Human Condition:
In Islam, we are all born good in the eyes of God. This stands in contrast to Christianity’s original sin and likewise, the Muslim does not need to wash away the sins of the ancestors. The human condition is more that we have a tendency to behave in manners not in accordance with our goodness. This comes as the result of ghafla, the Muslim concept of human forgetfulness. We are said to forget our divine creation and stray from the right path, ignoring our fitrah (internal moral compass that pushes the human to do the right thing) and therefore becoming capable of committing acts which are to be considered bad or immoral. Humans struggle every day to keep on in the righteous direction, and are faced constantly with the choices of good and evil. This struggle is called The Greater Jihad and it takes place within every human being.
Where are we going?:
First, the dead soul awaits Yawmuddin (judgement day) in its grave, sitting until God decides that the world has reached an irreparable end. One’s akhira is judged and sent either to Jannah or Jahannam. In Islam, the concepts of Jannah and Jahannam are quite defined and explained in vivid detail. Jannah, or Paradise, is a kingdom in which the righteous dwell beside God in gardens of lushes vegetation and flowing rivers. It is the most amazing place to the Muslim and is the end goal. Jahannam (Hell) is a place quite the opposite of Jannah. In Jahannam, one encounters the stereotypic images of Hell. There is fire and brimstone, and torture chambers and ministers of torture. It is important to note that it is rare that someone be condemned to Jahannam for eternity. God has been known to send a semi-sinner down below for an indefinite amount of time and bring him back to Jannah once He feels the subject has learned their lesson. Those who remain in eternal torture were atrocious sinners; the worst of the worst.
How do we get there?:
The Qur’an lays down a specific and very straightforward path for practicing Muslims. If they choose to follow, then they can easily get into Jannah. However, one can just as easily get into Jahannam by not following the straightforward guidelines. One must abide by the 5 pillars in order to be judged favorably in the end, as well as the other tenets of God such as the ten commandments and the teachings of Jesus and other minor tenets from the Qur’an. If one disobeys (commits shirk, doesn’t give alms, etc…) then Jahannam is within spitting distance.
