In this post, I am going to demonstrate that the primary source documents of Islam affirm vicarious sacrifices, substitutionary atonement and the imputation of a person’s righteous deeds to the account of another.
For example, I’ve already mentioned the so-called authentic
narrations of Muhammad where he claims that his deity will actually sacrifice
Jews and Christians in hell as a ransom for all the sins committed by the
Muslims:
Superiority of the believers in the Oneness of Allah and the
punishment of the Jews and Christians
8) Narrated Abu Musa: Allah’s Messenger said: On the Day of
Resurrection, my Ummah(nation)
will be gathered into three groups. One sort will enter Paradise without
rendering an account (of their deeds). Another sort will be reckoned an easy
account and admitted into Paradise. Yet another sort will come bearing on their
backs heaps of sins like great mountains. Allah will ask the angels though He
knows best about them: Who are these people? They will reply: They are humble
slaves of yours. He will say: UNLOAD the sins from them AND PUT THE
SAME OVER the Jews and Christians: then let the humble slaves get into Paradise
by virtue of My Mercy.
(This Hadith IS
SOUND and mentioned in Mustadrak of
Hakim). (110 Hadith
Qudsi (Sacred Hadith), translated by Syed Masood-ul-Hasan, revision
and commentaries by Ibrahim m. Kunna [Darussalam Publishers and Distributors],
pp. 19-20; capital and underline emphasis ours)
432. Abu Musa al-Ash’ari reported that the Messenger of Allah
said, “On the Day of Rising, Allah
will hand over a Jew or a Christian to every Muslim and say, ‘HERE IS YOUR
REDEMPTION FROM THE FIRE.” [Muslim]
In another variant from him is that the Prophet said, “Some of
the Muslims will be brought on the Day of Rising WITH SINS THE SIZE OF
MOUNTAINS and Allah will forgive them.” (Al-Imam Abu Zakariya Yahya bin Sharaf
An-Nawawi Ad-Dimashqi, Riyad
as-Salihin (The Meadows of the Righteous), 51. Chapter: On Hope;
capital and italic emphasis ours)
(20) CHAPTER. Disbelievers are sent to Hell as SACRIFICE to the
Muslims
1937. Abu Musa narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: “When
it is the Day of Resurrection, Allah will deliver every Muslim a Jew or
Christian and say: ‘THAT IS YOUR SACRIFICE FROM HELL-FIRE.’” (The Translation of the Meanings of
Summarized Sahih Muslim (Arabic–English), Compiled by Al-Hafiz
Zakiuddin Abdul-Azim Al-Mundhiri [Darussalam Publishers & Distributors,
First Edition: February 2000], Volume 2, 62– The Book Of Repentance And Allah’s
Great Mercy, pp. 1033-1034; capital emphasis ours)
Here is a different translation of the above hadith, along with
a couple of others from Sahih
Muslim:
Chapter 8: THROWING OF NON-BELIEVERS IN HELL-FIRE FOR
BELIEVERS AS DIVINE GRACE AND MERCY
Abu Musa’ reported that Allah’s Messenger 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 6665 https://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=037&translator=2&start=0&number=6665)
Abu Burda reported on the authority of his father that Allah’s
Apostle 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. (Sahih Muslim, Book
037, Number 6666)
Abu Burda reported Allah’s Messenger 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? I said:
Yes. (Sahih
Muslim, Book 037, Number 6668)
Talk about a travesty of justice!
Not only does Muhammad’s lord demand that atonement/expiation be
made for the forgiveness of sins, he even goes as far as to eternally torture
Jews and Christians as a ransom for all the transgressions committed by Muslims!
To get an idea of the kind of pain that Jews and Christians will
have to endure for the evil and wickedness committed by Muhammadans, notice how
the following verses depict the punishment of hell:
Surely! Those who disbelieved in Our Ayat (proofs,
evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) We shall burn them in
Fire. As often
as their skins are roasted through, We shall change them for other skins that
they may taste the punishment. Truly, Allah is Ever Most
Powerful, All-Wise. S. 4:56 Hilali-Khan
In front of him (every obstinate, arrogant dictator) is
Hell, and he
will be made to drink boiling, festering water. He will sip it unwillingly, and
he will find a great difficulty to swallow it down his throat and
death will come to him from every side, yet he will not die and in front of
him, will be a great torment. S. 14:16-17 Hilali-Khan
According to these sadistic texts, Jews and Christians will have
their skins roasted over and over again, will be forced to drink boiling water,
and endure other kinds of sadistic and barbaric tortures forever because of the
sins committed by others!
