sex.

5. The Pilgrimage to Makkah – Hajj is the annual pilgrimage to Mecca to visit the Ka’ba. All Muslims that are able should make the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.

Death in Islam

Allah said in the Qur’an, “But those who believe and do good deeds, We will admit them to gardens (Paradise) in which rivers flow, lasting in them forever...” (Qur’an, 4:57)

For those that believe in the oneness of God and do good works, God has prepared an everlasting Paradise. Anyone who follows and believes this may enter Paradise - Muslims, Christians, Jews, and others. Muslims believe that this world is their one and only chance to earn this gift. Life involves preparing the soul to become worthy to pass through death, which is a transition, and progress to eternity in Paradise. Allah will judge each person according to his or her beliefs and acts during this life. Each person will be judged according to their individual situation, beliefs, and acts towards others.

Those who live according to the truth and Qur’an to the best of their ability will achieve the reward of Paradise. However, Allah warns us: those who were shown the truth of Islam and rejected it, will be shown no mercy and shall face hellfire. Just as Paradise is a place of delight, Hell is a place of eternal torment. The Qur’an states, “If you could but see when they are set before the Fire (Hell) and say: ‘Would that we might return (to the world)! Then we would not reject the verses of our Lord, but we would be of the believers!’” (Qur’an, 6:27) No one will have a second chance to accept the faith. In Islam, your fate is completely contingent on what you do in this life.

Preparing the Dead:

When a Muslim is facing death, they will read the Islamic scriptures, if they are able, or will have them read to them by relative or friend. They will be reminded of the Shahadah: “There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is His Prophet and Messenger.” The dying Muslim will then repent of all earthly sin to prepare for judgment by Allah.

When a Muslim dies, his or her body is washed in a special ritual and wrapped in a clean, white, seamless cloth. In the case of a Martyr, the blood is not washed off the body, as purification is not needed. The washing ritual is usually done by a family member of the same sex and after a special prayer, the body is laid to rest in the ground, generally with the deceased’s head facing towards Mecca. Embalming of the body is not allowed in Islam, as this is a desecration. A corpse is not left alone between death and burial, it will be surrounded by loved ones praying for a safe and painless passage to the afterlife. Once the deceased has been taken to the burial site, the body is put into the ground without a coffin. The Shahadah is whispered into their ear one last time, and they are loosely covered with dirt by the attendees of the funeral.

Christian Beliefs In The Afterlife

An overview of the basic beliefs of Christianity as they pertain to the afterlife. Concepts such as Heaven and Hell, salvation, and damnation are presented.

The majority of western religions, Christianity in particular, teach that after death one will either reap the fruits of Heaven, or suffer the damnation of Hell, based on a number of factors which may include, but are not limited to: whether or not one sought salvation through Jesus Christ, one’s actions, one’s beliefs at the instant of death, unforgiven sins at the time of death, and whether certain rituals and sacraments were performed during life and even after death. With the many different offshoots of Christianity and their different interpretations of the passages in both the Old and New Testament, it becomes clear that differences between (and even within) denominational groups teach different paths to eternal salvation.

There are some themes that hold true regardless of the flavor of Christianity that one follows. The most central is to ask for Jesus Christ to enter into one’s life and accept him as one’s own personal savior. Although there are many different interpretations to what being saved is, and perhaps even more implications to personal responsibility of one’s actions if being saved is the only prerequisite for acceptance into Heaven, it is clear that the central belief in Christianity is the belief that Jesus is God incarnate and through him resides the only true path to Heaven. Secondly, most Christian faiths hold central the belief that Hell is the absence of God, although there are many disagreements as to whether Hell is a concept, or a place of endless suffering. Lastly, the majority of Christian Faith’s believe that the soul has one physical life, and will not re-incarnate into another physical form after death.

Aside from these fundamental beliefs, different sects of Christianity teach considerably different views on attaining salvation, Heaven, Hell, and Judgment. For example: Some conservative Christians feel that the Hell is simply a place of isolation from God while others conservatives feel that those sent to Hell will only be punished based on the severity of their sins and could also be sent to oblivion or a state of non-existence known as annihilationism. Fundamentalist Christians would label Hell as a place of eternal suffering and torture without any chance of relief.

The concept of Heaven and the road to Salvation are just as diverse. Most conservative Christians feel that doing good deeds alone does not warrant entrance into Heaven. It follows that being saved in and of itself will cause one to naturally think and act in a right and just manner. With this paradigm, Hell is punishment for a thought crime: Turning away from Christ, or believing falsely in the nature of Christ. Some conservatives also feel that those who make it into Heaven will not be treated equally and the general rule of thumb is that the one who is saved and leads a noble and just life will reap more rewards in Heaven than that of a wicked man who found salvation prior to death.

Liberal Christian viewpoints on Heaven and Salvation differ greatly as well because this wing of Christianity feels that different writers of the Bible held different belief systems.

So, naturally there is a large area of interpretation. Most Liberals feel that Hell is neither a place of eternal punishment or annihilation, as much as a concept: the separation from God. In addition, many Liberal Christians feel that God would not punish someone for petty sins, oversights, or errors -- to do so would be unjust and is not the true nature of God. Further, Liberals generally feel that one would not be held accountable for not having the opportunity to hear the Gospel or the Christian viewpoint. This applies to both children who are too young to understand it and third world countries where the Christian faith has yet to penetrate. This belief differs greatly from the fundamentalist viewpoint where, in effect, 2 out of 3 people in the world would suffer damnation even if they were not afforded exposure to the Christian faith.

It is clear that the Christian belief system holds many different interpretations based both on denomination and propinquity. However, it is clear across the board that at least the concept of Heaven and Hell, Christ being the true and only Lord, and Judgment of one’s actions and beliefs all are part of the equation for most groups. Further, Christianity shares many similarities with other world religions in teaching that selfless acts are central to leading both a fruitful life and a rewarding afterlife.

Religious Views on Death & Dying

An Overview of World Beliefs

Much of what we know and perceive about death and dying comes from our religious background. In fact, our attitudes about death are deeply connected with our views on religion. Whether or not we believe in a God or gods shapes how we view the afterlife or lack thereof. Our fear of death can either be compounded or eased by our religious outlook. If you believe in an angry God that punishes us for all trespasses, then death can be frightening. Believing that we all go to a better place after death, regardless of behavior, can cause apathy towards death.

There seems to be a sharp rift between Eastern and Western cultural views on Death: Mainly in the beliefs in and about "salvation", reincarnation, and the afterlife. Beyond this, big differences in attitude can exist within sects or branches of the same religious tree - causing more confusion.

Eastern religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism believe in a progression of the soul after death. The accumulation of bad or good karma affects your rebirth into either a favorable or unfavorable situation, with the ultimate goal being Nirvana or enlightenment. No state is eternal except that of Nirvana; so if you do end up in a bad place you will eventually burn off the bad karma and progress.

Western religions tend to look at this life as a one chance shot at proving yourself, with the end result being an eternity in either heaven or hell. Catholics believe in an intermediate state called Purgatory where those who aren't saved but not bad enough for hell work their way up. This is actually similar to the Buddhist idea of "burning off bad karma". Jewish beliefs vary but most often do not include the typical Christian idea of an inescapable hell. Jews see hell more as a separation from God than an actual place full of fire and brimstone. Likewise, heaven may be viewed as a joining to God's light or spirit and not necessarily a physical place with streets of gold.