Heaven

== Abrahamic and Abrahamic-inspired religions ==
=== Hebrew Bible ===
{{Main|Heaven in Judaism}}
As in other ancient Near Eastern cultures, in the Hebrew Bible, the universe is commonly divided into two realms: heaven (''šāmayim'') and earth (''’ereṣ'').{{sfn|Hundley|2015|page=452}} Sometimes a third realm is added: either "sea",<ref>''Bible'', {{bibleverse|Exodus|20:11}}, {{bibleverse|Genesis|1:10}}.</ref> "water under the earth",<ref>''Bible'', {{bibleverse|Exodus|20:4}}, {{bibleverse|Deuteronomy|5:8}}.</ref> or sometimes a vague "land of the dead" that is never described in depth.<ref>''Bible'', {{bibleverse|Job|26:5}}, {{bibleverse|Psalm|139:8}}, {{bibleverse|Amos|9:2}}.</ref>{{sfn|Hundley|2015|page=452}} The structure of heaven itself is not fully described in the Hebrew Bible,{{sfn|Hundley|2015|page=453}} but the fact that the Hebrew word ''šāmayim'' is plural has been interpreted by scholars as an indication that the ancient Israelites envisioned the heavens as having multiple layers, much like the ancient Mesopotamians.{{sfn|Hundley|2015|page=453}} This reading is also supported by the use of the phrase "heaven of heavens" in verses such as Deuteronomy 10:14,<ref>''Bible'', {{bibleverse|Deuteronomy|10:14}}.</ref> 1 Kings 8:27,<ref name="ReferenceA">''Bible'', {{bibleverse|1 Kings|8:27}}.</ref> and 2 Chronicles 2:6.<ref>''Bible'', {{bibleverse|2 Chronicles|2:6}} and {{bibleverse-nb|2 Chronicles|6:18}}.</ref>{{sfn|Hundley|2015|page=453}}

In line with the typical view of most Near Eastern cultures, the Hebrew Bible depicts Heaven as a place that is inaccessible to humans.{{sfn|Hundley|2015|pages=452–453}} Although some prophets are occasionally granted temporary visionary access to heaven, such as in 1 Kings 22:19–23,<ref>''Bible'', {{bibleverse|1 Kings|22:19–23}}.</ref> Job 1:6–12<ref>''Bible'', {{bibleverse|Job|1:6–12}}.</ref> and 2:1–6,<ref>''Bible'', {{bibleverse-nb|Job|2:1–6}}.</ref> and Isaiah 6,<ref>''Bible'', {{bibleverse|Isaiah|6}}.</ref> they hear only God's deliberations concerning the Earth and learn nothing of what Heaven is like.{{sfn|Hundley|2015|page=453}} There is almost no mention in the Hebrew Bible of Heaven as a possible afterlife destination for human beings, who are instead described as "resting" in [[Sheol]].<ref>''Bible'', {{bibleverse|Genesis|25:7–9}}, {{bibleverse|Deuteronomy|34:6}}, {{bibleverse|1 Kings|2:10}}.</ref>{{sfn|Hundley|2015|page=455}} The only two possible exceptions to this are [[Enoch (ancestor of Noah)|Enoch]], who is described in Genesis 5:24<ref>''Bible'', {{bibleverse|Genesis|5:24}}.</ref> as having been "taken" by God, and the prophet [[Elijah]], who is described in 2 Kings 2:11<ref>''Bible'', {{bibleverse|2 Kings|2:11}}.</ref> as having ascended to Heaven in a chariot of fire.{{sfn|Hundley|2015|page=453}} According to Michael B. Hundley, the text in both of these instances is ambiguous regarding the significance of the actions being described{{sfn|Hundley|2015|page=453}} and in neither of these cases does the text explain what happened to the subject afterwards.{{sfn|Hundley|2015|page=453}}

