What do different religions believe about life after death?

All major world religions believe that life continues after death.
Christian, Islamic and Jewish views about life after death are mainly
classified as linear, which means that they believe people live on
the earth one time, and then when they die they face judgement.
On the other hand, the beliefs of Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism
can be classified as mainly cyclical. This means that people do not
just live and die once, but can be reborn a number of times and live
a series of lives before reaching their final end-state. They believe
that after death the essence of the person is reborn to live a new
life. The process of being reborn into the world is also known
as reincarnation. I will be focussing on three religions and their
beliefs about life after death: Christianity, Islam and Sikhism.
Christianity:
Christians believe there is an afterlife. Although the body dies and is
buried or cremated, Christians believe that their unique soul lives
and is raised to new life by God.
The Christian belief that Jesus rose from the dead three days after
his crucifixion gives Christians hope that if they follow Jesuss
teachings and accept him as their Lord and Saviour, then a life after
death awaits them. Christians believe that the fact that Jesus was
born as a human, died on the cross and rose from the dead makes
life after death possible for all. There are many quotes mentioning
this in the Bible, for example:
Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in
me will live, even though he dies.
John 11:25-26
God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
Christians also believe that God is fair and just, and therefore cannot
let sins go unpunished. Most Christians believe in the concept of
judgement after death, and think that in heaven, God will treat
people based on how they lived their life on earth.
Heaven is mentioned many times in the Bible, however it is rarely
described. Because of this, Christians have varying ideas about what
it might be like. Some believe that heaven is a physical place, where
their body goes after death. Others believe that it is their soul that
lives after they die, and that heaven is a state of being united with
God.

The Bible is even less detailed about the concept of hell, and
Christians have very different ideas about this too. Some Christians
believe that hell is a place of suffering and of separation from God.
Most believe that hell is a spiritual state of being separated from
God for eternity.
Some Christians, including Catholics, believe in purgatory. This is
believed to be a state in between death and heaven, where people
are purified of sin and prepared for heaven.
Many Christians believe that there is a place in heaven for people of
other religions and who have not believed in God on Earth but have
done the will of God in many different ways.
In Christianity, there is a belief that at the end of the world, Jesus
Christ will return to earth to judge the living and the dead, and
create the kingdom of God. This is called the Second Coming, or the
Parousia. The term, Parousia, means arrival or coming. Most
Christians believe the Parousia is predicted in the Bible, for example:
Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He
was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while
they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two
men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, "Men of Galilee,
why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was
taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you
saw Him go into heaven."
Acts 1:9-11
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with
the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the
dead in Christ will rise first."
1 Thessalonians 4:16
"Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with
them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall
always be with the Lord."
1 Thessalonians 4:17
The biblical prophecies about the Parousia say that it will be
worldwide, unmistakeable and audible. Some will be saved during
Christs coming, and will be taken to live in the kingdom of God.
Views about the Parousia vary among different Christian
denominations and sometimes among individuals within these
denominations.

Islam:
Islam teaches that Allah (God) has full control over everything that
happens. Muslims believe that nothing can happen unless permitted
by Allah.
Nor can a soul die except by Allahs leave. The term being fixed as
by writing.
Surah 3:145.
However, Allah has also given humans free will. Because of this,
people are able to choose between right and wrong and are
responsible for their actions. Muslims believe that this life is a
preparation for the eternal life to come, known as Akhirah, and that
humans have one life and it is up to them how they choose to live it.
Islam teaches that on a day decided by Allah, and that only Allah
knows, life on Earth will come to an end, and Allah will destroy
everything. On this day, all the people who have ever lived will be
raised from the dead and will face judgement by Allah. This belief is
similar to the Christian belief of the Parousia. Muslims believe that
once they die, they will remain in their graves until this day, which is
knows by several different names:

the Day of Resurrection (yawm al-Qiyamah)

