sin and atonement in islam and christianity

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SIN ANDATONEMENT IN

ISLAM AND

CHRISTIANITY

Iskander Jadeed

1 Sin In Islam 2

2 Sin In Christianity 8

21 The Coming of Sin into theWorld 8

22 Sin is an Inheritance9

23 The Effect of Sin on Man 10

24 The Wages of Sin10

3 Atonement In Islam11

31 Godliness atones for sins 13

4 Forgiveness In Islam 13

41 Works and Forgiveness13

42 Fasting and Forgiveness 14

43 Pilgrimage and Forgiveness14

44 Giving of Alms and Forgiveness 15

45 Striving in the Way of Allah and

Forgiveness 15

46 The Reading of the Quran andForgiveness 15

47 The Testimony of the Creed andForgiveness 16

48 The Will of Allah andForgiveness 16

49 Sins which cannot be Forgiven in

Islam16

5 Atonement In Christianity17

51 Reasons which make RedemptionNecessary19

52 Good Works and Forgiveness21

53 Prayer and Forgiveness21

54 Fasting and Forgiveness 21

6 A Summary 22

7 Quiz 22

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1 Sin In Islam

There are many words for sin in theQuran The most important are as follows

1 Al Dhanb (offence crime misdeed) -There are 39 verses on this subject inthe Quran Most of them align with thethought expressed in Sura al-Fath481-2 Lo We have given thee (OMuhammad) clear victory that Allahmay forgive thee of thy sin (Al Dhanb)which is passed and that which is tocome

2 Al Fahsha (vile deed crime adultery)- This term is used mostly to expressthe sin of adultery The Quran forbidsit saying Do not draw near to viledeeds neither that which is seen or thatwhich is hidden (Sura al-Anam6151)

3 Al Wizr (sin as a heavy load burdenencumbrance) - Have We not given

thee relief and removed the burden (Al

Wizr) which weighed down on thyback (Sura al-Sharh 941-3)

Explaining this verse Al Fakhr AlRazi said that the angel Gabriel cameto Muhammad cut open his chest took out his heart washed and purified itfrom rebelliousness and then filled itwith knowledge and faith

Ibn Hisham quoting Muhammad IbnIshaq explained this saying A group

of Muhammads friends asked him Oprophet of Allah tell us aboutyourself He replied I was nursedamong the Bani Sad When I was witha foster brother behind our housestaking care of the herd there came tome two men dressed in white andcarrying a golden bowl full of snowThey took me and split open my bodyand removed my heart and split it andtook from it a clot of dark blood andthrew it away Then they washed myheart and my body in the snow Thenone said to the other Weigh himagainst ten of his people He did soand I outweighed them Then he saidWeigh him against one hundred of hispeople He did so and I outweighedthem also Then he said Weigh himagainst a thousand of his people Hedid so and I outweighed them alsoThen he said Leave him for byAllah if you were to weigh him

against all his people he wouldoutweigh them

4 Al Dalal (straying to be lost) - ThyLord will give unto thee so that thouwilt be satisfied Did He not find theean orphan and shelter thee Did He notfind thee destitute and enrich thee(Sura al-Duha 936-8) Al Kalbiinterpreted the word lost and straying

SIN AND ATONEMENT IN ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY

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as unbelief

5 Al Kufr (godlessness atheism) - Asthe Quran says to the believers Allahhath made atheism (Al Kufr) andiniquity and rebellion hateful untoyou (Sura al-Hujurat 497) AlZamakhshari explains this expressionsaying There are three subjects hereAl Kufr which is denial of God andAl Fusuk which is lying and AlUsyan which is rebellion

6 Al Zulm (unjust iniquity unfairness) -

As it is said When thy Lord calledMoses saying Go to the unjust folk (Al Zalimin) (Sura al-Shuara 2610)

7 Al Ithm (crime misdeed offence) -The Quran says Forsake wickednessboth the open practice and the secretintention thereof Lo those whopractice misdeeds will be awardedaccording to that which they havecommitted (Sura al-Anam 6121)

8 Al Fudjur (immorality depravity) - Itis said in the Quran And lo Thedepraved (Al Fudjur) verily will be inhell and they will not be absent fromit they will burn therein on the Day of Judgment (Sura al-Infitar 8214-15)

9 Al Khatia (sin offence) - The Quransays Whoso committeth a sin (AlKhatia) or misdeed (Al Ithm) thenblames it on the innocent hathburdened himself with slander (AlBuhtan) (Sura al-Nisa 4112)

There are three names for sin in thisverse Al Khutia Al Ithm and AlBuhtan Al Imam Al Razidistinguished between them in theseways

1 Al Khatia is small (sin) and AlIthm is great (sin)

2 Al Khatia is a fault which affects

the sinner himself and Al Ithm is acrime against others such asinjustice and murder

3 Al Khatia is an act which shouldnot be done whether it is eitherpre-meditated or by mistake andAl Ithm is a sin which isdeliberately committed

4 Al Buhtan however is the castingof detestable suspicion on aninnocent person The slanderer is

censured with the strongest censurein this world and most severelypunished in Eternity

10 Al Sharr (evil) - The Quran statesWhoso doeth ill (Al Sharr) an atomsweight will see it then (Suraal-Zalzala 998)

Abu Jafar Al Tabari quoting Yunusbin Abd Al Ala from Ibn Wahab fromYahya bin Abd Allah from Abi Abd

Al Rahman Al Hubali from Abd Allahbin Amr bin Al As said Thischapter was sent down when Abu BakrAl Saddik was seated He wept when itwas sent down The Prophet of Allahsaid to him What makes you weepAbu Bakr and he replied This Suramakes me weep Then the Prophetsaid to him If you did not sin and dowrong and in that received Allahsforgiveness Allah would create apeople who would sin and do wrongand would forgive them

11 Al Sayyia (offence misdeed) - TheQuran says Whoso bringeth amisdeed (Al Sayyia) such will beflung down on their faces in the Fire(Sura Alnaml 2790)

Ibn Abbas said When this verse wassent down the believers found it






unbearable and said to Muhammad

Who of us has not done misdeedshow then will the recompense be andMuhammad replied Allah haspromised for obedience ten blessingsand for one disobedience onepunishment so one to whom anoffence is accounted loses one of theten blessings and nine still remain

12 Al Su (evil misfortune) - It is saidHe who doeth evil (Al Su) will havethe recompense thereof and cannot

find against Allah any protecting friendor helper (Sura al-Nisa 4123)

13 Al Fasad (corruption) - It is stated inthe Quran When (the hypocrite)turns away (from thee) to corrupt theworld the crops and the people aredestroyed and truly Allah does not lovecorruption (Sura al-Baqara 2205)

14 Al Fisk (viciousness moral depravity)- It is written in the Quran VerilyWe have sent down unto thee clearverses and no one other than thedepraved consider them a lie (Suraal-Baqara 299) Commentatorsexpound that Al Fisk is when mangoes beyond that which God haslimited and that the depraved aregodless

15 Al Buhtan (slander lying) - It iswritten It is not for us to speak of this Praise to Thee (Allah) this isawful slander (Al Buhtan) (Sura AlNur 2416)

