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118-476: The sūrah encompasses a variety of topics and contains several commands for Muslims such as enjoining fasting on the believer during the month of Ramadan ; forbidding interest or usury ( riba ); and several famous verses such as The Throne Verse , Al-Baqara 256 , and the final two or three verses. The sūrah addresses a wide variety of topics, including substantial amounts of law , and retells stories of Adam , Ibrahim (Abraham) and Mūsa (Moses). A major theme

236-464: A Kafir (non-believer) since Nifaq (hypocrisy) in belief is kufr. 26 Commences with ۞ ( rubʿ al-ḥizb ), an Islamic symbol. 87-105 is preserved in the Ṣan‘ā’1 lower text . Condemnation of alcoholic beverages and gambling is also first found in the chapter, and it is one of only four chapters in the Quran to refer to Christians as Nazarenes instead of the more frequent terms People of

354-520: A ghost (tukap) who would haunt the living, to come to fulfillment from which it was excluded during life. Judaism does not have a specific doctrine about the afterlife, but it does have a mystical/Orthodox tradition of describing Gehinnom . Gehinnom is not hell, but originally a grave and in later times a sort of Purgatory where one is judged based on one's life's deeds, or rather, where one becomes fully aware of one's own shortcomings and negative actions during one's life. The Kabbalah explains it as

472-508: A linear divine history often depict hells as eternal destinations, the biggest examples of which are Christianity and Islam , whereas religions with reincarnation usually depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations , as is the case in the Indian religions . Religions typically locate hell in another dimension or under Earth 's surface. Other afterlife destinations include heaven , paradise , purgatory , limbo , and

590-695: A location and goddess-like being in Norse mythology ), Old Frisian helle , Old Saxon hellia , Old High German hella , and Gothic halja . All forms ultimately derive from the reconstructed Proto-Germanic feminine noun * xaljō or * haljō ('concealed place, the underworld'). In turn, the Proto-Germanic form derives from the o-grade form of the Proto-Indo-European root * kel- , * kol -: 'to cover, conceal, save'. Indo-European cognates include Latin cēlāre ("to hide", related to

708-546: A mixture of saved and condemned people being raised from the dead and judged. Adventists reject the traditional doctrine of hell as a state of everlasting conscious torment, believing instead that the wicked will be permanently destroyed after the millennium by the lake of fire , which is called 'the second death ' in Revelation 20:14. Those Adventist doctrines about death and hell reflect an underlying belief in: (a) conditional immortality (or conditionalism), as opposed to

826-552: A "waiting room" (commonly translated as an "entry way") for all souls (not just the wicked). The overwhelming majority of rabbinic thought maintains that people are not in Gehinnom forever; the longest that one can be there is said to be 12 months, however, there has been the occasional noted exception. Some consider it a spiritual forge where the soul is purified for its eventual ascent to Olam Habah ( heb. עולם הבא; lit. "The world to come", often viewed as analogous to heaven). This

944-697: A 2024 visit to Xinjiang by a reporter from the British magazine The Economist, many Uyghurs do not fast during Ramadan because, according to locals, "the Chinese government guarantees freedom of religion". Some countries impose modified work schedules. In the UAE, employees may work no more than six hours per day and thirty-six hours per week. Qatar , Oman , Bahrain and Kuwait have similar laws. There are various health effects of fasting in Ramadan. Ramadan fasting

1062-435: A believer is required to give to the poor; the practice is obligatory as one of the pillars of Islam . Muslims believe that good deeds are rewarded more handsomely during Ramadan than at any other time of the year; consequently, many Muslims donate a larger portion – or even all – of their yearly zakat during this month. Tarawih ( Arabic : تراويح ) are extra nightly prayers performed during

1180-568: A crescent new moon has been sighted or after completion of thirty days of fasting if no sighting of the moon is possible. Eid celebrates the return to a more natural disposition ( fitra ) of eating, drinking, and marital intimacy . The common practice is to fast from dawn to sunset. The pre-dawn meal before the fast is called the suhur , while the meal at sunset that breaks the fast is called iftar . Muslims devote more time to prayer and acts of charity, striving to improve their self-discipline , motivated by hadith: "When Ramadan arrives,

1298-478: A decline in productivity of 35–50%. The Saudi businesses proposed awarding salary bonuses in order to incentivize longer hours. Despite the reduction in productivity, merchants can enjoy higher profit margins in Ramadan due to increase in demand. Hell In religion and folklore , hell is a location or state in the afterlife in which souls are subjected to punitive suffering , most often through torture , as punishment after death. Religions with

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1416-408: A description of the kafirs and munafiqs . The first of these verses uses the word kafir to describe one who conceals the truth, and Muhammad is advised that they will not believe despite his efforts because God has sealed their hearts and hearing, and covered their eyes (so that they will not be able to see, hear, or comprehend guidance), and that they will be punished with a great torment. Next

1534-489: A fire and feels safe in its immediate surrounding, but God extinguishes the fire and the person is covered in darkness. The Quran then calls them deaf, dumb, and blind. Another example given is that of a person wandering in rain, thunder and lightning in darkness, such that they would have to thrust their fingers into their ears out of the fear of death. The lightning is so bright that it almost takes away their sight, but they walk toward it whenever it strikes, and stay put when it

1652-577: A frozen lake of blood and guilt. But cold also played a part in earlier Christian depictions of hell or purgatory, beginning with the Apocalypse of Paul , originally from the early third century; the " Vision of Dryhthelm " by the Venerable Bede from the seventh century; " St Patrick's Purgatory ", "The Vision of Tundale" or " Visio Tnugdali ", and the "Vision of the Monk of Eynsham ", all from

