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Last Judgment, a general, or sometimes individual, judging of the thoughts, words, and deeds of persons by God, the gods, or by the laws of cause and effect.

The Western prophetic religions (i.e., Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) developed concepts of the Last Judgment that are rich in imagery. Zoroastrianism, founded by the Iranian prophet Zoroaster, teaches that after death the soul waits for three nights by the grave and on the fourth day goes to the Bridge of the Requiter, where the person’s deeds are weighed. If the good outweigh the bad, even if only slightly, the soul is able to cross the bridge to heaven; if the bad deeds outweigh the good, the bridge becomes too narrow for the soul to cross, and it plunges into the cold and dark abyss of hell. This is not the end, however, for there will be a final overthrow of Ahriman, the prince of demons, by Ahura Mazdā, the “Wise Lord,” who will resurrect all human beings, preside over a Last Judgment, and restore the world to goodness.

Early Hebrew writers emphasized a day of the Lord. This day will be a day of judgment of Israel and all nations, as it will inaugurate a kingdom of the Lord.

Christianity teaches that all will stand to be judged by God at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. In early Christian art the scene is one of Christ as judge, the resurrection of the dead, the weighing of souls, the separation of the saved and the damned, and representations of heaven and hell. Later, Romanesque artists produced a more terrible vision of the Last Judgment: Christ is shown as a stern judge, sometimes carrying a sword and surrounded by the four mystical beasts—eagle, lion, ox, and winged man—of the apocalypse; the contrast between paradise and hell is between the awesome and the ferocious. In the gentler, more humanistic art of the Gothic period, a beautiful Christ is shown as the Redeemer, his right side undraped to reveal the wound of the lance and both wounded hands raised high in a gesture that emphasizes his sacrifice. He is surrounded by the instruments of his Passion—cross, nails, lance, and crown of thorns. The intercessors are restored, and the scene of the Last Judgment is treated with optimism. In the 16th century, Michelangelo produced a radically different version of the Last Judgment in his fresco in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican (1533–41): a vengeful Christ gestures menacingly toward the damned.

Islam likewise is rich in its imagery and conceptual expansion of the doctrine of the Last Judgment. The Day of Judgment is one of the five cardinal beliefs of Muslims. After death, persons are questioned about their faith by two angels: Munkar and Nakīr. The soul of a martyred person immediately goes to paradise, while others go through a type of purgatory. At doomsday all people will die and then be resurrected to be judged according to the records kept in two books, a person’s good deeds recorded in one book and evil deeds in the other. The weight of the book tied around a person’s neck will determine consignment to paradise or to hell.

Ancient Middle Eastern religions had also developed beliefs in a Last Judgment. In ancient Egyptian religion, for example, a dead person’s heart was judged by being placed on a balance held by the god Anubis. If the heart was light, thus indicating a person’s comparative goodness, the soul was allowed to go to the blessed region ruled by Osiris, god of the dead. If the heart was heavy, the soul might be destroyed by a hybrid creature called the Devouress.

The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Reckoning, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, Doomsday, Day of Resurrection or The Day of the Lord is part of the Abrahamic religions and the Frashokereti of Zoroastrianism.

Christianity considers the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to entail the final judgment by God of all people who have ever lived, resulting in the approval of some and the penalizing of most. The concept is found in all the canonical gospels, particularly in the Gospel of Matthew. The Christian tradition is also followed by Islam, where it is mentioned many chapters of the Quran, according to some interpretations. Christian futurists believe it will follow the resurrection of the dead and the Second Coming of Jesus, while full preterists believe it has already occurred. The Last Judgment has inspired numerous artistic depictions.

In Judaism, beliefs vary. Rosh Hashanah is sometimes named 'day of judgement'. Some rabbis hold that there will be a future day following the resurrection of the dead. Others hold that this accounting and judgment happens when one dies. Still others hold that the last judgment only applies to the gentiles and not the Jewish people.

In Christianity, the doctrine and iconographic depiction of the Last Judgment are drawn from many passages from the apocalyptic sections of the Bible, but most notably from Jesus' teaching of the strait gate in the Gospel of Matthew and in the Gospel of Luke.