There are many other words whichdescribe Sin but we have no space inwhich to mention them or their Quraniccontext Before I finish the discussionabout sin I must mention that the Quranteaches the existence of original sin andstates that it was the cause of the fall of

Adam and Eve and their descendants

There are many verses in the Quranproving this but it is enough to mentionthe clearest and easiest to understand

For example the Quran states And Wesaid O Adam Dwell you and your wifein Paradise (the Garden of Eden) and eatwith pleasure from its fruits wherever youwant but do not come near this tree lestyou become of those who offend ButSatan misled them and expelled them fromthe place in which they were and We saidFall down each one of you a foe unto theother There shall be for you on earth ahabitation and provision for a time ThenAdam received from his Lord words andhe (Allah) accepted his repentance Lo Heis the acceptor of repentance (forgiving)the Merciful (Sura al-Baqara 235-37)

Arabic scholars disagree over thewhereabouts of Adam and Eve before theirfall Abu Kasim Al Balkhi and Abu

Muslim Al Isfahani said Paradise (theGarden) was on Earth and explained thatthe Fall (Al Ihbat) was a transfer from oneplace to another as the Quran uses theverb fall (Ihbat) for removal eg go downto Egypt (Sura al-Nisa 261) But AlDjabbai said that Paradise (the Garden)was in the seventh heaven because it issaid fall down from it

It is to be noted that the Quran agrees withthe text of Genesis in that the rebellion of

Adam was the eating from the tree in themidst of the Garden However Muslimscholars disagree over what kind of tree itwas They have many accounts all basedon proofs ascribed to Islamic tradition Toquote some of these

bull Ishak quoting from Abd Al Razzaksaid We were told by Ibn Uyaynaand Ibn Al Mubarak and Al Hasan bin






Amara and Minhal bin Amru and

Said bin Jubair and Ibn Abbas that thetree which God has forbidden to Adamand his wife was an ear of corn

bull Ibn Hamid said that he was told bySalama quoting Ibn Ishak somepeople of Yaman and Wahab binMunabbih Al Yamani that it waswheat but that a single grain of it wasthe size of a cows kidney softer thanbutter and sweeter than honey

bull It is said that Abu Bakr Al Saddik

asked the Prophet of Allah about thetree and he replied The blessed treewas an ear of corn

bull Salama said that he was told byMuhammad bin Ishak and Yakub binAtaba that it was the tree which theangels rubbed against to gainimmortality

bull Ibn Waki said he was told by AbdAllah who received it from Israil whoreceived it from Al Saddi who wastold by Ibn Abbas that it was a vine

bull Mudjahid and Katada said it was as figtree

bull Al Rabi Ibn Uns said that he who eatsof the tree has to defecate and thereshould not be any defecation inParadise (the Garden)

The Quran agrees also with the book of Genesis in that Adam and Eve approached

the tree to eat through the seduction of theDevil for it says the Devil misled them

Ibn Djuraydj said quoting Ibn Abbas thatthe word misled should be He seducedthem

In the teaching of the Quran Adam is oneof the Prophets and Prophets according toIslamic teaching are infallible Thus there

has arisen a problem concerning the fall

of Adam Commentators haveendeavoured to escape from this difficultyand have said that at the time when thatoffence was committed Adam was not aprophet but became one afterwards Thisopinion is not unanimously acceptedOther commentators have said that Adamwas a prophet from the beginning but fellthrough forgetfulness They compared himwith someone fasting who forgets and eatsby mistake because he has been absorbed

in some activity of life Yet other versionis that Eve offered him wine until hebecame drunk Therefore he sinned whilehe was drunk

I cant understand how this explanation canfind acceptance since the Quran saysThen Adam received from his Lord wordsand He (Allah) accepted his repentanceLo He is the acceptor of repentance(forgiving) and Merciful (Sura al-Baqara237) The word repentance here shows

that without doubt he fell into sin wilfullyeven though as the Bible says he tried toblame Eve

On the other hand many scholars confirmthat Adam ate from the tree intentionallyAbu Djafar Al Tabari quoting Yunis AbdAl Ala and Wahab and Ibn Zayd inexplaining the expression Adam receivedfrom his Lord words said He Allahtaught them this verse Our Lord we havewronged ourselves If you do not forgiveus and have mercy on us surely we arelost

Musa bin Harun quoting Amr binHammad and Asbat and Al Saddi inexplanation of the verse Adam receivedfrom his Lord words said Adam said tothe Lord Have you not created me byyour hand The answer was yes Have






you not breathed into me your spirit The

answer was yes Does not your mercysurpass your wrath The answer was yesHe said O Lord have you predestined meto do this The answer was yes Then hesaid O Lord if I repent and makeamends will you restore me to Paradise(the Garden) He said yes Allah saidThen his Lord chose him and accepted hisrepentance and guided him

Another account from Muhammad binBashshar who quoted Abd Al Rahmanbin Mahdi who was informed by Sufyanwho received it from Abd Al Aziz binRafi who in turn said he was informed byone who heard Ubayd bin Umayr saysthat Adam said O Lord this sin of minewhich I committed was it foreordained byYou before You created me or somethingwhich I invented myself Allah said Itwas something I foreordained for youbefore I created you Then Adam saidAs You have foreordained this for me

forgive me So the verse Adam receivedfrom his Lord words was given

All these explanations do not negate thelogical fact that Adam chose to sin This iswhat Al Fakhr Al Razi thought when hesaid The verses which they (scholars)adhere to concerning actions of people aremany and the first of them is the story of Adam They hold seven views with regardto this

1 That he was disobedient and thedisobedient is a great sinner in twoways First the text of the Qurandemands that he must be punishedaccording to the word of the Highestwho said who disobeys Allah and HisProphet deserves the fires of the hellSecondly the word disobedient is aderogatory title which must not be

given except to great sinners

2 It is demonstrated from the story of Adam that he was seduced as theQuran states He was seduced andseduction is against right guidance

3 He was repentant and the repentant isan offender The repentant isremorseful over his offences and theone who is thus remorseful confessesabout himself that he is an offender If he lies in that confession then he is anoffender in lying and if he is true in

his confession he has proved himself an offender

4 He committed that which wasforbidden by His (Allahs) words DidI not forbid that tree to both of youand Do not draw near to this tree andthe committing of that which isforbidden is the essence of offence

5 He was called a transgressor accordingto his (Allahs) words Then you willbe from the transgressors He (Adam)called himself a transgressor in theverse O Lord we have transgressedagainst ourselves The transgressor isaccursed according to Allahs wordsTruly the curse of Allah rests on thetransgressors and he who merited thecurse was a great sinner

6 gtHe (Adam) confessed that if it werenot for the forgiveness of Allahgranted to him then he would surelybe one of those who had lost all Thushe declared himself to be a greatsinner

7 He was sent out of the Garden becauseof Satans devilish insinuation and hisdegradation was a recompense for hisact in obeying Satan Thisdemonstrated that he was a greatsinner






