Original Sin and Islam

[noorez]

Hello,
I have brought this topic up before and I see searches which discuss it but does not answer some thoughts I might have so I decided to start new.
As I usually like to do, I will write my thoughts below and people can respond to them as they like. I will make a writeup as Islam sees things. I would like the ‘catholic response’.​

Islam teaches that Adam and by extension, mankind, was never meant to remain in the garden forever. Remaining in the garden forever was never part of God’s ‘grand scheme of things’, never part of the great plan. God as the all knower, knew, even before the foundations of creation were laid that Adam was going to be disobedient and sin. This however, in no way, effected Adam’s free will. Adam sinned of his own volition.

According, to the story, Adam sins and as punishment, is removed from the comforts of the garden. After such expulsion, he repents and is pardoned by God. Now, a common question that Christians give me is that if Adam was pardoned so easily, then why was he not returned back to the garden? I answer by reiterating my previous statement: “it was never part of God’s overall plan for mankind to remain in the garden forever”.

So I should answer the question: “what is this great plan”?. Perhaps, we with our limited intellects may not be able to grasp this entirely. Some scholars teach that God desired to exalt man to a very great level. However this could not be done (or rather I should say, God did not desire it) by an act of God alone. We would have to desire it as well. Now, had Adam simply remained in the garden, he would have been content with where he was. He would have no desire to raise higher. So in order to, shall we say, ‘get the ball rolling’, God had to somehow create this desire. So, God created Adam with the potential to sin, knowing that in man’s limited capacities he would eventually sin. After Adam sinned, God removed him from the garden, but gave words of hope to return. Now that Adam had been removed from the garden, a desire to return to God had been created. Whomsoever follows God’s guidance and desires to be with God, will return to him.

Islam rejects Original Sin, in saying that we do not inherit tainted natures. We are born to ‘this world’, and not a ‘higher world’ because this is where we are meant to be. Not because we somehow no longer deserve to be in the ‘higher world’. When we are born, the door to that ‘higher world’ is open to us, we just need the desire to walk through that door. With God’s unending mercy, grace and help this can happen for all of us. Without God’s mercy, nothing is possible. Every human is born on the state of ‘fitra’, just as Adam was created. We all have the same choice that Adam had, sin or not to sin.

The story of the garden was an important lesson to Adam (and therefore the rest of us): Satan is a great enemy to us and there is punishment for sin. Adam’s punishment was removal from comforts. Satan will also try to tempt us, and we will also similarly punished. However, just as Adam repented, we should also follow this example and repent. God accepted his repentance so he will accept the repentance of other’s as well.​

 

[Zekariya]

Islam rejects Original Sin, in saying that we do not inherit tainted natures.

We do not inherit tainted natures. Original sin is defined as the lack of sanctifying grace. The lack of sanctifying grace causes us to be, from the moment of conception, turned away from God. Since it is sinful to be turned away from God, the lack of sanctifying grace is original sin.

According to Catholic theology man has not lost his natural faculties. By the sin of Adam, he has been deprived only of the Divine gifts to which his nature had no strict right. Here are the supernatural faculties that Adam lost: the complete mastery of his passions, exemption from death, sanctifying grace, the vision of God in the next life. The Creator, whose gifts were not due to the human race, had the right to bestow them on such conditions as He wished and to make their conservation depend on the fidelity of the head of the family (i.e. Adam).

One man has transmitted to the whole human race not only the death of the body, which is the punishment of sin, but even sin itself, which is the death of the soul. As death is the privation of the principle of life, the death of the soul is the privation of sanctifying grace which according to all theologians is the principle of supernatural life. Therefore, if original sin is “the death of the soul”, it [original sin] is the privation of sanctifying grace.

Source: newadvent.org/cathen/11312a.htm

 

[dmar198]

Hello,
I have brought this topic up before and I see searches which discuss it but does not answer some thoughts I might have so I decided to start new.
As I usually like to do, I will write my thoughts below and people can respond to them as they like. I will make a writeup as Islam sees things. I would like the ‘catholic response’.​

Islam teaches that Adam and by extension, mankind, was never meant to remain in the garden forever. Remaining in the garden forever was never part of God’s ‘grand scheme of things’, never part of the great plan. God as the all knower, knew, even before the foundations of creation were laid that Adam was going to be disobedient and sin. This however, in no way, effected Adam’s free will. Adam sinned of his own volition.

According, to the story, Adam sins and as punishment, is removed from the comforts of the garden. After such expulsion, he repents and is pardoned by God. Now, a common question that Christians give me is that if Adam was pardoned so easily, then why was he not returned back to the garden? I answer by reiterating my previous statement: “it was never part of God’s overall plan for mankind to remain in the garden forever”.

