This paper was delivered at the interfaith conference between Muslims and Evangelical Christians held in Tripoli, Libya between January 3rd and 6th, 2008.

Sin is a key foundational concept in many religious doctrines. Humans are endured with the ability to choose their own actions which are rigidly categorized by different religions as either good or evil. According to some doctrines, human nature has the affinity to do good unless enticed by evil forces to do otherwise. Other doctrines maintain an opposite view of a nature that is innately evil. The torque exerted on humans by good and evil forces determines how sinful they are. It is the interaction of these forces with human nature and the possibility of forgiveness presented by some religions that determines the final outcome for humans as they depart the physical domain on their way to face a reality that different doctrines claim to have the exclusive knowledge thereof.

Buddhism and Hinduism, for example, view sin as an error caused by inadequate knowledge of good and evil. Their concept of Karma is the way good deeds and sinful behaviour interact throughout a person’s lifetime in such a way that the accrued Karma at the time of death will determine the nature of the person’s next reincarnation. It is believed that upon death, one’s soul enters a new body and lives a new lifetime which is as good as the accumulated Karma in the previous life.

Many New-agers, Wiccans and other Neopagans, who follow reconstructed pagan religions from the past, have incorporated a certain degree of belief in Karma into their religions. However, they do not believe that Karma has any impact beyond death. Many Neopagans define sin in terms of actual harm done by individuals to themselves or to other people. Many believe in the universal “Threefold Law” which dictates that a person who does harm to others will receive it back increased three times in severity. This seems to effectively motivate them not to harm, dominate, manipulate or control others.

Abrahamic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, do agree on the definition of sin, but they differ in the way they deal with it. Sin is simply defined as transgression against the will of God.

Sin, according to Judaism, is the violation of anyone of the ten commandments or what is referred to as the Mosaic Code or the Jewish Law. In the Pentateuch or the first five books in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament), the Mosaic Code lists 248 non- sinful acts of behaviour that believers are expected to adopt and 365 sinful acts that they should avoid, a total of 613 acts. Jews believe that all people sin at various points in their lives, although they maintain that the Mosaic Code was given only to Jews; Non-Jews are exempt. In that respect, it is also interesting to observe that some of the 613 injunctions that make up the Mosaic Code which are accepted elements of the biblical culture in ancient times are profoundly unacceptable nowadays. Examples include genocide, condoning human slavery, stoning non-virgin brides to death and forcing some rape victims to marry their rapists, while executing other rape victims. On the other hand, some activities that are considered morally neutral according to present day culture were considered serious moral infractions, for example: eating shellfish, getting a tattoo, wearing clothes that were made of a blend of textiles, etc… This suggests a major human intervention in determining what is a sin and what is not. One would expect that if sin is defined as a transgression against the will of God, that God, would be the sole determiner of what constitutes a sin. However, this relative approach to sin, as we will see, is not unique to Judaism; the two other branches of the Abrahamic traditions, Christianity and Islam, have a similar approach. In order to solve the problem of relativism in their outlook at sin, the Jewish scriptures hold that divine justice is tempered with divine mercy. Their liturgy of “the Days of Awe” states that prayer, repentance and charity are the means of atonement for sin.

In order to understand the doctrine of “sin and forgiveness” in the Christian faith, one has to look at three fundamental components of that doctrine. The first component is: God is just and exercises natural justice. He does not forgive sins without exacting retribution, as this would violate the dictates of absolute justice. This attribute of God necessitates the advancement of the principle of atonement. The second component is: Man is sinful because Adam and Eve sinned. As a result, their progeny began to inherit sin. Historical Christianity teaches the concept of imputation which means that when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, their sin was imputed or assigned to all humanity for all time. However, Protestants and Catholics evaluate the outcome of that “original sin” differently. Protestant Christians use the term “sin” primarily to refer to what they believe as “humanity’s inherently sinful nature.” On the other hand, Catholics mostly use the word to refer to actual instances of sin, calling the sinful nature of humans as “concupiscence” or “an innate tendency of humans to do evil.” There is a clear difference between a sinful nature and a tendency to do evil, the latter concept being similar to the Islamic description of “An-Nafs Al-Ammara / the soul that enjoins evil.” The final component of the Christian dogma of “sin and forgiveness” is that a sinful person cannot atone for another person’s sins; only a sinless person can do so. Based on this, it becomes evident why, according to Christian understanding, no prophet of God could cleanse humankind of sin or rid them of its consequences. Being a son of Adam, he could not have escaped the element of congenital sin with which he was born.

