The Last Day in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

Abstract

This research comprehensively explores the foundational concept of the Last Day and evaluates its profound significance through a rigorous comparative and analytical approach across the three major monotheistic traditions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The study meticulously highlights the fundamental human psychological and societal need to believe in an afterlife, demonstrating how this belief acts as a vital anchor for moral responsibility, inner restraint, and the establishment of justice. Furthermore, it investigates the historical and doctrinal agreements shared among divine religions regarding the affirmation of ultimate accountability, while critically analyzing the structural and theological deviations introduced by subsequent generations. The research extends its scope to examine the intricate theological perceptions surrounding death, the intermediate state of Barzakh, the mechanics of physical and spiritual resurrection, the parameters of divine reckoning, and the ultimate, eternal destinations of Paradise and Hell. Employing a systematic descriptive-analytical methodology, the paper evaluates textual evidence from sacred scriptures and historical commentaries to trace similarities and divergences. Ultimately, the study concludes that while the core premise of divine reward and punishment was universally established in earlier prophetic revelations, Islam presents the most comprehensive, authentic, textually preserved, and conceptually coherent framework concerning the unseen realities of the hereafter and the final destiny of humankind.