The foregoing shows that, contrary to the assertion made by
Muslim theologians and/or apologists, both the Quran and ahadith affirm that
Muhammad’s deity does require atonement/expiation for the forgiveness of sins.
There’s more. Muhammad further taught that the death of Muslim
children would deliver their parents from hell,
Narrated Abu Sa’id: The women requested the Prophet, “Please fix
a day for us.” So the Prophet preached to them and said, “A woman whose three
children died would
be screened from the Hell Fire BY THEM.” Hearing that, a woman
asked, “If two died?” The Prophet replied, “Even two (would screen her from the
(Hell) Fire. ” And Abu Huraira added, “Those children should be below the age
of puberty. ” (Sahih
al-Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 23, Number 341 https://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=23&translator=1&start=0&number=341)
Narrated Anas bin Malik Allah’s Apostle said, “Any Muslim whose
three children died before the age of puberty will be granted Paradise by Allah because
of His mercy to them.” (Sahih
al-Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 23, Number 463 https://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=23&translator=1&start=0&number=463)
4314. It was narrated that
‘Abdullah said: The Messenger of Allah said: Any two Muslims for whom three of
their children die before reaching puberty, they will be a strong
protection for them against the Fire.” Abu Dharr said: Two of my children
died, O Messenger of Allah. He said: “And two.” Ubayy Abul-Mundhir, the leader
of the prominent Qur’an reciters, said: One of my children died, O Messenger of
Allah. He said: “And one, but that (i.e., the reward) is only (for showing
patience) when calamity first strikes.”
Comments: [Saheeh because of
corroborating evidence and its isnad is da’eef because it
is interrupted] (English
Translation of Musnad Ahmad Bin Hanbal: Hadith No. 2823 to 4376,
Translated by Nasiruddin Al-Khattab, Edited by Huda Al-Khattab [Darussalam
Publishers, 2012], Volume 3, p. 578; underline emphasis ours)
And that someone who dies as a martyr in Islam will save seventy
family members by his intercession:
Narrated AbudDarda’:
The Prophet said: The intercession of a martyr will be
accepted for seventy members of his family. Grade: SAHIH (Al-Albani)
(Sunan Abu Dawud,
Book 14, Number 2516 https://sunnah.com/abudawud/15/46;
capital and underline emphasis ours)
Sunan Ibn Majah
The Chapters on Jihad
It was narrated from Miqdam bin Ma’dikarib that the Messenger of
Allah said:
“The martyr has six things (in store) with Allah: He is forgiven
from the first drop of his blood that is shed; he is shown his place in
Paradise; he is spared the torment of the grave; he is kept safe from the Great
Fright; he is adorned with a garment of faith; he is married to (wives) from
among the wide-eyed houris; and he is permitted to intercede for
seventy of his relatives.”
Grade: Hasan (Darussalam)
English reference: Vol. 4, Book 24, Hadith 2799
Arabic reference: Book 24, Hadith 2905 (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/urn/1276480)
This highlights the efficacious and vicarious nature of a
Musilm’s death, in that Allah will forgive and save another soul on the account
and for the sake of another who dies in his cause.
The Islamic sources further teach that individuals can perform
good deeds on behalf of others, righteous acts which Allah will credit to
someone else, such as Hajj by proxy (Hajj-e-Badal):
Narrated ‘Abdullah bin Abbas: Al-Fadl (his brother) was riding
behind Allah’s Apostle and a woman from the tribe of Khath’am came and Al-Fadl
started looking at her and she started looking at him. The Prophet turned
Al-Fadl’s face to the other side. The woman said, “O Allah’s Apostle! The obligation
of Hajj enjoined by Allah on His devotees has become due on my father and he is
old and weak, and he cannot sit firm on the Mount; may I perform Hajj ON HIS BEHALF?”