There is seemingly an unsolvable problem of achieving atonement following the inheritance of the original sin or what is usually referred to as the “fall” of humankind, the consequence of which all humans will die. In the King James version of the Bible, Paul wrote: “Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” This complex notion of the transferability of sin as outlined in the New Testament is contrasted by a passage from the Book of Deuteronomy in the Old Testament which states that children are not to be executed for the sins of their fathers, or vice versa: “The children shall not be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.” Deuteronomy 24:16. Yet a seemingly contradictory passage is found in Exodus 20:5, which is part of the most frequently cited version of the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament: “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them (idols), nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.”

Christian theologians explain how salvation of humankind is achieved through the crucifixion and the shedding of blood of Jesus, the Christ. The Bible says: “… without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Hebrews 9:22. Two thousand years ago the “Son of God”, who literally shared eternity with Him, was born to a human mother. As the “Son of God,” he combined within him the perfect traits of a human being as well as those of “God, the Father.” A pious and chaste woman, Mary, was chosen to be the mother of the “Son of God”. Jesus was born without sin despite the fact that he retained his human nature. In other words, Jesus became the virtual link between God and the sinners, because his deity reaches God and his humanity reaches the human race. Jesus volunteered himself to take the burden of the sins of all humans who would believe in him and accept him as their saviour. By this, God did not have to compromise His eternal attribute of absolute justice since humans would not go unpunished, however sinful they may be. God would still be able to exact retribution with only one difference; it would be Jesus who would be punished and not the sinful sons and daughters of Adam and Eve. It would be the sacrifice of Jesus which would ultimately be instrumental in atoning for the sins of the children of Adam.

The Four Gospels abound with passages that explain the purpose of bringing Jesus, the Christ into human history:

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” Luke 19:10
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:16-18

The Christian concept of salvation did not escape some real challenges from groups within the faith. In the fifth century, Augustine the Bishop of Hippo, was involved in a confrontation with the Pelagian movement, concerning the controversy of the nature of the fall of the human race. He proclaimed the Pelagian movement as being heretical because it taught that Adam’s sin affected only himself and not the entire human race; that every individual is born free of sin and is capable in his own power of living a sinless life and that there had even been persons who had succeeded in doing so. The Pelagian teachings are almost identical to the Islamic perception of sin and forgiveness as advanced by the Qur’an and the teachings of Muhammad.

One last observation about redemption through Jesus as stipulated in Christian theology is the case of the children of Adam and Eve who died before the advent of Jesus, the Christ. It is not clear whether they would be redeemed retrospectively or whether they would be doomed for ever. A similar argument may be made about the faith of those people who lived outside the tiny land of Judea and never heard of Jesus as a saviour even during his life time.

It is not an overly exaggerated statement to say that the most important difference between Islamic and Christian theologies is the doctrine of the Original Sin. Both faith traditions, as is well known to everyone, agree that Adam and Eve (her name is not mentioned in the Qur’an, but she is referred to as the wife of Adam) committed a sin by disobeying God while residing in the Garden (Jannah, Paradise). There is even agreement as to the nature of the disobedience, with minor differences in the details, which are also found among researchers who have investigated the account within Islam alone or Christianity alone. The major point of departure between Islam and Christianity lies in the outcome of that sin. Whereas in Christianity, as we have seen, the trespass of Adam and Eve led to the condemnation of the entire human race (the fall of humanity), Islam teaches that upon acknowledging his mistake, God granted Adam unconditional forgiveness. Thereafter, Adam and his wife, in fulfillment of the Divine command, descended from Paradise and were placed on earth without any of their progeny inheriting the blame for their disobedience.

The Qur’an relates the account of the original sin of Adam and Eve in different Surahs / chapters, most notably in Al- Baqarah ( 2:34-37), Al-A’araf ( 7:19-25) and Ta-Ha (20:117-123). In essence, it states that Adam and Eve were directed by God to reside in the Garden of Eden and enjoy its produce as they pleased, assured of bountiful supplies and comfort. But they were warned not to approach a certain tree lest they would run into harm and injustice. Then Satan intrigued them to temptation and caused them to lose their joyful state. As a result, they were expelled from the Garden and brought down to earth to live, die, and be taken out again at last for the Final Judgment. Having realized what they have done, they felt shame, guilt, and remorse. They prayed for God’s mercy and were forgiven.