1770-583: A great many of the ordinances concerning interest or usury. Quran 2 includes many verses which have virtues like the special Verse of the Throne (Aayatul Kursi) . Muhammad is reported to have said, "Do not turn your houses into graves. Verily, Satan does not enter the house where Surat Al-Baqarah is recited." [Muslim, Tirmidhi, Musnad Ahmed] Ad-Darimi also recorded that Ash-Sha'bi said that 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud said, "Whoever recites ten Ayat from Surat Al-Baqarah in

1888-690: A horse-dragon hybrid creature allegedly inspired by the Buraq . In the Chinese-influenced capital city of Jakarta , firecrackers are widely used to celebrate Ramadan, although they are officially illegal. Towards the end of Ramadan, most employees receive a one-month bonus known as Tunjangan Hari Raya . Certain kinds of food are especially popular during Ramadan, such as large beef or buffalo in Aceh and snails in Central Java . The iftar meal

2006-474: A hypocrite are lying, breaking promises, not keeping an amaanah or trust and when they argue they curse or use bad language. According to a prominent scholar, Kamaluddin Ahmed, Nifaq is something that is within the heart, hence no one knows of its existence except God. Therefore, no one can be called a hypocrite or Munaafiq through one's own self-assessment. This would amount to making Takfeer i.e. calling someone

2124-458: A life in conformance with the precepts of the goddess Maat , who represented truth and right living, the person was welcomed into the heavenly reed fields . If found guilty the person was thrown to Ammit , the "devourer of the dead" and would be condemned to the lake of fire . The person taken by the devourer is subject first to terrifying punishment and then annihilated. These depictions of punishment may have influenced medieval perceptions of

2242-456: A monotheist, who submitted to Allah (2:131-136). Later verses discuss the story of Abraham with the Nimrud (Nemrod) who refused to believe and professed himself to be God. Abraham brings forth to him the parable that Allah can bring the dead to life and let those alive be dead, and Nimrud responds by claiming he can do the same by killing someone. Abraham then brings the parable of how God raises

2360-606: A night, then Satan will not enter his house that night. (These ten Ayat are) four from the beginning, Ayat Al-Kursi ( 2:255 ), the following two Ayat ( 2:256-257 ) and the last three Ayat." Verse 255 is " The Throne Verse " ( آية الكرسي ʾāyatu-l-kursī ). It is the most famous verse of the Quran and is widely memorized and displayed in the Islamic world due to its emphatic description of God's omnipotence in Islam. Verse 256

2478-435: A postulation corroborated by other scholars, including theologian Paul-Gordon Chandler , but disputed by some Muslim academics. The Quran itself emphasizes that the fast it prescribes had already been prescribed to earlier biblical communities (2:183), even though an explicit intertext for this pre-Islamic practice does not exist. The first and last dates of Ramadan are determined by the lunar Islamic calendar . Because

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2596-468: A prayer to Allah that Mecca would be safe and prosperous for its people until the end of time (2:126). The next verses then talk about how Abraham and Ishmail built the Kaaba and their prayer that their offspring would be righteous Muslims and Allah would send to them prophets so that they may be guided (2:127-130). This chapter also reaffirms that Abraham was neither a Christian, Jew, nor polytheist, but rather

2714-551: A previous history of cardiovascular disease. The fasting period is usually associated with modest weight loss, but weight can return afterwards. In many cultures, it is associated with heavy food and water intake during Suhur and Iftar times, which may do more harm than good. Ramadan fasting is safe for healthy people provided that overall food and water intake is adequate but those with medical conditions should seek medical advice if they encounter health problems before or during fasting. The education departments of Berlin and

2832-488: A resurrection. Tartarus is held to be the metaphorical state of debasement of the fallen angels between the time of their moral fall (Genesis chapter 6) until their post-millennial destruction along with Satan (Revelation chapter 20). Bible Students and Christadelphians also believe in annihilationism. Christian Universalists believe in universal reconciliation , the belief that all human souls will be eventually reconciled with God and admitted to heaven. This belief

2950-586: A tradition believed to have originated during the Fatimid Caliphate , where the rule of Caliph al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah was acclaimed by people holding lanterns. On the island of Java , many believers bathe in holy springs to prepare for fasting, a ritual known as Padusan . The city of Semarang marks the beginning of Ramadan with the Dugderan carnival, which involves parading the warak ngendog ,

3068-414: Is a compound of * xaljō (discussed above) and * wītjan (reconstructed from forms such as Old English witt 'right mind, wits', Old Saxon gewit 'understanding', and Gothic un-witi 'foolishness, understanding'). Hell appears in several mythologies and religions . It is commonly inhabited by demons and the souls of dead people. A fable about hell which recurs in folklore across several cultures

3186-564: Is a detailed description of munafiqs, defined here as those who say they believe in God and the Last Judgment , but do not actually believe in them. It is said that they try to deceive God and the mumins (believers) but they deceive themselves without perception, that in their hearts is a disease which God increases, and that they will be punished with a painful torment. The munafiqs are also said to spread fasad (disorder/mischief) in

3304-476: Is also mentioned in the Kabbalah, where the soul is described as breaking, like the flame of a candle lighting another: the part of the soul that ascends being pure and the "unfinished" piece being reborn. According to Jewish teachings, hell is not entirely physical; rather, it can be compared to a very intense feeling of shame. People are ashamed of their misdeeds and this constitutes suffering which makes up for

3422-692: Is also relevant. Some modern Christian theologians subscribe to the doctrines of conditional immortality . Conditional immortality is the belief that the soul dies with the body and does not live again until the resurrection. As with other Jewish writings of the Second Temple period, the New Testament text distinguishes two words, both translated "hell" in older English Bibles: Hades , "the grave", and Gehenna where God "can destroy both body and soul". A minority of Christians read this to mean that neither Hades nor Gehenna are eternal but refer to