There is disagreement among scholars as

to how Satan entered Paradise (theGarden) and was enabled to tempt Adam

Al Kassas quoting Wahab bin Munabbihand Al Saddi and Ibn Abbas said thatWhen Satan wanted to enter Paradise (theGarden) he was forbidden by the angelicguards After he had presented himself tothe other animals and not one of them hadaccepted him he came to the serpent acreature having four limbs the best of allwalking creatures So the serpentswallowed him and brought him into theGarden secretly When the serpent enteredParadise (the Garden) the Devil emergedfrom his mouth and busied himself withhis whisperings There is no doubt that theserpent was cursed lost its legs and had tocrawl upon its belly Its sustenance wasfound in the dust and it became an enemyof the children of Adam

In a book (Djami Al Bayan) of Al Tabari

he quotes Al Hasan Abi Yahya and AbdAl Razzak who said Amr bin Abd AlRahman bin Muharrib told us that he heardWahab bin Munabbih say When Allahput Adam and his descendants in Paradise(the Garden) He forbade them the TreeThe Tree had manifold intertwiningbranches and fruit which the angelspartook of in order to gain theirimmortality This is the fruit which Allahforbade Adam and his wife When theDevil desired to cause their downfall heentered inside the serpent which had fourlimbs and was from the best of the walkingcreatures which Allah had created Whenthe serpent entered Paradise (the Garden)the Devil emerged from inside it and took from the Tree which God had forbiddento Adam and his wife and brought the fruitto Eve and said Look at this Tree howfragrant is its scent how delicious its taste

and how nice its colour So Eve took and

ate from it then went with it to Adam andsaid Look at this Tree how fragrant is itsscent how delicious its taste and how niceits colour Then Adam also ate from itand their shame appeared to them Adamthen entered the hollow of the Tree and hisLord called to him O Adam where areyou He replied I am here O LordAllah asked him Will you not comeforth But Adam replied I amembarrassed before Thee O Lord Then

Allah said Cursed be the earth fromwhich you were created a curse whichwill change its fruits into thorns (Therewas not in Paradise (the Garden) nor onearth anything like it (the fruit) which wasbetter than the banana and the lotus) ThenGod said O Eve you are the whodeceived my slave You will not becomepregnant except with aversion and whenyou desire to bring forth children you willoften be near to death To the serpent He

(Allah) said You were the one whobrought the accursed one inside you intothe Garden to receive my slave Thereforeyou are completely cursed Your limbswill go into your belly and there shall beno sustenance for you other than dust Youare the enemy of men and they are yoursWherever you find one of them you willcatch his heels and where he finds you hewill shatter your head

Other experts in the Islamic Law say that

when Adam and Eve were going towardsthe gate of the Garden the Devil waswaiting nearby and he began to whisper tothem

However there is a text in the Quranwhich settles the matter as to whetherAdam was a sinner This says But Satanwhispered to him O Adam Shall I showthee the tree of immortality and a






possession that wasteth not away Then

the two of them ate so that their shamebecame apparent unto them and theybegan to cover themselves with some of the leaves of the Garden And Adamdisobeyed his Lord so he went astray(Sura Ta Ha 20120-121)

This word astray is taken from a rootmeaning error Al Razi in explaining theword astray says it is synonymous witherror Error is the opposite of integrity of conduct Such a sin includes only thedepraved who is resigned to his dissolutelife

Abu Imam Al Bahili said The case of Adam was extraordinary as Allahawakened in him desire for continual restand an ordered life by his saying Let himnot drive you both out of the Garden sothat you be distressed and that you donot thirst therein nor toil (Sura Ta Ha20117119) The Devil also made him

desire continual rest saying Shall I showthee the Tree of Immortality and also todesire an ordered life by saying and apossession that wasteth not away Thething which Allah made Adam desire wasthe same as mentioned by the Devil ButAllah made it conditional on his nottouching the tree Satan on the other handsenticed him to partake of it Then seeing asAdam had a perfect mind and theknowledge that Allah was his Lordteacher and helper and the knowledge thatthe Devil was his enemy how did hebelieve the Devil and reject the word of Allah

It is a fact that the commentators areunable to eradicate the offence of Adambecause the Quran declares his offence inthe saying Adam disobeyed his Lord andwent astray The commentators all agree

relying on the verses of the Quran that

rebellion is an offence and the rebel is aname of disparagement which is not givenexcept to a great sinner There is no reasonin giving the name a great sinner exceptit be to one who has committed a deedworthy of punishment

2 Sin In Christianity

Sin is evident in the history of mankindEveryone who examines his own heart or

considers the behaviour of his fellowmanmust admit it to be a reality All men eventhose who have never received the light of divine revelations are conscious of theirsins and confess their shortcomings andinability to fulfill the moral obligationsdemanded of them

Sin is not merely shameful behaviour asmany people think but it is also adeparture from God our Creator and soleaim This departure from God is not just

the inclination towards evil it is aseparation from that which is good

Experience has proved that the naturalman cannot discern the power of sin andthe strength of its influence in man Thebeliever has the divine law as his instructorto lead him to Christ Christ gave mangrace so he knows the reality of sin and itseffect in luring him into a state of depravity He became aware of his needfor divine grace and for the blood of atonement for his justification

Sin is transgression of the law of God (1John 34) It is offensive to God no matterwhat the sinners excuse may be or howinsignificant the sin

21 The Coming of Sin into theWorld






We read in Romans 512 that Sin came

into the world through one man and deaththrough sin and in this way death came toall men because all sinned The apostlemeans that the cause of all men becomingsinners was Adam the father of mankindPaul in using the words through onemen looks upon Adam and Eve as oneas is mentioned in Genesis 52 Theapostle does not mention the temptation bythe serpent nor Eves disobedience becausehis purpose is to show that Adam

represented all his descendants

Some philosophers say that man is borninnocent and that if he lives in a corruptedenvironment he would be influenced by itand sin would infiltrate him The truth isman is born with a sinful nature Acorrupted environment may assist thegrowth of sin but man is sinful at heart

22 Sin is an Inheritance

We know from experience that a livingcreature can not reproduce offspringdifferent from itself A bull will notproduce a lamb and as Christ said grapesare not gathered from thorns This lawapplies also to man Adam the father of mankind lost his righteous life through hisdisobedience As a punishment he was castout the purity of the Garden of Eden to aland cursed because of his sin There hebegat children and as a matter of course

these descendants knew nothing of theGarden of Purity The Bible states this factin the words of David in Psalm 515Surely I was sinful at birth sinful fromthe time my mother conceived me Paulalso said in Romans 310-12 There is noone righteous not even one there is noone who understands no one who seeksGod All have turned away they have

together become worthless there is no one

who does good not even one

Augustine explained the teaching of theBible concerning the Fall and theinheritance of sin saying

1 God created the first man in His ownlikeness in knowledge andrighteousness and holiness chosen tobe immortal and committed to him theresponsibility for other creatures Hegave Adam the power to choose good

or evil thus confirming his moralnature

2 Allowed to choose his own way Adamsinned against God by choosingwrongly when he was tempted by theDevil He fell from the life for whichhe was created

3 As a result of his disobedience he losthis divine likeness and his wholenature was corrupted and ruined Nowbeing spiritually dead he became

incapable of doing good He becamesubject to physical death and exposedto all the evils of this life and eternaldeath

