Quora Answer: How is It Possible for Allah (s.w.t.) to Forgive without a Vicarious Sacrifice, Unlike the Christian God?

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “How is it possible for Allah (s.w.t.) to Forgive sins without a human-deity sacrifice, but the Christian God cannot forgive sins without a human-deity sacrifice?” 

Essentially, you are asking about the difference between Salvation in Christianity and Islam. This is a profound theological subject since it impacts on our understanding of what constitutes the Divine Nature. Salvation in Scriptural language has the general meaning of liberation from sin, taint and other evils, and of a migration into a state of spiritual freedom and security.  Since sin is the root and source of all evil, Scripture uses the word “salvation” mainly in the sense of liberation of the humanity or of the individual from sin and its consequences. 

Christianity as a whole does not dwell much upon the possibility of the Salvation of mankind by God by pardoning sins without having recourse to the Incarnation of the Second Person of the Trinity, Jesus (a.s.) the Christ.  Rather, much of its scholarship has been focused in justifying the need for the Vicarious Sacrifice. 

Christians need to believe the Incarnation of the Word is the most fitting means for Salvation and that it is even necessary, in case God Claimed full satisfaction for the injury done to Him by sin.  This implies an inadequacy in the nature of God; that He is subject to whims.  A god that can be hurt is does not have omniscience and omnipotence.  We are hurt when things do not turn out the way they are expected to.  God cannot be hurt since nothing to be except as He Wills.  He is free of needs and wants. 

Christian doctrine holds that though the office of the Saviour is one, it is virtually multiple since there is a need for the atonement of sin and damnation, an establishment of the Truth to overcome human inadequacy and a perennial source of spiritual strength aiding man in his struggle against darkness.  These are the offices of Jesus (a.s.) as the Incarnate.  Trinitarian Christianity is adamant that there can be no doubt Jesus (a.s.) the Christ fulfilled these three functions.  The failure to accept this constitutes heresy.  It is held that he saved mankind from the consequences of sin.  In his capacity as the Guide, Rabbi, he established the reign of Truth, supplied strength to his subjects, reconciling sinful man with an angry God. 

It is important to distinguish the Christian Christ from the concept of Christ as understood by Muslims.  The English “Messiah”, the Hebrew “Maschiach”, the Greek “Christos”, and the Arabic “Masih” all mean the same thing - Anointed.  From a Biblical perspective, the kings of Israel were anointed; Cyrus the Great, ruler of Persia; was anointed and so was almost every ruler in the Near East.  The priests of the Temple were anointed.  And Jesus (a.s.) was Anointed.  From a religious context, it denotes someone Chosen by God for a mission.  It does not necessarily indicate godhood of any sort.  With regard to Jesus (a.s.), it is the same basic eschatological role in Islam and Christianity.  He is to lead the fight against the anti-Christ, also referred to as the False Messiah or al-Masih ad-Dajjal. 

Christian theology holds that “Jesus the Christ is constituted God’s Own Son by the substantial unction with the Divine Nature; the ordinary is therefore made holy, though not impeccable, by his consecration, while Christ is separated from all sin and sinners by the hypostatic union.” 

From a Muslim perspective, this is a contradiction, since God is God and man is man; the finite could never hold the infinite in the same vein that a hole in the sand could never hold the ocean.  If Jesus (a.s.) is God, then God has Limited Himself in time and space.  He is no longer Omnipresent.  It may be argued that this is only a portion of God’s Divine Essence since God the Father is still Omniscient.  If that be the case, Jesus (a.s.) is no longer Perfect God and Perfect Man as Athanasius of Alexandria, and the early Church Fathers would have us believe. 

Christians believe that Christ’s (a.s.) priesthood is eternal, heavenly and spiritual.  The sacrifices offered by the temporal priests were either lifeless or irrational animals, distinct from the person of offeror.  The Christian Christ offered a victim, included in the person of the offeror.  They hold that his living flesh, animated by His rational soul, a real and worthy substitute for mankind, on whose behalf Christ offers the sacrifice.  The Levitical priesthood inflicted an irreparable death on the sacrifice within the intention of a religious rite.  Christian believe Christ’s sacrifice is the immutation of the victim, brought about by an internal act of His Will. 