“And when We said to the angles: Prostrate yourselves before Adam, they fell prostrate, all except Iblis (Satan) who refused in his pride, and became a non-believer. And We said: O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in the Garden, and eat freely as you wish; but do not come near this tree lest you become wrong doers. But Satan caused them to deflect therefrom and got them expelled from their (happy) state. And We said: Fall down, one of you a foe unto the other. There shall be for you on earth a habitation and provision for a specified time. Then Adam received from his Lord words (of revelation), and He accepted his repentance. He is the Forgiving, the Compassionate,” Surah Al-Baqarah (2:34-37).

It is commonly acknowledged that the words of revelation that Adam received from his Lord are included in a supplication: “Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves. If You do not forgive us and have mercy on us, surely we will be in a manifest loss.” The fall of Adam and Eve from Paradise is not necessarily a punishment for their sin. It was a necessary result of the change in their status. While in Paradise, Adam and Eve were able to communicate with God at any time. By committing the sin, they became susceptible to slip again because they lost their immunity from impropriety. Such being the case, they were unable to freely communicate with their Lord. Upon exiting Paradise, they would be able to do so only at the time of their firm purity which would no longer be permanent as the case was before they sinned. In his commentary on the Qur’an (Tafsir), Ibn Jarir At- Tabari said: “We do not know what kind of tree God ordered Adam and his wife not to eat from, because we find nothing in the Qur’an or the authentic prophetic tradition (Sunnah) about the nature of that tree. Furthermore, such knowledge does not benefit anyone nor does it cause any harm. God knows best.” Abu Bakr Ar-Razi agreed with At-Tabari. However as portrayed in chapters 7 and 20, Satan used deceit and treachery by uttering lies and falsehood about the forbidden tree. “Your Lord did not forbid you this tree save you should become angels and live for eternity.” (7:20) “O Adam! Shall I lead you to the Tree of Eternity and to a kingdom that will never waste away.” (20:120)

Commenting on “Then Adam received from his Lord words (of revelation),” both At-Tabari and Ibn Kathir cited a significant prophetic statement (Hadith) narrated by Al-Hakem in his compilation of Hadith (Al-Mustadrak) through the authority of Ibn Abbas, whereby Muhammad (pbuh) was reported to have said: “Adam said, ‘O Lord! Did you not create me with Your Own Hands?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘And breath life into me?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘And when I sneezed, You said, ‘May God Have mercy on you.’ Does not Your mercy precede Your anger?’ He was told, ‘Yes.’ Adam said, ‘And You destined me to commit this evil act?’ He was told, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘If I repent, will You send me back to Paradise?’ God said, ‘Yes.’” This Hadith is very significant in that it suggests that the original sin of Adam and Eve is predestined as a divine plan to establish a “cause and effect” relationship that provides a pretext for human life on earth. One may also argue that Satan’s involvement in the scenario of the original sin of Adam and Eve is part of the same divine predestined plan. Another revealing reading of this symbolic event is that human beings are imperfect and ever wanting, even if they were to live in Paradise.

Humans, according to Islamic theology, possess a nature that could potentially elevate them to a status even higher than that of angels. At the same time, they have the ability to bring themselves down to the abyss. One reads in Surah At-Teen (95:1-8): “By the fig and the olive, by Mount Sinai, and by this land made safe (some exegesists suggest that this is an oath by the three major messages of Jesus-Palestine being the land of figs and olives-, Moses –Mount Sinai-, and Muhammad- Makkah described as the land made safe-); surely We created man and endowed him with the best of natures. Then We reduced him to the lowest of the low, except those who have faith and perform good deeds; for such there is an unfailing reward. So who henceforth will deny you the truth of the Judgment (Day)? Is not God the Most Exact of all judges?” A similar theme is presented in Surah Ash-Shams (91:7-10): “And a soul and Him who perfected it, and inspired it (with the consciousness of) what is wrong and what is right. He is indeed successful who purifies that soul, and he is indeed a failure who stunts it.” If left unadulterated by sinful behaviour-which can never be the case-, the innate pure nature (fitrah) will prevail. This is supported by the Qur’an and the Hadith: “So set your purpose (O Muhammad) for religion as a man upright by nature- the nature perfected by God, in which He has created man. There is no altering in (the laws of) God’s creation,” Surah Ar-Rum (30:30).