4 Thus that which is true of Adam ashead of the human race is true also of his descendants They are borncondemned devoid of the likeness of God and morally depraved

5 This personal inherited corruption isthe very nature of sin though it is notsin in action

6 The loss of original righteousness andthe corruption of nature whichresulted from Adams sin are thepenalties of the first sin

7 Regeneration is the wonderful work of the Holy Spirit Man is the object notthe author of it Without exception it is






related to the will of God Salvation is

of grace alone

23 The Effect of Sin on Man

The English scientist Huxley has said Iknow of no study which has led to spiritualmisery greater than that of the evolution of mankind From the dark background of thestudy of history it seems that man issubject to an element put within himwhich dominates him with a terriblepower He is a blind and feeble victim of impulses leading him to destruction andgiven up to endless delusions which bringupon him heavy mental cares resulting inhis physical body being worn out by worryand strain For thousands of years he hasbeen the same fighting and persecuting hisfellowman and returning to lament hisvictims and build their tombs

Does anyone need such a testimony torealise the effect of sin Isnt enough for

man to look into the depth of his ownheart to discover his tendencies andwhims and realise the presence of the lawof sin dwelling in him

We have only to glance at human societyto perceive this fact in all men As Psalm141 says They are corrupt their deedsare vile and in Isaiah 536 We all likesheep have gone astray each of us hasturned to his own way All are devoid of that likeness of God which Adam had

before he fell

The existence of sin in the life of everyman is indisputable The corrupt nature of man is evident in his inability to keep themoral law even though there be personalcontrition This is a sign of his degeneracyand failure He must receive the help of God through the Holy Spirit It is quite

evident to us that the soul of man is devoid

of the original righteousness which thefirst man had before the Fall

It is enough for us to take a look at thehistory of crime over the years to findconclusive proof that man has lost hisgodly nature and taken on a nature of corruption The first time we see this evilnature is in Cain the son of Adam Hekilled his brother Abel Why did he killhim Was it not because Cain was evilWhy do we quarrel one with another Is itnot because of the evil nature deeplyrooted in us Why does one nation waragainst another nation Is it not thecumulative effect of the sin of individuals

24 The Wages of Sin

God said to Adam in Geneses 217 Butyou must not eat of the tree of theknowledge of good and evil you shall noteat for when you eat of it you will surely

die We read in Ezekiel 1820 The soulwho sins is the one who will die and inRomans 623 The wages of sin is deathAdam and Eve died spiritually when theysinned were cut off from God and losttheir holy spiritual fellowship with theLord God Also they lost the desire to bein the presence of God and hid from himamong the trees of the garden (Genesis38) Perhaps some lack of bodily strengthor illness caused them to remember the

Lords warning For when you eat of ityou will surely die

It certainly is alarming to see the result of ones sin face to face But did the firstfamily lose all its privileges Has hopebeen lost therefore of mankind ever beingable to return to that state in the gardenwhich was lost as a result of sin Has hispurity been taken from him forever No






For God is love and His love is rich in

mercy and with Him is great forgivenessLove moved His heart with compassionwhich has no delight in the death of thewicked He has become the Saviour andRedeemer of mankind in the person of Jesus Christ the Word who was in thebeginning with God The first thing thelove of God did was to cover thenakedness of Adam and Eve clothingthem with garments of skins (Genesis321) In so doing the Lord God initiated

the principle of the covenant of atonement

3 Atonement In Islam

There are fourteen verses in the Quran onthe subject of atonement According to thetheme of the chapter we find the first of the Quranic texts on atonement in thesaying of Allah If you show youralmsgiving it is a blessing but if you giveit to the poor secretly it will be better foryou and He will atone for your evil deeds(Sura al-Baqara 2271)

The theologians explain atonement as acovering or veil This explanation is nearto the thought of the Old Testament It is afact that personal works in Islam as inJudaism play an important part in thematter of atonement for sins The foremostof these works is prayer As it is saidEstablish worship (pray) at the two endsof the day and some time in the night Lo

Good deeds annul evil deeds (Sura Hud11114)

Al Tirmidhi quotes Abi Alyu saying Awoman came to me to buy dates Iembraced and kissed her and then I wentto Muhammad and informed him of whathad happened He bowed his head inthought a long time then said Pray(establish worship) at the two ends of the

day and in sometime of the night Lo good

deeds annul evil deeds Which means thatthe five (official) prayers annul sins andatone for them Then his companions saidO prophet of Allah is this specially forthis man or for all men He replied It isfor all

Muslim related that Abd Allah said Aman came to the prophet and said Oprophet of Allah I had handled a womanfrom the outskirts of the town and gratifiedmy desire but without intercourse Here Iam Judge me as you wish Umar nearbysaid to him Allah would have kept yoursecret if you had kept it yourself Theprophet of Allah said nothing and the manrose and went Then the prophet calledhim and recited to him this verseEstablish worshipetc

Muslim quoting Abu Bakr said I heardthe prophet of Allah say There is no man(in his situation as a slave to Allah) who

sins (offends) and who washes himself (according to the Islamic ritual) and thenstands to pray twice the full ritual prayerand seeks the forgiveness of Allah whomHe will not forgive Then he recitedThose who when they did an evil thing orwronged themselves remembered Allahand implored forgiveness for their sins -who forgives sins save Allah only - didnot knowingly persist in that which theydid (Sura Al Imran 3135)

There is nothing more suggestive of theefficacy of works for atonement than isfound in Sura al-Araf 78-9 Theweighing on that day is the true(weighing) As for those scale is heavythey are successful And as for thosewhose scale is light those are they wholost themselves because they rejected ourrevelations






The Imam Al Razi in explaining the

weighing of works says two things1 He states that Allah will set up a

balance with an indicator and twoweighing pans on the Day of Resurrection on which will beweighed the deeds of mankind theirgood and their evil deeds

It is related on Ibn Abbas that he saidThe believerss work will appear inthe best form and be placed on the pan

of the scales his good deedsoutweighing his evil deeds There aremany points of view as to how workswill be weighed One is that the worksof believers will appear in a formwhich is good and the works of theunbelievers in one which isdisgraceful and it is that form whichwill be weighed The second is that theweighing will be of the pages on whichthere is the written record of mansworks

2 The second saying taken fromMudjahid and Al Dahhak and AlAmash is that the purpose of thebalance is justice and judgmentMuhammad was asked about theweighing on the day of Resurrectionand he said The records

There is an extraordinary story about thelength of the indicator of the balance andthe width of the weighing pans Abd Allah

Ibn Salam says If the earth and heavenwere put on one of the weighing pansthere would be room for them whileGabriel holding its support would be ableto observe the indicator

As for the method of weighing it is told of Abd Allah Ibn Umar that he said Theprophet of Allah said On the Day of

Resurrection a man will be brought to the

balance and 99 books of records will bebrought to him each one extending as faras the eye can see In them is written hissins and offences and these will be put onthe pan of the scales Then there will bebrought to him a tiny scrap of paper as bigas the finger tip written on it theconfession There is no god but Allah andMuhammad is the prophet of Allah Thiswill be put on the other scale and willoutweigh his evil deeds

