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DANIEL JANOSIK: Director of Islamic Studies, Adjunct Professor of Apologetics, Historical Theology, and Islamic Studies at Southern Evangelical Seminary, and the adjunct professor in Apologetics at CIU Columbia International University (A.B., College of William and Mary; M.Div., Columbia International University; M.A., Columbia International University; Ph.D., London School of Theology) Dissertation: John of Damascus, First Apologist to the Muslims.
Today the Muslim concept of salvation is drastically different from the Christian view. Perhaps the best statement to frame the Islamic view of salvation is from Ron Rhodes: “A weak view of sin will always lead to a weak view of salvation.”[1] In other words, Islam minimizes the reality of human sin to such an extent that for the Muslim there is no need for a savior. Each individual Muslim is said to have the ability to save himself. In his book, One with God, Kärkkäinen writes that when it comes to salvation issues, Islam and Christianity are at opposite poles. He says, “In Islam salvation is based on good works, whereas in Christianity salvation comes by faith in the righteousness of God.”[2] As we have already seen with our overview of the early Islamic development of theology, this statement may be too simplistic. However, when we analyze the origin of sin in Islam, it will become apparent that there are crucial distinctions between Christianity and Islam. In addition, a number of reasons for the foundational differences between the two views on salvation will be clarified in this chapter.
The Origin of Sin for a Muslim
It all begins in the garden of Eden. For Muslims, Eden was originally in heaven or Paradise. Adam was created here when Allah formed him from the clay and breathed his own spirit into man’s soul (Q. 38:71-72). Eve was formed out of Adam, though the Qur’anic account does not explain how this took place. The Qur’an also does not name Adam’s wife, though she is known by Muslims as “Hawa.”
While in the garden, Allah taught Adam the names of the animals, which Adam learned with exceptional ability. Allah was pleased with his new creature and ordered all the angels to fall down to him in prostration. All the angels except one, Iblis, obeyed and prostrated themselves before Adam. Iblis refused to bow down to Adam, a mere man. The Qur’an says that Iblis was arrogant and thought he was better than man because he was created from fire instead of clay. For his arrogance, Allah eventually cast Iblis out of Paradise.
Allah gave Adam and Hawa freedom to eat any of the fruit in Paradise except from a certain tree that was forbidden to them. They were told not even to go near it. However, over time Iblis, while he was still in Paradise, continued to entice them to seek immortality by eating the fruit of the tree. As the days went by, Adam continued to think of the tree and living forever in paradise. At one weak moment, he forgot the warning from Allah, took some of the fruit and ate it together with Hawa. At once they realized that they had disobeyed Allah and they felt deeply ashamed. Adam pleaded with Allah to forgive him, and because Adam was sincere Allah relented and forgave him. However, the consequences of this action terminated their life in Paradise, and they were sent to the earth.
Muslims generally believe that Eden was just a testing ground and Allah always intended to send Adam and his wife to the earth. This relocation was not a punishment, however, since Allah had forgiven Adam of his transgression before sending him to earth. Adams’ “sin” was that he had forgotten Allah’s warning, and this led Adam to disobedience. However, this action did not have any effect on Adam’s nature, nor did it affect the rest of the creation in any adverse way. Thus, because Adam could be restored to his position before Allah by asking for forgiveness and receiving Allah’s mercy, there was no lingering curse on the rest of mankind. Adam may have taken a fall, but this did not result in the Fall of man and the rupture of man’s relationship with God that Christians refer to as original sin.
Though there are similarities in the Muslim story of Adam with the Old Testament narrative, there are some fundamental differences. In fact, the view of sin portrayed in the Muslim narrative forms the watershed or the crucial dividing point between Christianity and Islam. All other major distinctions between the two religions, in regard to sin and salvation, stem from these foundational differences.
