Our Muslim friends have a concept of sin that is taught to them in the Quran and the Hadith. There are a few similarities with what we know about sin from the Bible, but there are key differences. These affect how Muslims approach Allah and the concept of salvation.

It is important for us to understand what sin truly is so we can share this truth with our Muslim friend. After all, how can we share the gift of salvation with them if they do not understand what Jesus is saving them from?

Once we learn what Islam teaches about sin, we will also look at how we can talk to them about it and tell them the truth!

What does Islam say about sin?

First, Islam teaches that everyone is born sinless and is also born as a Muslim, meaning a follower of Allah. Humans are not “sinful” until they commit their first error against Allah. This is because Islam does not teach that there is the “original sin.” This original sin is what the Bible describes as the sinful human nature passed down from Adam and Eve’s fall.

On the other hand Islam affirms that humans are weak and commit sins.  Muhammad is quoted in a Hadith saying:

"Every son of Adam sins, the best of the sinners are those who repent." (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith no. 2499)

So what happens that causes a sinless baby to become sinful? Islam says that Satan touches every newborn and causes them to become sinful. Muhammad explained this in one Hadith, saying: “There is none born among the off-spring of Adam, but Satan touches it. A child therefore, cries loudly at the time of birth because of the touch of Satan, except Mary and her child.”

Saheeh Bukhari, Book 60, Hadith 102

How does Allah forgive sins?

There are different kinds of sins according to the Quran: dhanb and sayyi’a. Dhanb is used to denote a “great” sin that would lead to punishment in the afterlife, like lying about Allah. If you avoid these worse sins, less extreme sins, the sayyi’a (mistakes), will be forgiven (Quran 4:31).

There are many verses that talk about Allah’s forgiveness of sins, however how one gains it is not an exact science or promise. Islam teaches that when a person dies, their sins are weighed against their good deeds. How that weighs out will impact if Allah is pleased enough with them to allow them into paradise.

There is a hadith that explains another part of Allah’s perspective on sin, and how he has the entire power to pick and choose who he forgives. Muhammad said:

“By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if you were not to commit sin, Allah would sweep you out of existence and He would replace (you by) those people who would commit sin and seek forgiveness from Allah, and He would have pardoned them." (Sahih Muslim, 37:6965)

The concept of sin in Islam is not about the heart of the person committing the sins or because they believe that sin separates them from Allah. Rather, it is about power– their sins give Allah power to forgive them or not forgive them.

How is this different from what the Bible teaches about sin?

The main difference about sin that it is important to distinguish is the effect of sin on our relationship with God. Unlike Allah, God is not a judge who is waiting to see how poorly we can mess up. He doesn’t desire that we sin so He can have the power to forgive us, because at the end of the day sin separates us from God!

The price of sin is death. This was the price of Adam and Eve’s original sin, and this sin has been passed down to every human being since then (Romans 6:23; Romans 5:12) The only way we can be saved from this death is through the death and resurrection of Christ, not by weighing our good deeds against our bad deeds (John 3:16).

There is no sin that is unforgivable besides blaspheming the Spirit of God which is refusing to be saved and born again of the Spirit (Matthew 12:31). For every type of sin, we are separated from God and the punishment is still death. This is something your Muslim friend might not understand– God is not judging us and keeping a tally of our rights and wrongs. His desire is to be reconciled with us and to have a Father-child  relationship, not a master and slave one.

How to talk to your Muslim friend about sin

Since sin is the very thing that separates us from God and the reason we need Christ’s death and resurrection, it is important that we open up our Muslim friend’s eyes to the truth about sin. Here are some questions to get you started:

• How do you know if Allah has forgiven your sins?
• I believe that people are inherently sinful, so we are all inclined to sin. Do you think that people naturally want to sin? If so, what could help make them right in front of God? 
• What do you do when you commit a sin whether small or large? Does it bring heaviness and a burden? How do you resolve this?

When you get the opportunity to talk to your Muslim friend about sin, make a point to emphasize how Christ died and rose again so we could be free from the effects of sin when we come to Him repenting and believing! This is the most important thing to share with your Muslim friend, so focus on that, but also be prepared to clarify what sin really is.

Prayer

Dear Lord, please give me wisdom to know how to talk to my Muslim friend about sin. Bless me with the right words to open up their heart to the truth of the Gospel. Amen.