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Are There Different Heavens?

16 May, 2017
Q I am writing a paper for my 7th grade religion class. I am being asked to define the difference between the Muslims' Heaven and the Christians' Heaven. I need to also formulate a comparison of Allah and how it relates to Jesus and the Christians' God. In my Internet searches, I have read that the Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet and not the son of God. I have also researched that there are two heavens according to the Qur'an. If a Christian believed in the Holy Bible and Jesus, would he or she be cast to the lower Heaven?

Answer

Salam (Peace) Lauren,

Thank you for writing to us.

Your information is correct about the Muslim belief in Jesus.

Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet and a messenger of God.

He was only a human being but he was miraculously born of the virgin Mary.

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God sent Jesus to the Children of Israel and granted him the power to perform miracles.

Muslims also believe that Jesus was not crucified but that it was only made to appear so.

Instead, God raised him up and Jesus will return to rule on earth before the end of time.

For more on Jesus, please read the following links:

Jesus as Mentioned in the Quran

The Story of Jesus in Brief

https://aboutislam.net/reading-islam/understanding-islam/jesus-mission-on-his-second-coming/

The word in the Qur’an that is translated as “heaven” is sama’; the plural is samawat. This word can also mean “sky,” just as in English the word “heaven(s)” can refer to the visible sky or to the Paradise of the next life.

In the following translated verses, the Qur’an is referring to the visible heavens, that is, the sky:

{Lo! We have adorned the lowest heaven with an ornament, the planets} (Qur’an 37:6)

{And We decked the nether heaven with lamps […]} (Qur’an 41:12)

{And verily We have beautified the world’s heaven with lamps […]} (Quran 67:5)

So the “lowest heaven” or the “nether heaven” or the “world’s heaven” refers to the sky, not to a lower grade of Paradise for non-Muslims.

The Heaven or Paradise (also called the Garden) of the hereafter has several grades or levels, with the highest one for those closest to God. But Paradise is open only to those who believe in the oneness of God and who do not join any partners with Him.

Muslims believe that Heaven is not just a state of spiritual bliss, but that it is a physical reality. However, in the next life we will all be resurrected in our body but in a different state of being.

In Paradise there will be no dirt or filth, no anger or jealousy, nothing bad at all. This is something that we in our present life cannot fully comprehend. To learn more of this, please read the following links:

https://aboutislam.net/counseling/ask-about-islam/what-is-the-description-of-paradise/

Paradise & Its Delights – The Rivers Of Paradise

How Does Paradise Look Like?

To learn more about the fate of non-Muslims after death, please read:

Do Non-Muslims Who Believe in God Go to Heaven?

Isn’t it Unfair if Good Non-Muslims Go to Hell?

You can find more information in our Understanding IslamAsk About Islam, and Reading Islam pages.

I hope this answers your questions and that you get a good grade in your research! If you have any more questions, please contact us.

Thank you and please stay in touch.

Salam.

This response is from About Islam’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.