Belief in the end-times or the last days is mandatory in Islam. It is listed as the fifth article of faith. The Five articles of faith in Islam 1. God: He is One; his nature and qualities are chiefly revealed in his ninety-nine 'Most Beautiful Names'. 2. His angels: these include four archangels (e.g. Gabriel) and an indefinite number of ordinary angels. There are also creatures between angels and men called jinn, some of which aregood and some evil. 3. His books: Scriptures were revealed to Adam, Seth, Enoch and Abraham, but these have now been lost. These are the main Scriptures: a. The Pentateuch (tawrat) b. The Psalms (zabur) (Both of these are said by Muslims to have been corrupted or misinterpreted by the Jews.) c. The Gospel (injil) (said by Muslims to have been corrupted or misinterpreted by the Christians) d. The Quran, revealed to Muhammad 4. His apostles: The Quran names twenty-eight apostles, most of whom are biblical characters. The six greatest are Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, (Jesus) and Muhammad. 5. The Last Day: the day of judgment, when all will be judged according to their deeds, and admitted to Paradise or to hell. Some summaries add the following two doctrines: 6. The predestination of good and evil by God. 7. The bodily resurrection of all people at the last day. After death, What? What happens after someone dies? Accordingto the Quran, is not entirely clear. For this reason we need to examine the Hadith (traditions) to shed additional light on the matter. The event of death is something everyhuman being will experience according to Islam. On the Day of Judgment, people will be paid full recompense. The experience for the faithful Muslim is different than the non-Muslim. 185. Every soul will taste of death. And ye will be paid on the Day of Resurrection only that which ye have fairly earned. Whoso is removed from the Fire and is made to enter Paradise, he indeed is triumphant. The life of this world is but comfort of illusion. Surah 3;185 (Pickthall) The exact process of death is not clear, but the events at death are peppered throughout the Quran. First, the soul of a dying person comes to his throat, “Why, then, when (the soul) cometh up to the throat (of the dying) Surah 56:83”. This is then followed by the angels, who comeand remove the soul from the body. The soul of the non-Muslim is violently removed; angelssmite the soul in the process. when the wrong doers reach the pangs of death and the angels stretch their hands out, saying: Deliver up your souls. Surah 6;93 If thou couldst see how the anguish receive those who disbelieve, smiting their faces and their backs and (saying): Taste the punishment of burning! Surah 8:50 According to the Hadith, what happens to a believer (Muslim) and a non-Muslim is vastly different. Geisler summarizes these events, “The soul of the faithful person, which is easily removed from the body, is clothed in a heavenly and sweet smelling garment by radiant and smiling angels. The soul is taken through the seven heavens, entering the presence of God who then orders the angels to return the soul to its earthly body until the day of judgment. On the other hand, the soul of the unbelieving person is removed from itsbody with a great deal of struggle. The angel of death clothes the soul with a foul smelling garment. The angel responsible for the wicked soul also tries to take the soul through the various levels of heaven but he gates of heaven are not opened to them (7:40), and the soul is then returned to the body”[1] All these events take place while the body is being washed, demonstrating how quick the above events take place. 1. Life in the Grave (Barzakh) According to Islam, life continues in the grave after the body is buried. Life in the grave is known as Barzakh. According to Islamic tradition, while in the grave, two angels question the newly dead. Their names are Munkar and Nakir. They ask the person three questions: 1. Who is your God? 2. Who is your prophet? 3. What is your faith?If the person answers correctly -- Allah, Islam and Muhammad -- the angels will make the grave more comfortable. They open a window where the view and orders of paradise can be enjoyed. For those who do not answer correctly, a window to hell will be opened, their grave will narrow, their ribs are crushed as they feel the heat and hot winds of hell. This will continue while the person awaits judgment. Only those who die in Jihad will go directly to Paradise. Torment in the grave is clearly taught in Islam,especially in the traditions of the prophet. In the Bukhari we read the following. Narrated Anas bin Malik:Allah's Apostle said,"When (Allah's) slave is put in his grave and his companions return and he even hears their footsteps, two angels come to him and make him sit and ask, 'What did you use to say about this man (i.e. Muhammad)?' The faithful Believer will say, 'I testify that he is Allah's slave and His Apostle.' Then they will say to him, 'Look at your place in t