So I should answer the question: “what is this great plan”?. Perhaps, we with our limited intellects may not be able to grasp this entirely. Some scholars teach that God desired to exalt man to a very great level. However this could not be done (or rather I should say, God did not desire it) by an act of God alone. We would have to desire it as well. Now, had Adam simply remained in the garden, he would have been content with where he was. He would have no desire to raise higher. So in order to, shall we say, ‘get the ball rolling’, God had to somehow create this desire. So, God created Adam with the potential to sin, knowing that in man’s limited capacities he would eventually sin. After Adam sinned, God removed him from the garden, but gave words of hope to return. Now that Adam had been removed from the garden, a desire to return to God had been created. Whomsoever follows God’s guidance and desires to be with God, will return to him.

Islam rejects Original Sin, in saying that we do not inherit tainted natures. We are born to ‘this world’, and not a ‘higher world’ because this is where we are meant to be. Not because we somehow no longer deserve to be in the ‘higher world’. When we are born, the door to that ‘higher world’ is open to us, we just need the desire to walk through that door. With God’s unending mercy, grace and help this can happen for all of us. Without God’s mercy, nothing is possible. Every human is born on the state of ‘fitra’, just as Adam was created. We all have the same choice that Adam had, sin or not to sin.

The story of the garden was an important lesson to Adam (and therefore the rest of us): Satan is a great enemy to us and there is punishment for sin. Adam’s punishment was removal from comforts. Satan will also try to tempt us, and we will also similarly punished. However, just as Adam repented, we should also follow this example and repent. God accepted his repentance so he will accept the repentance of other’s as well.​

Original sin means that we are born without sanctifying grace and are headed toward death. One way of proving it is the argument from mortality: we are clearly mortal, whereas Adam was not going to die. So there is a clear difference between Adam and us as far as there is a gift that Adam was given (a state of immortality, which he lost) and the state we are in. It appears from that that we aren’t given the same gifts that Adam was. So my question is: does Islam deny that Adam was originally going to be preserved from death? Because if it does not deny that, then it seems that at least part of original sin is proved from the mere fact that he was given a special grace that he lost, and we inherit that loss by not being immortal. What does Islam say about that?

 

[noorez]

We do not inherit tainted natures. Original sin is defined as the lack of sanctifying grace. The lack of sanctifying grace causes us to be, from the moment of conception, turned away from God. Since it is sinful to be turned away from God, the lack of sanctifying grace is original sin.

In Islam, all are born in the natural state of ‘fitra’ (simply put, turned towards God). As per wikipedia:

According to Islamic theology, human beings are born with an innate inclination of tawhid (Oneness), which is encapsulated in the fitra along with compassion, intelligence, ihsan and all other attributes that embody what it is to be human. It is for this reason that some Muslims prefer to refer to those who embrace Islam as reverts rather than converts, as it is believed they are returning to a perceived pure state.

I have been given the analogy before of how I cannot inherit wealth from my father which he does not have. And my father could not inherit wealth from his father which he did not have. This is applied to sanctifying grace in catholic teaching. In Islam, we would say that the inheritance analogy cannot be applied to the spiritual level. So simply because my father turned away from God, does not mean that I will ‘inherit’ that. And this would go back and back through the generations back to Adam. So simply because Adam made a choice to turn away does not mean all are turned away. In catholic teaching, this means that if an infant dies before baptism, he has died turned away from God and his destiny is ‘uncertain’ according to the church. In Islam, since the infant has died turned towards God, there is no uncertainty.

Original sin means that we are born without sanctifying grace and are headed toward death. One way of proving it is the argument from mortality: we are clearly mortal, whereas Adam was not going to die. So there is a clear difference between Adam and us as far as there is a gift that Adam was given (a state of immortality, which he lost) and the state we are in. It appears from that that we aren’t given the same gifts that Adam was. So my question is: does Islam deny that Adam was originally going to be preserved from death? Because if it does not deny that, then it seems that at least part of original sin is proved from the mere fact that he was given a special grace that he lost, and we inherit that loss by not being immortal. What does Islam say about that?

According to Islam, Adam was not created to be immortal. It is unclear though, whether or not Adam would have died in the garden or not. But since the stay in the garden was never mean to be forever, the loss of that state is not seen as a punishment in any sort of way. Death is a natural and beautiful part of existence for human beings. However, due to the sins we commit, we have made ourselves impure. As punishment for our sins (punishments I mentioned before), death has become very unpleasant for us.

I should also mention an important difference in reading the Adam narrative. Christianity holds that the test upon Adam was whether or not he would sin. A test which was FAILED. Islam says different. Since mankind is not created perfect (only God is perfect), and since our capacities are limited, we would eventually succumb to sin. So the real test is not if Adam sinned or not, but whether or not he would repent of his sin. A test which he PASSED.
Because God understands that we are limited (he created us after all), he does not become immediately angry with us or he does not reject us when we sin. He only becomes displeased when we refuse to repent.

