Although religions like Islam and Christianity differ in ideals and principles, the concept of life-after-death and judgment day is common to all. Like belief in God, belief in the Hereafter remains unchanged in spite of the change in nationalities, languages and times.

So let me explain here what the concept of Islam about judgment day is.

Every thing in nature has its own inherent property. Just as the sun heats, water cool and poison kills, so man’s own actions produce certain results in him. The body carries signs of good food or undernourishment. Even so, man’s actions produce certain effects on his soul too, a few of which might be discerned in this world itself. But the effects make themselves perfectly clear and the soul is thus ‘rewarded’ in the Judgment day. The Quran pints out how man’s action reacts upon his soul.

“Nay, but that which they have earned is rust upon their hearts” (83:14). That is the effect of a first offence. 18:37 says “We covered their hearts,” What have covered their hearts are the layers of sinfulness. And, “Allah sealed their hearts” (2:7)- a state that reveals the plight of the heart whose light is totally imprisoned within the dark dungeon of guilt and sin. Such a man now becomes virtually blind, having lost his soul’s vision; unable any more to discern truth, unable even to be shown the truth.

All these effects are felt already in this world. The ‘patient’ who has reached the third stage of sinfulness (this heart being sealed) is beyond redemption, and Allah reminds the Prophet to save his breath regarding the reformation of such people who will never be reformed. In 17:72 Allah warns man: “Who so is blind here will be blind in the Hereafter, and yet further from the road.” But he does not know it now-when he does know, in the Hereafter he will feel panic and ask of Allah: “My Lord! Why have you gathered me (here) blind, when I was wont to see? And Allah will say: So (it must be). Our revelations came to you but you did forget them. So you are forgotten this Day.” (20: 125-6)

In short, man will meet in the Hereafter the consequences of his life here. The punishment he gets in the judgment day will be the natural after-effects of his actions. “The guilty will be known by their marks”(55:41). Sinners, thus, will reveal themselves by their own actions here. “This Day We seal up mouths, and hands speak out and feet bear witness as to what they used to earn.” (36:64).Every movement of man here will then be revealed by his body and his soul in the Hereafter.