John 10:17

¹⁷ This, my Father loves in me, that I am laying down my life, to take it up again afterwards. 

¹⁷ διὰ τοῦτό με ὁ πατὴρ ἀγαπᾷ, ὅτι ἐγὼ τίθημι τὴν ψυχήν μου, ἵνα πάλιν λάβω αὐτήν. 

¹⁷ Propterea me diligit Pater: quia ego pono animam meam, ut iterum sumam eam. 

The victim’s death has become the source of a new life to himself and to mankind.  It is as much of a gift of God to man, as a sacrifice of man to God.  However, it neglects to explain in no uncertain terms that if the Christian conception of god is merciful, why is there a need for a vicarious sacrifice in the first place?  And if the Christian conception of god is just, why should an innocent pay for the sins of others.  And more importantly, in the nature of god, the Christian conception of god has become inadequate since it needs to be accountable to Himself through himself and to man. 

Notwithstanding the various Christian understandings of God the Father and God the Son, much of Pauline Christianity hold that he is Perfect God and Perfect Man.  Firstly, perfection cannot be limited.  Neither can perfection be in contradiction to its very nature.  If Jesus (a.s.) is God and Jesus (a.s.) was crucified, did God die?  Because if God died and the world exists, then such a god is not the Sustainer.  He is, therefore, not the God.  If Jesus (a.s.) died and God did not die, then God may be God, but Jesus (a.s.) is definitely not God. 

Christianity holds that the perfection of the salvation wrought by Christ for mankind offered to God a satisfaction for man’s sin not only sufficient but superabundant on God’s part. 

Romans 5:15-20

15 Only, the grace which came to us was out of all proportion to the fault.  If this one man’s fault brought death on a whole multitude, all the more lavish was God’s grace, shewn to a whole multitude, that gift he made us in the grace brought by one man, Jesus Christ.  ¹⁶ The extent of the gift is not as if it followed a single guilty act; the sentence which brought us condemnation arose out of one man’s action, whereas the pardon that brings us acquittal arises out of a multitude of faults.  ¹⁷ And if death began its reign through one man, owing to one man’s fault, more fruitful still is the grace, the gift of justification, which bids men enjoy a reign of life through one man, Jesus Christ.  ¹⁸ Well then, one man commits a fault, and it brings condemnation upon all; one man makes amends, and it brings to all justification, that is, life.  ¹⁹ A multitude will become acceptable to God through one man’s obedience, just as a multitude, through one man’s disobedience, became guilty.  ²⁰ The law intervened, only to amplify our fault; but, as our fault was amplified, grace has been more amply bestowed than ever … 

¹⁵ ἀλλ' οὐχ ὡς τὸ παράπτωμα, οὕτως καὶ τὸ χάρισμα: εἰ γὰρ τῷ τοῦ ἑνὸς παραπτώματι οἱ πολλοὶ ἀπέθανον, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡ χάρις τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἡ δωρεὰ ἐν χάριτι τῇ τοῦ ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς τοὺς πολλοὺς ἐπερίσσευσεν.  ¹⁶ καὶ οὐχ ὡς δι' ἑνὸς ἁμαρτήσαντος τὸ δώρημα: τὸ μὲν γὰρ κρίμα ἐξ ἑνὸς εἰς κατάκριμα, τὸ δὲ χάρισμα ἐκ πολλῶν παραπτωμάτων εἰς δικαίωμα.  ¹⁷ εἰ γὰρ τῷ τοῦ ἑνὸς παραπτώματι ὁ θάνατος ἐβασίλευσεν διὰ τοῦ ἑνός, πολλῷ μᾶλλον οἱ τὴν περισσείαν τῆς χάριτος καὶ τῆς δωρεᾶς τῆς δικαιοσύνης λαμβάνοντες ἐν ζωῇ βασιλεύσουσιν διὰ τοῦ ἑνὸς Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.  ¹⁸ Ἄρα οὖν ὡς δι' ἑνὸς παραπτώματος εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἰς κατάκριμα, οὕτως καὶ δι' ἑνὸς δικαιώματος εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἰς δικαίωσιν ζωῆς: ¹⁹ ὥσπερ γὰρ διὰ τῆς παρακοῆς τοῦ ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου ἁμαρτωλοὶ κατεστάθησαν οἱ πολλοί, οὕτως καὶ διὰ τῆς ὑπακοῆς τοῦ ἑνὸς δίκαιοι κατασταθήσονται οἱ πολλοί.  ²⁰ νόμος δὲ παρεισῆλθεν ἵνα πλεονάσῃ τὸ παράπτωμα: οὗ δὲ ἐπλεόνασεν ἡ ἁμαρτία, ὑπερεπερίσσευσεν ἡ χάρις, 

