What do Heaven and Hell look like to different religions?

Zoroastrianism

Judgement followed by heaven or hell. Hell is temporary until final purgation and return to Ahura Mazda.The word Paradise comes from the Zoroastrian image of heaven as a beautiful walled garden. To earn the right to enter this heaven you must be a righteous soul.  When you die the god Mithra awaits at you at the Bridge of the Separator to balance out the good and bad deeds done in your lifetime. If you are score well, you will be escorted across the bridge by a beautiful maiden who is the embodiment of all your good on earth. You are taken to the House of Song to await the Last Day when everyone will be purified and live in a new world absent of evil. If, however, evil outweighs good then an ugly, naked hag drags you from the bridge into hell where you are tormented by your own evil deeds. Fortunately, there is a way out. According to Zoroastrianism, everyone is eventually purified and can join the righteous in paradise.

Islam

Muslims believe that when you die you begin a period of rest that stretches until the day of resurrection. On this day Allah judges everyone according to how they lived their life. If your days were full of good deeds and following the rules of Quran then you can enter the Eden known as Jannah. This heaven is a garden where your wishes are fulfilled and there is no negative emotion. Everyone wears decadent apparel, lazes about on gem studded couches and dines from exquisite banquets. The scenery is said to include mountains of musk, fountains scented with ginger, rivers of milk and honey, fruits of all seasons as well as camels of dazzling whiteness. There are various levels of heaven, the highest being Firdaus (Paradise) where prophets, martyrs and the like end up. Here there are palaces made of gold and you can see God.

However, if your sins outweigh your good deeds your afterlife will be spent in the hell called Jahannam. Here a wall of fire encloses the wicked and showers them with scalding water. They also wear garments of fire and are slashed with iron rods. Again there are different levels of hell including one, Zamhareer, any icy hell where you are subject to unbearable cold and blizzards. The worst level of hell is al-Hawiyah made for hypocrites: those who say they believe in Allah but denounce God in their hearts.

Hinduism

For Hindus, the afterlife is being reborn into the world with a life that reflects your previous life-a samaric process. For example if you were generous in a past life you might be rich in this one. This cycle of reliving is a result of karma and you can only escape through spiritual rituals. Liberation is called moksha and is the the closest thing Hinduism has to heaven-becoming one, losing your identity like a drop in the sea. The Hindu equivalent of hell is simple continuing the cycle of rebirth on Earth.

Buddhism

The Buddha taught that desire causes suffering and keeps us in the cycle of death and rebirth. There are six realms you can be born into; one is the human world while the others are like temporary heavens and hells. The worst is Naraka-gati (endless suffering), and the most pleasant is Deva-gati (realm of the gods). You die in each and are reborn in one of the six again. It is only through Nirvana-enlightenment-that we can escape the cycle of rebirth.

Baha’i

Unlike Western religions, both heaven and hell in the Baha’i faith are symbolic. The living world is likened to the womb but for spiritual rather than physical development. The afterlife is hierarchical, ranked by the good deeds committed in this lifetime. Progression through the ranks is possible but not entirely through conscious effort; the prayer and good deeds done on your behalf on Earth can also help. Closeness to God is heaven and remoteness from God is hell.

Aztec

Aztec religion offers a number of destinations after life, where you end up doesn’t depend on how you lived your life- rather how you died.. The main destination is the neutral underworld “Mictlan” which has nine levels. It takes four years to reach the ninth level, through this journey one must cross a deep river, pass conjoined mountains, fields of icy wind, wild beasts and other miserable fates. When you reach the ninth level you rest.  The dead were buried with objects to help them on their journey through the afterlife such as a statue of a dog to guide the person and a jade heart to replace their own if it got eaten along the way. Women who died during childbirth went straight to the Western paradise to accompany the setting sun. Warriors who died during battle and human sacrifices earned the right to go straight to the Eastern paradise to accompany the rising sun. If a baby died it’s soul went to the 13th level of heaven where the Gods lived.

Taoism

In Taoism death is neither feared nor anticipated, it is seen as merely a transformation from being to non-being — from yang to yin.

Jehovah’s Witnesses

For 144,000 chosen witnesses, they will get the chance to rule in heaven with God. The rest of the witnesses will live in a redesigned Eden on Earth for eternity without sickness, old age or unhappiness. Non believers will be annihilated at the Armageddon. The don’t believe in hell or celebrating birthdays.

Rastafarian

Some Rastas will experience “everliving” (physical immortality). Heaven is a return to Eden, which is in Africa.