Not only is the view of salvation in Christianity diametrically opposite from Islam, but the definitions of sin and grace are dramatically different as well. The underlying difference is really the fact that Islam minimizes the impact of human sin to the point where a savior figure is no longer needed. Salvation can thus be earned or achieved by a Muslim, and the matter of sin and forgiveness are between the individual and God.
In order to gain a more complete picture of what sin and salvation mean to a Muslim, we will first survey the Muslim beliefs as they are expressed in four areas: the view of sin, the need for atonement, the place for good works and the assurance of salvation. Then, we will contrast these beliefs with the Christian view in order to clarify the similarities as well as the differences. In the end, it will be apparent how these opposite beliefs impact the two religions in fundamental ways.
The Traditional View of Islam
View of Sin
According to the traditional Muslim view, which was recounted above, there is no original sin, and Adam instead made a mistake in forgetting the covenant he made with Allah. Likewise, all men after him commit sins due to weakness and forgetfulness, but this does not mean that they are depraved. Humans can live a righteous life by following Allah’s law. As Geisler indicates, “whereas in Christian theology man’s disobedience is viewed as a fundamental turning point in his relationship to God, according to the Muslim perspective this was only a single slip on Adam and Eve’s part that was completely forgiven after their repentance.”[3] Thus, unlike in the Christian version of the Fall, there was no effect on the nature of man or the rest of creation. Instead, Adam was expelled from Paradise to Earth, which means that mankind started from Paradise and is now trying to regain Paradise through their actions in the world. For Muslims, however, the transition from Paradise to earth was not a punishment, but rather a promotion to come down to earth to rule as God’s viceroy. Although Adam disobeyed God after he repented of his “mistake” he was fully restored. As Kateregga declares, “Man is not born a sinner and the doctrine of the sinfulness of man has no basis in Islam.”[4]
Meaning of Sin for a Muslim
One of the words for sin in Arabic is dharb. It refers to any action that goes against the commands or wishes of Allah. Since it deals with a person’s deeds, sin for a Muslim is an act and not a state of being. Though the Qur’an says that all people are prone to sin, Allah will be merciful to the ones who turn to him and repent of their sins: “The (human) soul is certainly prone to evil, unless my Lord do bestow His Mercy: but surely my Lord is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful” (Q. 12:53). Therefore, sin is something that can be circumvented by discontinuing a certain action or avoiding temptation. In addition, since it is not considered a state of being, a person should be able to overcome sin on their own simply by living what the Qur’an and the culture consider an upright life. This means that a savior is not necessary for salvation. However, every Muslim must strive to overcome the sin in their life. These sins are categorized in various ways.
Categories of Sin
This is a complex subject, and it can sometimes be confusing because Muslims will categorize sin in different ways. Most will follow tradition and divide sins into major and minor ones. However, others believe there are a number of gradations of sin. The least offensive to Allah would be mistakes[5] (caused by forgetfulness), then immorality,[6]transgressions,[7] and then wickedness and depravity.[8] The greatest sin, however, is ascribing a partner to God, which is called Shirk.[9] Some would say that the greatest sin is against Allah, then against the Brotherhood (other Muslims), and then against mankind as a whole. This would account for the degrees of punishment warranted in the Qur’an for punishment due to transgressors according to these gradations, with sins against Allah, such as Shirk (association of another being with Allah), and apostasy (rejecting Allah as the true God), being worthy of death. Sins against other Muslims would merit punishment ranging from death to the loss of limbs (for stealing), to the loss of property or the payment of a fine. Sins against those outside the Muslim faith would often bring only minimal punishment.