Anglicanism and Methodism

Article IV – Of the Resurrection of Christ in Anglicanism's Articles of Religion and Article III – Of the Resurrection of Christ of Methodism's Articles of Religion state that:

“Christ did truly rise again from death, and took again his body, with flesh, bones, and all things appertaining to the perfection of Man's nature; wherewith he ascended into Heaven, and there sitteth, until he return to judge all Men at the last day.”

Anglican and Methodist theology holds that "there is an intermediate state between death and the resurrection of the dead, in which the soul does not sleep in unconsciousness, but exists in happiness or misery till the resurrection, when it shall be reunited to the body and receive its final reward." This space, termed Hades, is divided into Paradise (the Bosom of Abraham) and Gehenna "but with an impassable gulf between the two". Souls remain in Hades until the Last Judgment and "Christians may also improve in holiness after death during the middle state before the final judgment".

Anglican and Methodist theology holds that at the time of the Last Day, "Jesus will return and that He will 'judge both the quick and the dead'," and "all [will] be bodily resurrected and stand before Christ as our Judge. After the Judgment, the Righteous will go to their eternal reward in heaven and the Accursed will depart to hell (see Matthew 25)." The "issue of this judgment shall be a permanent separation of the evil and the good, the righteous and the wicked" (see The Sheep and the Goats). Moreover, in "the final judgment every one of our thoughts, words, and deeds will be known and judged" and individuals will be justified on the basis of their faith in Jesus, although "our works will not escape God's examination."

Catholicism

Belief in the Last Judgment (often linked with the general judgment) is held firmly in Catholicism. Immediately upon death each person undergoes the particular judgment, and depending upon one's behavior on earth, goes to heaven, purgatory, or hell. Those in purgatory will always reach heaven, but those in hell will be there eternally.

The Last Judgment will occur after the resurrection of the dead and "our 'mortal body' will come to life again." The Catholic Church teaches that at the time of the Last Judgment Christ will come in His glory, and all the angels with him, and in his presence the truth of each one's deeds will be laid bare, and each person who has ever lived will be judged with perfect justice. The believers who are judged worthy as well as those ignorant of Christ's teaching who followed the dictates of conscience will go to everlasting bliss, and those who are judged unworthy will go to everlasting condemnation.

A decisive factor in the Last Judgment will be the question, were the corporal works of mercy practiced or not during one's lifetime. They rate as important acts of charity. Therefore, and according to the biblical sources (Mattew 25:31–46), the conjunction of the Last Judgment and the works of mercy is frequent in the pictorial tradition of Christian art.

Before the Last Judgment, all will be resurrected. Those who were in purgatory will have already been purged, meaning they would have already been released into heaven, and so like those in heaven and hell will resurrect with their bodies, followed by the Last Judgment.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

The resurrection of all the dead, "of both the just and the unjust" (Acts 24:15), will precede the Last Judgment. This will be "the hour when all who are in the tombs will hear [the Son of man's] voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment" (John 5:28–29) Then Christ will come "in his glory, and all the angels with him.... Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left.... And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life" (Matthew 25:31, 32, 46).

In the presence of Christ, who is Truth itself, the truth of each man's relationship with God will be laid bare (John 12:4). The Last Judgment will reveal even to its furthest consequences the good each person has done or failed to do during his earthly life.

The Last Judgment will come when Christ returns in glory. Only the Father knows the day and the hour; only he determines the moment of its coming. Then through his Son Jesus Christ he will pronounce the final word on all history. We shall know the ultimate meaning of the whole work of creation and of the entire economy of salvation and understand the marvelous ways by which his Providence led everything towards its final end. The Last Judgment will reveal that God's justice triumphs over all the injustices committed by his creatures and that God's love is stronger than death. (Song 8:6)

Eastern Orthodoxy

The Eastern Orthodox and Catholic teachings of the Last Judgment differ only on the exact nature of the in-between state of purgatory/Abraham's Bosom. These differences may only be apparent and not actual due to differing theological terminology and evolving tradition.

The Eastern Orthodox Church teaches that there are two judgments: the first, or particular judgment, is that experienced by each individual at the time of his or her death, at which time God will decide where one is to spend the time until the Second Coming of Christ (see Hades in Christianity). This judgment is generally believed to occur on the fortieth day after death. The second, General or Final Judgment will occur after the Second Coming.