There is a Quranic text which alludes tothe weights saying We prepare justweights for the Day of Resurrection so thatno soul is wronged in aught Though it beof the weight of a grain of mustard seedwe bring it And we suffice for reckoners(Sura al-Anbiya 2147)

Commentators say that it is possible therewill be a balance to weight the intent of theheart and one to weigh the outward action

Al Fakhr Al Razi related a current storyand its meaning David asked his Lord toshow him the balance and when he saw ithe swooned When he regainedconsciousness he said O my God who isable to fill the scale with good deeds Hereplied O David if I am pleased with myservant I will fill it with fruit (grain)

Bilal bin Yahya quoting Hadhayfa saidGabriel on whom be peace in the Day of

Resurrection will be responsible for thebalances and Allah will say O Gabrielweigh between them and repay theoppressed and if the oppressor has nogood deeds put on his scale from the evildeeds of his colleague (the oppressed)then the man (oppressor) will go and hisburden will be as heavy as mountains

Abu Djafar relates that Muhammad said






Nothing is put on the scale which is

heavier than excellency of character

Lastly it is possible to summarise thecomments with the word of Muhammadbin Sad quoting Ibn Abbas Whoever hassurrounded his ill deeds with his gooddeeds his scale will be heavy His gooddeeds will annul his evil deeds andwhoever has surrounded his good deedswith his evil deeds certainly his scale willbe light and he is a child of Hell His illdeeds have annulled his good deeds

31 Godliness atones for sins

As Allah said O you who believe If youreverence Allah He will give youdiscrimination (between right and wrong)and will cover your evil deeds and willforgive you and Allah is of great bounty(Sura al-Anfal 829)

We note here that the reward of godliness

is threefold1 He will give you distinction The word

used for distinction is interpreted byIslamic legislators as meaning thatAllah will determine between thegodly and the ungodly that is to sayAllah appoints to the godly guidanceand knowledge and He endows theirhearts and breasts with gladness andremoves from their hearts malice andhatred

2 He will cover your evil deeds all theevil you have committed

3 He will forgive you

4 Forgiveness In Islam

When we carefully consider the texts of the Quran we find there is a differencebetween atonement and forgiveness The

commentators make the distinction that

atonement for evil deeds means a coveringin this world and that forgiveness meansremoval of sins on the Day of Resurrection

41 Works and Forgiveness

The teachings of Islam tell us thatforgiveness of sins is based on goodworks according to the saying of theQuran Such as ward off with good

works the evil deed the outcome for thosewill be the (heavenly) Home They willenter the Gardens of Eden along with allof their forbears and their married partnersand their descendants who were good(righteous) (Sura al-Rad 1321-23)

It is said of Muhammad that he said toMuadh bin Djabal If you have done anevil deed then do along with it a gooddeed and this will erase it

Also Al Hasan in describing these (whodid good works) said They weredeprived of help then they gave and whenunjustly wronged then they weregracious

Zudjadj said Allah has made it clear thatlineal descent is useless if notaccompanied by good deeds

Al Wahidi and Al Bukhari quoting IbnAbbas said that Allah makes part of the

reward of the obedient the pleasure of having his family with him in the GardenThis indicates that they enter it in honourof the obedient one who is bringing gooddeeds If they enter it because of their owngood deeds there would be in this nohonour to the obedient one for everyonewho is good in his deeds will enterParadise (the Garden)






42 Fasting and ForgivenessSura al-Ahzab 3334 says that for thosewho fast men and women there isprepared for them forgiveness and a greatreward

It is stated in the Quran that fasting for aperiod of two months obtains forgivenessfor the sin of killing It is written It is notpermissible for a Muslim believer to kill aMuslim believer unless it be by mistake

He who hath killed a Muslim believer bymistake must set free a Muslim believingslave and pay the bloodmoney to thefamily of the slain unless they remit it as acharity If he (the victim) be of a peoplehostile unto you and he is a Muslimbeliever then he (the slayer) has to set freea Muslim believing slave And if hecometh of a people with whom you have acovenant then the bloodmoney must bepaid unto his family and a Muslimbelieving slave must be set free Andwhoso hath not the ability to pay must fasttwo consecutive months and Allah willaccept this repentance Allah isOmniscient Wise (Sura al-Nisa 492)

It is said that the cause for which this versewas given is as follows Urwa bin AlZubayr relates that Hudhayfa Ibn AlYaman was with the prophet of Allah onthe day of the battle of Uhud where theMuslims erred and thought the father of Al

Yaman was one of the unbelievers Sothey took him and struck him with theirswords even though Hudhayfa said He ismy father However they did notunderstand his words until after they hadkilled him Then Hudhayfa said MayAllah forgive you He is the mostmerciful When the prophet of Allahheard this Hudhayfa went up in his

estimation and thus the verse was given

There is another story behind the verseAbu Darda who was with a group of fighters went aside for a certain need Hefound there a man with some sheep andattacked him with a sword Then the mansaid There is no god but Allah but AbuAl Darda killed him and drove away hissheep Afterwards he felt disturbed andmentioned the matter to the prophet whosaid Could you look into his heart toknow if he was a believer or not ThenAbu Al Darda repented and thus the versewas given

It is written in the Quran also that fastingfor three days will obtain forgiveness forthe sin of a false oath As it is writtenAllah will not take you to ask for thatwhich is unintentional in your oaths butHe will take you to task for the oathswhich ye swear in ernest The expiationthereof is the feeding of ten of the needy

according to the average of that wherewithye feed your own folk or the clothing of them or the liberation of a slave and forhim who has not the ability to do so then athree days fast will make expiation of your oaths when ye have sworn Keepyour oaths Thus Allah expounded untoyou His verses in order that you may givethanks (Sura al-Maida 589)

Al Fakhr Al Razi mentions that the causefor which this verse was given was that

some of the followers of Muhammaddenied to themselves food and clothingand choose to become monks and took anoath concerning it When Allah forbadethis they said O prophet of Allah whatshall we do about our oath Thus theverse was given

43 Pilgrimage and Forgiveness






It is quoted Lo (the mountains) Al Safa

and Al Marwa are among the signs of Allah It is therefore no misdemeanour forhim who is on Pilgrimage to the House (of Allah) or visiteth it to go between themAnd he who doeth good of his own accordlo Allah is Responsive Omniscient (Suraal-Baqara 2158)

Ibn Abbas said There was on Al Safa anidol and Al Marwa an idol The ignorantunbelievers used to circle these spots andtouch them but when Islam came theMuslims hated to circle these spotsbecause of the presence of the two idolsSo this verse was given

The word no misdemeanour mean nocrime and God accepts the good work of him who voluntarily goes on pilgrimage

44 Giving of Alms and Forgiveness

It has been said Those who offer prayer

and give alms have a reward with Allahtheir Lord and there is no fear for themand they will not be sad

Commenting on this Ibn Abbas saysThey have no fear of that which awaitsthem in the circumstance of the Day of Resurrection and they will not be sad overthat which they have left behind in theworld

Al Asam explains There is no fear that

they will suffer on that Day nor will theybe sad because they have not obtained asgreat a happiness as some others becausethere is no rivalry in the next life