3540-523: Is announced every evening by striking the bedug , a giant drum, in the mosque. Common greetings during Ramadan include Ramadan mubarak and Ramadan kareem , which mean (have a) "blessed Ramadan" and "generous Ramadan" respectively. During Ramadan in the Middle East, a mesaharati beats a drum across a neighbourhood to wake people up to eat the suhoor meal. Similarly in Southeast Asia,

3658-461: Is argued, indicate that death is only a period or form of slumber. Adventists teach that the resurrection of the righteous will take place shortly after the second coming of Jesus , as described in Revelation 20:4–6 that follows Revelation 19:11–16, whereas the resurrection of the wicked will occur after the millennium , as described in Revelation 20:5 and 20:12–13 that follow Revelation 20:4 and 6–7, though Revelation 20:12–13 and 15 actually describe

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3776-426: Is considered safe for healthy individuals; it may pose risks for individuals with certain pre-existing conditions. Most Islamic scholars hold that fasting is not required for those who are ill. Additionally, the elderly and pre-pubertal children are exempt from fasting. Pregnant or lactating women are also exempt from fasting during Ramadan. There are known health risks involved in pregnant women who fast, which include

3894-467: Is considered to be the holiest night of the year. It is generally believed to have occurred on an odd-numbered night during the last ten days of Ramadan; the Dawoodi Bohra believe that Laylat al-Qadr was the twenty-third night of Ramadan. The holiday of Eid al-Fitr (Arabic: عيد الفطر), which marks the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Shawwal , the next lunar month, is declared after

4012-408: Is dark. Mankind is then asked to worship God to acquire taqwa , and a description of God's creations follows: the earth as a resting place, the sky as a canopy, and rain sent from the sky to bring forth fruit and provision. They are then advised to not set up others in worship beside God. Those who doubt that the Quran was revealed to Muhammad are then challenged to produce a surah similar to it. It

4130-475: Is grammatically linked to the triliteral root w-q-y evoking wariness, a sense of care and protection. These people, known as God-fearing ( muttaqin ), are defined as those who believe in al-ghaib (Unseen, ghayb, lit. “absent”), offer salah , spend zakat from what is provided to them, believe in Muhammad 's prophethood and that of the other prophets , and the books revealed to them. There follows

4248-593: Is guidance: urging the pagans ( Al-Mushrikeen ) and the Jews of Medina to embrace Islam , and warning them and the hypocrites ( Munafiqun ) of the fate God had visited in the past on those who failed to heed his call. Al-Baqara is believed by Muslims to have been revealed in a span of 10 years starting from 622 in Medina after the Hijrah , with the exception of the riba verses which Muslims believe were revealed during

4366-440: Is held by some Unitarian-Universalists . According to Emanuel Swedenborg 's Second Coming Christian revelation, hell exists because evil people want it. They, not God, introduced evil to the human race. In Swedenborgianism , every soul joins the like-minded group after death in which it feels the most comfortable. Hell is therefore believed to be a place of happiness for the souls which delight in evilness. Members of

4484-473: Is not in fact an innovation of monotheism but rather has always been necessary for believers to attain fear of God ( taqwa ). They point to the fact that the pre-Islamic pagans of Mecca fasted on the tenth day of Muharram to expiate sin and avoid drought . Philip Jenkins argues that the observance of Ramadan fasting grew out of "the strict Lenten discipline of the Syrian Churches ,"

4602-431: Is obligatory ( fard ) for all adult Muslims who are not acutely or chronically ill , travelling , elderly , breastfeeding , diabetic , pregnant , or menstruating . The predawn meal is referred to as suhur , and the nightly feast that breaks the fast is called iftar . Although rulings ( fatawa ) have been issued declaring that Muslims who live in regions with a midnight sun or polar night should follow

4720-431: Is often depicted as fiery, painful, and harsh, inflicting suffering on the guilty. Despite these common depictions of hell as a place of fire, some other traditions portray hell as cold. Buddhist – and particularly Tibetan Buddhist – descriptions of hell feature an equal number of hot and cold hells. Among Christian descriptions Dante 's Inferno portrays the innermost (9th) circle of hell as

4838-675: Is often recommended that working Muslims inform their employers if they are fasting, given the potential for the observance to impact performance at work. The extent to which Ramadan observers are protected by religious accommodation varies by country. Policies putting them at a disadvantage compared to other employees have been met with discrimination claims in the United Kingdom and the United States. An Arab News article reported that Saudi Arabian businesses were unhappy with shorter working hours during Ramadan, some reporting

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4956-471: Is one of the most quoted verses in the Quran. It famously notes that "There is no compulsion in religion". Verse 2:282 covers two specific Islamic jurisprudence issues: (1) undertaking a loan and (2) the status of women's testimony. Amin Ahsan Islahi in his Tafsir of Surah al-Baqarah says when there is a loan transaction for a specific period of time, it must be formally written down. Both

5074-471: Is present this month, let them fast. But whoever is ill or on a journey, then ˹let them fast˺ an equal number of days ˹after Ramaḍân˺. Allah intends ease for you, not hardship, so that you may complete the prescribed period and proclaim the greatness of Allah for guiding you, and perhaps you will be grateful. Muslims hold that all scripture was revealed during Ramadan, the scrolls of Abraham , Torah , Psalms , Gospel , and Quran having been handed down on

5192-492: Is pronounced as /z/. The Muslim communities in some countries with historical Persian influence, such as Afghanistan , Azerbaijan , Iran , India , Pakistan and Turkey , use the word Ramazan or Ramzan . The word Romzan is used in Bangladesh . Ramadan is the month on which the Quran was revealed as a guide for humanity with clear proofs of guidance and the standard ˹to distinguish between right and wrong˺. So whoever