¹⁵ Sed non sicut delictum, ita et donum: si enim unius delicto multi mortui sunt: multo magis gratia Dei et donum in gratia unius hominis Jesu Christi in plures abundavit.  ¹⁶ Et non sicut per unum peccatum, ita et donum. Nam judicium quidem ex uno in condemnationem: gratia autem ex multis delictis in justificationem.  ¹⁷ Si enim unius delicto mors regnavit per unum: multo magis abundantiam gratiæ, et donationis, et justitiæ accipientes, in vita regnabunt per unum Jesum Christum.  ¹⁸ Igitur sicut per unius delictum in omnes homines in condemnationem: sic et per unius justitiam in omnes homines in justificationem vitæ.  ¹⁹ Sicut enim per inobedientiam unius hominis, peccatores constituti sunt multi: ita et per unius obeditionem, justi constituentur multi.  ²⁰ Lex autem subintravit ut abundaret delictum. Ubi autem abundavit delictum, superabundavit gratia: 

Pauline Christianity asserts that God Agreed to accept man’s redemption through Christ via the work of the Redeemer.  That He was bound by His promise and His Justice to Grant the Remission of sin to the extent and in the manner intended by Christ.  In this way, salvation has won back for humanity; not just any salvation but the essential prerogative of the state of original justice.  It is the sanctifying grace which will restore the minor prerogatives of the Resurrection.  However, it is not the blanket forgiveness of every individual sin, only the procurement of the means thereto.  This means it is not restricted only to the predestined or to the faithful, but extended to all men. 

1 John 2:2

² He, in his own person, is the atonement made for our sins, and not only for ours, but for the sins of the whole world. 

² καὶ αὐτὸς ἱλασμός ἐστιν περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν, οὐ περὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων δὲ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ ὅλου τοῦ κόσμου. 

² et ipse est propitiatio pro peccatis nostris: non pro nostris autem tantum, sed etiam pro totius mundi. 

1 Timothy 2:1-4

¹ This, first of all, I ask; that petition, prayer, entreaty and thanksgiving should be offered for all mankind, ² especially for kings and others in high station, so that we can live a calm and tranquil life, as dutifully and decently as we may.  ³ Such prayer is our duty, it is what God, our Saviour, expects of us, ⁴ since it is his will that all men should be saved, and be led to recognize the truth … 

¹ Παρακαλῶ οὖν πρῶτον πάντων ποιεῖσθαι δεήσεις, προσευχάς, ἐντεύξεις, εὐχαριστίας, ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀνθρώπων, ² ὑπὲρ βασιλέων καὶ πάντων τῶν ἐν ὑπεροχῇ ὄντων, ἵνα ἤρεμον καὶ ἡσύχιον βίον διάγωμεν ἐν πάσῃ εὐσεβείᾳ καὶ σεμνότητι.  ³ τοῦτο καλὸν καὶ ἀπόδεκτον ἐνώπιον τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν θεοῦ, ⁴ ὃς πάντας ἀνθρώπους θέλει σωθῆναι καὶ εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας ἐλθεῖν. 

¹ Obsecro igitur primum omnium fieri obsecrationes, orationes, postulationes, gratiarum actiones, pro omnibus hominibus: ² pro regibus, et omnibus qui in sublimitate sunt, ut quietam et tranquillam vitam agamus in omni pietate, et castitate: ₃ hoc enim bonum est, et acceptum coram Salvatore nostro Deo, ₄ qui omnes homines vult salvos fieri, et ad agnitionem veritatis venire. 