Another way to categorize sins in Islam is found in the Hadith. For example, in Sahih Bukhari, one of the most important collections of the sayings of Muhammad, there are seven major sins (Al-Kaba’ir) listed:
“Avoid the seven noxious things”- and after having said this, the prophet (saw) mentioned them: “associating anything with Allah; magic (equivalent to Witchcraft and Sorcery in English); killing one whom Allah has declared inviolate without a just case, consuming the property of an orphan, devouring usury, turning back when the army advances, and slandering chaste women who are believers but indiscreet.”[10]
However, according to ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas “Seventy is closer to their number than seven,” (and some references even say 700).[11] Here is a typical list of the seven deadly sins from the Qur’an:
Shirk – polytheism
Sihr – magic
Murder
Usury (charging interest)
Consuming wealth or property of orphans
Fleeing from battle
Accusing chaste women of adultery
Some of the 70 would include
Not Praying
Not paying Zakat
Not fasting on a Day of Ramadan without excuse
Not performing Hajj
Fornication and Adultery
Homosexuality (sodomy)
Lying about Allah and His Messenger
Pride and arrogance
Drinking alcohol
Gambling
Frequent lying
Giving and accepting bribes
Breaking contracts
Making statues
Offending and abusing Muslims
Offending people and having an arrogant attitude toward them
Persistently missing Friday Prayers without any excuse
Deceiving and plotting evil
Cursing or insulting any of the Companions of Allah’s Messenger
In addition to this, all other transgressions would be considered “small faults,” and as long as the major sins are avoided, and the minor sins do not persist and become major sins, then the minor sins will be forgiven by Allah.[12] This view seems to be supported in the Qur’an (Q. 4:31):
Allah says, “If you avoid the great sins [daba’ir or dharb – punishable in the afterlife] which you are forbidden to do, We shall remit from you your (small) sins [sayyi’a], and admit you to a Noble Entrance (i.e. Paradise).
However, since there is no official list of the minor sins, these are interpreted in a variety of ways, and often there is confusion about how these transgressions should be dealt with.
A helpful guide that explains the complexity of views on sin in Islam was written by Ibn Hazm of Cordoba in the 11th century AD (994-1064). He called his list the “Five Precious Gifts” (Mawahib) that “ensured salvation except for those who are doomed.”[13] He wrote that (1) Allah pardons minor sins (sagha’ir) as long as grave sins (kaba’ir) are avoided. (2) If Allah grants sincere repentance of grave sins before death, even if the sins are many, their grave sins will become void. (3) If good actions and evil actions are equibalanced, then they will not be held responsible for anything they have done. “The good deeds will drive away the evil deeds” (Q. 11:114). (4) Allah counts an evil action once and a good action ten times, and gives double measure to whom he pleases. (5) Even for those who die having done more evil than good, they can be released from eternal punishment after a time and be transferred to Paradise based upon the “strength of intercession.”[14] Note that according to this view only the kafir, or infidels, would remain in hell after a period of punishment and payment for their sins. All the Muslims would eventually be released to Paradise.
Atonement or Salvation from Sin
Since humans can live a righteous life, Muslims believe there is no need for someone else to provide atonement or “save” them from sin. In Islam, one only needs to seek (tawbah) repentance, which means “to return.” As the Qur’an states,
O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Turn ye to our Lord (in repentance) and bow to His (will), before the Penalty comes on you: after that ye shall not be helped. (Q. 39:53)
Also, Rhodes adds that Allah “has no need to satisfy his own justice” since he can forgive out of his will.[15] Because of this, atonement cannot fit into the Muslim paradigm of sin and salvation because ultimately Allah’s Will is inscrutable. Allah’s law keeps a person on the straight path and the reward is Paradise.[16] Thus, it would make more sense to say that salvation in an Islamic context really only refers to the afterlife.[17] In this regard, Moucarry, a Syrian evangelical Christian and expert in Islamic studies, says that when Muslims “speak of salvation in Islam, what is meant is the way Muslims fulfill their religious obligations so that on the Day of Resurrection they escape God’s judgment, receive forgiveness and enter paradise.”[18] Even if a person fulfills all the good works and lives a good life, Allah may still say in the end that he will not accept the person into paradise. Muslims still hope in the mercy of Allah, however, believing that they can perform adequate works to merit his favor.[19]
Good works are thus sufficient
The Qur’an teaches that salvation, which is basically a reprieve from hell and acceptance into paradise, comes through pleasing Allah with good works. Good works outweigh bad works, so if sufficient good has been done, the believer will enter paradise:
And those whose scales are heavy [with good deeds] – it is they who are the successful. But those whose scales are light – those are the ones who have lost their souls, [being] in Hell, abiding eternally. (Q. 23:102-3).