5310-496: Is reconstructed from the Latinized Gothic plural noun * haliurunnae (attested by Jordanes ; according to philologist Vladimir Orel , meaning ' witches '), Old English helle-rúne ('sorceress, necromancer ', according to Orel), and Old High German helli-rūna 'magic'. The compound is composed of two elements: * xaljō (* haljō ) and * rūnō , the Proto-Germanic precursor to Modern English rune . The second element in

5428-636: Is reported to have banned Ramadan fasting for officials, students, and teachers in Xinjiang since 2012. Radio Free Asia alleged that residents in Kashgar Prefecture were encouraged to report those who fasted to the authorities. The ban has been denied by Chinese diplomats and Muslim associations in Xinjiang. Antara News , Daily Times , and Pakistan Today have also brought up accounts of residents in Xinjiang fasting. According to

5546-497: Is said to redirect the heart away from worldly activities, and to cleanse the soul by freeing it from harmful impurities. Muslims believe that Ramadan teaches them to practice self-discipline, self-control, sacrifice, and empathy for those who are less fortunate, thus encouraging actions of generosity and compulsory charity ( zakat ). Exemptions from fasting include those traveling, menstruating, severely ill, pregnant, or breastfeeding. Those unable to fast are obligated to make up

5664-523: Is the allegory of the long spoons . Punishment in hell typically corresponds to sins committed during life. Sometimes these distinctions are specific, with damned souls suffering for each sin committed, such as in Plato's Myth of Er or Dante's The Divine Comedy , but sometimes they are general, with condemned sinners relegated to one or more chamber of hell or to a level of suffering. In many religious cultures, including Christianity and Islam, hell

5782-485: Is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar , observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting ( sawm ), prayer ( salah ), reflection, and community. A commemoration of Muhammad's first revelation , the annual observance of Ramadan is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam and lasts twenty-nine to thirty days, from one sighting of the crescent moon to the next. Fasting from dawn to sunset

5900-561: Is then said that they will never be able to fulfill this challenge and are asked to fear Hell , which is described as being fueled with men and stones and specifically prepared for the kafirs . The stories in this chapter are told to help the reader understand the theological conception of truth in Islam. Q2:8-20 in Surah Al Baqarah refer to the hypocrites ( Munafiqun ). In the Meccan phase of Muhammad, there existed two groups,

6018-761: Is used: the Greek words Tartarus or Hades , or the Hebrew word Gehinnom . In the Septuagint and New Testament, the authors used the Greek term Hades for the Hebrew Sheol, but often with Jewish rather than Greek concepts in mind. In the Jewish concept of Sheol, such as expressed in Ecclesiastes, Sheol or Hades is a place where there is no activity. However, since Augustine , some Christians have believed that

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6136-478: The hilāl , or crescent moon , typically occurs approximately one day after the new moon , Muslims can usually estimate the beginning of Ramadan; however, many Muslims prefer to confirm the opening of Ramadan by direct visual observation of the crescent. The Laylat al-Qadr ( Arabic : لیلة القدر ) or "Night of Power" is the night that Muslims believe the Quran was first sent down to the world, and Muhammad received his first quranic revelation from it. The night

6254-516: The Ainu religion , as stated by missionary John Batchelor . However, belief in hell does not appear in oral tradition of the Ainu. Instead, there is belief within the Ainu religion that the soul of the deceased (ramat) would become a kamuy after death. There is also belief that the soul of someone who has been wicked during lifetime, committed suicide , got murdered or died in great agony would become

6372-528: The Anglican church such as N. T. Wright and as denominations the Seventh-day Adventists , Bible Students , Jehovah's Witnesses , Christadelphians , Living Church of God , Church of God International , and some other Protestant Christians . The Catholic Catechism states "The souls of sinners descend into hell, where they suffer 'eternal fire ' ". However, Cardinal Vincent Nichols ,

6490-523: The Farewell Pilgrimage , the last Hajj of Muhammad. In particular, verse 281 in this chapter is believed to be the last verse of the Quran to be revealed, on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijja 10 A.H., when Muhammad was in the course of performing his last Hajj, 80 or 90 days before he died. Following the muqatta'at , Al-Baqara begins with the declaration that the Quran is free of doubt and contains guidance for those who possess taqwa . Taqwā

6608-496: The Kabbalah , describe seven "compartments" or "habitations" of hell, just as they describe seven divisions of heaven. These divisions go by many different names, and the most frequently mentioned are as follows: Besides those mentioned above, there also exist additional terms that have been often used to either refer to hell in general or to some region of the underworld: Maimonides declares in his 13 principles of faith that

6726-515: The Methodists , Baptists and Episcopalians , and some Greek Orthodox churches, hell is taught as the final destiny of those who have not been found worthy after the general resurrection and last judgment , where they will be eternally punished for sin and permanently separated from God. The nature of this judgment is inconsistent with many Protestant churches teaching the saving comes from accepting Jesus Christ as their savior, while

6844-475: The Middle East , iftar consists of water, juices, dates, salads and appetizers; one or more main dishes; and rich desserts, with dessert considered the most important aspect of the meal. Typical main dishes include lamb stewed with wheat berries, lamb kebabs with grilled vegetables, and roasted chicken served with chickpea-studded rice pilaf. Desserts may include lokma , baklava or knafeh . Over time,

