What Does Salvation in Islam meaning?
According to dictionary definitions salvation means “deliverance from the power and effects of sin” [1]. Even some people believe that all Abrahamic religions have been sent to human beings to free them from the effects of their sins and guide them to the path of salvation. However, there are some major differences in the way that followers of different Abrahamic religions believe in the concept of salvation and that the above definition is not necessarily compatible with the Islamic meaning of Salvation. Therefore, this article is a study on the concept of salvation in Islam and tries to point out its major differences with Christianity.
The Concept of Original Sin: Rational or Not?
Before starting the argument about the concept of salvation in Christianity, it is important to point out the two main ideas of Christian Catholic theologians:
1- ‘Adam by his sin caused the fall of the human generation on earth and as a result of this worldly life, he caused death for the human generation.
2- Adam by his fault transmitted sin to the human generation’ [2].
According to some Christians’ opinion, death and sin are transmitted to the human race generation after generation, "for as by the disobedience of one man, many [i.e., all men] were made sinners" (Romans 5:19) [3].
Now let us study how Christianity explains the concept of salvation for men who are all born sinners.
The Concept of Salvation in Christianity
Some Christian sects believe that all men are born sinners, and it becomes more complicated when the belief comes to the point that says “no amount of human goodness, human works, human morality, or religious activity can gain acceptance with God or get anyone into heaven; the moral man, the religious man, and the immoral and non-religious, are all in the same boat” [4].
“In the Christian doctrine of salvation, God has rescued man through Christ (John 3:17). Specifically, it was Jesus’ death on the cross and subsequent resurrection that achieved man’s salvation (Romans 5:10; Ephesians 1:7). It is explicitly stated in The Bible that salvation is the gracious, undeserved gift of God (Ephesians 2:5, 8) and is only available through faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12)” [5].
The Concept of Salvation in Islam
There are a few differences between the story of Adam and Eve in the Bible and the Quran, one of which is the concept of original sin in Christianity that is contrary to the Islamic teachings. According to Islam, we are all born pure and even if we consider Adam’s act as a sin [i], it is not logical to count it as an everlasting sin for the whole human generation. According to Islam, everyone is responsible for his/her own acts: “no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another” (6: 164).
Therefore, according to Islam, salvation is not defined as the human’s deliverance from the original sin, but it is a path that guides human beings towards spiritual development and reaching God.
Even following the prophets in Islam, never means that the human generation can be saved by having belief in their prophethood, but it is by following their guidance and the rules of religion and by doing “righteous deeds” (7:42) that one can reach salvation:
“And those who have faith and do righteous deeds—they shall be the inhabitants of paradise; they will remain in it [forever].” (2: 82)
In the Quran, Allah introduces prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) as the one who rescues people from their burdens and shackles. (7:157). We need to find out what those burdens and shackles are and how the prophet is supposed to relieve people from them, which are all mentioned in the Quran.
By finding the answer to the above question, we will realize the Islamic viewpoint on the concept of salvation and the role of Prophets and people in attaining it.
What Are the Burdens and Shackles on the Human Shoulders?
The Quran exegetes have different interpretations of burdens and shackles that are mentioned in this Holy Book; including superstitions, wrong habits, and traditions, ignorance, discrimination, false rules of the society, oppression, and dictatorship of the government, etc. It is also said that these burdens were those hard rituals and laws that God had obliged over the Jews [6].
But the deliverance that prophet brings for people is not reachable by sacrificing himself. As it is mentioned in the Quran the duty of prophets is to invite people to the right path and teach them the book and purify them by giving them the guidelines for a successful life (24: 54). However, it is the human himself who has to choose and do righteous deeds to reach salvation.
Therefore, according to the Quran sins cannot be transmitted from one person to another, just as a prophet cannot take away the sins of his people by sacrificing himself; “No bearer shall bear another’s burden” (17:15).
Conclusion
Salvation in Islam opens the gate of hope into people’s hearts. Unlike Christianity, in Islam people are not sinful and can reach the closest levels to God and His messengers by doing righteous deeds, acting according to the religious rules and living a decent life. And having true faith in God and his apostle is necessary but not enough.
As mentioned in the Quran, the human is a creature that “its virtues and vices” are inspired to him and it is the human who chooses one and leaves the other behind [7]. Therefore, in the Islamic doctrine, it is the human’s free will that makes his/her destiny; “one who purifies it (the soul) is felicitous, and one who betrays it fails” (91: 9-10).
To sum up, believing in Jesus and his sacrifice for the salvation of human race is not acceptable according to Islam. But the only way of salvation is the belief in the prophets, especially the last one, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP), and in the messages that he delivered to us. These messages invite us to do righteous deeds based on our conscious act and choice. And if the belief is not accompanied by righteous deeds it will not lead to salvation.
Notes:
[i]. Muslims believe in the infallibility of prophets. Also, the reason for which Muslims do not count Adam’s act as sin is that at his time there had been no religion and no specific frameworks for human behavior. And God had not ordered him not to eat of the forbidden tree, but He recommended Adam and Eve to keep away from that tree. Therefore, they had not committed a sin, to face punishment, rather they had chosen to take an action regarding the forbidden tree and they faced its consequences.