The [[Yahweh|God of the Israelites]] is described as ruling both Heaven and Earth.<ref>''Bible'', {{bibleverse|Genesis|14:19}}, {{bibleverse-nb|Genesis|22}}, {{bibleverse-nb|Genesis|24:3}}, {{bibleverse|Psalm|146:6}}.</ref>{{sfn|Hundley|2015|page=453}} Other passages, such as 1 Kings 8:27<ref name="ReferenceA"/> state that even the vastness of Heaven cannot contain God's majesty.{{sfn|Hundley|2015|page=453}} A number of passages throughout the Hebrew Bible indicate that Heaven and Earth will one day come to an end.<ref>''Bible'', {{bibleverse|Psalm|102:26–27}}, {{bibleverse|Isaiah|13:5}}, {{bibleverse-nb|Isaiah|14:26}}, {{bibleverse-nb|Isaiah|24:18}}, {{bibleverse-nb|Isaiah|51:6}}, {{bibleverse|Jeremiah|4:23–28}}, and {{bibleverse|Zephaniah|1:2–3}} and {{bibleverse-nb|Zephaniah|18}}.</ref>{{sfn|Hundley|2015|page=453}} This view is paralleled in other ancient Near Eastern cultures, which also regarded Heaven and Earth as vulnerable and subject to dissolution.{{sfn|Hundley|2015|page=453}} However, the Hebrew Bible differs from other ancient Near Eastern cultures in that it portrays the God of Israel as independent of creation and unthreatened by its potential destruction.{{sfn|Hundley|2015|page=453}} Because most of the Hebrew Bible concerns the God of Israel's relationship with his people, most of the events described in it take place on Earth, not in Heaven.{{sfn|Hundley|2015|pages=453–454}} The [[Deuteronomist|Deuteronomistic source]], [[Deuteronomistic History]], and [[Priestly source]] all portray the [[Temple in Jerusalem]] as the sole channel of communication between Earth and Heaven.{{sfn|Hundley|2015|page=454}}

=== Second Temple Judaism ===
During the period of the [[Second Temple]] ({{circa}} 515 BC – 70 AD), the Hebrew people lived under the rule of first the Persian [[Achaemenid Empire]], then the Greek kingdoms of the [[Diadochi]], and finally the [[Roman Empire]].{{sfn|Wright|2000|pages=98–138}} Their culture was profoundly influenced by those of the peoples who ruled them.{{sfn|Wright|2000|pages=98–138}} Consequently, their views on existence after death were profoundly shaped by the ideas of the Persians, Greeks, and Romans.{{sfn|Wright|2000|pages=115–117}}{{sfn|Sanders|1993|page=170}} The idea of the [[immortality of the soul]] is derived from Greek philosophy{{sfn|Sanders|1993|page=170}} and the idea of the [[resurrection of the dead]] is thought to be derived from Persian cosmology,{{sfn|Sanders|1993|page=170}} although the later claim has been recently questioned.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife |last=Ehrman |first=Bart D. |publisher=Simon and Schuster |year=2020 |isbn=978-1-5011-3675-7 |pages=104–105 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SaOeDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA103 |quote=More recently scholars have questioned a Persian derivation for the Jewish doctrine because of certain problems of dating. Some experts have undercut the entire thesis by pointing out that we actually do not have any Zoroastrian texts that support the idea of resurrection prior to its appearance in early Jewish writings. It is not clear who influenced whom. Even more significant, the timing does not make sense: Judah emerged from Persian rule in the fourth century BCE, when Alexander the Great (356–323 BCE) swept through the eastern Mediterranean and defeated the Persian Empire. But the idea of bodily resurrection does not appear in Jewish texts for well over a century after that.}}</ref> By the early first century AD, these two seemingly incompatible ideas were often conflated by Hebrew thinkers.{{sfn|Sanders|1993|page=170}} The Hebrews also inherited from the Persians, Greeks, and Romans the idea that the human soul originates in the divine realm and seeks to return there.{{sfn|Wright|2000|pages=98–138}} The idea that a human soul belongs in Heaven and that Earth is merely a temporary abode in which the soul is tested to prove its worthiness became increasingly popular during the [[Hellenistic period]] (323–31 BC).{{sfn|Hundley|2015|page=455}} Gradually, some Hebrews began to adopt the idea of Heaven as the eternal home of the righteous dead.{{sfn|Hundley|2015|page=455}}