Although in modern times some have attempted to introduce the concept of soul sleep into Orthodox thought about life after death, it has never been a part of traditional Orthodox teaching, and it contradicts the Orthodox understanding of the intercession of the Saints.

Eastern Orthodoxy teaches that salvation is bestowed by God as a free gift of divine grace, which cannot be earned, and by which forgiveness of sins is available to all. However, the deeds done by each person are believed to affect how he will be judged, following the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats. How forgiveness is to be balanced against behavior is not well-defined in scripture, judgment in the matter being solely Christ's.

Similarly, although Orthodoxy teaches that sole salvation is obtained only through Christ and his Church, the fate of those outside the Church at the Last Judgment is left to the mercy of God and is not declared.

Icons

The theme of the Last Judgment is important in Orthodoxy. Traditionally, an Orthodox church will have a fresco or mosaic of the Last Judgment on the back (western) wall so that the faithful, as they leave the services, are reminded that they will be judged by what they do during earthly life.

The icon of the Last Judgment traditionally depicts Christ Pantokrator, enthroned in glory on a white throne, surrounded by the Theotokos (Virgin Mary), John the Baptist, the Apostles, saints and angels. Beneath the throne the scene is divided in half with the "mansions of the righteous" (John 14:2), i.e., those who have been saved, to Jesus' right (the viewer's left), and the torments of those who have been damned to his left. Separating the two is the river of fire which proceeds from Jesus' left foot. For more details, see below.

Hymnography

The theme of the Last Judgment is found in the funeral and memorial hymnody of the Church, and is a major theme in the services during Great Lent. The second Sunday before the beginning of Great Lent is dedicated to the Last Judgment. It is also found in the hymns of the Octoechos used on Saturdays throughout the year.

Lutheranism

Lutherans do not believe in any sort of earthly millennial kingdom of Christ either before or after his second coming on the last day. On the last day, all the dead will be resurrected. Their souls will then be reunited with the same bodies they had before dying. The bodies will then be changed, those of the wicked to a state of everlasting shame and torment, those of the righteous to an everlasting state of celestial glory. After the resurrection of all the dead, and the change of those still living, all nations shall be gathered before Christ, and He will separate the righteous from the wicked. Christ will publicly judge all people by the testimony of their faith, the good works of the righteous in evidence of their faith, and the evil works of the wicked in evidence of their unbelief. He will judge in righteousness in the presence of all and men and angels, and His final judgment will be just damnation to everlasting punishment for the wicked and a gracious gift of life everlasting to the righteous.

Esoteric Christian Traditions

Although the Last Judgment is believed by a great part of Christian mainstream churches; some members of Esoteric Christian traditions like the Essenes, Rosicrucians, the Spiritualist movement, and some liberals instead believe in a form of universal salvation.

Max Heindel, a Danish-American astrologer and mystic, taught that when the Day of Christ comes, marking the end of the current fifth or Aryan epoch, the human race will have to pass a final examination or last judgment, where, as in the Days of Noah, the chosen ones or pioneers, the sheep, will be separated from the goats or stragglers, by being carried forward into the next evolutionary period, inheriting the ethereal conditions of the New Galilee in the making. Nevertheless, it is emphasized that all beings of the human evolution will ultimately be saved in a distant future as they acquire a superior grade of consciousness and altruism. At the present period, the process of human evolution is conducted by means of successive rebirths in the physical world and the salvation is seen as being mentioned in Revelation 3:12 (KJV), which states "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God and he shall go no more out." However, this western esoteric tradition states – like those who have had a near-death experience – that after the death of the physical body, at the end of each physical lifetime and after the life review period (which occurs before the silver cord is broken), a judgment occurs, more akin to a Final Review or End Report over one's life, where the life of the subject is fully evaluated and scrutinized. This judgment is seen as being mentioned in Hebrews 9:27, which states that "it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment"

Swedenborgian

Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772) had a revelation that the church has gone through a series of Last Judgments. First, during Noah's Flood, then Moses on Mount Sinai, Jesus' crucifixion, and finally in 1757, which is the final Last Judgment. These occur in a realm outside earth and heaven, and are spiritual in nature.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) teaches that the last judgment for each individual occurs after that individual has been resurrected. People will be judged by Jesus Christ. Jesus' twelve apostles will help judge the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve Nephite disciples from the Book of Mormon will help to judge the Nephite and Lamanite people.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that people will be judged by their words, their works, their thoughts, and the intents of their hearts. Records that have been kept in heaven and on earth will also be used to judge people. Jesus Christ will act as the advocate for people who had faith in Him, and such people will enter God's presence based on Jesus' merits as opposed to their own.

