Does Islam Teach
“Substitutionary Atonement”? A Response
to a Christian Apologist
“Say: ‘O my Servants who have transgressed against
their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins:
for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Turn ye to our Lord (in repentance) and bow to His
(Will), before the Penalty comes on you: after that ye shall not be helped.’”
- The Holy Quran, Surah
Az-Zumar, 39:53-54 (Yusuf Ali)
With the proliferation of the Internet,
it has become common to see a myriad number of websites and blogs dedicated to
the propagation of many different ideologies.
Among these millions of websites, there are many dedicated to the
propagation of religious ideas (such as this blog), ranging from the well-known
religions such as Christianity and Islam, as well as the lesser known ones,
such as Shintoism and Voodoo. Of course,
with the discussion of religion comes religious argumentation and debate. One of the current hot topics in this
discussion in various circles, both friendly and hostile, is Islam.[1] One of the favorite targets especially of
Christian apologists, Islam is clearly one of the most discussed subjects in
the world today. As a result, many false
claims about Islam have surfaced in recent years, and Muslims are increasingly
active in responding to these claims.
One such false claim has been made by some Christian apologists and
involves the concept of “substitutionary atonement”.[2] An article in the Christian apologetic blog “Apologetics and Agape”,[3]
claims that “substitutionary atonement” is a Biblical concept and also that:
“…the Qur’an agrees with the concept of substitutionary
atonement…”[4]
But is this claim
true? In this article, we will test this
claim and see if it has any merit.
InshaAllah, the reader will see that upon a critical examination of the apologist’s
assertions, we find no truth to his claims.[5]
Substitutionary Atonement – A Brief Summary
Before we respond to the theory that
the Quran teaches the concept of “substitutionary atonement”, let us briefly
summarize its main precepts. The main
precept, from a Christian point of view, is that:
“Jesus Christ died in our place when He was crucified on
the cross. We deserved to be the ones placed on that cross to die because we
are the ones who live sinful lives. But Christ took the punishment on Himself
in our place—He substituted Himself for us and took what we rightly deserved.”[6]
Thus, since humans
are sinful, they must pay the price of that sin, which is an eternity in
Hell. However, since Jesus (peace be
upon him) allegedly “took the punishment on [h]imself”, his “sacrifice” saves us all, so long
as we accept that “sacrifice” and:
“…place our faith in what Christ did on the cross.”[7]
Based on this, we can summarize
“substitutionary atonement” as the belief that the forgiveness of sins and
salvation can be attained not by one’s personal deeds, but by the redemptive
atonement of another individual, who must necessarily be sinless (hence the
Christian emphasis that Jesus was “sinless”).[8] Someone has to pay the price, and it will
either be us (by spending eternity in Hell), or it was Jesus (peace be upon
him), who paid the price by allowing himself to be crucified.
Islam and “Substitutionary Atonement”
Now that we have discussed what
“substitutionary atonement” is, we can proceed in analyzing the Christian claim
that Islam actually “agrees” with this concept.
First, the author of the article, Ken Temple, quotes Surah As-Saaffat (37:107),[9]
which is part of the story of the prophet Ibrahim’s (peace be upon him) near-sacrifice
of his son (whom Muslims hold to be Ishmael, and not Isaac),[10]
and then claims that:
“[t]he substitution of the ram in the place of Abraham’s
son proves that it (the ransom) means ‘substitutionary atonement’.”[11]
But an examination of
the context of the verse shows that this claim is untenable and completely
false. We need to remember that
“substitutionary atonement” is the belief that forgiveness of sins is made by a
willing sacrifice (whom Christians believe was Jesus) and the evidence from the
Quran itself shows that the story of Ibrahim and Ishmael (peace be upon them)
does not reflect this belief.
First, when read in context, the
story shows no indication that Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) ordered
Ibrahim (peace be upon him) to sacrifice his son (and later, the ram) as some
sort of expiation for his sins. Let us
read the complete story as told in Surah As-Saaffat:
“He said: "I will go to my Lord! He will
surely guide me!