=== Christianity ===
{{main|Heaven in Christianity}}
[[File:Francesco Botticini - The Assumption of the Virgin.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|The ''[[Assumption of the Virgin (Botticini)|Assumption of the Virgin]]'', 1475–1476, by [[Francesco Botticini]] (National Gallery London), shows three hierarchies and nine orders of angels, each with different characteristics.]]

Descriptions of Heaven in the [[New Testament]] are more fully developed than those in the Old Testament, but are still generally vague.{{sfn|Hundley|2015|pages=455–456}} As in the Old Testament, in the New Testament God is described as the ruler of Heaven and Earth, but his power over the Earth is challenged by [[Satan]].{{sfn|Hundley|2015|page=455}} The [[Gospel of Mark|Gospels of Mark]] and [[Gospel of Luke|Luke]] speak of the "[[Kingdom of God]]" ({{lang-grc-gre|βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ}}; {{lang|grc-Latn|basileía tou theou}}), while the [[Gospel of Matthew]] more commonly uses the term "[[Kingdom of heaven (Gospel of Matthew)|Kingdom of heaven]]" ({{lang-grc-gre|βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν}}; {{lang|grc-Latn|basileía tōn ouranōn}}).{{sfn|Sanders|1993|page=169}}{{sfn|Casey|2010|pages=212–226}}<ref name="France101">R. T. France. ''The Gospel of Matthew'' (21 Aug 2007), {{ISBN|080282501X}}. pp. 101–103.</ref>{{sfn|Hundley|2015|page=455}} Both phrases are thought to have the same meaning,{{sfn|Casey|2010|page=213}} but the author of the Gospel of Matthew changed the name "Kingdom of God" to "Kingdom of Heaven" in most instances because it was the more acceptable phrase in his own cultural and religious context in the late first century.{{sfn|Casey|2010|pages=213–214}}

Modern scholars agree that the Kingdom of God was an essential part of the teachings of the [[historical Jesus]].{{sfn|Sanders|1993|page=169–171}}{{sfn|Casey|2010|page=212}} In spite of this, none of the gospels record Jesus as having explained exactly what the phrase "Kingdom of God" means.{{sfn|Casey|2010|page=212}} The most likely explanation for this apparent omission is that the Kingdom of God was a commonly understood concept that required no explanation.{{sfn|Casey|2010|page=212}} Jews in [[Judea (Roman province)|Judea]] during the early first century believed that God reigns eternally in Heaven,{{sfn|Sanders|1993|page=169–171}}{{sfn|Casey|2010|page=214}} but many also believed that God would eventually establish his kingdom on earth as well.{{sfn|Sanders|1993|page=169–171}}{{sfn|Casey|2010|pages=215–216}} This belief is referenced in the first petition of the [[Lord's Prayer]], taught by Jesus to his disciples and recorded in Matthew<ref>''Bible'', {{bibleverse|Matthew|6:10}}.</ref> and Luke 11:2:<ref>''Bible'', {{bibleverse|Luke|11:2}}.</ref> "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."{{sfn|Sanders|1993|page=172}}{{sfn|Casey|2010|pages=216–217}}

