Akhirah and Predestination (1RB0)
Two Muslim beliefs about the unseen future - al-Qadr, Allah's decree, and Akhirah, life after death - held next to Christian belief for comparison, and kept clear between the Sunni and Shi'a traditions.
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Beyond this life
Islam teaches that this life is not the whole story. Two beliefs look beyond it: al-Qadr, Allah's decree or predestination, and Akhirah, everlasting life after death. On this course Islam is studied alongside Christianity, so it helps to notice where the two faiths agree and differ about the afterlife - and, within Islam, to stay clear about whether a belief is framed in the Sunni or the Shi'a tradition. Getting the tradition right is the mark of a careful answer.
A vocabulary for the hereafter
Five terms carry this topic. Learn them before the checks lean on them.
What does al-Qadr mean?
Which statement best captures the belief in al-Qadr?
- Allah has knowledge of, and decrees, all that comes to pass
- Human beings alone decide everything that happens to them
- Nothing exists beyond this present life
- Only angels are subject to Allah's will
Two traditions, two framings
Sunni and Shi'a Muslims hold predestination differently. Always make clear which tradition your answer is describing.
The justice of Allah
Which Root of Usul ad-Din leads many Shi'a Muslims to emphasise human free will?
- 'Adl, the justice of Allah
- Nubuwwah, prophethood
- Mi'ad, the resurrection and judgement
- Imamah, the leadership of the Imams
Decreed, yet accountable
If Allah decrees all things, how can people be judged fairly? Sunni teaching keeps both truths: Allah is all-knowing and nothing falls outside His will, yet people make real choices and answer for them on Yawm al-Din, the Day of Judgement. That is the link between al-Qadr and the Day of Judgement. In no Muslim tradition does the decree cancel human responsibility.
Afterlife terms in Islam
- Barzakh
- Yawm al-Din
- Jannah
- Jahannam
- The waiting state between death and resurrection
- The Day when Allah weighs each person's deeds
- Paradise, the reward of the righteous
- Hell, the punishment of the wrongdoer
From death to destiny
According to Islamic belief, put these stages into order.
- A person's life in this world comes to an end
- The soul waits in Barzakh until the resurrection
- On the Day of Judgement, the dead are raised
- Allah weighs each person's deeds and an account is given
- The righteous enter Jannah, the wrongdoer Jahannam
Living for the hereafter
Select the TWO ways belief in Akhirah shapes how a Muslim tries to live.
- It motivates good actions and avoiding wrong, since deeds will be judged
- It brings a sense of accountability for one's choices
- It teaches that this earthly life is unimportant
- It promises paradise whatever a person does
Match each belief to its meaning
- al-Qadr
- 'Adl
- Free will
- Yawm al-Din
- Allah's decree over all events
- Allah's justice, stressed in Shi'a belief
- People's responsibility for their choices
- The Day when Allah judges those choices
Islam and Christianity on the afterlife
Because this course pairs Islam with Christianity, it helps to see how they line up on life after death. They share a great deal, and they differ in important ways.
Answer with care
Three exam judgements about getting the beliefs right. Choose the best answer.
- A student writes "al-Qadr is one of the Five Roots of Usul ad-Din." What is the error?
- How should you present the Sunni and Shi'a views of predestination?
- Comparing Islam and Christianity on judgement, which is an accurate similarity?
Decree, and life after death
In Islam, _____ is the belief that Allah decrees all that happens; in the Sunni tradition it is one of the Six Beliefs. Many Shi'a Muslims instead stress _____, Allah's justice, which implies free will. _____ is life after death: the soul waits in _____ until the Day of Judgement, when the righteous enter _____ and the wrongdoer enters Jahannam. Christianity shares belief in judgement, heaven and hell, but differs on the place of Jesus.
Life after death, and the decree
Explain Muslim beliefs about life after death (Akhirah) and about Allah's decree (al-Qadr), and note one way these beliefs are similar to or different from Christianity.
- Describe what Muslims believe happens after death: Barzakh, judgement, Jannah and Jahannam
- Explain what al-Qadr means and how it connects to the Day of Judgement, naming the Sunni and Shi'a framings
- Explain how belief in Akhirah affects how a Muslim tries to live
- Give one clear similarity or difference with Christian beliefs about life after death