45 Striving in the Way of Allah andForgiveness

In Sura al-Baqara 2218 we read Thosewho emigrate and strive in the way of

Allah these have hope of Allahs mercy

Allah is Forgiving Merciful

It is related of Abd Allah bin Djahsh thathe questioned Muhammad O prophet of Allah suppose there is no punishment forwhat we have done can we expect fromour works recompense and reward Thisverse was given because Abd Allah hademigrated and had striven in the way of Allah

46 The Reading of the Quran andForgiveness

In Sura al-Araf 7204 it says When theQuran is read listen to it that ye mayobtain mercy

The commentators say that Allah assertedbefore this verse that the Quran is mercyfor the world

In the Hadith it says that Abu Dhar AlGhifari said to Muhammad O Prophet of

Allah I am afraid to learn the Quran andnot practice its teachings Muhammadreplied Be not afraid O Abu Dhar Allahdoes not afflict the heart in which dwellsthe Quran

About Anas Ibn Malik it is said Theprophet spoke to me and said Who hearsthe Quran the afflictions of the world donot come near him and he who reads itwill be kept from the afflictions of the life

to come To quote Ibn Masud the prophet said Hewho reads the Quran learns it by heartand keeps it Allah will bring him intoParadise (the Garden) and he will begiven permission to intercede for ten of hisown people who were destined for Hell

47 The Testimony of the Creed and






ForgivenessAbu Huraira said that Abu Dhar Al Ghifariasked Muhammad O prophet of Allahhow is a Muslim saved Muhammadreplied He is saved by saying I testifythat there is no god but Allah and I testifythat Muhammad is the prophet of Allah

48 The Will of Allah andForgiveness

It is said in Sura Al Imran 3129 UntoAllah belongeth the heavens and the earthHe forgiveth whom He will and punisheswhom He will

Fakhr Al Razi said in explanation of thisverse Our colleagues allege in support of this verse that seeing as Allah is above allHe has the right to bring into Paradisethrough His divine judgment allunbelievers and rebels and He has theright by His divine judgment to send allthe upright to Hell There is no protestagainst Him in the doing of this

Al Razi does not object to this idea ratherhe supports it when he says The verseclearly indicates this meaning andintellectual proof supports it also becausethe deeds of man depend on the will andthat will is Allahs creation If Allahcreated that kind of will man obeys and if He created another kind of will he

disobeys Mans obedience and hisdisobedience are alike from Allah As forthe acts of Allah there is nothingobligatory for him Obedience does notnecessarily bring reward nor disobedienceof necessity deverse punishmentEverything is from Allah and is accordingto His divine will and compulsion andpower

Such an idea is opposed to that of the

Bible which insists on sacrifice as anatonement for sin This obligation wasmade known from the beginning for wesee the blood of sacrifice running like acrimson thread through the Bible In thebook of Hebrews we read Without theshedding of blood there is no forgivenessof sins (Hebrew 922)

In fact God being perfect it would not bein accordance with His will to forgive manhis sin on account of His Truth and Justicewhich says The soul which sins shalldie (Ezekiel 18420) If He is to forgivethe sinner there must be a reason forforgiveness a reason which satisfiesJustice and this satisfaction in the OldTestament was from the offering of animalsacrifices goats calves and sheep Godaccepted these because they symbolisedthe sacrifice of Christ which was offeredin the New Testament of Grace satisfyingdivine justice forever and making perfect

all the believers That which is written inPsalm 8510 was fulfilled Truth andmercy have met together righteousnessand peace have kissed each other

49 Sins which cannot be Forgiven inIslam

1 The Attributing of Partners to Allah

According to the Quran Allahpardoneth not that partners should be

ascribed unto Him He Pardoneth allexcept that (Sura al-Nisa 4116)Commentators say that the polytheistis excluded completely from the mercyof Allah as polytheism is a treat errorSome say this verse was given becauseof those who used to worship angelsand said that they were the daughtersof God Razi says those who do not






believe in the future life name the

angels as feminine Othercommentators say that the verse wasgiven because of those who used toworship idols and that there was ademon in each idol which spoke tothem

2 The Killing of a Believer

As the Quran says Whoso slayeth abeliever of set purpose his reward ishell forever Allah is wroth with him

and hath cursed him and prepared forhim an awful doom (Sura al-Nisa493) Abu Hunayfa said There is noatonement for a deliberate killing IbnAbbas said Repentance on the part of one who deliberately kills is notaccepted

3 Apostasy

As it is said Lo those who disbelieveafter their profession of belief andafterward grow in infidelity theirrepentance will never be accepted Andsuch are those who are astray (SuraAl Imran 390)

The commentators say that the apostatemultiplies his disbelief In other wordsthe apostate remaining and persistingin it increases his unbelief It may bethat he adds further infidelity todisbelief

Al Kaffal and Ibn Al Anbari say

Whoever forsakes his faith againafter repenting his original repentanceis not accepted It is as if it had neverbeen

5 Atonement In Christianity

Atonement is a word which means acovering or hiding In Christianity it

denotes the work of Christ who by His

perfect obedience provided salvation formen from the curse of the law andreconciliation to God by the blood of HisCross Concerning this the apostle Petersays in 1 Peter 318 For Christ died forsins once for all the righteous for theunrighteous that He might bring us toGod The value of Christs atonement isbased on His being the eternal Son of God

Let us look at the atonement of Christfrom various angles first in itsrelationship to God in view of His love

justice and holiness then its relationship toman its work in him and for him It is saidthat Christian atonement is an expiationfor the sin of man and is a clear declarationof the effectiveness of the sacrifice of Christ to save the sinner from the curse of the Law and to remove condemnationfrom him It is also said that the atonementof Chist was a satisfaction to God and afulfillment of his justice that is a means

of satisfying and propitiating Him This isan expression of the effectiveness of thesacrifice of Christ as removing the wrathof God and of His pleasure in theacceptance of the sinner untoreconciliation

It is also said that atonement is a coveringfor the sinner by the blood of ChristPunishment is no longer demanded of himThis has been removed and placed uponChrist who was sacrificed for him Thisaspect is pointed out by the apostle Johnwho said This is love not that we lovedGod but that He loved us and sent His Sonas an atoning sacrifice for our sins (1John 410)

It is said also that atonement opened thedoor for reconciliation between man andGod without doing injustice to the holy






law of God This is what Paul said in 2

Corinthians 519 God was reconcilingthe world to Himself in Christ notcounting mens sins against them And Hehas committed to us the message of reconciliation

Man has philosophised greatly about thenature of God and His relation to Hissinning creatures but has never reached asatisfactory conclusion Wherephilosophies of the world failed the Biblemakes it clear It says that God is just andHis justice demands the punishment of thesinner so there can be not reconciliationwithout atonement The practice of sacrifices to cover sin began with this factIt began in the Garden when God madecoverings of skin for Adam and Eve for itwas necessary to slay animals to obtainthese skins

We know from the Bible that the sacrificeof Abel which God accepted was a shadow

of the coming atonement But it (sacrifice)was by revelation and inspiration (Genesis44)