the Day of Judgement (yawm ad-din)
the Last Hour (as-saa)
Islam teaches that on this day, Allah will balance the good deeds a
person has done in their life against the bad deeds. If the good
deeds outweigh the bad deeds, the person will go to paradise,
knows to Muslims as Jannah, a place of pleasure and harmony. If the
bad things outweigh the good, then the person will be punished in
hell, which is called Jahannam. Muslims believe that when Allah is
making a judgement, even a persons intentions, known to Muslims
as niyyah, are taken into consideration.
And to every soul will be paid in full (the fruit) of its deeds; and
Allah knoweth best all that they do.
Surah 39:70
Of the good that they do nothing will be rejected of them; for Allah
knoweth well those that do right.
Surah 3:115
Those who reject faith neither their possessions nor their
(numerous) progeny will avail them aught against Allah: they will be
companions of the fire, dwelling therein for ever.
Surah 3:116

Sacred Islam scriptures, say that Allah will also judge Christians and
Jews:
Those who believe (in the Quran), those who follow the Jewish
scriptures, and the Sabians and the Christians any who believe in
Allah and the last day, and work righteousness on them shall be
no fear, nor shall they grieve.
Surah 5: 69

Islam also teaches that Allah is forgiving and even people who have
lived bad lives will be able to enter paradise when they have been
punished enough and shown themselves to be truly sorry for their
bad deeds.
Not all Muslims agree that everything can be forgiven, and there are
some things Allah will never forgive. One of these things is Shirk,
which is the sin of worshipping a god other than Allah.
Sikhism:

Sikhs believe that after death peoples souls may be reborn many
times in the body of a human or an animal. This is called
reincarnation. Because of this, for the followers of Sikhism, death is
not the end. The Sikh sacred text, the Guru Granth Sahib, teaches
that the body is only clothing for the soul, and is discarded at death.

Sikhs believe that everything that happens is the will of Waheguru

(God). Sikhism teaches that there is a divine spark in every person,
which is part of Waheguru. This spark, or soul, is taken back to join
Waheguru when a person is finally ready to finish their cycle of
rebirth. Souls have to travel through a number of the 8,400,000
forms of life Sikhs believe exist before they can reach Waheguru.
Sikhs believe that only humans know the difference between right
and wrong, therefore only when a soul is in a human body is there a
chance of the cycle being broken.

Sikhs believe in karma. This belief says that actions and the
consequences of these actions determine whether a soul can be
released from the cycle of reincarnation. Freedom from the cycle of
rebirth is known to Sikhs as mutki.

These things can stop a soul from reaching mutki:

hankar - pride

lobh - greed

kam - lust or desire

karodh - anger

manmukh - being self-centred instead of devoting life to

Waheguru

maya - illusion or looking only at the world and ignoring

Waheguru

moh being too attached to the world

Someone who can live without these things will devote their lives to
sewa, which is selflessness. To avoid these influences, Sikhs try to
follow rules of conduct, which are:

there is only one God, Waheguru

worship and pray to Waheguru only, and remember Waheguru

at all times

always work hard, and share with others

live a truthful life

remember that men and women are equal in the eyes of

Waheguru

the whole human race is one and discrimination because of

religion, colour and class are wrong

omens, idols, magic, fasts, marks on the face and sacred

threads are forbidden

always dress simply and modestly

neither women nor men should pierce their ears or noses

live a married life

put your faith in the Guru Granth Sahib

avoid lust, anger, greed and arrogance

live a humble and simple life

Conclusion:
In conclusion, Christianity, Islam and Sikhism all have very different
beliefs about life after death. Christians believe that God raises their
souls to new life in heaven after they die, and that people are
treated in the afterlife according to how they lived their life on earth.
Also, Christ will return to earth to judge the living and the dead, and
establish the kingdom of God. On the other hand, Muslims believe
that once people die, they will remain in their grave until the day of
Judgement, where all the people who have ever lived will be raised
from the dead and will face judgement by Allah. Sikhs have very
different beliefs to both Christians and Muslims, as they believe in
reincarnation, where a soul may be reborn many times into different
bodies. Sikhs also believe that here are 8,400,000 forms of life, and
people have to travel trough many of these before they are
prepared to be released from the cycle of rebirth, and can join
Waheguru in the afterlife.