In essence, it is God has bribed Himself through the person of Jesus (a.s.) the Christ.  Also, what is essentially won is not the blanket forgiveness of sins for all men but the removal of the Original Sin which is only fully realised in those who accept Jesus (a.s.) as their Saviour.  Arianism, and other forms of Christianity, as well as Islam reject this on the basis that that is an inadequate God that would be so unjust as to condemn man for the sins of a distant father. 

Individual salvation refers to the repentance of sinners from sin.  It is conditional upon the Salvation of Humanity and is realised with the acceptance of Christ as the Saviour.  Individual salvation is irrelevant if Christ is not accepted as the Saviour.  The Council of Trent described the process of salvation from sin for an adult with great minuteness in Sess. VI, v-vi.  The process of Salvation “begins with the Grace of God which touches a sinner's heart, and calls him to repentance.  This grace cannot be merited; it proceeds solely from the Love and Mercy of God.  Man may receive or reject this inspiration of God; he may turn to God or remain in sin. Grace does not constrain man's free will.” 

It is by this Divine Assistance that “a sinner is disposed for salvation; he now believes in the revelation of God, fears God’s Justice, hopes in His Mercy, trusts that God will be Merciful to him for Christ's sake, begins to love God as the source of all justice, hates and detests his sins.” 

As per the words of the Church itself, “Catholics especially believe that the initial grace is truly gratuitous and supernatural; that the human will remains free under the influence of this grace; that man really cooperates in his personal salvation from sin; that by justification man is really made just, and not merely declared or reputed so; that justification and sanctification are only two aspects of the same thing, and not ontologically and chronologically distinct realities; that justification excludes all mortal sin from the soul, so that the just man is no way liable to the sentence of death at God's judgment-seat.” 

The above applies only to the salvation of adults.  Children, those not of sound mind can only be saved by cleansing.  For Pauline Christians, it is some variation of the sacrament of Baptism since they do not have the use of a mature, reasoned thought.  Because of the problem of Original Sin, humanity is in a state of damnation by default.  It is only through Salvation that they may be saved.  What happens to those who did not have the opportunity to witness Jesus (a.s.) as their Saviour?  It is a theological conundrum since this would make God capricious since those who by the accident of fate are born in circumstances where they have had no access to these teachings are implied to be doomed to the fire.  There is no definite doctrinal position as far as I recall. 

In contrast, Islam actually holds that person, is “Saved” by default.  Allah (s.w.t.) is in no need for intermediaries or a vicarious sacrifice. With regard to the Mercy of Allah (s.w.t.), the following hadits qudsi sums it best: “O son of Adam, as long as you call upon Me and put your hope in Me, I have Forgiven you for what you have done, and I do not mind.  O son of Adam, if your sins were to reach the clouds of the sky, and then you would seek My Forgiveness, I would Forgive you.  O son of Adam, if you were to come to Me with sins that are close to filling the earth, and then you would meet Me without ascribing any partners with Me, I would certainly bring to you Forgiveness close to filling it.” 

And the Qur’an States: 

سُوۡرَةُ الزُّمَر

۞ قُلۡ يَـٰعِبَادِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسۡرَفُواْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡ لَا تَقۡنَطُواْ مِن رَّحۡمَةِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغۡفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا‌ۚ إِنَّهُ ۥ هُوَ ٱلۡغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ (٥٣) 

Say: “O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls!  Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah Forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Surah az-Zumar:53) 

The verses of Forgiveness in the Qur’an and ahadits are Addressed to all mankind; Islam does not make professing the Kalimah Shahadatayn the condition for Salvation.  The declaration is the most assured Path to it.  With regards those who are not Muslims, the Qur’an Says thus: 

سُوۡرَةُ یُونس

وَلِڪُلِّ أُمَّةٍ۬ رَّسُولٌ۬‌ۖ فَإِذَا جَآءَ رَسُولُهُمۡ قُضِىَ بَيۡنَهُم بِٱلۡقِسۡطِ وَهُمۡ لَا يُظۡلَمُونَ (٤٧) 

To every people (was Sent) a Messenger: when their Messenger comes (before them), the matter will be Judged between them with Justice, and they will not be wronged. (Surah Yunus:47)