6962-608: The Punishment of the Grave , and that the spiritual pain caused by this can lead to purification of the soul. Not all Muslims and scholars agree whether hell is an eternal destination or whether some or all of the condemned will eventually be forgiven and allowed to enter paradise. Over hell, a narrow bridge called As-Sirāt is spanned. On Judgment Day one must pass over it to reach paradise, but those destined for hell will find too narrow and fall into their new abode. Iblis ,

7080-522: The Quran . The word Ramadan derives from the Arabic root R-M-Ḍ ([ر-م-ض] Error: {{Lang}}: invalid parameter: |link= ( help ) ) "scorching heat", which is the Classical Arabic verb " ramiḍa ([رَمِضَ] Error: {{Lang}}: invalid parameter: |link= ( help ) )" meaning "become intensely hot – become burning; become scorching; be blazing; be glowing". Ramadan is thought of as one of

7198-734: The United Kingdom have tried to discourage students from fasting during Ramadan, as they claim that not eating or drinking can lead to concentration problems and bad grades. A review of the literature by an Iranian group suggested fasting during Ramadan might produce renal injury in patients with moderate ( GFR <60 ml/min) or severe kidney disease but was not injurious to renal transplant patients with good function or most stone-forming patients. A study on 55 professional Algerian soccer players showed that performance during Ramadan declined significantly for speed, agility, dribbling speed and endurance, and most stayed low 2 weeks after

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7316-603: The galla dragging the god Dumuzid into the underworld. The later Mesopotamians knew this underworld by its East Semitic name: Irkalla . During the Akkadian Period , Ereshkigal's role as the ruler of the underworld was assigned to Nergal , the god of death. The Akkadians attempted to harmonize this dual rulership of the underworld by making Nergal Ereshkigal's husband. The hells of Europe include Breton mythology 's "Anaon", Celtic mythology 's "Uffern", Slavic mythology 's "Peklo", Norse mythology 's Náströnd ,

7434-453: The immortality of the soul ; and (b) the monistic nature of human beings , in which the soul is not separable from the body, as opposed to bipartite or tripartite conceptions, in which the soul is separable. Jehovah's Witnesses hold that the soul ceases to exist when the person dies and therefore that hell (Sheol or Hades) is a state of non-existence. In their theology, Gehenna differs from Sheol or Hades in that it holds no hope of

7552-613: The kentongan slit drum is used for the same purpose. Ramadan attracts significant increases in television viewership, as the usual prime time hours coincide with the iftar , and are commonly extended into the late-night hours to coincide with the s uhur . Broadcasters in the Arab world traditionally premiere serial dramas known as musalsal during Ramadan; they are similar in style to Latin American telenovelas , and are typically around 30 episodes in length so that they run over

7670-414: The lake of fire . Christian mortalism and annihilationism are directly related to the doctrine of conditional immortality, the idea that a human soul is not immortal unless it is given eternal life at the second coming of Christ and resurrection of the dead . Biblical scholars looking at the issue through the Hebrew text have denied the teaching of innate immortality. Rejection of the immortality of

7788-598: The names of God in Islam by some, and as such it is reported in many hadiths that it is prohibited to say only "Ramadan" in reference to the calendar month and that it is necessary to say "month of Ramadan", as reported in Sunni , Shia and Zaydi sources. However, the report has been graded by others as Mawḍūʻ (fabricated) and inauthentic . In the Persian language , the Arabic letter [[[ض]]] Error: {{Lang}}: invalid parameter: |link= ( help ) ( Ḍād )

7906-487: The torment of a rich man , who lacked charity, when he dies and compares it to the blessed state of a poor man who has also died. Divine pardon at judgment always remained a central concern for the ancient Egyptians. Modern understanding of Egyptian notions of hell relies on six ancient texts: The Sumerian afterlife was a dark, dreary cavern located deep below the ground, where inhabitants were believed to continue "a shadowy version of life on earth". This bleak domain

8024-457: The underworld . Other religions, which do not conceive of the afterlife as a place of punishment or reward, merely describe an abode of the dead, the grave , a neutral place that is located under the surface of Earth (for example, see Kur , Hades , and Sheol ). Such places are sometimes equated with the English word hell , though a more correct translation would be "underworld" or "world of

8142-582: The Believers and the Mushrikeen (non-believers). However, after Hijrah (Emigration to Medina) Muhammad had to deal with the opposition of those who openly accepted Islam while secretly plotting against Muslims. Their leader was Abd-Allah ibn Ubayy who was about to be crowned king before the arrival of Muhammad in Medina . The hypocrites benefitted from the Muslims while not losing their association with

8260-491: The Book or "Helpers of Christ." Al-Baqarah contains several verses dealing with the subject of warfare. Q 2:190-194 are quoted on the nature of battle in Islam . The surah includes a few Islamic rules related to varying subjects, such as: prayers, fasting, striving on the path of God, the pilgrimage to Mecca, the change of the direction of prayer ( Qiblah ) from Jerusalem to Mecca , marriage and divorce, commerce, debt, and

8378-560: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) teach that hell is a state between death and resurrection, in which those spirits who did not repent while on earth must suffer for their own sins (Doctrine and Covenants 19:15–17 ). After that, only the Sons of perdition , who committed the Eternal sin , would be cast into Outer darkness . However, according to Mormon faith, committing

8496-590: The English word cellar ) and early Irish ceilid ("hides"). Upon the Christianisation of the Germanic peoples , extensions of the Proto-Germanic * xaljō were reinterpreted to denote the underworld in Christian mythology (see Gehenna ). Related early Germanic terms and concepts include Proto-Germanic * xalja-rūnō(n) , a feminine compound noun, and * xalja-wītjan , a neutral compound noun. This form