It is apparent that in creating humans, God’s will was such that He wanted them to sin and experience life as sinners before they would repent and seek forgiveness. This deliberate divine scheme to create humans with an inclination to do wrong is extremely significant because pardoning those who turn repentant is a channel through which God’s divine attributes of Mercy and Forgiveness are made manifest. “If God were to punish people for their wrong-doing, He would not leave hereon a living creature, but He forgives them to an appointed term,” Surah An-Nahl (16:61). Moreover, Muhammad (pbuh) is reported to have said: “If you did not commit sins, God would sweep you out of existence and replace you with a different kind of creation who would commit sins, ask God’s forgiveness and receive it from Him,” (Muslim’s Authentic Compilation of Hadith). The process of falling into error, realizing the mistake and seeking God’s forgiveness is also a channel for human spiritual growth. It develops humans’ love for the All-Merciful, the Compassionate and increases their respect and consciousness of God when they turn to Him in humility and devotion. “Say, O my servants who have transgressed against their souls! Do not despair of God’s mercy, for God forgives all sins. He is indeed Oft- Forgiving, All-Merciful,” Surah Az-Zumar (39:53). Moreover, God’s forgiveness is encompassing and His mercy is All-Inclusive. “My mercy embraces all things, therefore I shall ordain it for those who fear (God),” Surah Al-A’araf (7:156).

One can clearly see the significant role that Satan has to play in realizing the Divine will of allowing an evil force to challenge the innate pure nature of humans. It is important, however, to avoid suggesting that Satan (Iblis) was made a scapegoat by God to realize His will of engaging humans in committing sin. Iblis, as the Qur’an reveals, freely chose to disobey God in refusing to prostrate to Adam, as Iblis, being of the Jinn, did possess a sinful nature similar to that of humans. God allowed Iblis to represent the satanic force of temptation within whose framework sinful acts would end up being committed by Adam, Eve, and all their progeny until the Day of Judgement. “And We created you, then fashioned you, then told the angles to prostrate before Adam. They fell prostrate, all except Iblis who was not of those who prostrated. (God) said: What hindered you that you did not prostrate when I commanded you? (Iblis) said: I am better than him. You created me from fire, while You created him of mud. (God) said: Then go down hence! It is not for you to show arrogana here, so go forth! You are of those degraded. (Iblis) said: Reprieve me till the Day when they will be raised (for judgement). (God) said: You are of those reprieved. (Iblis) said: Because of You making me of a nature (that goes) astray, I shall lurk in ambush for them at the Straight Path (assigned by You). Then I shall come upon them from the front and the back, from their right side and their left side and You will not find most of them beholden (to You). (God) said: Go forth from hence, degraded, banished. As for such of them as follow you, surely I will fill Hell with all of you.” Surah Al-A’araf (7:11-18). In the Qur’an, God does not mention only one Satan(Iblis), but affirms that there are many Satans, even from among humans. “Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of humankind, the sovereign over humankind, the God of humankind, from the evil of the sneaking whisperer, who whispers in the chests of humans, both from among Jinn and humankind,” Surah An-Nas (114:1-6).

As stated earlier, the transferability of the original sin does not find acceptance in the teachings of Islam; “Every soul is a pledge for its own deeds,” Surah Al- Muddathir (74:38). To say that the whole human race is burdened by the sin of Adam and Eve is inconsistent with God’s justice. God does not hold any individual responsible but for his own deed. This is supported by Ayah 164 of Surah Al-An’am(6): “ Shall I seek a lord other than God while He is the Lord of everything, and no soul earns (evil) but against itself. Nor does a bearer of a burden bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, so He will inform you of that in which you differed.” Humans according to the Qur’an (30:30), are born with a pure innate nature (fitrah) which is quilt malleable. Whatever becomes of man after birth is the result of his choice to do good or evil. Yes Satan does entice humans to choose evil over good, but ultimately, it is man’s freedom of choice that determines the final outcome. This is clearly demonstrated in Surah An-Nisa’ (4:117-118), “And (Satan) said (to God): Surely I will take of Your servants an appointed portion, and surely I will lead them astray, and surely I will arouse desires in them, and surely I will command them to cut cattle’s ears (a practice associated with superstition among the Arabs), and surely I will command them to change God’s creation. Whoever chooses Satan for a patron instead of God, is verily a loser and his loss is manifest. He promises them and stirs up desires in them, and Satan’s promises are only in deceit.” On the Day of Judgment, Satan will absolve himself of any responsibility in leading man astray. In Surah Ibrahim (14:22) one reads: “And Satan says, when the matter has been decided: God promised you the truth, and I promised you, and then failed you. I had no power over you except that I called on you and you obeyed me. Blame me not, but blame yourselves. I cannot help you, nor can you help me.”