The Prophet replied, “Yes, you may.” That happened during the
Hajj-al-Wida (of the Prophet). (Sahih
al-Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 26, Number 589 https://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=26&translator=1&start=0&number=589)
Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas: Al-Fadl bin ‘Abbas rode behind
the Prophet as his companion rider on the back portion of his she camel on the
Day of Nahr (slaughtering of sacrifice, 10th Dhul-Hijja) and Al-Fadl was a
handsome man. The Prophet stopped to give the people verdicts. In the meantime,
a beautiful woman from the tribe of Khath’am came, asking the verdict of
Allah’s Apostle. Al-Fadl started looking at her as her beauty attracted him.
The Prophet looked behind while Al-Fadl was looking at her; so the Prophet held
out his hand backwards and caught the chin of Al-Fadl and turned his face (to
the other side in order that he should not gaze at her). She said, “O Allah’s
Apostle! The obligation of Performing Hajj enjoined by Allah on His worshipers,
has become due (compulsory) on my father who is an old man and who cannot sit
firmly on the riding animal. Will
it be sufficient that I perform Hajj ON HIS BEHALF?” He said, “YES.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 74, Number 247 https://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=74&translator=1&start=0&number=247)
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,
Volume 3, Book 29, Number 77 https://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=29&translator=1&start=0&number=77)
Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas: A man came to the Prophet and said to him,
“My sister vowed to perform the Hajj, but she died (before fulfilling it).” The
Prophet said, “Would you not have paid her debts if she had any?” The man said,
“Yes.” The Prophet said, “So pay Allah’s Rights, as He is more entitled to
receive His rights.” (Sahih
al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 78, Number 690 https://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=78&translator=1&start=0&number=690)
Narrated AbuRazin: A man of Banu Amir said: Apostle of Allah, my
father is very old, he cannot perform hajj and umrah himself nor can be ride on
a mount. He said: Perform
hajj and umrah ON BEHALF OF YOUR FATHER. (Sunan Abu Dawud, Book
10, Number 1806 https://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=10&translator=3&start=0&number=1806)
Ibn ‘Abbas reported: A man came to the Apostle of Allah (may
peace be upon him) and said: Messenger of Allah, my mother has died (in a
state) that she had to observe fasts of a month (of Ramadan). Should I complete
(them) on her behalf? thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Would you not pay the debt if your
mother had died (without paying it)? He said: Yes. He (the Holy Prophet) said:
The debt of Allah deserves more that it should he paid. (Sahih Muslim, Book
006, Number 2555 https://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=006&translator=2&start=0&number=2555)
Ibn Abbas reported: A woman came to the Messenger of Allah and
said: Messenger of Allah, my mother has died and there is due from her a fast
of vow; should I fast on her behalf? Thereupon he said: You see that if your
mother had died in debt, would it not have been paid on her behalf? She said:
Yes. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Then
observe fast on behalf of your mother. (Sahih Muslim, Book
006, Number 2557)
Abdullah b. Buraida reported on the authority of his father:
When we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah a woman came to him and said:
I had gifted to my mother a maid-servant, and now she (the mother) has died.
Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: There is a definite reward for you and
she (the maid-servant) has been returned to you as an inheritance. She (that
woman) again said: Fasts of a month (of Ramadan) are due upon her; should I
observe them on her behalf? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Observe fasts on her behalf.
She (again) said: She did not perform Hajj, should I perform it on her behalf?
He (the Holy Prophet) said: Perform
Hajj on her behalf. (Sahih
Muslim, Book 006, Number 2558)
A’isha reported that a man said to Allah’s Apostle: My mother
died all of a sudden, and I think if she (could have the opportunity) to speak
she would have (made a will) regarding Sadaqa’. Will I be entitled to reward if I
give charity on her behalf? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Yes. (Sahih Muslim, Book
013, Number 4002 https://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=013&translator=2&start=0&number=4002)
A’isha reported that a man came to Allah’s Apostle and said:
Allah’s Messenger, my mother died all of a sudden without making any will. I
think if (she could have the opportunity) to speak she would have made a
Sadaqa. Would
there be any reward for her if I give charity on her behalf? He (the Holy
Prophet) said: Yes. (Sahih
Muslim, Book 013, Number 4003)
Ibn Abbas reported that Sa’d b. Ubida asked Allah’s Messenger
for a decision about a vow taken by his mother who had died before fulfilling
it. Allah’s Messenger said: Fulfil
it on her behalf. (Sahih
Muslim, Book 014, Number 4017 https://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=014&translator=2&start=0&number=4017)
Seeing that Muhammad believed that his god would impute the
righteous deeds of an individual to another, and even saves or pardons
individuals because of the death of someone else, on what theological and/or
rational basis do Muslims have for rejecting the biblical witness of God
crediting the perfect righteousness and vicarious death of his beloved Son to
those who would put their trust in him?