8614-563: The Eternal sin requires so much knowledge that most persons cannot do this. Satan and Cain are counted as examples of Sons of perdition. In Islam, Jahannam (in Arabic : جهنم) (related to the Hebrew word gehinnom ) is the counterpart to heaven and likewise divided into seven layers, both co-existing with the temporal world, filled with blazing fire, boiling water, and a variety of other torments for those who have been condemned to it in

8732-550: The Gothic haliurunnae may however instead be an agent noun from the verb rinnan ("to run, go"), which would make its literal meaning "one who travels to the netherworld". Proto–Germanic * xalja-wītjan (or * halja-wītjan ) is reconstructed from Old Norse hel-víti 'hell', Old English helle-wíte 'hell-torment, hell', Old Saxon helli-wīti 'hell', and the Middle High German feminine noun helle-wīze . The compound

8850-493: The Greek Orthodox and Catholic Churches teach that the judgment hinges on both faith and works. However, many Liberal Christians throughout Mainline Protestant churches believe in universal reconciliation (see below), even though it contradicts the traditional doctrines that are usually held by the evangelicals within their denominations. Regarding the belief in hell, the interpretation of Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus

8968-441: The Quran. Each is assigned for a different type of sinners. The concept later accepted by Sunni authorities list the levels of hell as follows, although some stages may vary: The highest level ( jahannam ) is traditionally thought of as a type of purgatory reserved for Muslims. Polytheism ( shirk ) is regarded as a particularly grievous sin; therefore entering Paradise is forbidden to a polytheist ( mushrik ) because his place

9086-675: The Sun from the East and challenged him to raise it from the West at which he was silenced. The final discussion of Abraham in this chapter, is when he asks of God to show him how he raises the dead (2:260). Moses is referenced several times in Al-Baqara: Ramadan Ramadan ( Arabic : رَمَضَان , romanized :  Ramaḍān [ra.ma.dˤaːn] ; also spelled Ramazan , Ramzan , Ramadhan , or Ramathan )

9204-439: The afterlife must not be denied, but simultaneously asserting its exact nature remains unknown. Other modern Muslims continue the line of Sufism as an interiorized hell, combining the eschatological thoughts of Ibn Arabi and Rumi with Western philosophy. Although disputed by some scholars, most scholars consider jahannam to be eternal. There is belief that the fire which represents the own bad deeds can already be seen during

9322-496: The bad deeds. When one has so deviated from the will of God , one is said to be in Gehinnom. This is not meant to refer to some point in the future, but to the very present moment. The gates of teshuva (return) are said to be always open, and so one can align his will with that of God at any moment. Being out of alignment with God's will is itself a punishment according to the Torah . Many scholars of Jewish mysticism, particularly of

9440-473: The complete frustration and emptiness of life without God. Rather than a place, hell indicates the state of those who freely and definitively separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy." The Seventh-day Adventist Church 's official beliefs support annihilationism . They deny the Catholic purgatory and teach that the dead lie in the grave until they are raised for a last judgment , both

9558-682: The conclusion of Ramadan. The length of the dawn to sunset time varies in different parts of the world according to summer or winter solstices of the Sun. Most Muslims fast for eleven to sixteen hours during Ramadan. However, in polar regions, the period between dawn and sunset may exceed twenty-two hours in summer. For example, in 2014, Muslims in Reykjavik, Iceland, and Trondheim, Norway, fasted almost twenty-two hours, while Muslims in Sydney, Australia, fasted for only about eleven hours. In areas characterized by continuous night or day, some Muslims follow

9676-602: The countries of Kuwait , Saudi Arabia , Morocco , Algeria and Malaysia . In the United Arab Emirates , the punishment is community service. In some countries, on the contrary, the observance of Ramadan has been restricted by governments. In the USSR , the practice of Ramadan was suppressed by officials. In Albania, Ramadan festivities were banned during the communist period. However, many Albanians continued to fast secretly during this period. China

9794-568: The dead to drink. Nonetheless, funerary evidence indicates that some people believed that the goddess Inanna , Ereshkigal's younger sister, had the power to award her devotees with special favors in the afterlife. During the Third Dynasty of Ur , it was believed that a person's treatment in the afterlife depended on how he or she was buried; those that had been given sumptuous burials would be treated well, but those who had been given poor burials would fare poorly. The entrance to Kur

9912-568: The dead". The ancient Mesopotamian , Greek , Roman , and Finnic religions include entrances to the underworld from the land of the living. The modern English word hell is derived from Old English hel , helle (first attested around 725 AD to refer to a nether world of the dead) reaching into the Anglo-Saxon pagan period . The word has cognates in all branches of the Germanic languages , including Old Norse hel (which refers to both

10030-425: The deceased were judged after they paid for crossing the river of the dead and those who received punishment were sent to Tartarus. As a place of punishment, it can be considered a hell. The classic Hades , on the other hand, is more similar to Old Testament Sheol. The Romans later adopted these views . The hell of Swahili mythology is called kuzimu , and belief in it developed in the 7th and 8th century under

10148-424: The disbelievers. They were considered disloyal to both parties and inclined towards those who benefited them the most in the worldly sense The surah also sheds light on the concept of Nifaq , which is opposite of sincerity. It is of two types: 1) Nifaq in belief: outwardly showing belief however in reality there is no belief 2) Nifaq in practice: where people believe however they act like hypocrites. The signs of

10266-518: The eternal damnation which he has incurred..." The Catholic Church defines hell as "a state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed". One finds oneself in hell as the result of dying in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God's merciful love, becoming eternally separated from him by one's own free choice immediately after death. In the Roman Catholic Church, many other Christian churches, such as

