Islamic eschatology

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Part of a series on
 Islam

Beliefs

Allah · Oneness of God
Muhammad · Prophets of Islam
Practices

Profession of Faith · Prayer
Fasting · Charity · Pilgrimage

History & Leaders

Timeline of Muslim history
Ahl al-Bayt · Sahaba
Rashidun Caliphs · Shi'a Imams

Texts & Laws

Qur'an · Sunnah · Hadith
Fiqh · Sharia
Kalam · Tasawwuf (Sufism)

Major branches
Sunni · Shi'a

Culture & Society

Academics · Animals · Art
Calendar · Children · Demographics
Festivals · Mosques · Philosophy
Politics · Science · Women

Islam & other religions
Christianity · Hinduism · Jainism
Judaism · Sikhism

See also

Criticism of Islam · Islamophobia
Glossary of Islamic terms

Islam Portal  v • d • e 

Islamic eschatology is concerned with the Qiyamah (end of the world; Last Judgement) and the final judgement of humanity. Eschatology relates to one of the six articles of faith (aqidah) of Islam. Like the other Abrahamic religions, Islam teaches the bodily resurrection of the dead, the fulfillment of a divine plan for creation, and the immortality of the human soul (though Jews do not necessarily view the soul as eternal); the righteous are rewarded with the pleasures of Jannah (Heaven), while the unrighteous are punished in Jahannam (Hell). A significant fraction (one third, in fact) of the Quran deals with these beliefs, with many hadith elaborating on the themes and details. Islamic apocalyptic literature describing the Armageddon is often known as fitna (a test) and malahim (or ghayba in the shi'ite tradition).

Contents

[edit] Signs of the Judgement day

Among many hadith related to signs of day of judgement, one of the most famous hadith is Hadith of Gabriel.

A narration attributed to Abu Hurairah reports:

“ One day while the Prophet was sitting in the company of some people, (The angel) Gabriel came and asked, "What is faith?" Allah's Apostle replied, 'Faith is to believe in Allah, His angels, (the) meeting with Him, His Apostles, and to believe in Resurrection." Then he further asked, "What is Islam?" Allah's Apostle replied, "To worship Allah Alone and none else, to offer prayers perfectly to pay the compulsory charity (Zakat) and to observe fasts during the month of Ramadan." Then he further asked, "What is Ihsan (perfection)?" Allah's Apostle replied, "To worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot achieve this state of devotion then you must consider that He is looking at you." Then he further asked, "When will the Hour be established?" Allah's Apostle replied, "The answerer has no better knowledge than the questioner. But I will inform you about its portents.
  1. When a slave (lady) gives birth to her master.
  2. When the shepherds of black camels start boasting and competing with others in the construction of higher buildings. And the Hour is one of five things which nobody knows except Allah.

The Prophet then recited: "Verily, with Allah (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour--." (31. 34) Then that man (Gabriel) left and the Prophet asked his companions to call him back, but they could not see him. Then the Prophet said, "That was Gabriel who came to teach the people their religion." Abu 'Abdullah said: He (the Prophet) considered all that as a part of faith. Sahih Bukhari 1:2:47

 ”

[edit] Jesus and the Dajjal

Main article: Islamic views of Jesus

According to Islamic view Jesus (Isa, in Arabic) is not the "Son of God", but was a prophet. It is believed that Jesus was not crucified; instead he was raised bodily. According to many hadith and believed by most Muslims, he will return to Earth. At the time appointed by Allah, Jesus will physically return to this world with the Mahdi (more relevant in Shii beliefs and disputed in Sunni) and will end all wars, and usher in an era of peace. The messianic era comes after Jesus kills ad-Dajjal, the antichrist figure in Islam, and defeats his followers.

[edit] Afterlife

Main article: Qiyamah

A fundamental tenet of Islam is belief in the day of resurrection, Qiyamah. The trials and tribulations of Qiyamah are explained in both the Qur'an and the Hadith, as well as in the commentaries of Islamic scholars such as al-Ghazali, Ibn Kathir, and Muhammad al-Bukhari.

