salaams, Kossacks
For today's On Religion series, I thought original sin might be a interesting topic. To begin, muslims do not believe in original sin.
We are taught that mankind is forgetful, not intrinsically evil.
That is why we believe all humans are born muslim and sinless.....but that humans are free to chose their own Path after birth. A core concept of al-Islam is munaasafa, justice. salihat, or just duty, is part of the five pillars and eight practices of al-Islam. What is more innocent than a newborn baby? How could a new born baby need to be saved? That is not justice.
We believe that all humans start out "saved", and capable of attaining paradise.
Common people repent from their sins, the Sufi repent from ignorance. --Zunnun
I think a popular misconception of the concept of all humans being born muslim is that this is some sort of soul grab.
In truth the Generous Qu'ran states all humans are born muslim, and then should (after birth) follow their parents faith.
This is illustrated by the story of Marmaduke Pickthall, the translator of The Glorious Qu'ran.
‘The man who did not become a Muslim when he was nineteen years old because he was afraid that it would break his mother’s heart does not exist, I am sorry to say. The sad fact is that he was anxious to become a Muslim, forgetting all about his mother. It was his Muslim teacher – the Sheykh-ul-Ulema of the great mosque at Damascus – a noble and benign old man, to whom he one day mentioned his desire to become a Muslim, who reminded him of his duty to his mother and forbade him to profess Islam until he had consulted her. ‘No, my son,’ were his words, ‘wait until you are older, and have seen again your native land. You are alone among us as our boys are alone among the Christians. God knows how I should feel if any Christian teacher dealt with a son of mine otherwise than as I now deal with you.’ […] If he had become a Muslim at that time he would pretty certainly have repented it – quite apart from the unhappiness he would have caused his mother, which would have made him unhappy – because he had not thought and learnt enough about religion to be certain of his faith. It was only the romance and pageant of the East which then attracted him. He became a Muslim in real earnest twenty years after.’
bi la kayfah