After all, if Allah permits martyrs to intercede and save
individuals because they gave up their lives in his cause, then how much more
will the only true God accept his beloved Son’s perfect and willing sacrifice,
as well as his intercession for every sinner who puts his/her faith in Christ?
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to
serve, and to
give His life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45
“As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it,
and gave it to them, saying, ‘Take and eat it. This is My body.’
Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them. And
they all drank from it. He said to them, ‘This is My blood of
the new covenant, which
is shed for many.’” Mark 14:22-24
“‘This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may
eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If
anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. The bread which I shall give for the life of
the world is My flesh.’ The Jews therefore quarreled among
themselves, saying, ‘How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?’ Jesus said to
them, ‘Truly, truly I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man
and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks
My blood has eternal life. And
I will raise him up on the last day.’” John 6:50-54
“But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were
yet sinners, Christ
died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood,
we will be saved from God’s wrath through him. For if, while we
were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much
more, being reconciled, we
will be saved by his life. Not only so, but we also rejoice in
God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through
whom we have now received the reconciliation. Therefore as sin
entered into the world through one man, and death through sin; and so death
passed to all men, because all sinned. For until the law, sin was in the world;
but sin is not charged when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from
Adam until Moses, even over those whose sins weren’t like Adam’s disobedience,
who is a foreshadowing of him who was to come. But the free gift isn’t like the
trespass. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God,
and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.
The gift is not as through one who sinned: for the judgment came by one to
condemnation, but the free gift came of many trespasses to justification. For
if by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; so much more will
those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign
in life through
the one, Jesus Christ. So then as through one trespass, all men
were condemned; even
so through one act of righteousness, all men were justified to life.
For as through the one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of
the one, many will be made righteous.” Romans 5:8-19
“What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us,
who can be against us? He who didn’t spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all,
how would he not also with him freely give us all things? Who could bring a
charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who justifies. Who is he who
condemns? It is Christ who died, yes rather, who was raised from the dead, who
is at the right hand of God, who
also makes intercession for us.” Romans 8:31-34
“Many, indeed, have been made priests, because they are hindered
from continuing by death. But he, because
he lives forever, has his priesthood unchangeable. Therefore he is also able to save
to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, seeing that he lives
forever to make intercession for them. For such a high priest
was fitting for us: holy,
guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
who doesn’t need, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices daily, first
for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For he did this once for all, when
he offered up himself. For the law appoints men as high priests
who have weakness, but the word of the oath which came after the law appoints a Son forever who has
been perfected.” Hebrews 7:23-28
“But Christ having come as a high priest of the coming good
things, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands,
that is to say, not of this creation, nor yet through the blood of goats and
calves, but
through his own blood, entered in once for all into the Holy Place, having
obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and
bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled,
sanctify to the cleanness of the flesh: how much more will the blood of Christ, who through
the eternal Spirit offered himself without defect to God, cleanse your
conscience from dead works to serve the living God? For
this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, since a death has occurred for the
redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant,
that those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal
inheritance.” Hebrews 9:11-15
In light of such Islamic teachings, Muslims have no rational,
theological, historical and/or philosophical grounds to reject the inspired
witness of the Holy Scriptures that God credits the perfect righteousness and
vicarious death of his Son to the account of all those who trust in Christ. The
only reason they have for denying this fact of revelation is their
unwillingness to accept that Jesus died on the cross and was buried, only to
rise again on the third day. Yet that is a discussion for another time.
IHS
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