Now, I know the old saying: We have less of an understanding of God and the afterlife than an unborn baby does of this life. We can, however, speculate.
Heaven: I know for sure that it's not a garden in the clouds. It's becoming one with God, an absolute state of spiritual bliss and love, knowing you have done good in life. And now your soul can rest eternally with your loved ones and with a sense of the ultimate enlightenment. You leave the mortal world and arrive there without any regrets. Without any sense of "Why didn't I do this, or I could have done that." Heaven is unique to everyone who goes there.
Hell: I do not believe it's a cavern with lava and raging fires. The torture of Hell goes far beyond the physical pain that is described in the Bible. I think it's total separation from God, love, and hope. You gain a full understanding of the direction your life could have gone in and knowing you threw that all away by making others suffer. Like Heaven, it is unique to each person who goes there. I believe that it's much easier to get into Heaven than into Hell.
In Islam the proof of the the afterlife is the prophets and what they say about it - The Quran the revelation given to the prophet Muhammad pbuh describes the hereafter both a great garden and a fire of hell and for the elect the beatfication vision. A great Book to read on Islam perception of the afterlife is Al Ghazzalis remembrance of death and the afterlife - translated by T. J winter - it expalins how Islam views death and the afterlife and also the middle parts between life and death as well like the grave.
They merely:
Veiled themselves and didn't flaunt it
Sought forgiveness and didn't persist
Took ownership of it and don't justify it
And acted with excellence after they had erred - Ibn al-Qayyim
It is something that our mind cannot even comprehend and imagine as it is stated in the Qur'an, however the Qur'an also narrated the limitless beauty, comfort, free from all negativity etc that may help appeal to our human understanding.
format_quote Originally Posted by Boaz
Hell:
Likewise as heaven, but in the exact opposite manners.
One other difference: The residents of heaven abide in there forever, while the residents of hell may be taken out one day.
perhaps one way to measure the value of a concept might be how it is used to transform one's life for the better? If concepts of afterlife can spur us to be better human beings in this life---then the concept has value.
On the other hand---some people use such concepts as an excersise in greedily accumulating "merit"/points in hopes of getting into Paradise---in a particular religious practice, some people bought caged birds---went to temple---and set them free in the belief that this would earn them 'merit". However, many birds were killed or hurt in order to get them caged in the first place so that random "merit-makers" could buy them..........
I think some reflection on the purpose of afterlife for this life might have benefits..............
It is something that our mind cannot even comprehend and imagine as it is stated in the Qur'an, however the Qur'an also narrated the limitless beauty, comfort, free from all negativity etc that may help appeal to our human understanding.
Likewise as heaven, but in the exact opposite manners.
One other difference: The residents of heaven abide in there forever, while the residents of hell may be taken out one day.
^ I think this is pretty much sums up the Muslim response to your question. The Quran does indeed describe heaven as a Garden, but we have to keep in mind that it won't be a Garden that we can really imagine.
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