The versatility of the Qur’anic language is such that what may seem like synonymous use of words is indeed a different concept, although the difference may be minute. “Sin” is one such concept. There are so many references to sinful acts in the Qur’an, with each belonging to a well defined category that demands a very specific definition. Examples include: Dhanb (misdeed), Fah’sha’ (Vile deed), Wizr (Heavy load of sins), Ithm (offence against others), Khati’ah (Offence against oneself), Sharr (evil act), Sayyi’ah (bad deed), Fasad (corruption) and Fisq (moral depravity). There are also major and minor sins as there are sins against God and sins against both God and man. All sins against God, except one, are forgivable if the sinner sincerely seeks forgiveness. The Qur’an states: “God forgives not that partners should be ascribed to Him. Other than that, He forgives whomever He wills,” Surah An-Nisa’ (4:116). Yet if the polytheist or atheist comes back to God, his sin will be forgiven. Islam is clear in making God’s forgiveness available for all: “Say, ‘O my servants who have transgressed against their souls! Do not despair of God’s mercy, for God forgives all sins.’ He is indeed, Oft-Forgiving, All-Merciful,” Surah Az-Zumar (39:53). Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is reported to have said: “One who repents from sin is like one without sin,” and “All of Adam’s descendants constantly err, but the best among them are those who constantly repent,” (Ibn Majah). This means that an individual who loses his purity by committing a sinful act is, no matter how serious that act, may regain that purity through sincere repentance. When a person genuinely changes his attitude and sincerely intends not to repeat his sin, and truly pledges obedience to God, the All-Merciful will grant forgiveness and erase the sin. “Those who, upon committing a vile act or wronging themselves, would remember God and implore Him for forgiveness—who forgives sins save God alone?-and would not knowingly persist on (sinning)? Surah Aal-'Imran (3:135). Sins against humans, however, are forgivable only if the offended person pardons the offender or if the proper compensation and/or punishment is applied.

The Islamic code of faith upholds that God has scores of attributes, not the least of which are Justice, Wisdom, Mercy, Compassion, and Perfection. God created man by breathing His own Spirit into him: 'When I have made him and have breathed into him of My spirit, do you fall down, prostrating yourselves to him,”Surah Al-Hijr (15:29). Man is thus bound to retain some portion of the perfect Spirit of his Creator. However, the primary purpose for the creation of man is the worship of God. Man is not to be God's equal, rival or the perfect incarnation of His goodness. No matter how good or perfect man may be, by the grace of creation, he is far short of the goodness and perfection of God. However, imperfection does not require humans to be helpless. They are indeed empowered ,by revelations and guided by various social and psychological dispositions to seek and achieve relative perfection. The torquing forces of good and evil define the framework of life. They give humans something to look forward to, ideals to seek, work to do, and roles to play. This makes life interesting and never stagnant. Moreover, it pleases God to see His servants in a state of spiritual and moral victory. In his authentic compilation of Hadith, Bukhari cites: “Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself by this religion will not be able to continue. Do not be extremists, but try to be near to perfection and receive the good tidings of impending reward. Gain strength by offering prayers in the mornings, afternoons and during the final hours of the nights.”

Unlike Christianity which insists on sacrifice as a means to forgive sin, Islam teaches that God's forgiveness is not only limited to blood sacrifices but can also be granted through acts of piety like prayers, charity, fasting, and performing good deeds. When Muslims do a sacrifice at the time of the Hajj (pilgrimage) to commemorate the sacrifice of Abraham, or when they do any of the ceremonial sacrifices, they are emphatically reminded by God that it is not He who benefits from the flesh or the blood but rather He is interested in the faithful attaining righteousness, Surah al-Hajj (22:37). Whereas in the Bible one reads: “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins,” (Hebrews 9:22), Muslims believe that God does not sacrifice one human being, Jesus, who is a revered prophet of God, to grant humans forgiveness for a sin they are not responsible for. Muslims find themselves in disagreement with the statements of Paul in Romans 5:18-19: “Then as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one man's act of righteousness leads to acquittal and life for all men. For as by man's disobedience (Adam) many were made sinners, so by one man's obedience (Jesus) many will be made righteous.”

We need to further elaborate on Christianity's and Islam's view of good deeds and their impact on forgiveness. Whereas one reads in the Qur'an: “Establish worship (pray) at the two ends of the day and some time during the night, for good deeds do annul evil deeds,” (Surah Hud 11:114), the Christian view according to Isaiah 59:2-3 is different: “Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity, you lips have spoken lies, your tongue mutters wickedness.” A similar distinction can be made concerning fasting.
In Zechariah 7:5- 6: “When you fasted and mourned...Was it for me that you fasted? And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves?” Islam, on the other hand, proposes fasting as a form of expiation for many acts that are considered forbidden by the religion.