"O my Lord! Grant me a righteous (son)!"
So We gave him the good news of a boy ready to
suffer and forbear.
Then, when (the son) reached (the age of)
(serious) work with him, he said: "O my son! I see in vision that I offer
thee in sacrifice: Now see what is thy view!" (The son) said: "O my
father! Do as thou art commanded: thou will find me, if Allah so wills one practicing
Patience and Constancy!"
So when they had both submitted their wills (to
Allah), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (for sacrifice),
We called out to him "O Abraham!
"Thou hast already fulfilled the
vision!" - thus indeed do We reward those who do right.
For this was obviously a trial-
And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice:
And We left (this blessing) for him among
generations (to come) in later times:
"Peace and salutation to Abraham!"
Thus indeed do We reward those who do right.
For
he was one of our believing Servants.”[12]
We can immediately
see no indication that the command to sacrifice Ishmael (peace be upon him) was
given as a way for Ibrahim (peace be upon him) to atone for his sins. In fact, verse 103 states that both Ibrahim
and Ishmael (peace be upon them) had “submitted their wills” to Allah (Glorified
and Exalted be He), and verse 105 states that simply by his willing submission
to Allah’s command, Ibrahim (peace be upon him) had “already
fulfilled the vision”. Commenting on verse 105, the 13th-century
exegete Ibn Kathir stated that it means that:
“…the purpose of your dream has been fulfilled by your
laying down your son to sacrifice him.'”[13]
In addition, the
commentary in “The Study Quran” explains that it also means that (emphasis
ours):
“[Ibrahim] carried out what he was commanded and that he
achieved its goal by demonstrating complete obedience to
God.”[14]
Moreover,
verse 106 states clearly that the whole incident was “obviously
a trial”. According to Ibn Kathir, this means that
(emphasis ours):
“…it was clearly a test when he was commanded to sacrifice
his son, so, he hastened to do it, in submission to the command of
Allah and in obedience to Him.”[15]
According to “The
Study Quran”, it also means:
“…that it was a blessing…as it is through severe trials
that God brings His pious servants the best reward in this life and the next,
if they are able to faithfully endure them, as did Abraham…”[16]
Again, we see no
indication that there was any relationship between the “trial” and the
atonement of sins. Rather, a trial is
meant to test whether a person will obey Allah’s commands, regardless of how
difficult they are.[17]
But what about the phrase “…We
ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice”?
Doesn’t the word “ransomed” indicate that the ram was meant to serve as
a sin offering or that, as Temple claims:
“[t]he substitution of the ram in the place of Abraham’s
son proves that it (the ransom) means ‘substitutionary atonement’.”
As we have seen, the
context indicates that this claim is false.
There is no proof that the ram was presented for “substitutionary
atonement”. The claim made by Temple is
simply a non-sequitur. The “ransom” was
simply for Ishmael (peace be upon him), since it saved him from being
sacrificed.[18]
Additionally, we can note that
(emphasis in the original):
“[t]his substitution of the ram for Abraham’s son serves
as the basis for the ritual of slaughtering an animal that is required as the
final rite of the hajj.”[19]
This is an important
point which Temple has ignored or is unaware of, since if we can understand the
point of the Hajj ritual, it will explain the true meaning behind the prophet Ibrahim’s
trial.[20]
Islam and Animal Sacrifice
It is certainly true that animal
sacrifices are sometimes required of a Muslim after committing a specific sin. Moreover, an animal sacrifice is an integral
part of the Hajj. However, it is
important to note from the get-go that it is not the meat or blood that serves
to expiate for a sin. Rather, it is the
act itself, as stated in the Quran:
“It is not their meat nor their blood, that
reaches Allah: it is your piety that reaches Him: He has thus made them subject
to you, that ye may glorify Allah for His Guidance to you and proclaim the good
news to all who do right.”[21]
In his commentary on
the verse, Ibn Kathir stated that it is the act of piety that “He will accept and
reward for…”[22] Thus, Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He)
does not forgive sins through blood atonement.
