Akhirah and Predestination (1RA0)
Two Muslim beliefs about the unseen future - al-Qadr, Allah's decree, and Akhirah, life after death - taught with care for how Sunni and Shi'a Muslims understand them differently.
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Two beliefs about the unseen
Islam teaches beliefs not only about this life but about what lies beyond it. This module covers two: al-Qadr, the belief in Allah's decree or predestination, and Akhirah, the belief in everlasting life after death. One rule matters throughout, and the exam rewards it: be clear which tradition you mean. Sunni and Shi'a Muslims share a great deal, but they frame some beliefs differently - al-Qadr is a good example. Naming the tradition is the mark of a careful answer.
Words for the hereafter
Five terms carry this topic. Learn them before the checks lean on them.
What is al-Qadr?
In Islam, what does belief in al-Qadr mean?
- That Allah has knowledge of, and decrees, everything that happens
- That human beings decide their fate entirely on their own
- That there is no life after death
- That only prophets are judged by Allah
One belief, two framings
Sunni and Shi'a Muslims approach predestination differently. A grade-9 answer names which tradition it is describing rather than blending them.
The Shi'a emphasis
Which of the Five Roots of Usul ad-Din leads many Shi'a Muslims to stress human free will?
- 'Adl - the justice of Allah
- Tawhid - the oneness of Allah
- Imamah - the leadership of the Imams
- al-Qadr - which is one of the Five Roots
Decree and accountability
How can Allah decree all things and still judge people fairly? This is the heart of al-Qadr, and Sunni teaching holds both truths together: Allah is all-knowing and nothing happens outside His will, yet humans make real choices and answer for them on Yawm al-Din, the Day of Judgement. That is why al-Qadr and the Day of Judgement belong together. Whatever the framing, no Muslim tradition teaches that predestination removes moral responsibility.
Barzakh and Jannah terms
- Barzakh
- Yawm al-Din
- Jannah
- Jahannam
- The state between death and the Day of Resurrection
- The Day of Judgement, when deeds are weighed
- Paradise, the reward of the righteous
- Hell, the punishment of the wrongdoer
The journey after death
According to Islamic belief, put these stages into order.
- A person's earthly life ends in death
- The soul waits in Barzakh until the Day of Resurrection
- On the Day of Judgement, the dead are raised
- Each person's deeds are weighed and an account is given
- The righteous enter Jannah and the wrongdoer Jahannam
Why Akhirah matters
Select the TWO ways belief in Akhirah shapes how a Muslim tries to live.
- It encourages doing good and avoiding wrong, knowing deeds will be judged
- It gives a sense of moral accountability for one's choices
- It means this earthly life does not matter at all
- It guarantees paradise no matter how a person behaves
Match each belief to its meaning
- al-Qadr
- 'Adl
- Free will
- Yawm al-Din
- Allah's decree over all that happens
- Allah's perfect justice, central to Shi'a belief
- The human responsibility to choose right from wrong
- The Day when Allah judges those choices
Answer with care
Three exam judgements about getting the traditions right. Choose the best answer.
- A student writes that "al-Qadr is one of the Five Roots of Usul ad-Din." What is the problem?
- How should an answer handle the Sunni and Shi'a views of predestination?
- A student says belief in al-Qadr means Muslims are not responsible for their actions. Why is this wrong?
Al-Qadr, and what follows
In Islam, _____ is the belief that Allah decrees all that happens, and for Sunni Muslims it is one of the Six Beliefs. Many Shi'a Muslims instead stress _____, Allah's justice, which points to human free will. _____ is the belief in life after death: the soul waits in _____ until the Day of Judgement, when the righteous enter _____ and the wrongdoer enters Jahannam.
Akhirah and al-Qadr
Explain Muslim beliefs about life after death (Akhirah) and about Allah's decree (al-Qadr). Be clear where Sunni and Shi'a Muslims understand predestination differently.
- Describe what Muslims believe happens after death, including Barzakh, judgement, Jannah and Jahannam
- Explain what al-Qadr means and why it connects to the Day of Judgement
- Show how the Sunni framing (a Six Belief) differs from the Shi'a emphasis on 'Adl
- Explain how these beliefs affect the way a Muslim tries to live
Name the tradition
Two habits lift your marks here. First, name the tradition: al-Qadr sits among the Sunni Six Beliefs, while the Shi'a Five Roots foreground 'Adl - never blend the two frameworks into one. Second, remember that these beliefs are practical. Belief in Akhirah and al-Qadr shapes how a Muslim lives now - encouraging good deeds and trust in Allah while holding firmly to personal responsibility. Get those two things right, and your answer reads as though it understands Islam from the inside.