Thus, Muslims would say that God’s sovereignty and man’s natural capacity to please him and do his will are the two elements which together bring about salvation.[20]
J.P. Edwards explains that even in Islam sin will keep a person out of heaven. Sin must be atoned for, but this is required of individuals for their own sins.[21] In addition, “Atonement is not by sacrifice, but rather doing prescribed good deeds.” (Q. 7:8-9). The greater weight of good deeds cancels out a person’s bad deeds. However, no one will know if they have enough good works until the final judgment.[22]
Based on these components, the concept of Christian “grace” or God’s unmerited favor resulting from a substitute (atonement) is unnecessary for salvation. Ironically, the concept of grace is seen as an affront to Allah’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. Those who claim grace are said to only seek an easy way out of the duty of living a righteous life, and perhaps even jeopardize their afterlife in paradise (since they failed to live a life pleasing to Allah).
Assurance of Salvation
Finally, according to Moucarry, salvation in Islam has four components: faith, obedience, repentance and the Prophet’s intercession on the last day.[23] In regard to faith, Muslims believe that having faith means that one assents to the truths revealed in the Qur’an. Some, such as Muhammad Abul Quasem, say there are two means of salvation: faith (iman) and action/works (amal). In addition, faith has three essential ingredients, “belief in the oneness of God, belief in the prophecy of Muhammad, and belief in life after death.”[24] Others say there are five main objects for faith: belief in “God and his attributes, the prophets and their virtues, the angels, the sacred books, and the day of resurrection.”[25] These beliefs represent most of the six core beliefs in Islam.
Secondly, Muslims believe in salvation through obedience, which is the observance of religious duties. Without obedience, however, there would be no faith. In this sense, faith is a function of obedience and is actualized through works. Works follow the five pillars of the confession of faith, prayer, fasting, almsgiving and hajj. This is why Quasem reminds his readers that, “Belief alone is not enough.”[26]
Thirdly, Muslims believe that repentance is necessary for salvation. Repentance means to turn away from sin and ask for forgiveness from Allah so that he would intercede for them (Q. 40:3). In a sense, without intercession (God’s mercy) no one can be saved. This appears at first to be similar to the Christian view but is only superficially alike because in Islam Allah simply pardons sin. No sacrifice for sin is required. Therefore, Christ’s death on a cross is not needed.[27] Some Muslims believe that Muhammad will be able to intercede for sinners, but intercession by Muhammad is based on Muhammad being the last prophet of God and is found only in the hadiths, not in the Qur’an.
Thus, salvation for Muslims is achieved by faith in Allah and his messenger, and ultimately by Allah’s mercy (and perhaps the intercession of Muhammad or others). However, even faith in Allah and his mercy is measured by a person’s good works outweighing their bad deeds to the extent that in a very real sense their salvation, or entrance into Paradise, is dependent on what they do or do not do. If God’s mercy enters into the picture, it is mostly arbitrary. This often produces a fatalistic view of the future since Muslims neither know whether their good works will outweigh their bad works (there is no “cosmic scorecard” they can refer to), nor are they assured that God’s mercy will save them from hell. Perhaps this is why some choose the path of active jihad, clinging to Muhammad’s promise that if they are killed while fighting the infidel, they will gain instant entrance into Paradise (Q. 3:195, 2:244, 4:95).
