Sunday, April 3, 2011

Bearing the Load of Others

It is important to keep restating the truth. For this reason I wish to post about the Muslim objection to Jesus bearing the sins of others on the cross. Sam Shamoun and Jochen Katz have written on this but it needs to be restated and I have a few new references from the Hadith to add.

Christians teach that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and that his sacrifice is the only way to receive eternal forgiveness and life. Muslim leaders reject this idea. They say that even if Jesus did die on the cross it is not possible for him to bear our sin because the Qur'an says,

Every soul earns only to its own account; no soul laden bears the load of another.
(Qur'an, 6:164, 17:15, 53:38, Arberry)

However, it seems that Islamic leaders only show some of what the Qur'an and Hadith actually say about this subject. The Qur'an actually has verses which say that one person can bear the sins of another.

That they may bear their loads complete on the Day of Resurrection, and some of the loads of those that they lead astray without any knowledge. O evil the load they bear! (Qur'an 16:25, Arberry)

They shall certainly carry their loads, and other loads along with their loads, and upon the Day of Resurrection they shall surely be questioned concerning that they were forging. (Qur'an 29:13, Arberry)

Also in the Hadith we see that a person can bear someone else's load.

Narrated Ibn Abbas: A man came to the Prophet and said, "O Allah's Apostle! My mother died and she ought to have fasted one month (for her missed Ramadan). Shall I fast on her behalf?" The Prophet replied in the affirmative and said, "Allah's debts have more right to be paid." ... (Sahih al-Bukhuri: vol. 3, bk. 31, no. 174, Khan)

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: A woman from the tribe of Juhaina came to the Prophet and said, "My mother had vowed to perform Hajj but she died before performing it. May I perform Hajj on my mother's behalf?" The Prophet replied, "Perform Hajj on her behalf. Had there been a debt on your mother, would you have paid it or not? So, pay Allah's debt as He has more right to be paid." (Sahih al-Bukhari: vol. 3, bk. 29, no. 77, Khan)

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: The mother of Sad bin 'Ubada died in his absence. He said, "O Allah's Apostle! My mother died in my absence; will it be of any benefit for her if I give Sadaqa on her behalf?" The Prophet said, "Yes," Sad said, "I make you a witness that I gave my garden called Al Makhraf in charity on her behalf."
(Sahih al-Bukhari: vol. 4, bk. 51, no. 19, Khan)

When we consider the whole picture of what the Qur'an and Hadith say we see that bearing the load of another is a part of their teaching. I am not saying it is exactly the same as Christianity but the idea is there.

The next time a Muslim says to you, "each can only bear his own load", rather than go straight to the Bible for your answer, first show them that there is a bit more to what the Qur'an and Hadith actually say, then go to the Bible.

16 comments:

Dr Ike said...

The issue here is this - is Yeshua not just the Son of God, but God Himself? If He is, then He not only bears ALL the sins of the world, but forgives sins also. Even Muslims believe that God forgives sins. Yeshua is God, not just any other person, so that is where the Muslim stance on His not bearing sin goes awry.

donna60 said...

Yeah, that is a good arguement.

Samuel Green said...

The Bible gives two reasons for Jesus being able to bear our sins:

1. He is the divine son of infinite worth. Heb 1

2. He is the second Adam who is our representative. Rom 5

Traeh said...

There are also the hadiths that say non-Muslims will be compelled by Allah to bear the load of Muslims.

In core Islamic texts, Jews and Christians replace Muslims in hell, and Muhammad in effect gives a blank check to Muslims to do any crime.

In Sahih Muslim, a canonical hadith collection:

Sahih Muslim, Book 037, Number 6668:

Abu Burda reported Allah's Messenger [Muhammad] (may peace be upon him) as saying: There would come people amongst the Muslims on the Day of Resurrection with as heavy sins as a mountain, and Allah would forgive them and He would place in their stead the Jews and the Christians. (As far as I think), Abu Raub said: I do not know as to who is in doubt. Abu Burda said: I narrated it to 'Umar b. 'Abd al-'Aziz, whereupon he said: Was it your father who narrated it to you from Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him)? I said: Yes.

Examples of other canonical hadiths of the same kind:

Sahih Muslim, Book 037, Number 6665:

Abu Musa' reported that Allah's Messenger [Muhammad] (may peace be upon him) said: When it will be the Day of Resurrection Allah would deliver to every Muslim a Jew or a Christian and say: That is your rescue from Hell-Fire.

Sahih Muslim, Book 037, Number 6666:

Abu Burda reported on the authority of his father that Allah's Apostle [Muhammad] (may peace be upon him) said: No Muslim would die but Allah would admit in his stead a Jew or a Christian in Hell-Fire. 'Umar b. Abd al-'Aziz took an oath: By One besides Whom there is no god but He, thrice that his father had narrated that to him from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him).

We have seen this pattern before: Muhammad giving "divine" permission slips to commit any sin. For example in Sahih al-Bukhari, the most canonical hadith collection:

Volume 8, Book 73, Number 95:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

I heard Allah's Apostle saying. "All the sins of my followers will be forgiven except those of the Mujahirin (those who commit a sin openly or disclose their sins to the people). An example of such disclosure is that a person commits a sin at night and though Allah screens it from the public, then he [the sinner] comes in the morning, and says, 'O so-and-so, I did such-and-such (evil) deed yesterday,' though he spent his night screened by his Lord (none knowing about his sin) and in the morning he removes Allah's screen from himself."


Notice how close the above hadith comes to saying that God will forgive Muslims any sin, provided they can get away with it.

kari Jose said...

Dear Mr. wood,
i just want u to comment on this verses of the bible

Psalms 55:20-21

..."he violates his covenant.
21His speech is smooth as butter,
yet war is in his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,
yet they are drawn swords."