After the final judgment, an individual is assigned to one of the three degrees of glory.

Artistic Representations

In art, the Last Judgment is a common theme in medieval and renaissance religious iconography. Like most early iconographic innovations, its origins stem from Byzantine art, although it was a much less common subject than in the West during the Middle Ages. In Western Christianity, it is often the subject depicted in medieval cathedrals and churches, either outside on the central tympanum of the entrance or inside on the (rear) west wall, so that the congregation attending church saw the image on either entering or leaving.

In the 15th century it also appeared as the central section of a triptych on altarpieces, with the side panels showing heaven and hell, as in the Beaune Altarpiece or a triptych by Hans Memling. The usual composition has Christ seated high in the center, flanked by angels, the Virgin Mary, and John the Evangelist who are supplicating on behalf of those being judged (in what is called a Deesis group in Orthodoxy). Saint Michael is often shown, either weighing the deceased on scales or directing matters, and there might be a large crowd of saints, angels, and the saved around the central group.

At the bottom of the composition a crowd of the deceased are shown, often with some rising from their graves. These are being sorted and directed by angels into the saved and the damned. Almost always the saved are on the viewer's left (so on the right hand of Christ), and the damned on the right. The saved are led up to heaven, often shown as a fortified gateway, while the damned are handed over to devils who herd them down into hell on the right; the composition therefore has a circular pattern of movement. Often the damned disappear into a Hellmouth, the mouth of a huge monster, an image of Anglo-Saxon origin. The damned often include figures of high rank, wearing crowns, miters, and often the Papal tiara during the lengthy periods when there were antipopes, or in Protestant depictions. There may be detailed depictions of the torments of the damned.

The most famous Renaissance depiction is Michelangelo Buonarroti's The Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel. Included in this fresco is his self-portrait, as St. Bartholomew's flayed skin.

The image in Eastern Orthodox icons has a similar composition, but usually less space is devoted to hell, and there are often a larger number of scenes; the Orthodox readiness to label figures with inscriptions often allows more complex compositions. There is more often a large group of saints around Christ (which may include animals), and the hetoimasia or "empty throne", containing a cross, is usually shown below Christ, often guarded by archangels; figures representing Adam and Eve may kneel below it or below Christ. A distinctive feature of the Orthodox composition, especially in Russian icons, is a large band leading like a chute from the feet of Christ down to hell; this may resemble a striped snake or be a "river of Fire" colored flame red. If it is shown as a snake, it attempts to bite Adam on the heel but, as he is protected by Christ, is unsuccessful.

In Islam

Belief in Judgment Day is considered a fundamental tenet of faith by all Muslims. It is one of the six articles of faith. The trials and tribulations associated with it are detailed in both the Quran and the hadith, (sayings of Muhammad), from whence they are elaborated on in the creeds, Quranic commentaries (tafsịrs), and theological writing,[53] eschatological manuals, whose authors include al-Ghazali, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Majah, Muhammad al-Bukhari, and Ibn Khuzaymah.

Similarities to the Judgement Day of Christianity

Like Christianity, Islamic eschatology has a time of tribulation preceding Judgement Day where strange and terrible events will serve as portents; there will be a second coming of Jesus (but in different roles); battles with an Antichrist (Al-Masīḥ ad-Dajjāl, literally "Deceitful Messiah" and struggles with Gog and Magog; and a Rapture-like removal of all righteous believers before the end. A "Day of Resurrection" of the dead (yawm al-qiyāmah), will be announced by a trumpet blast. Resurrection will be followed by a "Day of Judgment" (yawm ad-din) where all human beings who have ever lived will be held accountable for their deeds by being judged by God. Depending on the verdict of the judgement, they will be sent for eternity to either the reward of paradise (Jannah) or the punishment of hell (Jahannam).