In summary, in Islam there is no “original sin,” but rather Adam merely made a “mistake” by forgetting the covenant he made with God. In this way, he did not commit a sin that transformed his nature. Therefore, men are responsible for their own “sins,” which are committed because they are weak and forgetful, but not depraved. Atonement, then, or reconciliation with Allah, is not necessary in Islam because people are able to free themselves from the bondage of sin in their own strength (Q. 23.102-3). And even though it is understood that ultimately salvation is dependent on Allah’s grace, which is capricious since he makes arbitrary decisions and he has no need to satisfy his own justice, most Muslims still hope that in the end, they will end up in paradise. They may not have the assurance that Christians claim, but their dependence on good works at least gives them the sense that they are doing all they can on their own. The rest they leave up to Allah.
Examination of Islamic View of Sin and Salvation
These four primary beliefs in Islam (the view of sin, the need for atonement, the place for good works and the assurance of salvation), are very different from those of Christianity, and these differences often leads to religious and even cultural clashes. However, there are also many similar aspects woven through the two contrasting religions. How does this fit together? The answer, perhaps, is that Islam may have adopted the outward characteristics of the Judeo-Christian religion, but substituted new foundational premises. The result is that the conclusions drawn from those premises are markedly different. This can be seen in the consideration of the human problem, also discussed as “sin and salvation.” In the discussion above, the Islamic understanding of these issues starts with a root cause, offers a solution, and concludes with an optimal outcome: the problem of mankind is ignorance, which is solved by the guidance which Allah offers, and the intended result is success (in this life and the next). Christians, however, have a different set of premises and thus a different conclusion: The root problem of man is a sin nature that causes him to be disobedient, the solution is atonement or forgiveness through the substitutionary death of Christ, and the intended outcome is victory in terms of salvation.
These very different ways of defining “sin” thus lead to contrary understandings of God and salvation. As Mark Drurie says, “Whereas Islam sees the world as divided into winners (the rightly guided) and losers (the ignorant), in Christianity the world is divided into the lost (the unsaved) and the found (the saved).”[28] It is very important, therefore, to realize that when a Muslim and a Christian are discussing their faith, although they both use the words “sin,” “grace,” and “salvation,” those words have completely different meanings depending on who is using them! In addition, while Islam sees ignorance as the human problem, Christianity sees sin as the real problem because it separates us from a holy God. Therefore, Muslims say they need guidance in order to have success, while Christians seek forgiveness in order to attain salvation.[29] Since their understandings of the human predicament are so different, their search for solutions will be very different as well. These dissimilar beliefs can be understood better when we compare the four areas involved: the view of sin, the need for atonement, the place for good works and the assurance of salvation.
View of Sin
Christian View
In Christianity, sin separates us from God and must be dealt with. However, man is incapable of redeeming himself from sins that are committed against God and therefore needs a divine savior who can atone for his sin and satisfy God’s divine justice. Since this is beyond our ability, no amount of good works will be adequate to save us from eternal separation. Even the faith we need to accept Christ’s atoning death is a gift from God through his grace, or unmerited favor. It is all the work of God. The Islamic view of humanity, however, does not acknowledge fallenness or depravity.[30] In Islam there is no conversion or regeneration, just remembering.[31]
Perhaps this is why Fazhur Rahman says that “For Islam, there is no particular “salvation”: there is only “success [falāh]” or “failure [khusrān]” in the task of building the type of world order we are describing.”[32] Faruqi even goes so far to say that, strictly speaking, salvation does not exist in Islam because it is not needed. Man has been endowed with all that is necessary to fulfill the divine will.[33]
In Christianity an atonement is necessary
Wayne Gruden defines Atonement as “the work Christ did in his life and death to earn our salvation.”[34] Basically, Christians believe that God in his justice demands that there would be payment of the penalty for sin, which is death, and yet in his love God desires to forgive us for our sins and restore us to fellowship with him. As sinners worthy of death, we need a sinless advocate who by his own death could act as a substitute and pay the penalty for our sins. Jesus Christ is the only one who could do this. In a way, Jesus restored us to a righteous position where we enjoy an at-one-ment relationship with God instead of his wrath for our actions against him. Therefore, without the work of Christ on the cross on our behalf we could not be reconciled with God, nor would we be able to have any assurance of being with him in heaven.