Rather, He forgives sins when they are countered with a pious deed
(which in this case is an animal sacrifice), as is stated in a hadith of the
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him):
“…Have Taqwa of Allah wherever you are, and follow
an evil deed with a good one to wipe it out, and treat the people with good
behavior.”[23]
In this regard, the
act of making an animal sacrifice is a good deed since the purpose of it is to first,
please Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He),[24]
and then to eat the meat and distribute a portion of it to the poor, and among
one’s family and friends.[25]
Furthermore,
in regards to the Hajj, it is stated in “The Oxford Dictionary of Islam” that
(emphasis ours):
“[p]roperly performed, the hajj absolves the pilgrim from
all previous sins. […] A valid
pilgrimage requires the sincere intention (niyah) of coming closer to God. If the intent is spiritually sound, most
breaches of ritual formality can be corrected via additional animal sacrifices
in Mecca or special acts of charity and fasting after returning home.”[26]
There are some
important points to note here:
- The Hajj itself absolves a Muslim of all sins. Also, all of the rituals of the Hajj must be
performed in order for it to be accepted.
-
The
Hajj is only acceptable as long as the pilgrim makes a “sincere intention”. Without it, the Hajj is not accepted even if
all of the rituals are performed.
- As
long as an intention is made, any mistakes or omissions in the Hajj (so long as
they are not deliberately made), can be cancelled out by “additional animal
sacrifices in Mecca”
or “special acts of charity and fasting”.
If Islam placed such
importance on “substitutionary atonement”, then surely animal sacrifices would
play a much more prominent role in atoning for sins. Indeed, in some cases, a Muslim has the
choice on how to atone for violating the rules of the Hajj. An example is atoning for hunting land animals
during the Hajj. There is complete
consensus among the scholars of Islam that hunting animals in a state of Ihram
is prohibited.[27] But what is a Muslim to do when he/she
violates this rule? While there are
minor differences between the various schools of thought, they generally agree
that the person can choose between giving meat from his own livestock in
charity, giving other food that is worth the same amount of money or, in the
case of the Hanafi school, fasting a day for every gram (mudd) of food
that must be given away.[28]
Thus,
we can see that animal sacrifices are not a requirement in Islam, and even when
they are required, it is the act itself and not the
spilling of blood that atones for one’s sins.
Even the Christian apologist Thabiti Anyabwile acknowledges this
fact. He states:
“…the Quran denies that animal sacrifice can atone for the
sins of men. […] In Islam, piety counts
before Allah, not sacrifice.”[29]
“Substitutionary Atonement” in the
Ahadith?
Having dealt with Temple’s erroneous
claims about “substitutionary atonement” in the Quran, we can now turn our
attention to his appeal to some ahadith.
Before quoting some ahadith from Sahih Muslim, Temple credulously asks:
“…why do these Islamic Hadiths clearly say that Allah will
forgive the sins of Muslims and save them from hell by punishing Jews and
Christians in their place?”[30]
As we will see, this
question is based on a biased and incomplete reading of the ahadith and
illustrates Temple’s ignorance.
To make his case, Temple quotes the
following ahadith from Sahih Muslim:
“Abu Musa’ reported that Allah’s Messenger (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.”[31]
“Abu Burda reported on the authority of his father
that Allah’s Apostle (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).”[32]
“Abu Burda
reported Allah’s Messenger (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.”[33]
After quoting these
ahadith, Temple then claims that:
“[t]hese Hadith [sic] are worse, because the sins of
Muslims are put on other sinners. That is injustice indeed. But it
was not unjust for Jesus to die for our sins, because He did it voluntarily,
and He is perfect and sinless.”[34]
But are Temple’s
assertions accurate? Do these ahadith
teach that Muslims will be able to atone by placing their sins on other unwilling
sinners? As we will now see, the answer
is no.