Because God's Kingdom was believed to be superior to any human kingdom, this meant that God would necessarily drive out the Romans, who ruled Judea, and establish his own direct rule over the Jewish people.{{sfn|Sanders|1993|page=169}}{{sfn|Casey|2010|pages=215–216}} In the teachings of the historical Jesus, people are expected to prepare for the coming of the Kingdom of God by living moral lives.{{sfn|Sanders|1993|pages=170, 198–204}} Jesus's commands for his followers to adopt lifestyles of [[moral perfectionism]] are found in many passages throughout the Synoptic Gospels, particularly in the [[Sermon on the Mount]] in Matthew 5–7.<ref>''Bible'', {{bibleverse|Matthew|5–7}}.</ref>{{sfn|Sanders|1993|pages=198–204}} Jesus also taught that, in the Kingdom of Heaven, there would be a reversal of roles in which "the last will be first and the first will be last."<ref>''Bible'', {{bibleverse|Mark|10:31}}, {{bibleverse|Matthew|19:30}}, {{bibleverse|Matthew|20:16}}, and {{bibleverse|Luke|13:30}}.</ref>{{sfn|Sanders|1993|page=196}} This teaching recurs throughout the recorded teachings of Jesus, including in the admonition to be like a child,<ref>''Bible'', {{bibleverse|Mark|10:13–16}}, {{bibleverse|Matthew|19:30}}, and {{bibleverse|Luke|18:15–17}}.</ref> the [[Rich man and Lazarus|Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus]] in Luke 16,<ref>''Bible,'' {{bibleverse|Luke|16:19–31}}.</ref> the [[Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard]] in Matthew 20,<ref>''Bible,'' {{bibleverse|Matthew|20:1–16}}.</ref> the [[Parable of the Great Banquet]] in Matthew 22,<ref>''Bible'', {{bibleverse|Matthew|22:1–10}}.</ref> and the [[Parable of the Prodigal Son]] in Luke 15.<ref>''Bible'', {{bibleverse|Luke|15:11–32}}.</ref>{{sfn|Sanders|1993|pages=196–198}}

Traditionally, [[Christianity]] has taught that Heaven is the location of the [[throne of God]] as well as the holy [[angels]],<ref name=JPII>{{cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/audiences/1999/documents/hf_jp-ii_aud_21071999_en.html|title=21 July 1999 – John Paul II|access-date=31 December 2016}}</ref><ref name="Ehrman 2006">Ehrman, Bart. Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene: The Followers of Jesus in History and Legend. Oxford University Press, USA. 2006. {{ISBN|0-19-530013-0}}.</ref> although this is in varying degrees considered [[metaphor]]ical. In traditional Christianity, it is considered a state or condition of existence (rather than a particular place somewhere in the [[cosmos]]) of the supreme fulfillment of [[Divinization (Christian)|theosis]] in the [[beatific vision]] of the [[Godhead in Christianity|Godhead]]. In most [[Christian denominations|forms of Christianity]], Heaven is also understood as the abode for the redeemed dead in the [[afterlife]], usually a temporary stage before the [[resurrection of the dead]] and the [[saint]]s' return to [[the New Earth]].

The [[Resurrection of Jesus|resurrected Jesus]] is said to have [[Ascension of Jesus|ascended to Heaven]] where [[Session of Christ|he now sits]] at the [[Right Hand of God]] and will return to Earth in the [[Second Coming]]. Various people have been said to have [[Entering heaven alive|entered Heaven while still alive]], including [[Enoch (ancestor of Noah)|Enoch]], [[Elijah]] and [[Jesus in Christianity|Jesus]], after his resurrection. According to [[Roman Catholicism|Roman Catholic teaching]], [[Mary, mother of Jesus]], is also said to have been [[Assumption of Mary|assumed into Heaven]] and is titled the [[Queen of Heaven]].

In the second century AD, [[Irenaeus]] of Lyons recorded a belief that, in accordance with John 14,<ref>''Bible'', {{bibleverse||John|14:2}}.</ref> those who in the [[afterlife]] see the [[Salvation in Christianity|Saviour]] are in different mansions, some dwelling in the heavens, others in [[paradise]] and others in "[[New Jerusalem|the city]]".<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01.ix.vii.xxxvii.html| title = Irenaeus, ''Adversus haereses'', book V, chapter XXXVI, 1–2}}</ref>

