Comparing the faiths
Original sin and personal responsibility
Are we born guilty because of Adam’s sin? Many Christians say yes; Islam says no. This topic compares what the Bible and the Qur’an say about sin, guilt and responsibility.
1The question
Is every person born carrying the sin of Adam?
2What Christians believe
Many Christians, following Augustine, teach that all people inherit Adam’s sin and are born with a fallen nature, so all need a saviour. They point to Paul: “by one man sin entered into the world” (Romans 5:12), and “in Adam all die” (1 Corinthians 15:22).
Christians differ on the details. Catholic and Protestant traditions speak of inherited guilt; Eastern Orthodox churches speak of inherited mortality and weakness, not inherited guilt. All agree that every person sins and needs God’s grace.
3What the texts say
Verses Christians cite
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Each person answers for their own sin
The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.
Jesus on little children
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
4What scholars say
The doctrine of original sin was set out most fully by Augustine of Hippo in the early fifth century, in his debate with Pelagius. Tatha Wiley (Original Sin: Origins, Developments, Contemporary Meanings, 2002) traces how the idea developed.
Jewish tradition does not teach inherited guilt. It speaks of an inclination to evil (yetzer ha-ra) that each person must master, as God tells Cain: “sin lieth at the door … and thou shalt rule over him” (Genesis 4:7).
Scholars agree that the Hebrew Bible stresses personal responsibility, and that the full doctrine of original sin was developed later from Paul’s letters.
5The Islamic perspective
The Qur’an teaches that Adam sinned, repented and was forgiven, and that no soul carries another’s burden:
Then Adam received from his Lord words (of revelation), and He relented toward him. Lo! He is the relenting, the Merciful.
Say: Shall I seek another than Allah for Lord, when He is Lord of all things? Each soul earneth only on its own account, nor doth any laden bear another's load. Then unto your Lord is your return and He will tell you that wherein ye differed.
That no laden one shall bear another's load, And that man hath only that for which he maketh effort,
The Prophet ﷺ taught that every child is born in a natural state of purity (<em>fitrah</em>), as reported in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. Muslims see this as the teaching of Ezekiel and Deuteronomy, and of Jesus, who held up little children as the example of those who enter the kingdom.
6Objections and responses
“Romans 5:12 says sin and death passed to all through Adam.”
Response: The same verse ends “for that all have sinned”. Death comes to each because each one sins. Ezekiel 18:20 is plain: “The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father.”
“David says ‘in sin did my mother conceive me’ (Psalm 51:5).”
Response: Psalm 51 is David’s prayer of repentance after his own sin. He is confessing how deep his own guilt runs, in the language of poetry. It is not a teaching that babies are born guilty.
7Conclusion
Both faiths agree that every person sins and needs God’s mercy. Many Christians hold that people inherit Adam’s sin and need Christ’s sacrifice. Muslims hold that each child is born pure, that Adam was forgiven, and that each soul answers only for its own deeds.
Read Ezekiel 18 in full, then Romans 5:12–21, and weigh how each explains sin.
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Related topics
Sources
- Bible, King James Version:Romans 5:121 Corinthians 15:22Psalm 51:5Ezekiel 18:20Deuteronomy 24:16Matthew 18:3
- Qur’an, translated by M. Pickthall:Qur’an 2:37Qur’an 6:164Qur’an 53:38–39
- Augustine of Hippo, On Nature and Grace (415)
- Tatha Wiley, Original Sin: Origins, Developments, Contemporary Meanings (2002)