First and foremost, it needs to be
stated that since they are unbelievers, Jews and Christians will be doomed to
hell anyway. This is stated emphatically
in the Quran and Ahadith. For example,
the Quran states:
“O ye People of the Book! believe in what We have
(now) revealed, confirming what was (already) with you, before We change the
face and fame of some (of you) beyond all recognition, and turn them hindwards,
or curse them as We cursed the Sabbath-breakers, for the decision of Allah Must
be carried out.”[35]
“They do blaspheme who say: "Allah is Christ
the son of Mary." But said Christ: "O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord."
Whoever joins other gods with Allah, Allah will forbid him the garden, and the
Fire will be his abode. There will for the wrong-doers be no one to help.”[36]
As we can see, the
Jews and Christians will already be doomed to hellfire because of their
unbelief, something they have been warned of in the Quran. Thus, it is not an “injustice”, since they
will be punished for their own sins, and not the sins of Muslims.[37]
Additionally, Temple is ignorant of
the hadith which states that Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) has created Paradise
and Hell as well as the denizens of both (emphasis ours):
“'A'isha, the mother of the believers, reported
that a child died and I said: There is happiness for this child who is a bird
from amongst the birds of Paradise. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (peace be upon
him) said: Don't you know that Allah created the Paradise and He created the
Hell and He created the dwellers for this (Paradise) and the denizens
for this (Hell)?”[38]
This hadith is
further proof for our assertion above that the Jews and Christians who would
serve as the “ransom” for some Muslims will simply be receiving the punishment
that they had earned and which would doom them to Hell in the first place. The additional sins of the Muslims will not
change that.
Moreover, the ahadith Temple refers
to mention just one of the ways some Muslims
will be saved on the Day of Judgement.[39] While some Muslims will be saved by being
“ransomed”,[40]
others will simply be forgiven their sins by the mercy of Allah (Glorified and
Exalted be He),[41]
whereas others still will only be forgiven after receiving some sort of
punishment for their sins, which will “purify” them.[42] In addition, some Muslims will be forgiven
their sins due to the trials they endured while in this world.[43] Finally, as stated in an aforementioned
hadith from Jami At-Tirmidhi, Muslims can atone for their sins simply by
following up with a good deed.[44]
Therefore, having considered the
whole corpus of evidence from the Quran and Sunnah, we find that Temple’s
appeal to the aforementioned ahadith and the alleged teaching of
“substitutionary atonement” is erroneous.
Taking some ahadith out of context and ignoring others only illustrates
the cherry-picking and biased research that the missionary is guilty of.
Conclusion
In this article, we have analyzed the claims of Christian
apologist Ken Temple regarding alleged episodes of “substitutionary atonement” in
the Islamic sources. Through more
detailed study of these sources, we have found Temple’s claims to be lacking
and simply the result of sloppy research.
Thus, the final conclusion is that Islam does not teach the concept of
“substitutionary atonement”, as the evidence has shown. In other words:
“Islam [did
indeed] get rid of the concept of…substitutionary atonement.”[45]
And Allah knows best!
[1] Of course, religious
argumentation is not a new phenomenon.
Even before the advent of the Internet, discussions and debates were a
common occurrence and have been for thousands of years.
The
blog “Apologetics and Agape” is maintained by Christian apologist Ken Temple.
In
a separate article, the Christian apologist also quoted some ahadith which he
asserts teach the concept of “substitutionary atonement”:
In
our response, we will discuss the claims made in both articles.
[5] This article is
specifically concerned with responding to the claims made about the Quran and
Ahadith, and not with the assertion that “substitutionary atonement” is a
Biblical concept. InshaAllah, that will
be the topic of a future article.