While the word used in all these writings, in particular the New Testament Greek word [[wikt:οὐρανός|οὐρανός]] (''ouranos''), applies primarily to the [[sky]], it is also used metaphorically of the dwelling place of God and the [[Blessing#Christianity|blessed]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Liddell |first=Henry George |last2=Scott |first2=Robert |title=A Greek-English Lexicon, οὐρα^νός |url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0057:entry=ou)rano/s |website=www.perseus.tufts.edu |publisher=Tufts University |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://studybible.info/strongs/G3772|title=G3772 οὐρανός – Strong's Greek Lexicon}}</ref> Similarly, though the English word "heaven" keeps its original physical meaning when used, for instance, in allusions to the stars as "lights shining through from heaven", and in phrases such as [[heavenly body]] to mean an astronomical object, the heaven or happiness that Christianity looks forward to is, according to Pope John Paul II, "neither an abstraction nor a physical place in the clouds, but a living, personal relationship with the [[Holy Trinity]]. It is our meeting with the [[God the Father|Father]] which takes place in the risen [[Christ]] through the communion of the [[Holy Spirit]]."<ref name="JPII"/>

=== Rabbinical Judaism ===
{{Main|Heaven in Judaism|Olam Haba}}

While the concept of Heaven (''malkuth hashamaim'' מלכות השמים, the [[Kingdom of God|Kingdom of Heaven]]) is much discussed in [[Christianity|Christian]] thought, the [[Jewish eschatology|Jewish concept of the afterlife]], sometimes known as ''olam haba'', the World-to-come, is not discussed as often. The [[Torah]] has little to say on the subject of survival after death, but by the time of the rabbis two ideas had made inroads among the Jews: one, which is probably derived from Greek thought,<ref name=deLange/> is that of the [[immortal soul]] which returns to its creator after death; the other, which is thought to be of Persian origin,<ref name=deLange/> is that of [[resurrection of the dead]].

Jewish writings{{Which|date=June 2010}} refer to a "new earth" as the abode of mankind following the resurrection of the dead. Originally, the two ideas of [[immortality]] and resurrection were different but in rabbinic thought they are combined: the soul departs from the body at death but is returned to it at the [[Resurrection of the Dead|resurrection]]. This idea is linked to another rabbinic teaching, that men's good and bad actions are rewarded and punished not in this life but after death, whether immediately or at the subsequent resurrection.<ref name=deLange/> Around 1 CE, the [[Pharisees]] believed in an afterlife but the [[Sadducees]] did not.<ref>{{cite book |first=David S. |last=Ariel |title=What Do Jews Believe? |location=New York |publisher=Shocken Books |year=1995 |page=74 |isbn=9780805210590}} "The Sadducees... did not believe in an afterlife. The Pharisees... subscribed to the theory of the afterlife."</ref>

The [[Mishnah]] has many sayings about the [[World to Come]], for example, "Rabbi Yaakov said: This world is like a lobby before the World to Come; prepare yourself in the lobby so that you may enter the banquet hall."<ref>Pirkei Avot, 4:21.</ref>

Judaism holds that the [[Noachide|righteous of all nations]] have a share in the World-to-come.<ref>{{cite book |first=David S. |last=Ariel |title=What Do Jews Believe? |location=New York |publisher=Shocken Books |year=1995 |page=75 |isbn=9780805210590}} "According to the rabbis, the righteous receive their reward in the afterlife in the celestial Garden of Eden... This applies equally to Jews and non-Jews."</ref>

According to [[Nicholas de Lange]], [[Judaism]] offers no clear teaching about the destiny which lies in wait for the individual after death and its attitude to life after death has been expressed as follows: "For the future is inscrutable, and the accepted sources of knowledge, whether experience, or reason, or revelation, offer no clear guidance about what is to come. The only certainty is that each man must die – beyond that we can only guess."<ref name="deLange">Nicholas de Lange, ''Judaism'', Oxford University Press, 1986.</ref>

=== Islam ===
{{Main|Heaven in Islam|Paradise in Islam}}
[[File:Mohammed´s Paradise.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|19th century [[Persian miniature]] depicting the artist's impression of heaven]]

