DR. MUSTANSIR MIR Islam's teachings on resurrection

Like Christianity, Islam has a doctrine of resurrection.
The Islamic doctrine is similar to the Christian in some respects, different in others. Both Islam and Christianity say life does not end with death; that God will one day raise dead human beings back to life; that on that day he will judge human beings, whose final destinations, depending on their actions, will be heaven or hell; and that life in the next world will be everlasting.
Unlike Christianity, Islam says humans are individually responsible for their actions and that on Resurrection Day, every individual human being will be judged on the basis of his or her conduct in the present life. This means salvation is earned through deeds.
Key points: But three points must be kept in mind if the Islamic perspective on the matter is to be fully understood.
First, although deeds are important, equally -- or perhaps more -- important is the quality of deeds. God will not mechanically count a person's good deeds and bad deeds and announce a positive or negative verdict but will consider the spiritual quality informing those deeds.
Second, as in this world, so in the next God's justice will be tempered by his mercy. God is not wrathful or vindictive; being primarily a god of compassion, he is quick to grant forgiveness and show mercy. Although he will give punishment only proportionately to evil deeds, he will give manifold reward for good deeds. The teachings of Islam suggest God is looking for an excuse to forgive people and put them in heaven.
Third, eternal life in the next world does not mean a bland, monotonous existence. Some Muslim scholars maintain that human beings in the next life will continue to grow and evolve: Those who are put in hell will have a chance to rectify the wrongs they have committed, and those who are placed in heaven will have an opportunity to make further achievements and merit a higher reward -- this process of change and evolution going on forever.
Symbolism: In Christianity, the word resurrection immediately brings to mind the resurrection of Jesus; the risen Christ believed to have triumphed over death. In Islam, the idea of resurrection is presented as being part of the scheme of things in this world. Islam places great emphasis on nature being a repository of symbols of certain truths, and the cycles of nature are seen as giving evidence of resurrection in many different ways. This world, in other words, points to the next; accordingly, it contains signs of the resurrection that will take place in the next life.
The subject of resurrection is dealt with in many places in the Koran, the Islamic scripture. The theoretical possibility, logical necessity and moral certainty are discussed in 30:19, 24, 50; 36:79, 81; 43:11; 50:11; and 46:33. A summary account of the proceedings of the Day of Judgment is provided in 39:68-75.
XDr. Mustansir Mir is professor of Islamic Studies at Youngstown State University.