[8] InshaAllah, in a future
article, we will discuss the Christian claim that the Biblical Jesus was
“sinless”.
“And We
ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice.”
[12] Surah As-Saaffat,
37:99-111.
[14] The Study Quran: A
New Translation and Commentary, ed. Seyyed Hossein Nasr (New York:
HarperOne, 2015), p. 1094.
[16] The Study Quran,
op. cit., p. 1094.
[17] As we will see below,
however, worldly trials can serve to atone for one’s sins,
as emphasized in the Ahadith literature.
The Quran also states that:
“…those who
show patience and constancy, and work righteousness; for them is forgiveness
(of sins) and a great reward” (Surah Hud, 11:11).
[18] Additionally, we may
note that although the Quran does not state what actually happened with the
meat of the ram once it was sacrificed, it is reasonable to assume that it
would have been eaten as a provision from Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He),
just as the sacrificial meat of the Hajj is eaten. This is in stark contrast to the sacrificial
system as described in the Tanakh, where the meat was usually burned:
“Then Noah built an
altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he
sacrificed burnt offerings on it” (Genesis 8:20, New International Version).
See
also Leviticus 1-2. In specific cases,
however, only the High Priest or his sons could eat the meat (Leviticus
6:24-30).
[20] It should be stated
that an animal sacrifice is sometimes required as an act of atonement, but this
depends on several factors and only applies in certain situations, as we will
discuss later.
[21] Surah Al-Hajj, 22:37.
This
is in stark contrast to the Tanakh, which states:
“Then burn the
entire ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord, a
pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord” (Exodus 29:18).
To
be fair, however, it seems Jews interpret this and other verses differently, as
shown in the following translation:
“…and you shall make the
entire ram go up in smoke upon the altar; it is a burnt offering made to the
Lord; it is a spirit of satisfaction, a fire offering for the Lord” (http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/9890#showrashi=true)
The
Jewish commentator Rashi stated that the phrase “it is a spirit of
satisfaction” means that:
“It is satisfaction
to Me that I commanded and My will was performed” (Ibid.).
Thus,
it would appear that zealous Christian translators have twisted the meaning of
the verse.
[23] Jami At-Tirmidhi, 27:93.
“When the believers
offer the sacrifice, with their act they too imply that just as they are ready
to sacrifice and slaughter an animal at the command of their Lord, if commanded
by their Lord Creator, they too are willing, just like the Noble Prophets
Ibraheem and Ismail, to sacrifice everything they own and love for the Pleasure
of Allah Subhanah.”
It
should also be pointed out, as the above source makes clear, that although the
sacrifice is obligatory for all Muslims who are performing the Hajj, it is not
an obligation for those who celebrate Eid Al-Adha but are not performing the
Hajj. Rather, it is a “preferred Sunnah
and thus voluntary”.
“A person offering
a sacrifice may consume, without any restrictions, any amount of meat he may
desire. He may likewise give away, or offer in charity any amount he may wish.
Some scholars say that one may eat half, and give away the other half in
charity, while others say that the meat be divided into three parts. Of these
one may keep a part, distribute a part, and give in charity the third part.”
[26] “Hajj”, in The
Oxford Dictionary of Islam, ed. John L. Esposito (New York: Oxford
University Press, 2003), p. 104.
[27] Muhammad Jawad
Maghniyyah, The Hajj: According to Five Schools of Islamic Law, Vol. 4
(Tehran: Department of Culture and Publication, 1997), p. 53.
[29] Thabiti Anyabwile, The
Gospel for Muslims: An Encouragement to Share Christ with Confidence
(Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2010), p. 69.
[31] Sahih Muslim, 37:6665.
[32] Sahih Muslim, 36:6666.
[33] Sahih Muslim, 37:6668.
[35] Surah An-Nisa, 4:47.
[36] Surah Al-Maeda, 5:72.