Are above lines a prophecy about prophet Mohammad? please comment.

kari jose

Methodus said...

the whole matter of the flood shows that even in islam, individuals bear the load of others:

And indeed We sent Nuh (Noah) to his people (and he said): I have come to you as a plain warner. That you worship none but Allah, surely, I fear for you the torment of a painful Day. [...] And it was inspired to Nuh (Noah): None of your people will believe except those who have believed already. So be not sad because of what they used to do. And construct the ship under Our Eyes and with Our Inspiration, and address Me not on behalf of those who did wrong; they are surely to be drowned. And as he was constructing the ship, whenever the chiefs of his people passed by him, they made a mockery of him. He said: If you mock at us, so do we mock at you likewise for your mocking. And you will know who it is on whom will come a torment that will cover him with disgrace and on whom will fall a lasting torment. (So it was) till then there came Our Command and the oven gushed forth (water like fountains from the earth). We said: Embark therein, of each kind two (male and female), and your family, except him against whom the Word has already gone forth, and those who believe. And none believed with him, except a few. — Surah 11:25-26; 36-40 Muhsin Khan (emphasis mine)

And they have said: ‘You shall not leave your gods, nor shall you leave Wadd, nor Suwa’, nor Yaghuth, nor Ya’uq, nor Nasr (names of the idols); And indeed they have led many astray. And (O Allah): ‘Grant no increase to the Zalimun (polytheists, wrong-doers, and disbelievers, etc.) save error. Because of their sins they were drowned, then were made to enter the Fire, and they found none to help them instead of Allah. — Surah 71:23-25 Muhsin Khan (emphasis mine)


so from the above we can see that the flood was in order to cleanse the earth of the polytheists in islam and the muslim deity is quite explicit in the fact that it is because of their sins that individuals will drown. yet how does this square with the fact that numerous children (who would be too young to engage in polytheism) drowned as well? more importantly is the fact that muslims believe children to be pure and sinless and as such why would allah punish and kill individuals who have committed no sin when he claimed that only the sinners would drown? furthermore, if the flood was in order to punish the polytheists and as allah said, one would only drown for their sins, and innocent individuals are also drowned, does it then not follow that the sin of the polytheists have been imputed on the innocent children? i mean you can't be (even wrongly) punished if the one doing the punishment doesn't at least believe that you somehow deserve it, right?

Kangaroo said...

Islam has nothing to do with the concept of Jesus Christ dying for our sins. I think it's very clear.

Islam won't change into Christianity simpyl because Allah allows a son to do Hajj for his mother, which is a wonderful mercy and love.

Kangaroo said...

http://www.answering-christianity.com/karim/suffer_for_sin.htm

There you go dear sir,

Kangaroo said...

Tim. Why does God allow tsunamies to kill children in Japan? Or get bombed during wars? Or get kidnapped, raped and murdered by their kidnappers? Let's see how well your religion answers to that.

Anyways, the innocent children who lived with them are immediately granted Paradise. They are sinless. I see your concern but refrain from using emotion in place of inetellect.

Samuel Green said...

Kangaroo,

My point is that the Qur'an and Hadith say more than just each person can only bear his own load. They also say that sometimes others can bear your load.

I do not hear Muslims leaders teaching this.

Kangaroo said...

No soul can ask another to take in some evil deeds in order to help each other out on the Day of Judgment. They will be repsonsible for their actions. However the evil deeds of others, on Earth can be compiled all on to one person if that person set a terrible sinul precedent.

Which leaders do you listen to? lol

minoria said...

From what is written in the article it is clear the Koran is the words of Muhammad.He said X thing in one year and a few years later,not remembering his exact words he said a different thing about the same theme

Fernando said...

Dear Kangaroo... you almost started withe the right leg in this blog... butt when you tried to redirect people to the "more than full off lies" site thate Osama Abdallah runs (take care withe the informatic virus he has on it) you loste all your credibilitie... islam's isa dis not exist eber: its a retoric afbrication invented by muhammad to defend his personal and political ambitions...

Dear kangaroo: the suposed-problems you placed here (tsunamy and so one) were already solved by Jesus long before muhammad invented isa: just read the gospels and you'll find the answer... and please: do not mix personal sin with sinfull nature... ok?

I'll be praying for you and your lovely family with all my heart to our commun G-d: the Holy Trinity...

Samuel Green said...

The leaders I mean are those I debate who have used the argument of each bears his own load. Certainly the Hadiths I showed show that another can compensate for what another has failed to do.

But Jesus' death for us is not simply another bearing our load. We are united to him, so his death is our death. It is like the unity we have with Adam.

Methodus said...

@Kangaroo: You'll notice that my point was never one about why God allows natural disasters to happen but rather that the Muslim deity specifically punished these children for the sins of the polytheists and then has the nerve to claim that everyone was drowned for their own sins. You've just proven my point by stating that these children were sinless, thank you (remember that Allah claimed that for their own sins they were drowned? You and I are both in agreement that this is a fabrication on the part of your deity). As such, they were in fact punished unjustly and forced to bear the sins of others. If one is punished because of another then it follows that the one who is doing the punishment at least views them as also bearing the sins of the other.

The fact that these children would enter paradise is not what is being debated here and so I would greatly like it if you could stick to the topic. So far you have not answered the question but moved the subject away to the matter of natural disaster or salvation when the questioned concerned the injustice of Allah who quite clearly punishes individuals for sins that they have not committed. Hopefully, you can get to answering this for us in your next comment.

Bob Sorensen said...

I have no idea why I have so many "links to this post". Perhaps it is because I link to this Weblog on my own? If you want me to adjust something, I will. But I am at a loss why there are so many "false" links.