In Islam, people believe they are able to free themselves from the bondage of sin in their own strength. In this belief there is a lack of understanding the depth of our sins and total depravity of our souls. In regard to the rejection of total depravity, Geisler says that the Islamic view is not consistent with reality. He points out that even Muslims have to admit that human beings are sinful and the Qur’an attests to this: “if God were to punish men for their wrong-doing, He would not leave, on the earth, a single living creature” (Q. 16:61). Thus, Muslims would have to concur with the Bible which states that no one is righteous and sinless except Jesus, which the Qur’an also affirms (Q. 3:46, 19:19).[35]
Muslims also conclude that atonement is unnecessary because Allah makes arbitrary decisions. He says, “Let it be” and it is done. “He has no need to satisfy his own justice.”[36] Thus, forgiveness is by Allah’s will, not by justification. Perhaps this is why Moucarry says, “Islam does not acknowledge our moral downfall and consequently the necessity of our redemption.”[37]
Good works are not enough
All other religions, in one way or another, set up a system that provides some kind of hope for eternal reward based on what committed followers do in their words, thoughts, and deeds. However, Christianity teaches that no amount of good works will ever be enough to pay the penalty for our sins because God’s justice is higher than any of our deeds.
On the other hand, “salvation” according to the Qur’an is through pleasing Allah by good works (Q. 23:102-3). For a Muslim, this means that what you do is more important than who you are, whereas the focus in Christianity is on the inner being of man. Following this difference, Michael Youssef comments that, “the main emphasis in Islam is on external behavior, not the inward transformation of the heart, mind, and will. Islam is a religion of rituals and external acts – overt behavior that one must engage in with the hope of receiving Allah’s favor.”[38]
Why Good Works?
Michael Youssef recognizes that “salvation” as Christians define it is not a concept that Muslims accept. Therefore, it may not be accurate to say that Muslims believe in a “salvation by works.” According to the Qur’an, man is born into a natural state of purity (or “fitrah,” Q. 30:30), and remains so until he makes himself guilty by doing a guilty deed (disobeying Allah).[39]
Therefore, since Islam does not view man as having a sinful nature, his nature does not need to be transformed.[40] This may be why the Palestinian-American philosopher, Ismail al-Faruqi, writes, “in the Islamic view, human beings are no more ‘fallen’ than they are ‘saved.’ Because they are not ‘fallen,’ they have no need of a savior. But because they are not ‘saved’ either, they need to do good works – and to do them ethically – which alone will earn them the desired ‘salvation.’”[41]
Instead of “salvation” in a Christian sense, Faruqui believes religious justification is the motivating force for doing good works. Therefore, he claims that “only [the] works and deeds constitute justification in God’s eyes.” Thus, he believes it is not salvation by works, but rather religious justification by works that provides hope for Muslims. In other words, Muslims hope to escape hell by doing enough good works to justify themselves before Allah and gain his mercy.
However, Faruqui’s explanation of justification still falls short because it focuses on the outward works of a person rather than the inward nature. This superficial “salvation” does not deal with sin as a part of man’s essential nature and therefore excludes the need for forgiveness. Indeed, as Youssef points out, “according to Islam, forgiveness is not an essential part of Allah’s nature.”[42] However, if our sin nature truly separates us from a holy God, then without forgiveness there is no hope. Thus, this lack of forgiveness may be another reason for good works on the part of Muslims, because if they never experience the forgiveness of God, then all they have to justify themselves before Allah are the works that they do. This may be why Youssef concludes that “Muslims live their lives in fear of offending Allah and suffering an eternity in hell. The Muslim experience is an experience of continual spiritual anxiety because a Muslim can never be assured of having done enough good deeds and religious rituals to have earned acquittal before the eternal Judge.” (Youssef, 85).