Salvation and Damnation

In this process, the souls will traverse over hellfire via the bridge of sirat. For sinners, the bridge will be thinner than hair and sharper than the sharpest sword, impossible to walk on without falling below to arrive at their fiery destination,[59] while the righteous will proceed across the bridge to paradise (Jannah).

Not everyone consigned to hell will remain there. Somewhat like the Catholic concept of purgatory, sinful Muslims will stay in hell until purified of their sins. According to the scholar Al-Subki (and others), "God will take out of the Fire everyone who has said the testimony" (i.e. the shāhada testimony made by all Muslims, "There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is his prophet") "and none will remain save the kafirun."

Literal or Figurative Interpretation

While early Muslims debated whether scripture on Judgement day should be interpreted literally or figuratively, the school of thought that prevailed (Ashʿarī) "affirmed that such things as the individual records of deeds (including the paper, pen, and ink with which they are inscribed), the bridge, the balance, and the pond are realities to be understood in a concrete and literal sense."

In Jainism

In Jainism, there is no day of judgement as such. Jains believe, however, that as the 5th era comes to an end, evil will increase and the religion and good will decrease. Only four Jains will remain in the world: a monk, a female monk, a shravak and a shravika, A deity from the heavens will descend upon the earth and gather them, and ask them to take "Anshan", or vow to fast (without any food or water) until death.

In Zoroastrianism

Frashokereti is the Zoroastrian doctrine of a final renovation of the universe, when evil will be destroyed, and everything else will be then in perfect unity with God (Ahura Mazda).

The doctrinal premises are (1) good will eventually prevail over evil; (2) creation was initially perfectly good, but was subsequently corrupted by evil; (3) the world will ultimately be restored to the perfection it had at the time of creation; (4) the "salvation for the individual depended on the sum of [that person's] thoughts, words and deeds, and there could be no intervention, whether compassionate or capricious, by any divine being to alter this." Thus, each human bears responsibility for their own fate, and simultaneously shares in the responsibility for the fate of the world.

Crack of Doom

In English, crack of doom is an old term used for the Day of Judgment, referring in particular to the blast of trumpets signaling the end of the world in Chapter 8 of the Book of Revelation. A "crack" had the sense of any loud noise, preserved in the phrase "crack of thunder", and "doom" was a term for the Last Judgment, as Eschatology still is.

The phrase is famously used by William Shakespeare in Macbeth, where on the heath the Three Witches show Macbeth the line of kings that will issue from Banquo:

"Why do you show me this? A fourth! Start, eyes!

What, will the line stretch out to the crack of doom?

Another yet! A seventh! I'll see no more."

(Act 4, scene 1, 112–117)

The meaning was that Banquo's line will endure until the Judgment Day, flattery for King James I, who claimed descent from Banquo.

There are three major religions of the world: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity with many adherents around the world. There are approximately 1.9 billion Muslims worldwide (24.9% of the 2020 global population), making Islam the second largest religion in the world behind Christianity. Buddhism, too, is a religion that is practiced worldwide. It is believed that as many as 535 million people around the world practice this religion, which represents between 8% and 10% of the total global population.

Abrahamic religions include Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Abraham was entitled the father of Jews who were conceived as the “chosen people”. The Torah is considered the core holy text encompassing five books of Old Testament. 613 commandments are recorded in the Torah. Believers are obliged to obey these commandments throughout the course of their lives. All the revealed religions are united in believing that on the Day of Judgment, after we die, the merit of our entire lives, with every relevant factor included, will be judged by an all-knowing, all understanding, and ultimately decisive judge: God, perhaps with the help of some angels. Thereafter, the good people will be sent to heaven, the bad ones, at worst, will be consigned to roast (or boil) in hell. At best, they will be denied access to heaven and permanently eradicated. So, Judgement Day will be the day on which God will assess every human being and their moral worth. Rewards and punishments will be awarded according to their deeds. Christians can lay claim to the grace Christ extends to imperfect humanity. This advocacy and divine intervention can tip the balance toward rewards, rather than to punishments, despite the blemished histories of faithful believers. Allah is not quite as forgiving. Neither are Hell and brimstone Christian preachers. Universal salvation is a rare but growing Christian theology. It is unsupported by scripture.