10384-937: The fasting schedule observed in the nearest city that experiences sunrise and sunset, while others follow Mecca time. As sunrise and sunset occur sixteen times each a day in low-Earth orbit, Muslim astronauts in space schedule religious practices around the time zone of the last place on Earth they were on. For example, this means an astronaut from Malaysia launching from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida would center their fast according to sunrise and sunset times in Cape Canaveral, in Florida's Eastern Time . This includes times for daily prayers, as well as sunset and sunrise for Ramadan. Muslims continue to work during Ramadan; however, in some countries, such as Oman and Lebanon, working hours are shortened. It

10502-410: The fires of hell. Muhammad said that the fire of Jahannam is 70 times hotter than ordinary fire, and is much more painful than ordinary fire. The seven gates of jahannam , mentioned in the Quran, inspired Muslim exegetes ( tafsir ) to develop a system of seven stages of hell, analogue to the seven doors of paradise. The stages of hell get their names by seven different terms used for hell throughout

10620-412: The first, sixth, twelfth, thirteenth (in some sources, eighteenth) and twenty-fourth Ramadans, respectively. Muhammad is said to have received his first quranic revelation on Laylat al-Qadr , one of five odd-numbered nights that fall during the last ten days of Ramadan. Although Muslims were first commanded to fast in the second year of Hijra (624 CE), they believe that the practice of fasting

10738-419: The fourth of the five required daily prayers, after which the main meal is served. Social gatherings, many times in buffet style, are frequent at iftar . Traditional dishes are often highlighted, including traditional desserts, particularly those made only during Ramadan. Water is usually the beverage of choice, but juice and milk are also often available, as are soft drinks and caffeinated beverages. In

10856-485: The gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of hell are locked up and devils are put in chains." Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection, self-improvement, and heightened devotion and worship. Muslims are expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam . The fast ( sawm ) begins at dawn and ends at sunset. In addition to abstaining from eating and drinking, Muslims abstain from sexual relations and sinful speech and behaviour during Ramadan. Fasting

10974-591: The good people continue to live in the ancestral realm, Orun Baba Eni ( heaven of our fathers). The Bagobo of the Philippines have the otherworld "Gimokodan", where the Red Region is reserved who those who died in battle, while ordinary people go to the White Region. According to a few sources, hell is below ground, and described as an uninviting wet or fiery place reserved for sinful people in

11092-546: The hell of Sami mythology and Finnish " Tuonela " ("manala"). In classic Greek mythology , below heaven, Earth, and Pontus is Tartarus , or Tartaros ( Ancient Greek : Τάρταρος ). It is either a deep, gloomy place, a pit or abyss used as a dungeon of torment and suffering that resides within Hades (the entire underworld ) with Tartarus being the hellish component. In the Gorgias , Plato (c. 400 BC) wrote that souls of

11210-570: The hells of the rabbinic literature were pedagogically motivated inventions to encourage respect of the Torah commandments by mankind, which had been regarded as immature. Instead of being sent to hell, the souls of the wicked would actually get annihilated. The Christian doctrine of hell derives from passages in the New Testament . The English word hell does not appear in the Greek New Testament; instead one of three words

11328-500: The hereafter. In the Quran, God declares that the fire of Jahannam is prepared for both mankind and jinn . After the Day of Judgment, it is to be occupied by those who do not believe in God, those who have disobeyed his laws , or rejected his messengers . "Enemies of Islam" are sent to hell immediately upon their deaths. Muslim modernists downplay the vivid descriptions of hell common during Classical period, on one hand reaffirming that

11446-499: The inferno in hell via early Christian and Coptic texts. Purification for those considered justified appears in the descriptions of "Flame Island", where humans experience the triumph over evil and rebirth. For the damned complete destruction into a state of non-being awaits but there is no suggestion of eternal torture; the weighing of the heart in Egyptian mythology can lead to annihilation. The Tale of Khaemwese describes

11564-509: The influence of Muslim merchants at the East African coast. It is imagined as a very cold place. Serer religion rejects the general notion of heaven and hell. In Serer religion, acceptance by the ancestors who have long departed is as close to any heaven as one can get. Rejection and becoming a wandering soul is a sort of hell for one passing over . The souls of the dead must make their way to Jaaniw (the sacred dwelling place of

11682-416: The land, while claiming to spread peace, and to call the believers fools. To the believers they say they believe, but when they go back to their devils, they tell confess their disbelief, but they do not know that God deceives them and increases their deviation. They are then called those who engage in a profitless trade, the purchase of error with guidance. The munafiqs are then likened to a person who starts

11800-473: The lender and the debtor must trust the writer. There must be two witnesses: two men, or one man and two women. The security of the writer must be guaranteed. The length of the contract should be stated exactly. al-Jalalayn says, "summon to bear witness the debt two witnesses men mature Muslim free men; or if the two witnesses be not men then one man and two women". Page 19-21 tells the story of Abraham and his relationship with Mecca and his son. Abraham made

11918-460: The length of the month. Advertisers in the region have considered Ramadan to be comparable to the Super Bowl on U.S. television in terms of impact and importance; the cost of a 30-second commercial in peak time during Ramadan is usually more than double than normal. According to a 2012 Pew Research Centre study, there was widespread Ramadan observance, with a median of 93 percent across

12036-410: The missed days later. Each day before dawn, Muslims observe a pre-fast meal called the suhur . After stopping a short time before dawn, Muslims begin the first prayer of the day, Fajr . At sunset, families break the fast with the iftar , traditionally opening the meal by eating dates to commemorate Muhammad's practice of breaking the fast with three dates. They then adjourn for Maghrib ,

12154-434: The month of Ramadan. Contrary to popular belief, they are not compulsory. Muslims are encouraged to read the entire Quran, which comprises thirty juz' (sections), over the thirty days of Ramadan. Some Muslims incorporate a recitation of one juz' into each of the thirty tarawih sessions observed during the month. In some Islamic countries, lights ( fanous ) are strung up in public squares and across city streets,

