Heaven, in the teachings of many religions, is the place or spiritual state in which God, gods, or spirits abide. According to most of these religions, the souls of people who have been faithful to God go to heaven as a reward. Many scriptures describe heaven as a place of dazzling beauty and perfection.
Christianity, Islam, and Judaism teach that heaven is eternal and dominated by God’s presence. Most Christians believe the supreme reward of heaven is the happiness of being close to God. For followers of Islam, heaven is a refreshing garden where the face of God is seen. Jewish writings refer to the highest heaven as the upper part of the universe and describe the grandeur of the heavens. Many Jews believe a future Messiah will establish a kind of heavenly kingdom on earth (see Judaism (The Messiah) ).
According to Buddhism and Hinduism, heaven has many levels. These levels represent degrees of spiritual purity. Buddhists and Hindus believe that if they perform good deeds, their souls will ascend to such levels. But heaven is not eternal. The most advanced believers pass beyond heaven to the eternal states of nirvana and buddhahood. The rest return and are reborn.
See also Religion (A doctrine of salvation) ; Elysium ; Nirvana ; Paradise ; Valhalla .