If redemption in Christianity revolves around the role of Jesus in obtaining divine forgiveness for humanity, Islam views redemption as beginning with Adam who, through divine coaching, taught humans how to seek forgiveness. That being the case, one may ask about the significance of Jesus in human history and his relationship to Adam whose sin, according to Christian theology, necessitated the advent of Jesus. The Islamic answer is clearly given in Surah Al-'Imran (3: 59-60): “The similitude of Jesus with God is that of Adam. (God) created (Adam) out of dust (of the earth), then he said to him: Be! and he became. (This is) the truth from Your Lord, so be not of those who waver.” While the biblical Adam is considered the first sinner, for Muslims, Adam is the first prophet, because revelation begins with him. Jesus too is a revered prophet of God who is unique in the sense that his human existence, like Adam, did not come about as a result of a physical interaction between a man and woman. The Qur'an refers to Jesus in Surah Aal-'Imran (3: 45) as “a Word from Him whose name is the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, illustrious in this world and the Hereafter, and one of those who are close to God.” Observers who examine the issue from the Islamic perspective, propose that Jesus came to this world to complete the list of four potentially possible ways for humans to be created: 1) without a male or a female predecessor (Adam), 2) from a male but no female predecessor (Eve), 3) from both a male and a female predecessor (all human beings), and 4) from a female but no male predecessor (Jesus).

The humanity of God's messengers is an essential component of Islamic theology. The Qur'an sets forth a convincing argument by saying, “Had We appointed an angel (as Our Messenger), We assuredly would have made him (as) a man (that he might speak to men),” Surah Al-An'am (6:9). Despite his humanity, Islam affirms the especially high status of Jesus, the Messenger of God. It is reported by Ibn Hanbal and Muslim that Muhammad (pbuh) said: “Every descendant of Adam is touched by the finger of Satan except Mary and her son, peace be upon both of them.” Thus Jesus is free from evil and is the only exemplification of purity which Adam possessed at on point until he was touched by Satan's finger.

In his article, 'Toward an Islamic Christology,” Mahmoud Ayoub summarizes Islam's view of Jesus, the Christ: “The Christ of the Qur'an is according to this theology fully human, in spite of his miraculous birth and special status. Like Adam, he is the creature of God not through the law of human generation, rather, he is the object of the divine amr, or command. Again, in spite of his humanity, and perhaps because of it, Jesus is made the agent of divine acts through his special miracles. To him alone among the prophets, God gave the power to give health to the sick, life to the dead and even to crude matter. All this he did “by God's leave”...Islam differs from Christianity on two crucial points. First, it denies the divinity of Christ, but without denying his special humanity. Second, it denies the expiatory sacrifice of Christ on the cross as a ransom for sinful humanity.”


Conclusion

Sin is acquired not inborn, emergent not built-in, avoidable not inevitable. It is a deliberate conscious violation of divine laws. If man does something that is truly caused by natural instincts or absolutely irresistible drives and uncontrollable urges, then such an act is not a sin in Islam. Otherwise, God's purpose will be pointless and man's responsibility will be in vain. God demands of man what lies within the human possibilities and reaches: “God tasks not a soul beyond its scope. Going in its favour only that which it has earned, and going against it is that which it has deserved. Our Lord: condemn us not if we forget, or miss the target. Our Lord: Lay not on us such a burden as You did lay on those before us. Our Lord: Impose not on us that which we have not the strength to bear. Pardon us, absolve us and have mercy on us. You are our Protector; make us prevail over the disbelieving folk,” Surah al-Baqarah (2:285-286).




















List of References


1) The Glorious Qur’an
2) The Bible, King James version
3) “Mawsu’at Al-Ahadith Al-Nabawiyyah” (Encyclopedia of Prophetic Sayings)
4) “Jami’ Al-Bayan ‘an Ta’wil Ay Al-Qur’an” (Compilation of Most Probable Meanings of the Verses of the Qur’an) by Ibn Jarir Al-Tabari
5) “Al-Misbah Al-Munir Fi Tahtheeb Tafseer Ibn-Katheer” (The Shining Lantern)
6) “A Muslim View of Christianity: Essays on Dialogue by Mahmoud Ayoub”. Edited by Irfan A. Omar.
7) Contemplating Suratul Fatiha, by Ibrahim Kazim
8) The Harper Collins Dictionary of Religion