Islamic eschatology
| Part of a series on |
| Eschatology |
|---|
Islamic eschatology includes the afterlife, apocalyptic signs of the End Times, and Last Judgment.[1][2][3] It is fundamental to Islam, as life after death is one of the religion's Six Pillars. Resurrection is divided into Lesser Resurrection (al-qiyamah al-sughra) and Greater Resurrection (al-qiyamah al-kubra). The former deals with the time between an individual's death and the Last Judgement. Islam acknowledges bodily resurrection. Only a few philosophers are an exception.
From the 8th or 9th century onwards, Muslims increasingly believed that the day of the Greater Resurrection would be announced by several signs of an impending apocalypse. Such beliefs are recorded and elaborated upon in apocalyptic literature, which introduced new figures absent in the Quran, such as the Dajjal (Antichrist) and Mahdi (Savior). Although some themes are common across all works, there is no standardized version of apocalyptic events.
Closely related is the matter of the fate of the individual, with branches of Islam reaching different conclusions. The Mu'tazilites hold that God's goodness obligates God to reward good actions and to punish evil actions. The Asharites believe that God neither needs to punish sins nor reward good ones. Like Maturidis, Asharis hold, in contrast to Mu'tazilites, that sinners among Muslims will eventually leave Hell. Asharis and Twelver Shias generally agree that non-Muslims who refuse to acknowledge Muhammad as the last prophet go to Hell. Neo-Salafis, such as Umar Sulaiman Al-Ashqar, hold that Muslims of other sects also go to Hell, although Sunnis and Twelver Shias may leave Hell eventually.
Another topic of discussion is the temporal place of Paradise and Hell. According to most Sunnis and Shias, Paradise and Hell coexist with and influence the contemporary world. Throughout Muslim literature, visits to and depictions of Paradise and Hell are vividly described. Mu'tazilites, on the other hand, argue that the purpose of Paradise and Hell is to reward or punish and are thus only created after the Last Judgment.
- ^ Smith, Jane I. (2006). "Eschatology". In McAuliffe, Jane Dammen (ed.). Encyclopaedia of the Qurʾān. Vol. II. Leiden: Brill Publishers. doi:10.1163/1875-3922_q3_EQCOM_00055. ISBN 978-90-04-14743-0.
- ^ Hasson, Isaac (2006). "Last Judgment". In McAuliffe, Jane Dammen (ed.). Encyclopaedia of the Qurʾān. Vol. III. Leiden: Brill Publishers. doi:10.1163/1875-3922_q3_EQCOM_00105. ISBN 978-90-04-14743-0.
- ^ "Eschatology - Oxford Islamic Studies Online". Oxfordislamicstudies.com. 6 May 2008. Archived from the original on 23 April 2014. Retrieved 3 July 2017.