The Ultimate Boundary Crossing: Paradise and Hell in the Commentaries

Abstract

This chapter deals with the theme of “the ultimate boundary crossing” from this world to the otherworld in Sufism. It shows that the most dominant eschatological themes are nearness to God in the hereafter, meeting with Him and the vision of Him. It sketches an as complete as possible picture of the conceptions of the hereafter found in the five main Sufi Qurʾan commentaries of this study. It is the first in-depth study of these sources on this particular theme, and the findings may prove to be relevant for future research on the topic of Sufism and the hereafter.