Similar to Jewish traditions such as the [[Talmud]], the [[Qur'an]] and [[Hadith]] frequently mention the existence of seven ''samāwāt'' (سماوات), the plural of ''samāʾ'' (سماء), meaning 'heaven, sky, celestial sphere', and cognate with Hebrew ''shamāyim'' (שמים). Some of the verses in the Qur'an mentioning the ''samaawat'' <ref>{{cite book |last1=Pickthall |first1=M. M. |title=The Holy Qur'an (Transliteration in Roman Script) |last2=Eliasi |first2=M. A. H. |date=1999 |publisher=Laurier Books Limited |isbn=81-87385-07-3}}</ref> are {{qref|41|12}}, {{qref|65|12}} and {{qref|71|15}}. [[Sidrat al-Muntaha]], a large enigmatic Lote tree, marks the end of the seventh heaven and the utmost extremity for all of God's creatures and heavenly knowledge.<ref name="AYA">[[Abdullah Yusuf Ali|Abdullah, Yusuf Ali]] (1946). ''The Holy Qur-an: Text, Translation and Commentary'', Qatar National Printing Press. p. 1139, n. 3814.</ref>

One interpretation of "heavens" is that all the stars and galaxies (including the [[Milky Way]]) are part of the "first heaven", and "beyond that six still bigger worlds are there," which have yet to be discovered by scientists.<ref name="Al-Islam">"[https://www.al-islam.org/philosophy-islamic-laws-nasir-makarim-shirazi-jafar-subhani/question-34-what-meant-seven-heavens What Is Meant By ‘Seven Heavens’?]," ''[https://www.al-islam.org Al-Islam.org].''</ref>

According to [[Shia Islam|Shi'ite]] sources, [[Ali]] mentioned the names of the seven heavens as below:<ref>Al-Burhan fi Tafsir Al-Qur'an, V 5, p. 415.</ref>
#'''Rafi'''' (رفیع) the least heaven (سماء الدنیا)
#'''Qaydum''' (قیدوم)
#'''[[Third Heaven#Islam|Marum]]''' (ماروم)
#'''Arfalun''' (أرفلون)
#'''Hay'oun''' (هيعون)
#'''Arous''' (عروس)
#'''Ajma'''' (عجماء)

Still an afterlife destination of the righteous is conceived in Islam as ''[[Jannah]]'' ({{lang-ar|جنة}} "Garden [of Eden]" translated as "paradise"). Regarding [[Garden of Eden|Eden]] or paradise the Quran says, "The description of the Paradise promised to the righteous is that under it rivers flow; eternal is its fruit as well as its shade. That is the ˹ultimate˺ outcome for the righteous. But the outcome for the disbelievers is the Fire!"<ref>{{qref|13|35|b=y}}.</ref> Islam rejects the concept of [[original sin]], and Muslims believe that all human beings are born pure. Children automatically go to paradise when they die, regardless of the religion of their parents.

Paradise is described primarily in physical terms as a place where every wish is immediately fulfilled when asked. Islamic texts describe immortal life in Jannah as happy, without [[negative emotion]]s. Those who dwell in Jannah are said to wear costly apparel, partake in exquisite banquets, and recline on couches inlaid with gold or precious stones. Inhabitants will rejoice in the company of their parents, spouses, and children. In Islam if one's good deeds outweigh one's sins then one may gain entrance to paradise only through [[Divine mercy#Islam|God's mercy]]. Conversely, if one's sins outweigh their good deeds they are sent to hell. The more good deeds one has performed the higher the level of Jannah one is directed to.
[[File:Levels of heaven.png|thumb|upright=0.8|Mystic [[Ibn Arabi]]'s (13th century) depiction of Seven Paradises (different from seven heavens). Diagram of Jannat Futuhat al-Makkiyya, ca. 1238 (photo: after Futuhat al-Makkiyya, Cairo edition, 1911).]]