Muslims believe that God will hold every human, Muslim and non-Muslim, accountable for his or her deeds at a preordained time unknown to man.[1] The archangel Israfil, will sound a horn sending out a "blast of truth". Traditions say Muhammad will be the first to be brought back to life.[2]

Bodily resurrection is much insisted upon in the Qur'an, which challenges the Pre-Islamic Arabian concept of death.[3] Resurrection is followed by judgement of all souls. According to the Qur'an, sins that can consign someone to hell include lying, dishonesty, corruption, ignoring God or God's revelations, denying the resurrection, refusing to feed the poor, indulgence in opulence and ostentation, the economic exploitation of others, and social oppression.[4]

The punishments in hell includes adhab, "pain or torment inflicted by way of chastiment; punishment", a very painful punishment (see [Qur'an 29:55], [Qur'an 43:48]); khizy, "shame, disgrace, ignominy" ([Qur'an 16:27], [Qur'an 11:39]).[5] The descriptions in the Qur'an of hell are very descriptive (see [Qur'an 4:56], [Qur'an 47:15] etc).

The punishments in the Qur'an are contrasted not with release but with mercy ([Qur'an 29:21], [Qur'an 2:284], [Qur'an 3:129], etc).[5] Islam views paradise as a place of joy and bliss.[6] Islamic descriptions of heaven are described as physical pleasures, sometimes interpreted literally, sometimes allegorically. Heaven is most often described as a cool garden with running streams of unlimited food and drink. Some interpretations also promise enormous palaces staffed with multitudes of servants, and perfect, perpetually-virginal spouses. Despite the graphical descriptions of the physical pleasures, there are clear references to a greater joy that exceeds the pleasures of flesh: The acceptance from God, or good pleasure of God (ridwan) (see [Qur'an 9:72]).[7] Islam also has a strong mystical tradition which places these heavenly delights in the context of the ecstatic awareness of God.[8]

[edit] Salvation

According to all the traditional schools of jurisprudence, faith (Iman) ensures salvation. There are however differing views concerning the formal constituents of the act of faith. "For the Asharis it is centred on internal taṣdīḳ[internal judgment of veracity], for the Māturīdī-Ḥanafīs on the expressed profession of faith and the adherence of the heart, for the Muʿtazilīs on the performance of the 'prescribed duties', for the Ḥanbalīs and the Wahhābīs on the profession of faith and the performance of the basic duties."[9] The common denominator of these various opinions is summed up in bearing witness that God is the Lord, L. Gardet states.[9]

There are traditions in which Muhammad stated that "No one shall enter hell who has an atom of faith in his heart" or that "Hell will not welcome anyone who has in his heart an atom of faith" however these passages are interpreted in different ways. Those who consider performance as an integral part of faith such as Ḵh̲ārid̲j̲īs, consider anyone who does a grave sin to be out of faith, while the majority of Sunnis who view works as merely the perfecting the faith, hold that a believing sinner will be punished with a temporary stay in hell. Still there is disagreement over the possibility of a believing sinner being forgiven immediately (e.g As̲h̲ʿarīs) and in full rather than undergoing temporary punishment. (e.g. Māturīdīs)[9]

Some, but not all, Muslims also believe that those who have heard the messages of a prophet of God (Moses, Jesus or Muhammad) but have chosen not to follow will receive eternal damnation in hell.

[edit] Rationalization

Ibn al-Nafis dealt with Islamic eschatology in some depth in his Theologus Autodidactus, where he rationalized the Islamic view of eschatology using reason, science and philosophy to explain the events that would occur according to Islamic eschatology. He presented his rational and scientific arguments in the form of Arabic fiction, hence his Theologus Autodidactus may be considered the earliest science fiction work.[10]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ [Qur'an 74:38]
  2. ^ Esposito, John (2003). The Oxford Dictionary of Islam. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-512558-4, p.264
  3. ^ "Resurrection", The New Encyclopedia of Islam (2003), p.383
  4. ^ Encyclopedia of Islam and Muslim World (2004), p.565
  5. ^ a b "Reward and Punishment", Encyclopedia of the Qur'an (2005)
  6. ^ "Paradise", "Heaven", The New Encyclopedia Britannica (2005)
  7. ^ Smith, Jane I. (2006). The Islamic Understanding of Death and Resurrection. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195156492, p.89
  8. ^ "Heaven", The Columbia Encyclopedia (2000)
  9. ^ a b c "Imam", Encyclopaedia of Islam Online
  10. ^ Dr. Abu Shadi Al-Roubi (1982), "Ibn Al-Nafis as a philosopher", Symposium on Ibn al-Nafis, Second International Conference on Islamic Medicine: Islamic Medical Organization, Kuwait (cf. Ibn al-Nafis As a Philosopher, Encyclopedia of Islamic World).

[edit] External links