The Bible declares that God “has set a day in which he purposes to judge the inhabited earth.” (Acts 17:31). Elsewhere in the Bible it is stated, “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words, you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:36-37)

In Judaism the concept of Day of Judgement is illustrated as “A bruised reed shall he not break, and the flax shall he not quench, he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.” (Isaiah: 42:4)

The subject of the last judgment (yawm al-dīn, yawm al-qiyāma) is one of the most important themes in the Quran. It appears in many forms, especially in the first Meccan sūras, which are dominated by the idea of the nearing day of resurrection when all creatures, including jinn and animals must be judged. Zoroastrianism, founded by the Iranian prophet Zoroaster, teaches that after death the soul waits for three nights by the grave and on the fourth day goes to the Bridge of the Requiter, where the person’s deeds are weighed. If the good outweigh the bad, even if only slightly, the soul can cross the bridge to heaven; if the bad deeds outweigh the good, the bridge becomes too narrow for the soul to cross, and it plunges into the cold and dark abyss of hell. This is not the end, however, for there will be a final overthrow of Ahriman, the prince of demons, by Ahura Mazdā, the “Wise Lord,” who will resurrect all human beings, preside over a Last Judgment, and restore the world to goodness.

The study is analytical based as a form of qualitative research. It is the method of utilizing documents and archives to analyze and comprehend human thoughts behind social activities. Archives and documents are attainable data that are circulated and can be retrieved from various sources, such as government agency documents and records, mass media, and social science research journals and private documents. The current study employs textual analysis method, established on the extensive range of data of archival origins, as it is adequate to attain following objectives: comparing and analyzing human thinking patterns, motives behind any action and belief system in different religions or cultures. Textual analysis is a methodology that incorporates discerning the language used, symbols, and techniques employed by the writer in the text to infer the messages communicated by the text. According to Yin, document analysis as a research method produces a rich description of a single phenomenon. Consequently, the textual analysis answers questions such as what the core objective is or meaning of the text and how it is related to the identical manifestations of the society. Furthermore, as Merriam mentions, “Documents of all types can help the researcher uncover meaning, develop understanding, and discover insights relevant to the research problem”. Secondary sources, pertaining ecclesiastical doctrines or religious conflicts are utilized by researcher to promote conformity, peace, and tolerance among the followers of all religions extensively and concentrating on Islam, Judaism and Christianity in particular. [Note: this is standard procedure for scholarly articles but this descriptive (and superfluous) paragraph has been included to educate laymen who may have never before written a thesis.]

Document analysis is a process of examining documents to provide factual knowledge and understanding to determine the reliability, accuracy, and representativeness of the collected data. In this course of action rationality and responsiveness are ensured.

Islam is monotheist religion as the devotees believe in oneness of God, Sustainer, the Creator, the Ruler and Judge of the universe. Clearly, Islam means yielding to one and only Authority, obedience and giving up oneself to Allah Almighty “There is no true God but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of God”, while sin can be defined as anything that opposes God’s will and law. To involve in sin is to overstep or abuse His decree. Because by nature humans are inclined towards sin and are corrupted. Aqidah is a set of beliefs, which is beyond the thinking process of humanity, and the Quran is the source of guidance for the followers. There are six aspects of Aqidah, known as the Pillars of Faith in Islam that are Belief in Allah, Belief in the Messengers of Allah, Belief in the Angels, Belief in the Books of Allah, Belief in the Day of Judgement and Belief in the Qada and Qadr (the divine decree or predestination respectively, in which there must be no doubt or suspicion from the believers. So, the belief in the Day of Judgment is a core belief of Islam around which the whole of the life of Muslim revolves, he acts with responsiveness that he is accountable of his every deed. In Surah Al-Mutaffifin, the Holy Quran says:

 ََل َيقُو ُم أ الَّنا ُس َ َ َّن ُهم َّمْبعُوثُو َن * ِلَيْوٍم َع ِظيٍم * َيْوم َ ِئ َك أ ْولَ ُ ُظ ُّن أ َي ِمي َن عَالَ ْ َر ِب ال ِل

Translated: "Do not these think that they shall be raised again, for a mighty day, the day on which men shall stand before the Lord of the worlds? Above mentioned ayah clearly illustrates that there is a life after death and there will be a day of Judgement and every human being must face his Creator." In another instance Allah Almighty addresses to those who doubt upon the day of Judgement, the mushriqeen, as:

 قَ ٍة ُّم ْضغَ ٍة ِمن َّ ِر ُّم َخل قَ ٍة َو َغْي َّ َن ُم َخل ِ َب ي ِنُ ِق ُّر لَ ُكْم ل ْر َحاِم فِى َونُ ْْلَ َما ا لَى َن َشآ ُء ِ َج ٍل إ َ ى أ َّم ُّم َس م نُ ْخِر ُج ُكْم ثُ َّم ِطْفل ثُ ْ ُغُوا ُشدَّ ُكْم ِلتَْبل َ َو ِمن ُكم أ َوفَّى َّمن َّمن َو ِمن ُكم يُتَ َردُّ لَى يُ ِ ِل إ ْرذَ َ عُ ُمِر أ ْ ِل َكْيلَ ال َ ٍم َب ْعِد ِمن َي ْعلَم ْ ِعل َرى َشْيئا ْر َض َوتَ ْْلَ ِذَآ َها ِمدَة ا َنا فَإ ْ ن َزل َ َها أ ْي َء َعلَ َمآ ْ َو َرَب ْت ا ْهتَ َّز ْت ال نَبتَ ْت َ ُك لِ ِمن َوأ َزْوجٍ ِهيجٍ ِل َك * َب َّن ذَ َ ِأ َو َّّللاَ ب َح ُّق هُ ْ َّنهُ ال َ يُ ْح ِى َوأ َمْوتَى ْ َّنهُ ال َ َّن * قَ ِدي ر َش ٍء ْى ُك لِ َعلَى َوأ َ َوأ ال َّسا َعةَ َرْي َب ََّل َءاِتَية َها َّن فِي َ ُث َّّللاَ َوأ قُبُو ِر فِى َمن َيْبعَ ْ ال

Translated: "O people! if you are in doubt about the raising, then surely We created you from dust, then from a small seed, then from a clot, then from a lump of flesh, complete in make and incomplete, that We may make clear to you; and We cause what We please to stay in the wombs till an appointed time, then We bring you forth as babies, then that you may attain your maturity; and of you is he who is caused to die, and of you is he who is brought back to the worst part of life, so that after having knowledge he does not know anything; and you see the earth sterile land, but when We send down on it the water, it stirs and swells and brings forth of every kind a beautiful herbage. This is because Allah is the Truth and because He gives life to the dead and because He has power over all things. And because the hour is coming, there is no doubt about it; and because Allah shall raise up those who are in the graves."  Furthermore, Quran explains how it will happen as:

 َ ْر ُض تَ ْر ُج ُف َيْوم ْْلَ ِجَبا ُل ا ْ ِجَبا ُل َو َكاَن ِت َوال ْ َّمِهي ل َكِثي با ال

"On the Day the earth and the mountains will convulse, and the mountains will become a heap of sand pouring down."

When will this day happen? is not clear but Allah Amighty says in surah Qaaf verse 41 َ َوا ْستَِم ْع ُمَناِد يَُناِد َيْوم ْ ٍن ِمن ال ِري ٍب َّم َكا َق  "and listen on the Day when the Caller will call out from a place that is nearby."  And when Messenger was inquired about the exact point of time of the Day of Judgement he replied, Allah is best aware. It shows that belief in the Day of Judgment is important for Muslims and they believe the time of Qayyimah is preordained by God but unknown to man.

Similarly in Christianity the belief in the Day of Judgment is evident various biblical excerpts. For instance, in Acts 17:30-31, God says:

"The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead. All the believers of Jesus Christ will be presented to Him, and he will judge every single being for what he has done in the body. Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God." (Romans 14:10)

In another place in Corinthians, 6:9-10, the text states that every believer who was on the way of righteousness will be blessed from the kingdom of God:

"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."

This tenet of Christianity has unity with Islam. Abu al-Sa'id Khudri reported Allah's Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم ( as saying Abu al-Qasim, may the Compassionate Lord be pleased with you! May I inform you about the feast arranged in honor of the people of Paradise on the Day of Resurrection? He said: Do it, of course. He said: The earth would become one single bread. Then Allah's Messenger looked towards us and laughed until his molar teeth became visible. He then again said: May I inform you about that with which they would season it? He said: Do it, of course. He said: Their seasoning would be balim and fish. The Companions of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم( said: What is this balim? He said: "Ox and fish from whose excessive livers seventy thousand people would be able to eat."

