A Sufi craftsman once told me, “Sin is forgetfulness. We forget who we are and where we came from.” He was hammering delicate inscriptions into a brass bowl, the Arabic script curling around the edge: Allah is Merciful. His view was not an isolated one it echoed the dominant understanding in Islamic theology: that humanity is not born in sin, but prone to error, needing guidance, not redemption.
This is the cracked mirror.
As a missiologist and theologian who has walked Arab alleyways, sat in Bedouin tents and listened deeply to both the Qur’an and the cry of the human soul, I offer this: if we are to understand Islam’s view of sin and salvation, and respond as Christians, we must begin with clarity, respect, and precision.
Islam’s View: Sin as a Slip, Salvation as Submission
In Islamic theology, sin is primarily a moral failure, not a constitutional flaw. Man is born pure—fitrah—with the innate ability to choose right. Adam’s sin was a mistake, not a fall. He repented. God forgave him. There is no inherited guilt.
This view naturally leads to a salvation framework based on scales: good deeds vs bad deeds. The Qur’an repeatedly says, “Those whose scales are heavy [with good deeds], it is they who will succeed” (Surah 23:102). At the end of life, if your good outweighs your bad, and if Allah wills, you may enter Paradise.
God, in this view, is merciful and just, but not relational. There is no cross. No mediator. No guarantee.
Salvation is always a maybe.
The Christian View: Sin as Separation, Salvation as Substitution
Contrast this with the biblical narrative. Sin is not simply a mistake—it’s a rupture, a rebellion, a dislocation of creation. Genesis 3 isn’t about a poor choice; it’s about a spiritual catastrophe that infected the very nature of man.
“Through one man, sin entered the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men” (Romans 5:12). This is not forgetfulness. This is fallenness.
Christianity offers no scales. It offers a cross.
Salvation is not earned, but received—because Christ, the sinless one, bore the weight of our guilt. “He made him who knew no sin to become sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Where Islam says, “Try harder,” the Gospel says, “Come and rest.”
Where Islam says, “If God wills,” Jesus says, “Truly, truly I say to you…”
The Crux: Relational vs Transactional
At its heart, Islam’s view of salvation is transactional—do more, be better, obey the Five Pillars, and hope for mercy.
Christianity is relational—a Father runs to embrace His prodigal child (Luke 15). The cry of the heart is not, “Have I done enough?” but, “Abba, Father!”
This is what many Muslims long for but do not know how to articulate: not just forgiveness, but sonship. Not just mercy, but intimacy.
Missiological Wisdom: Responding with Respect and Revelation
We must never caricature Islam. It is a complex and deeply held worldview, and our Muslim friends are often devout, moral, and sincere. But sincerity cannot save. Only truth can.
As we respond:
- Affirm common ground: Talk about God’s justice, mercy, and the seriousness of sin.
- Highlight the gaps: Ask questions like, “How can we be sure our good deeds are enough?” or “What do we do with guilt that remains?”
- Present the Gospel as fulfillment, not contradiction: Show that Jesus doesn’t cancel the need for mercy and justice—He perfectly fulfills them both.
- Tell stories: Arabs are storytellers. Use the prodigal son, the thief on the cross, the woman caught in adultery—stories where the weight of sin meets the beauty of grace.
- Be patient, prayerful, and present: Salvation is God’s work. Our job is to sow with tears, knowing that harvest will come.
The Mirror Made Whole
When we see sin only as a slip, we underestimate the disease. And when we see salvation only as submission, we miss the remedy.
The Gospel is not another set of scales—it’s the Savior stepping off the scale and taking our place.
So when you speak to your Muslim friends, remember: they are not looking for a debate—they are longing for a mirror that reflects the truth, not just of their condition, but of God’s heart.
And only the face of Jesus can do that.
The Basin and Towel 