[37] The website “IslamQA”
states:
“So they will enter
Hell because of their own actions, not because of the sins of the Muslims” (https://islamqa.info/en/9488).
[38] Sahih Muslim, 46:46.
However,
the hadith does not mean that there is no free will and that each person is not
responsible for his/her own actions. As another
hadith in the Sunan Abu Dawud states:
“Those who
are among the number of those who go to Paradise will be helped to do the deeds
of the people who will go to Paradise, and those who are among the number of
those who go to Hell will be helped to do the deeds of those who will go to
Hell”
(Sunan Abu Dawud, 42:101).
Additionally,
a hadith in Sahih Bukhari states (emphasis ours):
“Narrated
`Ali: We were with the Prophet (peace be upon him) in a funeral procession, and
he started scraping the ground with a small stick and said, "There is none
amongst you but has been assigned a place (either) in Paradise and (or) in the
Hell-Fire." The people said (to him), "Should we not depend upon it?"
He said: carry on doing (good) deeds, for everybody will find easy
such deeds as will lead him to his destined place. He then recited:
"As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah…"” (Sahih Bukhari,
78:241).
[39] The hadith from Sahih
Muslim 37:6668 states (emphasis ours):
“There
would come people amongst the Muslims on the Day of
Resurrection with as heavy sins as a mountain…”
[40] Again, as mentioned
earlier, the “ransom” in the form of unbelieving Jews and Christians does not
change the fact that those Jews and Christians will be receiving the punishment
they deserved due to their unbelief and not simply to save Muslims.
Moreover,
there are other ways for Muslims to “ransom” themselves, as stated in a hadith
from Sunan Ibn Majah:
“It was
narrated from Ibn Musayyab that ‘Aishah said that the Messenger of Allah (peace
be upon him) said: ‘There is no day on which Allah ransoms more slaves
from the Fire than the Day of ‘Arafah. He draws closer and closer,
then He boasts about them before the angels and says: ‘What do these people
want?’’”
(Sunan Ibn Majah, 4:25:3014).
[41] For example, a hadith
in Sahih Bukhari states (emphasis ours):
“Narrated
Safwan bin Muhriz: A man asked Ibn `Umar, "What did you hear Allah's
Messenger (peace be upon him) saying regarding An-Najwa (secret talk between
Allah and His believing worshipper on the Day of Judgment)?" He said,
"(The Prophet (peace be upon him) said), ‘One of you will come close to
his Lord till He will shelter him in His screen and say: Did you commit
such-and-such sin? He will say, 'Yes.' Then Allah will say: Did you commit such
and such sin? He will say, 'Yes.' So Allah will make him confess (all his sins)
and He will say, 'I screened them (your sins) for you in the world,
and today I forgive them for you'’” (Sahih Bukhari, 78:100).
[42] For example, a hadith
in Sahih Bukhari states (emphasis ours):
“Narrated Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon
him) said, "When the believers pass safely over (the bridge across) Hell,
they will be stopped at a bridge in between Hell and Paradise where they
will retaliate upon each other for the injustices done among them in the world,
and when they get purified of all their sins, they will be admitted into
Paradise. By Him in Whose Hands the life of Muhammad is everybody
will recognize his dwelling in Paradise better than he recognizes his dwelling
in this world"” (Sahih Bukhari, 46:1).
[43] For example, a hadith
in Sahih Bukhari states:
“Narrated Anas: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "A
Muslim whose three children die before the age of puberty will be granted
Paradise by Allah due to his mercy for them"” (Sahih Bukhari, 23:12).
Another hadith in Jami At- Tirmidhi states:
“Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be
upon him) said: "Trials will not cease afflicting the believing man and
the believing woman in their self, children, and wealth, until they meet Allah
without having any sin"”
(Jami At-Tirmidhi, 36:97).
Sacrifice
and “ransom” are clearly taught in the Islamic sources, but not in the way
Temple asserts (linking it with “substitutionary atonement”), as we have seen.