The looming presence of the afterlife plays a monumental role in the Islamic religion. Within the umbrella concept of the role that the afterlife plays to the Muslim community, things get complicated, as many different people in the Islamic religion believe the afterlife consists of a different experiences or purposes but there is a common idea of surrender to god and a life in the name of Allah.
“Life is a gift given by God, not by man”
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The thought of the continuation of life after death requires a large deal of faith from Muslim worshippers, devoting their ‘worldly’ lives to Allah, living a selfless and humble life in the promise of good things to come after death.
Through the experience of pain and suffering in the material world, it is experienced as a test “Death is only the gateway to the afterlife”
From the moment you are born, your life becomes a trial to see if you’re good enough for the time after you die. Part of the six articles of faith in Islam, believing in a second life after death is one of them, also known as the Akira. Death is seen as less of a termination to finish, but a beginning into the separation of your soul into a land of paradise and the cut off of worldly experience. Suicide, unjust murder an euthenasia are all prohibited in Islam and are a great sins, as life is a gift given by God, not by man. To muslims, life is sacred and cannot be manipulated in any way.
This perspective on life and the afterlife in Islam can greatly affect Muslim people and their safety, as their view on worldy suffering is one of that it is gods plan. People of a muslim faith cannot euthanise if they are severely ill or in great pain, and people who have severe mental illness cannot commit suicide and if done, there is great shame on their memory. In contrast to modern day medicine and ideals, this principle is very striking and can be potentially damaging. They are taught to sometimes fear Allah.
'Nor kill (or destroy) yourselves: for verily Allah hath been to you Most Merciful!' (Quran 4:29) '...if any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people.' (Quran 5:23) '...take not life, which Allah has made sacred, except by way of justice and law. Thus He does command you, that you may learn wisdom.' (Quran 6:151) Above excerpts from the Quran
Though the afterlife is an article of faith, it is disputed what happens in order to reach it after death, and what varying muslims believe will happen, such as the different versions or opinions of what could be experienced in the Islamic afterlife:
A wait or a rest of peace until the day of resurrection, also known as the Last judgement or Yawn al-Qiyāmah in which there will be a ‘final assessment’ of humanity, in which all things living will be annihilated or cease to exist, then for being with feeling to be brought back and then judged and put to justice for their deeds, good or bad. There are multiple signs that will take place before this event, the idea of this final resurrection is another article of Islamic faith.
A transcendence into one of the seven heavens, each redsiding to Islamic poets, a place with pure running water and plentiful food, a place where you can receive all your wants that you didn’t receive in your first life. An angel, Malak al-Maut, is sometimes said to come to you and extract your soul before your death. Sinners will experience otherworldly pain during this but if your soul is righteous and good it will be painless.
A belief that before you get into the afterlife that you are brought before two angels, Munkar and Nakir, who interrogate you and send you to either heaven or hell. If found to sin you are torn apart, body and soul, wrapped in a foul smelling cloth, flown upwards to heaven an angel and thrown down to hell. Fun.
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