12272-701: The most senior Catholic in England and Wales, said "there's nowhere in Catholic teaching that actually says any one person is in hell". The 1993 Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called 'hell ' " and "they suffer the punishments of hell, 'eternal fire ' ". The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God" (CCC 1035). During an Audience in 1999, Pope John Paul II commented: "images of hell that Sacred Scripture presents to us must be correctly interpreted. They show

12390-446: The potential of induced labour and gestational diabetes . There are some health benefits of fasting in Ramadan including increasing insulin sensitivity and reducing insulin resistance. It has also been shown that there is a significant improvement in 10 years coronary heart disease risk score and other cardiovascular risk factors such as lipids profile, systolic blood pressure, weight, BMI and waist circumference in subjects with

12508-621: The practice of iftar has evolved into banquets that may accommodate hundreds or even thousands of diners. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi , the largest mosque in the UAE , feeds up to thirty thousand people every night. Some twelve thousand people attend iftar at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad . Zakat , often translated as "the poor-rate", is the fixed percentage of income

12626-480: The righteous and wicked await the resurrection at the Second Coming . Seventh-day Adventists believe that death is a state of unconscious sleep until the resurrection. They base this belief on biblical texts such as Ecclesiastes 9:5 which states "the dead know nothing", and 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 which contains a description of the dead being raised from the grave at the second coming. These verses, it

12744-638: The soul , and advocacy of Christian mortalism, was a feature of Protestantism since the early days of the Reformation with Martin Luther himself rejecting the traditional idea, though his mortalism did not carry into orthodox Lutheranism . One of the most notable English opponents of the immortality of the soul was Thomas Hobbes who describes the idea as a Greek "contagion" in Christian doctrine. Modern proponents of conditional immortality include some in

12862-439: The soul). Only those who have lived their lives on earth in accordance with Serer doctrines will be able to make this necessary journey and thus be accepted by the ancestors. Those who cannot make the journey become lost and wandering souls, but they do not burn in "hell fire". In Yoruba mythology, wicked people (guilty of e.g. theft, witchcraft, murder, or cruelty ) are confined to Orun Apaadi ( heaven of potsherds), while

12980-546: The souls of those who die either rest peacefully, in the case of Christians, or are afflicted, in the case of the damned, after death until the resurrection . While these three terms are translated in the KJV as "hell" they have three very different meanings. According to the Roman Catholic Church, the Council of Trent taught, in the 5th canon of its 14th session, that damnation is eternal: "...the loss of eternal blessedness, and

13098-401: The temporary ruler of hell, is thought of residing in the bottom of hell, from where he commands his hosts of infernal demons. But contrary to Christian traditions, Iblis and his infernal hosts do not wage war against God, his enmity applies against humanity only. Further, his dominion in hell is also his punishment. Executioners of punishment are the 19 zabaniyya , who have been created from

13216-678: The thirty-nine countries and territories studied. Regions with high percentages of fasting among Muslims include Southeast Asia , South Asia , Middle East and North Africa , Horn of Africa and most of Sub-Saharan Africa . Percentages are lower in Central Asia and Southeast Europe . In some Muslim countries , eating in public during daylight hours in Ramadan is a crime . The sale of alcohol becomes prohibited during Ramadan in Egypt . The penalty for publicly eating, drinking or smoking during Ramadan can result in fines or incarceration in

13334-452: The timetable of Mecca , it is common practice to follow the timetable of the closest country in which night can be distinguished from day. The spiritual rewards ( thawab ) of fasting are believed to be multiplied during Ramadan. Accordingly, during the hours of fasting, Muslims refrain not only from food and drink, but also tobacco products , sexual relations , and sinful behavior , devoting themselves instead to prayer and study of

13452-502: The twelfth century; and the "Vision of Thurkill" from the early thirteenth century. With the rise of the cult of Osiris during the Middle Kingdom , the "democratization of religion" offered to even his humblest followers the prospect of eternal life, with moral fitness becoming the dominant factor in determining a person's suitability. At death a person faced judgment by a tribunal of forty-two divine judges. If they had led

13570-503: The ultimate destruction of the wicked in the Lake of Fire in a consuming fire after resurrection. However, because of the Greek words used in translating from the Hebrew text, the Hebrew ideas have become confused with Greek myths and ideas. In the Hebrew text when people died they went to Sheol , the grave and the wicked ultimately went to Gehenna and were consumed by fire. The Hebrew words for "the grave" or "death" or "eventual destruction of

13688-426: The wicked", were translated using Greek words and later texts became a mix of mistranslation, pagan influence, and Greek myth. Christian mortalism is the doctrine that all men and women, including Christians, must die, and do not continue and are not conscious after death. Therefore, annihilationism includes the doctrine that "the wicked" are also destroyed rather than tormented forever in traditional "hell" or

13806-590: Was believed to be located in the Zagros mountains in the far east. It had seven gates, through which a soul needed to pass. The god Neti was the gatekeeper. Ereshkigal's sukkal , or messenger, was the god Namtar . Galla were a class of demons that were believed to reside in the underworld; their primary purpose appears to have been to drag unfortunate mortals back to Kur. They are frequently referenced in magical texts, and some texts describe them as being seven in number. Several extant poems describe

13924-476: Was known as Kur , and was believed to be ruled by the goddess Ereshkigal . All souls went to the same afterlife, and a person's actions during life had no effect on how the person would be treated in the world to come. The souls in Kur were believed to eat nothing but dry dust and family members of the deceased would ritually pour libations into the dead person's grave through a clay pipe, thereby allowing

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