The Muslim Dilemma
This lack of assurance leads to a very real existential crisis for many Muslims. They need more than just the hope that good works will gain Allah’s favor. Some will conclude that Allah, in his mercy, will grant them entrance into paradise, but their theology provides only a flawed view of grace and mercy. Therefore, they are left without a foundation to understand total forgiveness, creating an existential desire that cannot be fulfilled by their beliefs.
While Christians view Christ’s sacrifice as the bridge between sin and grace, Muslims reject the concept of unmerited favor because they do not consider their natures to be corrupted or in need of transformation. In fact, Geisler reminds us that Islamic theology is “violently opposed to salvation by grace through faith, based on the crucified and risen Christ.”[43] Thus, if they don’t need a savior, then they must save themselves. Therefore, the need for good works comes in. When they realize that they cannot be assured that they will ever have enough good works, then their only resort is the mercy of Allah. However, mercy is a difficult concept since it lies too close to unmerited favor or “grace,” a concept which leads naturally to the need for some kind of intercession and thus even a savior figure. But this goes against their entire theology of man’s uncorrupted nature. Therefore, in the attempt to be their own savior, they are ultimately prevented from embracing the only savior who can truly save them from their sins. This is why Youssef writes that,
“Even the most devout and pious Muslim has no assurance of winning Allah’s favor and entering paradise. A Muslim could conceivably observe all the tenets of Islam throughout his or her life and still be rejected by Allah in the end. There is no assurance of salvation in Islam.”[44]
No assurance of Salvation
Comparatively speaking, then, the differing diagnoses of humanity’s conditions are met with different solutions by each. As one Muslim puts it, “In Islam, humans are not seen as being in such a hopeless situation before God: we are seriously ill, but not spiritually dead.”[45] However, as Edwards points out, “Islamic theology presents man with a more hopeful beginning, but a less assured end than Christianity, which robs men of all hope in themselves, but offers a guarantee of righteousness, peace, and paradise unmatched by Islam.”[46] Thus, Christianity’s solution for sin seems to both satisfy God’s justice and bridge the gap between God’s sovereignty and man’s free will.
Muslims Reject Divine Justice
The “less hopeful beginning” and “more assured end” that Christianity offers hinges on a key concept that Islam fundamentally rejects: divine justice. This is the essential quality that Christians believe God possesses and which can only be satisfied by the atonement of a sinless savior. According to J.D. Greear, there are four reasons why Muslims reject the Christian’s view of “divine justice.” First of all, if Jesus’ death on the cross is necessary to enable God to forgive, then God’s power is limited. This implies that something must happen first before God can act, which limits God’s actions and therefore, according to Islam, must be inaccurate. Second, it makes us more merciful than God since we can forgive without demanding a sacrifice, but God cannot. Third, Muslims do not believe that guilt can be transferred to someone else, even if Jesus were deity. Each person is responsible for his own destiny (Q. 6:164 and Q. 2:233). Fourth, Muslims do not believe that someone else can pay for sins. A person’s sin must be weighed against one’s good works. The individual must bear the weight of his own sins.[47] Clearly, Muslims and Christians define not only justice differently but also have different understandings of what it means to forgive, what mercy actually is, and the concept of payment or propitiation (a Latin term meaning to conciliate or appease a person or deity).
Implications and Apologetic Conclusions
In conclusion, salvation for Muslims is achieved by faith in Allah and his messenger, and ultimately by Allah’s mercy (and perhaps the intercession of Muhammad or others). However, even faith in Allah and his mercy is measured by a person’s good works outweighing his or her bad deeds to the extent that in a very real sense their salvation, or entrance into paradise, is very dependent on what that person does or does not do. If God’s mercy enters into the picture, it is mostly arbitrary. Therefore, there is no room for grace or the idea of atonement in this religious worldview. This often produces a fatalistic view of the future since Muslims neither know whether their good works will outweigh their bad works, (there is no “cosmic scorecard” they can refer to), nor are they assured that God’s mercy will save them from hell. Perhaps this is why some choose the path of active jihad, clinging to Muhammad’s promise that if they are killed while fighting the infidel, they will gain instant entrance into paradise (Q. 3:195, 2:244, 4:95).