In the same way the ram which wasprovided by God for Abraham to redeemhis son Isaac was also a type of theatonement through the sacrifice of Christwhich God planned from the beginning(Genesis 221-14)

The Passover lamb also which God

ordered the people to offer in Egypt(Exodus 121-42) was again anoutstanding type of the New TestamentPassover Lamb of God spoken of by Paulin 1 Corinthians 578 For Christ ourPassover lamb has been sacrificedTherefore let us keep the Festival not withthe old yeast the yeast of malice andwickedness but with bread without yeast

the bread of sincerity and truth

In the New Testament atonement isrepresented as the redemption whichChrist accomplished on the Cross in orderto fulfil the demands of the law of God inthe place of sinful man and for hissalvation There was in His sufferings andsubstitutionary death an atonement tocompletely fulfil the punishment due toman for his sin It fulfilled the demands of divine justice and justifies the sinner whobelieves and repents

In the language of the Bible theredemption of Christ is expressed in theword grace because the Heavenly Fatherwas not obligated to offer a sacrifice forsinful man Neither was the Son obligatedto take human form in the capacity of aRedeemer God who is rich in mercybecause of His great love put an end to thepunishment of the Law accepting thevicarious sufferings voluntarily endured by

the incarnate Word of God instead of sinful man

The Redeemer made this truth clear whenHe said in John 1015 I lay down my lifefor the sheep When we compare thisstatement with John 1513 Greater lovehas no man than this that a man lay downhis life for his friends we can grasp thepurpose for which God was ready to emptyHimself and become flesh and suffercarrying our sins in His body on the cross

The apostle Paul has made clear the needfor this vicarious suffering in his letter tothe Romans For what the law waspowerless to do in that it was weakened bythe sinful nature God did by sending hisown Son in the likeness of sinful man tobe a sin offering And so he condemnedsin in sinful man in order that the






righteous requirements of the law may be

fully met in us who do not live accordingto the sinful nature but according to theSpirit (Romans 834) That is to say thateternal death the wages of our sin wastaken by Christ upon Himself thusfulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 535 Thepunishment that brought us peace wasupon him and by his wounds we arehealed

Redemption gives assurance of forgiveness and continuing blessings of salvation for Gods believing people andthat for two reasons

First of all God promised redemption tobelievers in view of the obedience andsufferings of Christ We read the words of the apostle Paul in Romans 51819 Justas the result of one trespass wascondemnation for all men so one mansact of righteousness was justification thatbrings life for all men For just as through

the disobedience of the one man (Adam)the many were made sinners so alsothrough the obedience of the one man(Christ) the many will be made righteous

Secondly redemption has satisfied therequirements of Gods justice because it isbased on the eternal covenant between theFather and the Son To remove anypossible doubt man may have concerningthe fact Divine revelation has recordedthat When Christ came into the world

He said Sacrifice and offerings thou hastnot desired but a body hast thou preparedfor me in burnt offerings and sin offeringsthou hast taken no pleasure Then I saidLo I have come to do thy will O God (Psalm 407 and Hebrews 105-7) SoJesus became man to be a substitute forthe sinner and to take the punishment of condemnation He fulfilled the demand of

a broken covenant

The apostle Paul expounded this subjectsaying But God shows His love for us inthat while we were yet sinners Christ diedfor us Since therefore we are now

justified by His blood much more shall webe saved by Him from the wrath of God(Romans 58-9)

51 Reasons which makeRedemption Necessary

1 The need of salvation

Redemption is not merely a collectiveneed but a personal necessity for everyindividual Every man is doomed andperishing Christ once asked thequestion What shall a man give inreturn for his life (Matthew 1626)Man has nothing with which to redeemhis soul neither is he able to redeemhis brother God spoke through thewords of David in Psalm 497 Trulyno man can ransom himself or give toGod the price of his life

As for repentance in mans heart thereis a natural intuitive awareness that itcannot remove past sins There must besome other means of obtainingforgiveness and this is by way of redemption Otherwise how can weexplain the existence of sacrifice fromtime immemorial and it being found in

most religions of the world Is it notthat they agree with the need the sinnerfeels in his heart for redemption It is afact that our moral nature leads us torespect the demands of holiness evenif our behaviour contradicts itEveryone of us realised that hisconscience is disturbed aboutdeliverance from the outcome of his






formers sin Deliverance is only by

justification through redemption2 Mans depravity -- Gods holiness

God is holy and man is a sinner Manssin is in opposition to divine holinessTherefore it is under condemnation If it were possible to become righteousthrough repenting still mansrighteousness would not move pastsins But if God forgave him withoutredemption the sinner would have no

respect for Gods law nor His holinessTherefore redemption was ordained toremove the condemnation of sin andreveal the absolute perfection of Godscharacter

3 Redemption is consistent with mansmoral need

Man has a moral nature Hisconscience teaches him the excellenceof justice and holiness If he is underconviction of sin and knows nothing of atonement his conscience is disturbedHowever forgiveness by means of redemption satisfies mans conscienceand fulfills his moral needs

4 Redemption meets the requirementsof the Law

The Law demands the punishment of sinners A Law which is withoutpunishment is not practicable It isself-evident that an honourable law

demands punishment and thatforgiveness without redemption meansthe collapse and failure of the LawThis is opposed to the word of Christin Matthew 518 For truly I say toyou till heaven and earth pass awaynot an iota not a dot will pass fromthe law until all is accomplished Thismust be remembered that any

forgiveness without redemption is

tantamount to saying that sin need notbe punished This is an insult to the

justice and holiness of God

5 Redemption is specified in the Wordof God

If there had been no need forredemption God would not haveincluded it in His Holy Word In John314 Christ states As Moses lifted upthe serpent in the wilderness so must

the Son of Man be lifted up thatwhoever believes in Him may haveeternal life

6 The requirement of the moral order

God being a moral judge mustcomply with the order of His own

judgement Disobedience andconfusion cannot be approved in amoral universe over which He rulesHe cannot make light of the breakingof His commandments but must calltransgressors to account and sentencethem to punishment In fact in thedivine provision of redemption Godreveals His hatred of sin and His wrathupon evil In order to honour His lawHe has opened the door of reconciliation to sinners

7 The fact that atonement exists inmany religions

This shows that the conscience of man

calls for redemption and is not satisfiedwith mere repentance for sin Manseeks atonement which is by theshedding of sacrificial blood for thesinner

All these reasons prove the necessity forredemption






52 Good Works and Forgiveness1 Good works are a moral obligation and

must be done but they do notcompensate for sins committed Inother words they can never be a meansof forgiveness for past sins Christindicated this truth by his wordsWhen you have done all that iscommanded you say We areunworthy servants we have only donewhat was our duty (Luke 1710)

And the apostle Paul says in Ephesians29 For by grace are ye saved throughfaith and this is not your own doing itis the gift of God - not because of works lest any man should boast

2 As for our possessions and the healthwe enjoy they are from God and weare merely entrusted with them Whenwe give generously or offer service wehave not sacrificed anything of ourown or done anything worthy of

reward

David spoke about this in 1 Chronicles2914 after he had offered large sumsof money for the building of theTemple He said Who am I and whatis my people that we should be ablethus to offer willingly For all thingscome from thee and of thy own havewe given thee