[[Quran]] verses which describe paradise include: 13:15, 18:31, 38:49–54, 35:33–35 and 52:17.<ref> {{qref|13|35|b=y}}, {{qref|18|31}}, {{Qref|38|49-54}}, {{Qref|35|33-35}}, {{Qref|52|17–27}}.</ref>

The Quran refers to Jannah with different names: [[Firdaus|''Al-Firdaws'']], ''Jannātu-′Adn'' ("Garden of Eden" or "Everlasting Gardens"), ''Jannatu-n-Na'īm'' ("Garden of Delight"), ''Jannatu-l-Ma'wa'' ("Garden of Refuge"), ''Dāru-s-Salām'' ("Abode of Peace"), ''Dāru-l-Muqāma'' ("Abode of Permanent Stay"), ''al-Muqāmu-l-Amin'' ("The Secure Station") and ''Jannātu-l-Khuld'' ("Garden of Immortality"). In the [[Hadiths]], these are the different regions in paradise.<ref>Sunan Ibn Majah Vol. 5, Book 37, Hadith 4331.</ref>

==== Ahmadiyya ====
According to the [[Ahmadiyya]] view, much of the imagery presented in the Quran regarding Heaven, but also Hell, is metaphorical. They propound the verse which describes, according to them, how the life to come after death is different from the life on Earth. The ''Quran'' says: "From bringing in your place others like you, and from developing you into a form which at present you know not."<ref>{{qref|56|61|b=y}}.</ref> According to [[Mirza Ghulam Ahmad]], the founder of the [[Ahmadiyya]] sect in Islam, the soul will give birth to another rarer entity and will resemble the life on earth in the sense that this entity will bear a similar relationship to the soul, as the soul bears relationship with the human existence on earth. On earth, if a person leads a righteous life and submits to the will of God, his or her tastes become attuned to enjoying spiritual pleasures as opposed to carnal desires. With this, an "embryonic soul" begins to take shape. Different tastes are said to be born in which a person given to carnal passions finds no enjoyment. For example, sacrifice of one's own rights over that of other's becomes enjoyable, or that forgiveness becomes second nature. In such a state a person finds contentment and Peace at heart and at this stage, according to Ahmadiyya beliefs, it can be said that a soul within the soul has begun to take shape.<ref>{{cite book |author=Ahmad |first=Mirza Tahir |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iU1Yn4sSXEkC&q=elementary+study+of+islam |title=An Elementary Study of Islam |publisher=Islam International Publications |year=1997 |isbn=978-1-85372-562-3 |page=50}}</ref>

=== Baháʼí Faith ===
{{Main|Baháʼí Faith}}

The [[Baháʼí Faith]] regards the conventional description of heaven (and hell) as a specific place as symbolic. The [[Baháʼí literature|Baháʼí writings]] describe heaven as a "spiritual condition" where closeness to God is defined as heaven; conversely [[hell]] is seen as a state of remoteness from God. [[Bahá'u'lláh]], the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, has stated that the nature of the life of the soul in the afterlife is beyond comprehension in the physical plane, but has stated that the soul will retain its consciousness and individuality and remember its physical life; the soul will be able to recognize other souls and communicate with them.<ref name="lafd">{{cite book | title = Life After Death: A study of the afterlife in world religions | last = Masumian | first = Farnaz | publisher = Oneworld Publications | location = Oxford | year = 1995 | isbn = 978-1-85168-074-0}}</ref>