References:
- salvation
- original sin
- ibid
- https://bible.org/article/gods-plan-salvation
- Christian salvation
- Makarem Shirazi, N. Payam-e Ghor’an , Vol. 7, p. 25
- The Quran, Chapter Shams (91), Verse 18
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Ghadir Narrations part 2
07 - Aug - 2021
73 Read
4 Min
21- Day of greetings
Imam Sadiq (AS) said:
The value of deeds on that day (Eid Ghadir) is equal to eighty months, and it is recommended to increase the remembrance of Allah and Salawat upon the Prophet (PBUH&HP) and his family.
22- The day of the leadership meeting
Imam Hadi (AS) said to Abu Ishaq:
On the day of Ghadir, the Holy Prophet (PBUH&HP) raised the hand of his brother Ali (AS) and introduced him as the flag bearer (and commander) of the people and the leader after him. Abu Ishaq said: I said, I beg your pardon, you are right. That is why I came to visit you, I testify that you are the authority of Allah over the people.
23- Takbir Day
Imam Reza (AS) said:
Whoever meets a believer on the day (Ghadir), Allah will send seventy lights on his grave and expand his grave, and every day seventy thousand angels will visit his grave and give him the good news of Paradise.
24- Day of meeting and goodness
Imam Sadiq (AS) said:
It is proper to get closer to Allah by doing good to others, fasting, praying, reaching out to relatives, and meeting the brothers of faith because the prophets did so and advised their people when they appointed their successors.
25- Prayer in Ghadir Mosque.
Imam Sadiq (AS) said:
It is recommended to pray in Ghadir Mosque because the Holy Prophet (PBUH&HP) introduced and appointed the Commander of the Faithful (AS) there. And that is where the great Allah revealed the truth.
26- Ghadir day prayer
Imam Sadiq (AS) said:
A person who prays two units (Rakat) at any time on the day of Eid Ghadir -and it is better to be close to noon, which is the time when the Commander of the Faithful (AS) was appointed leadership in Ghadir at that time- is like someone realized that day ...
27- Ghadir fast
Imam Sadiq (AS) said:
The fast of Ghadir day is equal to the fast of the whole life. That is if a person is always alive and fasts all his life, his reward is equal to the reward of fasting on Eid Ghadir.
28- Congratulations and smile day
Imam Reza (AS) said:
Eid Ghadir is a day of congratulations. Congratulations to each other, every time a believer meets his brother, he should say: "Praise be to Allah who has given us the success of grasping the guardianship of Imam Ali (AS) and the leaders." ...
Chapter 3: Guardianship in Ghadir
29- The Prophet and the guardianship of Ali (AS)
On the day of Ghadir, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) ordered: A preacher should call: Gather for prayer. Then he took the hand of Ali (AS), raised it and said:
O Allah, whoever I am the master of, so Ali is also his master, O Allah, love the one who loves Ali and be the enemy of the one who is at enmity with Ali.
30- Prophetic life
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) said:
Whoever wants to live and die like me and live in the eternal paradise that my Lord has promised me, will choose the guardianship of Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS), because he leads you not astray.
31- The Prophet and Imamate of Ali (AS)
I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) to say to Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS):
O Ali, you are my brother, guardian, heir and successor among my ummah during my life and after my death. Your friend is my friend and your vindictive is my enemy.
32- The foundations of Islam
Imam Baqir (AS) said:
Islam is based on five pillars: prayer, zakat, fasting, Hajj and Wilayah (Guardianship), and nothing has been called as much as what has been emphasized to Wilayah on the Day of Ghadir.
33- Immortal province
Imam Kadhim (AS) said:
The guardianship of Ali (AS) is recorded in the books of all the prophets and no prophet was sent except with the covenant of the prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH&HP) and the Imamate of Ali (AS).
34- Wilayah and Tawhid
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) said:
The guardianship of Ali (AS) is the guardianship of Allah, loving him is worshiping Allah, following him is a divine obligation and his friends are friends of Allah and his enemies are enemies of Allah, war with him, war with Allah, and peace with him, peace with Allah Almighty.
35- The day of the devil's wailing
Imam Baqir (AS) said:
Satan, the enemy of Allah, lamented four times: the day he was cursed by Allah, the day he fell to the ground, the day that Holy Prophet (PBUH&HP) was sent, and the day of Eid Ghadir.
36- Tawhid fort
The Holy Prophet (PBUH&HP) said:
God says: The guardianship of Ali is my stronghold, so whoever enters my fortress will be protected from the fire of Hell.
37- The successor of the Prophet
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) said:
O Ali, I am the city of knowledge and you are its door, do not enter the city except through its door. ... You are the leader of my nation and my successor in this city, whoever obeys you is blessed, and whoever disobeys you is miserable, and your friend has benefited and your enemy has lost.
38- Islam in the shadow of the province
Imam Sadiq (AS) said:
The cornerstones of Islam are three things:
Prayer, Zakat and Wilayah, none of which can be made without the other.
