Closer To Truth Death, Life After Death, & Reincarnation
Oct 29, 2025
Hamza Yusuf, an influential Islamic scholar, shares insights on death and the soul from a Sunni perspective, highlighting concepts of resurrection and judgment. Carol Zaleski, a religion scholar, delves into Christian notions of heaven, hell, and purgatory, questioning eternal punishment and exploring universal salvation. Tao Jiang, an expert in Buddhism, explains reincarnation, karma, and the transformative nature of nirvana. Lastly, philosopher Yujin Nagasawa tackles models of immortality, debating their desirability and the complexities of identity after death.
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Near-Death Led To Qur'an Study
- Hamza Yusuf recounts a near-death experience that led him to study scriptures through the lens of death.
- He says the Qur'an felt suffused with death meditations and guided his conversion to Islam.
Soul's Hyper-Awareness After Death
- In Islamic teaching the soul immediately gains hyper-awareness after separation from the body and experiences remorse.
- Muslims believe an initial grave questioning, a sleep, then awakening at the trumpet precede bodily resurrection.
Judgment, Scales, And Intercession
- Islamic eschatology includes a recorded book of deeds, weighing of actions, and possible intercession or purgatorial states.
- There is debate on the permanence of hell and on God's fulfillment of threats versus promises.
