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Islamic eschatology is concerned with the '' Qiyamah '' ( End Of The World ; Last Judgement ) and the Final Judgement Of Humanity . Eschatology is one of the three main principles of Islam , alongside '' Tawhid '' (the Unity Of Allah ) and ''nubuuwa'' ( Prophecy ). Like the other Abrahamic Religion s, 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 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 '' Fitan '' and ''malahim'' (or ''ghayba'' in the Shi'ite tradition). JESUS AND THE AD-DAJJAL According to the Islamic view Jesus ( Isa , in Arabic ) is not the Son Of God , but was a Prophet and will return to Earth. It is believed that Jesus never died and he was not crucified; instead he was raised into heaven still physically alive, where he lives now. At the time appointed by Allah , Jesus will physically return to this world, and together with the Mahdi 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. Ahmadi views The Ahmadiyya movement — which mainstream Islam regards as heretical — teaches that Jesus was decrucified while still alive and later died a natural death in Kashmir , while the prophesied Second Coming was fulfilled by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad . REWARDS FOR BELIEVERS Islamic descriptions of ''Jannah'' ( Heaven ) are couched in the language of physical pleasure, sometimes interpreted literally, sometimes allegorically. Heaven is most often described as a cool, well-shaded, and well-watered garden. The rewards of the righteous are also described in explicitly physical terms; they include unlimited food and drink. Some interpretations also promise enormous palaces staffed with multitudes of servants, and perfect, perpetually-virgin spouses (see Houri ). Muslims stress the belief that it is only the Five Pillars Of Faith that bring one to Heaven. Muslims believe that Allah knows best who will enter Heaven and that some people of the other Abrahamic faiths (regarded as "People of the book") will also get into heaven. PUNISHMENT FOR NONBELIEVERS The Muslims who will not inherit heaven will be punished with a temporary stay in ''Jahannam'' ( Hell ), and will go to heaven later as long as there is "one atom of faith in their hearts," as stated by the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Some, but not all, Muslims also believe that people who do not accept Muhammad after hearing his message, will receive eternal damnation in Jahannam; just as those who did not believe in Jesus and Moses at their respective periods after hearing of their messages will also receive eternal damnation in hell. The descriptions in the Qur'an of punishment for unbelief (Jahannam) are, like the descriptions of Jannah, very descriptive. Skin is burned off the person's body and then they are given new skin so it can be burned off again. :''As for those who reject Our Signs, We will roast them in a Fire. Every time their skins are burned off, We will replace them with new skins so that they can taste the punishment. Allah is Almighty, All-Wise. (4:56) One interesting point is that the Quran actually states that the skin will be replaced, due to the fact that, in the skin, are the receptors for feeling. Once the skin is burnt down the receptors are destroyed thus no pain will be felt on the burnt place. This is the reason why the burnt skin will be replaced with a new skin so the pain can be felt again. Boil ing water is poured down people's throats and it rips their bowels apart. Temperature extremes are applied to the body as punishment. However, when considering punishments such as those described above, one must also consider that in Islam the afterlife is considered to involve only the spirit, or "roh". Thus, when terms describing physical distress or physical pleasure are used to indicate what heaven or hell are like in the Qur'an, they are actually terms which refer to spiritual state. A description of heaven being an oasis of comfort or hell being one of violent misery is an analogy comparing the pains of the physical world to the pains of the spirit in the afterlife. From a literary perspective, this interpretation makes sense because the audience--humanity--only really understands the physical environment that surrounds it. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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