39- Ten thousand witnesses
Imam Sadiq (AS) said:
O Hafs! Surprising of what Ali (AS) encountered! He could not get his right with ten thousand witnesses (on the day of Ghadir), while a person with two witnesses gets his right.
40- Ali (AS), the commentator of the Quran
The Holy Prophet (PBUH&HP) said on the day of Ghadir:
Ali (AS) is the interpretation of the Book of Allah, and the inviter to Allah, be aware that what is lawful and what is forbidden is more than what I introduce and command and forbid and count them. So I was instructed to make a covenant with you to accept what I brought from Allah Almighty about Ali the commander of the faithful and his successors.
O people! Think and understand the divine revelations, pay attention to its courts and do not follow its similarities. I swear by Allah, no one can ever utter the verses of the Qur'an and clarify its interpretation, except the one whom I have taken (and introduced).
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What Does Islam Say about Watching Movies and Animations?
10 - Feb - 2021
28,007 Read
4 Min
Nowadays, being surrounded by different types of media products, one may be bewildered if all these movies and animations are lawful (Halal) or not. We might found many of them to have some contradictions with Islamic rules.
The fact is that many issues did not exist 1400 years ago, and therefore, there is no direct mention of them in the Quran or narrations of the Prophet (PBUH&HP).
However, Islam is not a contextual religion that was only suitable for people of its own time. Instead, it is a universal religion that can be a guideline for all human beings, anywhere and anytime. Thus, we should be able to find out the Islamic viewpoint about watching movies and animations; which, indeed, have a central role in most of our lives these days.
The Fundamental Frameworks Regarding Watching Movies
Although there is no direct mention of movies in the Quran, Islam has provided us with some fundamental frameworks that describe the freedoms and redlines of the religion. Those are the Islamic laws that are extracted from the Quran and narrations. Having those fundamental frameworks in mind, we can always have a criterion to distinguish the lawfulness or forbiddance of any new issue that may arise in our individual or social life.
Now, let’s revise some of these fundamental frameworks to find out if watching movies and animations are forbidden in Islam or not.
Rule number 1
There is a verse in the Quran that says: “Say: Who has forbidden the adornment of Allah which He has brought forth for His servants, and the good things of [His] provision?’ Say, ‘These are for the faithful in the life of this world, and exclusively for them on the Day of Resurrection.’ Thus do We elaborate the signs for a people who have knowledge.” (7: 32)
The verse shows that there have been people who prevented themselves from even lawful adornments of this world. Therefore, Allah, by using the imperative word “say,” tells his Prophet to ask people ‘based on what religion they are forbidding the blessings of Allah to themselves.’
Based on this verse, the blessings in this world have been created for faithful people, while the unbelievers can also use them. Byte they are merely for goof believers in heaven.
Rule number 2
By reading rule number 1, some may think that Allah is not taking it too harshly, and therefore, everything is lawful for us. But since Allah knows better how we may misuse His words, He quickly continues with the following verse:
“Say, ‘My Lord has only forbidden indecencies, the outward among them and the inward ones, and sin and undue aggression, and that you should ascribe to Allah partners for which He has not sent down any authority, and that you should attribute to Allah what you do not know.’” (7: 33)
Therefore, any indecencies and wrongdoing that may in any way cause harm to an individual or the society are forbidden in Islam.
There are so many other verses that can help us find our answer in terms of watching movies. However, the two above verses can be the criteria to help us distinguish any Lawful (Halal) and unlawful in Islam.
Analysis
Let’s choose a movie in mind and use the following questions as our criterion to distinguish if they are Lawful (Halal) or not.
1- It teaches me a lot.
2- It motivates me to be a better person and find better behavior and habits in life.
3- It gives me peace of mind.
4- It contains bad words that may remain in my mind.
5- It contains violence that is not motivating in the right way, but will wake my aggression.
6- It contains sexual scenes.
7- It gives me a nihilistic feeling.
Numbers 1, 2, and 3 are the manifestation of adornments and blessings of Allah, while numbers 4, 5, 6 and 7 are indecencies and wrongdoing.
The above were only some examples, but if you have more criteria based on the Quranic teachings in mind, you may find it easier to distinguish between right and wrong.
Conclusion
Watching movies and animations are not forbidden (Haram) in Islam if they don’t contain any prohibited elements. Muslims are allowed to watch, enjoy, and learn from movies that contain no indecencies and has no harm for any individual or society.
However, being a Muslim means that one has the aim of improving to the highest levels of faith. Thus, one should keep in mind the verse of the Quran that says: “The life of the world is nothing but play and diversion, and the abode of the Hereafter is surely better for those who are Godwary. Do you not exercise your reason?” (6: 32)
Therefore, even if the movies and animation are lawful (halal) to watch, we should make sure not to waste our time watching too much of them and neglect our main tasks in life.
“… and eat and drink, but do not waste; indeed, He does not like the wasteful.” (7: 31)
References
- The Quran, Chapter 7, verses 32-33
- The Quran, Chapter 6, verses 32
- The Quran, Chapter 7, verses 31
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