This is why it is so important for Muslims to understand the biblical view of sin and salvation. Muslims need to understand the gravity of sin so they will realize their need for a savior and their utter helplessness to save themselves. Without this realization, then it is very difficult to convince a Muslim of his need for Christ. Muslims need the grace of God and the Holy Spirit working in their lives. Otherwise, their dependency on their own works will lead to legalism, which is the natural outcome of the Islamic definitions of sin, grace, and salvation. Due to this focus, Muslims have no way of understanding the concept of grace as anything but a form of “cheating” on a divine test. Thus, Muslims view legalism positively because it is an outward sign of piety and hard work, while Christians view it negatively due to their theological definition of “grace,” leading to further difficulties in dialogue between the two religions. How can we overcome these difficulties?
Building Bridges to Understand
Works versus faith as the basis of salvation is understood very differently by Muslims and Christians. Every known religion in the world has one of two methods for finding favor in the eyes of the deity: good works that earn merit, or a free gift of grace (unmerited favor) from the deity to the human. Islam holds more of the former belief while Christianity holds only the latter. Surah 5:9 explains, “To those who believe and do deeds of righteousness hath Allah promised forgiveness and a great reward.” This highlights well the combination of Allah’s grace and the believer’s works, which together save the Muslim from punishment in hell and reward him or her with divine favor.[48] However, this makes salvation ultimately more of a reward than the free gift the Bible teaches that it is. Ephesians 2:8-9 is a good verse to help explain this concept: “For by grace through faith you have been saved, not by works, so that no one can boast.” Christians, therefore, believe that works flow out of a true believer in gratitude and obedience to God, but that those works cannot lend even the slightest benefit to their actual salvation since that is the free gift of God alone and is 100% reliant on him. Such a contrasting view of salvation can give a Christian the opportunity to point out God’s gracious love and mercy. A good verse to share at this time is Romans 5:8, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” First, ask your Muslim friend how many good deeds would be sufficient enough to merit God’s favor. Then, ask them what they think is God’s greatest demonstration of love. Share with them Romans 5:8 and emphasize that God’s greatest demonstration of love came through providing his Son, Jesus, as the payment for our sin. This provision is an act of God’s grace that rules out any possibility that we could work for our salvation. It also assures Christians that they can never lose what they did not gain through their own works (John 10:28). This is the assurance that your Muslim friend would very much like to have. Therefore, it is very important to be sensitive to this need and share with them the hope that you have.
Finally, it may be helpful to bring in the verse from the Qur’an on crucifixion (Q. 4:157) and use it to compare the Muslim denial of the crucifixion with the Christian belief that without a crucifixion there cannot be a death that paid our debt. We would then still be in our sins with no escape from hell. If God is the only one who can pay the price for our sins, and no amount of good works will be enough, then we begin to see how much Christian salvation rests on the good work of Christ on the cross. Because Jesus did the work and paid the penalty, we can “merit” our salvation through his substitution on the cross. Muslims cannot understand how God would die in our place for the sins that we committed. Yet, this radical love is exactly what Muslims need to know in order to experience assurance in their own lives.
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[23] Moucarry, Faith to Faith, 101. In Islam, similar terms regarding salvation are shared with Christianity, but the meaning is often quite different.
[46] J.P. Edwards, “Sin And Its Solutions In Islam And Christianity,” http://www.ciu.edu:Nov. 16, 2010, 1.
[47] J.D. Greear, Breaking the Islam Code (Harvest House, 2010), 61.
[48] In fact, technically a Muslim’s good works must outweigh his evil deeds to earn him entrance to heaven, but Allah can will the Muslim’s entrance despite a negative balance if he, Allah, so wills it.
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