The declaration of the Day of Judgment both the religious texts articulate as "Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; it is near." (Joel 2:1) And in Quran it is brought out as "And the Trumpet will be blown, and all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth will swoon away, except him whom Allah wills” (al-Zumar 39:68)

The Day of Judgement is also known as The Day of Eternity (Yawm Al-Khulud) because people are moved to their eternal residence. Unbelievers live eternally in Hell and believers, in Paradise. Allah says:

"Enter it in peace. This is the Day of Eternity." (Surat Qaaf, 50:34)

Similarly, the Bible describes eternity as a place where all of the trials and difficulties of this world will be removed forever. "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)

"Those who have disbelieved, and died in disbelief, the earth full of gold would not be accepted from any of them if it were offered as a ransom. They will have a painful punishment, and they will have no helpers." (Quran, 3:91)

"Then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment." (Peter 2:9)

The belief of Jews is that by living in accordance with the laws ordered by Torah, on the Day of Judgment Jews will earn a rank in the eye of God and reward in the world to come. Much of Jewish law was passed down through oral tradition. The laws and traditions of Judaism are found in written form in the Torah, orally, as well as in the rabbinical writings of the Talmud and the mystical teachings of Kabbalah. There are thirteen principles of Faith that best describe the foundation of the Jewish faith: God is the Creator and Guide of everything that has been created. He alone is the cause of all that exists. God is absolute and unparalleled unity. He is one. God is incorporeal. He is free from all anthropomorphic properties and He has no likeness at all. God is eternal, the first and the last. God should be worshiped exclusively. He is the only one to whom it is proper to pray to. One should not pray to any foreign false gods. All the words of the Prophets in the Torah are true.

Mashiach is the key belief in Judaism. Mashiach means Messiah will commence in the new world what Torah references in the Book of Numbers: “And now, I am going to my people. Come, I will advise you... what this people will do to your people at the end of days.” Jews believe this messianic era will happen when they have proven themselves worthy through their “mitzvah” (good deeds). Therefore, much of Jewish ritual and tradition center around service and giving back to community. Although the Mashiach could come at any time in any generation, the Talmud states that it will be before the Hebrew year 6,000 (approximately 2239 on the Gregorian calendar) and after that a resurrection of the dead and Day of Judgment will follow. The dead will be reborn on the Day of Judgment and split into three groups: the evil, the righteous, and those in the middle. "And many of those who slumber in the dust of the ground shall awake, some to everlasting life, and others to reproaches and everlasting abhorrence." (Daniel 12:2) God will judge each person at this moment and determine where they will experience eternity.

Perhaps thou wilt say: "Who testifies against me?" But the Sages say, "A man’s soul testifies against him, for it is said: Keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom." What is it that lies in a man’s bosom? You must say, "it is the soul." But the Sages say, "A man’s limbs testify against him, for it is said: Therefore, ye are My witnesses, saith the Lord, and I am God."

Here, judgment is not executed by God directly, or by some prosecuting angel, before the judgment seat, reading from the Book of Deeds but by the reflex of one’s own internal conscience (if indeed “limbs” represents the instruments of one’s actions performed during a person’s earthly lifetime). Fast forward now to a similar passage in the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam: "On that day none shall be questioned about his sin, neither man nor jinn (spirit). O which of your Lord’s bounties will you and you deny? The sinners shall be known by their mark, and they shall be seized by their forelocks and their feet." (Quran 55:39–41)

Philosophically, accountability has been considered as a virtue pertinent to spiritual life. People who believe in scriptural accountability believe that they are accountable to God, that they enjoy the obligations that come with their faith, and that God's responsibility is a gift that helps them to live happy and successful lives. Happiness is not directly associated to accountability to God, but it gives meaningfulness to the life of the believer in the sense that he matters to others. Good works provides provisional edification for individuals who believe themselves to be accountable to God, but this work is continual. Helping others holds the promise of bridging sociological and cultural differences among different religious identities. It paves the way for psychological and philosophical research on religion and health in ways that shed light on human well-being and prosperity.