For Baháʼís, entry into the next life has the potential to bring great joy.<ref name="lafd" /> Bahá'u'lláh likened death to the process of birth. He explains: "The world beyond is as different from this world as this world is different from that of the child while still in the [[womb]] of its mother."<ref name="gwb">{{cite book |author=Bahá'u'lláh |author-link=Bahá'u'lláh |year=1976 |title=Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh |publisher=Baháʼí Publishing Trust |location=Wilmette, Illinois, US |isbn=978-0-87743-187-9 |page=[https://archive.org/details/gleaningsfromwri0000baha_w8j0/page/157 157] |url=https://archive.org/details/gleaningsfromwri0000baha_w8j0/page/157 |access-date=2016-03-28 }}</ref> The analogy to the womb in many ways summarizes the Baháʼí view of earthly existence: just as the womb constitutes an important place for a person's initial physical development, the physical world provides for the development of the individual [[Soul (spirit)|soul]]. Accordingly, Baháʼís view life as a preparatory stage, where one can develop and perfect those qualities which will be needed in the next life.<ref name="lafd" /> The key to spiritual progress is to follow the path outlined by the current [[Manifestation of God (Baháʼí Faith)|Manifestation of God]], which Baháʼís believe is currently Bahá'u'lláh. Bahá'u'lláh wrote, "Know thou, of a truth, that if the soul of man hath walked in the ways of God, it will, assuredly return and be gathered to the glory of the Beloved."<ref name="gwb2">{{cite book |author=Bahá'u'lláh |author-link=Bahá'u'lláh |year=1976 |title=Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh |publisher=Baháʼí Publishing Trust |location=Wilmette, Illinois, US |isbn=978-0-87743-187-9 |page=[https://archive.org/details/gleaningsfromwri0000baha_w8j0/page/162 162] |url=https://archive.org/details/gleaningsfromwri0000baha_w8j0/page/162 |access-date=2016-03-28 }}</ref>

The Baháʼí teachings state that there exists a hierarchy of souls in the [[afterlife]], where the merits of each soul determines their place in the hierarchy, and that souls lower in the hierarchy cannot completely understand the station of those above. Each soul can continue to progress in the afterlife, but the soul's development is not entirely dependent on its own conscious efforts, the nature of which we are not aware, but also augmented by the grace of God, the [[prayer]]s of others, and good deeds performed by others on Earth in the name of that person.<ref name="lafd" />

===Mandaeism===
{{Main|World of Light}}

[[Mandaeans]] believe in an afterlife or heaven called ''Alma d-Nhura'' (World of Light).<ref name="Nashmi">{{Citation |last=Nashmi |first=Yuhana |title=Contemporary Issues for the Mandaean Faith |date=24 April 2013 |website=Mandaean Associations Union |url=http://www.mandaeanunion.com/history-english/item/488-mandaean-faith |access-date=2 February 2022}}.</ref> The [[World of Light]] is the primeval, transcendent world from which [[Tibil]] and the [[World of Darkness (Mandaeism)|World of Darkness]] emerged. The Great Living God (''[[Hayyi Rabbi]]'') and his [[uthra]]s (angels or guardians) dwell in the World of Light. The World of Light is also the source of [[Piriawis]], the Great ''[[Yardna|Yardena]]'' (or [[Jordan River]]) of Life.<ref name="Aldihisi 2008">{{cite thesis|url=https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1444088/|last=Aldihisi|first=Sabah|year=2008|title=The story of creation in the Mandaean holy book in the Ginza Rba|type=PhD|publisher=University College London}}</ref>

=== Gnosticism ===
{{see also|Pleroma#Gnosticism}}

The cosmological description of the universe in the [[Gnosticism|Gnostic]] codex [[On the Origin of the World]] presents [[Seven Heavens|seven heavens]] created by the lesser god or [[Demiurge#Gnosticism|Demiurge]] called Yaldabaoth, which are individually ruled over by one of his [[Archon (Gnosticism)|Archons]]. Above these realms is the eighth heaven, where the benevolent, [[Aeon (Gnosticism)|higher divinities]] dwell. During the [[Eschatology|end of days]], the seven heavens of the Archons will collapse on each other. The heaven of Yaldabaoth will split in two and cause the stars in his celestial sphere to fall.<ref>{{cite book|author1=[[Marvin Meyer]]|author2=[[Willis Barnstone]]|title=The Gnostic Bible|publisher=[[Shambhala Publications|Shambhala]]|chapter=On the Origin of the World|url=http://gnosis.org/naghamm/origin-Barnstone.html|date=2009|access-date=2022-02-03}}</ref>