3 The good works which we do are notable to wipe out the insult and affrontwe have committed against God Hisholiness and righteousness and truthare unlimited thus good works cannotobtain forgiveness for us

4 To be in the presence of God demandsholiness from us Without holinessnone can ever see God Good worksalone cannot make us holy Holiness is

given to the believer who is born of the

Spirit of God Christ said Unless oneis born of water and the Spirit hecannot enter the kingdom of God Thatwhich is born of the flesh is flesh andthat which is born of the Spirit isspirit (John 356)

53 Prayer and Forgiveness

It goes without saying that prayer is a link with God by conversation with Him andmeditation upon His Person

The sinner is separated from God and hisprayer is not acceptable Therefore he willnot receive an answer God has said sothrough the prophet Isaiah Youriniquities have made a separation betweenyou and your God and your sins have didHis face from you so that He does nothear For your hands are defiled withblood and your fingers with iniquity yourlips have spoken lies your tongue mutters

wickedness (Isaiah 5923) David alsoexperienced this truth and said by theSpirit of prophecy If I had cherishediniquity in my heart the Lord would nothave listened (Psalm 6618)

54 Fasting and Forgiveness

Fasting like prayer is a facet of worship Itis an aspect of humility and brokennessbefore God but it cannot bring man back to the state of righteousness which he hadbefore he fell Like prayer fasting has nopower to compensate for the offence of sinto a holy God So it cannot be a means of forgiveness God has said in the words of Zechariah the prophet When you fastedand mourned was it for me that youfasted And when you eat and when youdrink do you not eat for yourselves anddrink for yourselves (Zechariah 75-6)






6 A Summary1 Mans salvation is based on

redemption This is no merephilosophic theory but an actual factnecessary to the removal of the burdenof sin from fallen man

2 We all agree that Adam fell and thathis fall involved all mankind for Adamwas mans representative in the divinetest For this reason God in loveplanned the removal of the penalty of

sin from man whom he had created inHis likeness by providing a substitutefor him

This substitute must be able to expressthe power and love of God in orderthat man might be saved Such anexpression of His love must come fromGod himself So God in His love formankind willed that Christ shouldparticipate in a flesh and bloodrelationship with man and be a perfectsubstitute for man or as the apostlesaid a second Adam Thus the firstAdam represented man in the fall andthe second Adam was mans substitutein atonement and redemption

3 It was necessary for this representativeto pay the full price to remove sin fromthe world Christ paid it by His dyingon the Cross where He carried our sinsin His body What convinces us of the

need of the redemption by the cross isthe offering of blood sacrifices of oldwhich pointed as a type to Jesus theLamb of God

One of the special characteristics of thesacrifice of Christ is that it not onlyremoves sin from man but heals him of amoral disease The life of each one whoreceives Christ the Crucified is renewed

There is born within him a hatred of sin

The Cross especially has opened the eyesof his mind to see the awful work of sinand its terrible punishment

At this point comes the word of the apostleJohn saying If we walk in the light as Heis in the light we have fellowship with oneanother and the blood of Jesus His Soncleanses us from all sin (1 John 17)

God shows his love for us in that Christdied for us while we were yet sinners

7 Quiz

Dear Friend

after reading this booklet we invite you toanswer the following questions

1 How many names are there for sin inthe Quran

2 Were Adam and Eve consideredsinners in the Quran

3 Give some Quranic references to thesin of our first parents

4 Explain the Quranic verse Adamdisobeyed his Lord so he went astray

5 What is the definition of sin inChristianity

6 How did sin enter the world

7 Sin is inherited Is this true Prove it

8 What is the influence of sin in man

9 What is the wage of sin10 How many Quranic verses point to

atonement

11 According to Islam what is themeaning of atonement

12 How did the atonement of sins in Islamcome into being

13 What is the difference between






atonement and forgiveness in Islam

14 What are the ways of obtainingforgiveness How many are there inIslam

15 What is the meaning of atonement inChristianity

16 How was atonement accomplished inthe New Testament

17 Is there a need for redemption Giveevidence

18 Why does man need salvation

19 Prove mans need for salvationaccording to reason the law andmorality

20 Try to summarise the subject of thisbooklet by giving a single verse fromthe Bible

Copy and paste all questions into thecontact form and write the answer beloweach question

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1 Sin In Islam

There are many words for sin in theQuran The most important are as follows

1 Al Dhanb (offence crime misdeed) -There are 39 verses on this subject inthe Quran Most of them align with thethought expressed in Sura al-Fath481-2 Lo We have given thee (OMuhammad) clear victory that Allahmay forgive thee of thy sin (Al Dhanb)which is passed and that which is tocome

2 Al Fahsha (vile deed crime adultery)- This term is used mostly to expressthe sin of adultery The Quran forbidsit saying Do not draw near to viledeeds neither that which is seen or thatwhich is hidden (Sura al-Anam6151)

3 Al Wizr (sin as a heavy load burdenencumbrance) - Have We not given

thee relief and removed the burden (Al

Wizr) which weighed down on thyback (Sura al-Sharh 941-3)

Explaining this verse Al Fakhr AlRazi said that the angel Gabriel cameto Muhammad cut open his chest took out his heart washed and purified itfrom rebelliousness and then filled itwith knowledge and faith

Ibn Hisham quoting Muhammad IbnIshaq explained this saying A group

of Muhammads friends asked him Oprophet of Allah tell us aboutyourself He replied I was nursedamong the Bani Sad When I was witha foster brother behind our housestaking care of the herd there came tome two men dressed in white andcarrying a golden bowl full of snowThey took me and split open my bodyand removed my heart and split it andtook from it a clot of dark blood andthrew it away Then they washed myheart and my body in the snow Thenone said to the other Weigh himagainst ten of his people He did soand I outweighed them Then he saidWeigh him against one hundred of hispeople He did so and I outweighedthem also Then he said Weigh himagainst a thousand of his people Hedid so and I outweighed them alsoThen he said Leave him for byAllah if you were to weigh him

against all his people he wouldoutweigh them

4 Al Dalal (straying to be lost) - ThyLord will give unto thee so that thouwilt be satisfied Did He not find theean orphan and shelter thee Did He notfind thee destitute and enrich thee(Sura al-Duha 936-8) Al Kalbiinterpreted the word lost and straying






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Switzerland







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CH-8486 Rikon

Switzerland







































































































































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The Good Way

PO BOX 66

CH-8486 Rikon

Switzerland
















































































































































3 Apostasy













































a broken covenant












































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The Good Way

PO BOX 66

CH-8486 Rikon

Switzerland

































a broken covenant












































reward





























7 Quiz

Dear Friend











atonement



















or write to

The Good Way

PO BOX 66

CH-8486 Rikon

Switzerland






































reward





























7 Quiz

Dear Friend











atonement



















or write to

The Good Way

PO BOX 66

CH-8486 Rikon

Switzerland



















7 Quiz

Dear Friend











atonement



















or write to

The Good Way

PO BOX 66

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Switzerland

















or write to

The Good Way

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sin and atonement in islam and christianity

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