Concept of Gods Mercy in Islam & Christianity - IPCI
Concept of Gods Mercy in Islam & Christianity - IPCI
Concept of Gods Mercy in Islam & Christianity - IPCI
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other person, human or div<strong>in</strong>e, but by the grace <strong>of</strong> God and our own<br />
s<strong>in</strong>cere efforts to fight aga<strong>in</strong>st evil and do good.<br />
<strong>Islam</strong> refutes the Christian <strong>of</strong> Atonement <strong>in</strong> many verses <strong>of</strong> the Holy<br />
Qur‟an. For example:<br />
“Allah burdens not any soul beyond its capacity. It shall have the<br />
reward it earns, and it shall get the punishment it <strong>in</strong>curs. Our Lord, do<br />
not punish us, if we forget or fall <strong>in</strong>to error, and our Lord, lay not on us<br />
a responsibility as Thou didst lay upon those before us. Our Lord,<br />
burden us not with what we have not the strength to bear; and efface our<br />
s<strong>in</strong>s and grant us forgiveness and have mercy on us; Thou art our<br />
Master; so help us aga<strong>in</strong>st the disbeliev<strong>in</strong>g people.” [Qur‟an 2:286]<br />
The verse constitutes a powerful refutation <strong>of</strong> the doctr<strong>in</strong>e <strong>of</strong><br />
Atonement. It embodies two important pr<strong>in</strong>ciples:<br />
1. That the commandments <strong>of</strong> God<br />
are always given with due regard for man‟s<br />
capacities and his natural limitations.<br />
2. That moral purification <strong>in</strong> this<br />
world does not necessarily signify complete<br />
freedom from all k<strong>in</strong>ds <strong>of</strong> fail<strong>in</strong>gs and<br />
shortcom<strong>in</strong>gs. All that man is expected to do<br />
is to s<strong>in</strong>cerely strive for good and avoid s<strong>in</strong> to<br />
the best <strong>of</strong> his power and the rest will be<br />
forgiven by Merciful God. So no Atonement<br />
is needed. In another verse<br />
“How will it be with them when We will gather them together on the<br />
Day about which there is no doubt; and when every soul shall be paid <strong>in</strong><br />
full what it has earned, and they shall not be wronged?” [Qur‟an 3:25]<br />
This verse constitutes an emphatic contradiction <strong>of</strong> the doctr<strong>in</strong>e that the<br />
blood <strong>of</strong> any person, and not one‟s own good works, can br<strong>in</strong>g about<br />
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