 

[noorez]

Two further questions I might ask:

1. Perhaps I could add that Islam sees a certain injustice in the view that Adam and Eve’s children should be missing their connection to God (sanctifying grace) when they have not yet even made the choice to disconnect themselves. Or to say that someone is ‘born a sinner’ even before they have committed a sin. I would agree that we are all born capable of committing sin but I could not call my new born infant a sinner until he actually did something wrong.

What of the infant who dies before reconnecting himself to God? Why should his fate be ‘uncertain’? Also, what of those who very strongly desire to be with God but for one reason or another do not join with the Church? They for a genuinely good reason (raised in a different religion, were not presented with an honest teaching of the Church) do not believe in the Church and the need for baptism? If such people die without this sanctifying grace in this life can it be received again after death?

1. Why did Adam, in his state of holiness, complete mastery over his lower passions and sanctifying grace choose to sin? Would God not have somehow informed Adam that what he was doing was wrong? Would not this sanctifying grace that existed in Adam somehow supernaturally inform his intellect or conscious to not sin?

 

[dmar198]

For my part, I see the doctrine of original sin as something plainly obvious to anyone who has ever read a newspaper or struggled with sin. The aspects of original sin that anyone can see in himself are an absence of sanctifying grace, a tendency to sin, a slow intellect, and a future bodily death. No one denies the last two, and the first two are something anyone can see inside his own soul and in his own actions, because in the struggle against temptation we all choose sin not just occasionally, but daily. Original sin is the reality we all deal with, and when I consider that some people deny its existence, I wonder just what it is they think original sin is? It’s like denying the existence of air. How do you deny the existence of something you experience every minute of every day?

Two further questions I might ask:

1. Perhaps I could add that Islam sees a certain injustice in the view that Adam and Eve’s children should be missing their connection to God (sanctifying grace) when they have not yet even made the choice to disconnect themselves.

1. Original sin is an injustice. That’s the thing about sin: it always affects the innocent. When a single evil man commits sin, depending on what it is, it can affect everyone in his family or neighborhood, or the world. That’s why we use the analogy of a father who gambles away the money that would’ve gone to you as an inheritance. The loss is both his and yours, even though only he committed the sin.
2. It’s a little bit incorrect to say that original sin is a loss of the connection to God, because if God was wholly separate from you, you would cease to exist. Sanctifying grace is what you lose. Sanctifying grace is a spiritual state that God puts a person’s soul in so that it can be capable of union with God. It is not owed to us and it isn’t a part of our nature – it is a gift. It’s not unjust that you don’t have a gift when it isn’t owed to you, so it’s not unjust that we aren’t all born with sanctifying grace. It was a great benefit that Adam was given and we were set to inherit it, but his loss of it doesn’t mean there’s an injustice involved, due to reason number 1.

Or to say that someone is ‘born a sinner’ even before they have committed a sin. I would agree that we are all born capable of committing sin but I could not call my new born infant a sinner until he actually did something wrong.

Original sin is called “sin” by analogy. In Adam it was a real sin, but in us it is not a real sin for precisely the reason you mentioned: we didn’t actually do anything. We just lost out on what Adam had. We are, however, inclined to sin, and that shows up in the fact that we start sinning almost as soon as we have the opportunity to do so.

What of the infant who dies before reconnecting himself to God? Why should his fate be ‘uncertain’?

An infant who dies without sanctifying grace can’t be in union with God because he would be destroyed by it. It would be like putting a person without a diving suit at the bottom of the ocean. The reason sanctifying grace is necessary is because it makes us capable of union with God. Without it we simply couldn’t BE in union with God. Nevertheless, an unbaptized baby’s fate is not entirely uncertain. We know that a baby can’t be punished in Hell because he or she hasn’t done anything wrong, so he/she isn’t going to Hell. God hasn’t revealed what He does with babies who die without sanctifying grace, but Hell would definitely not be just, and we hope that God would give them sanctifying grace anyway and then just take them to His presence. But He hasn’t revealed that that’s what He does, and He is capable of other alternatives, like making a separate place of happiness just for them. He could do that. But He hasn’t told us what He does, we just know He doesn’t consign them to Hell.

Also, what of those who very strongly desire to be with God but for one reason or another do not join with the Church? They for a genuinely good reason (raised in a different religion, were not presented with an honest teaching of the Church) do not believe in the Church and the need for baptism? If such people die without this sanctifying grace in this life can it be received again after death?

The Church teaches that those who strongly desire to be with God but are not able to be united to the Church can receive sanctifying grace through other means and thus go to heaven. God is not bound to the Sacraments, so He can give someone sanctifying grace whenever He wants. When someone is not a member of the Church through no fault of their own, but they’ve believed in God and tried to live by His laws, we have good hope that He gives them sanctifying grace anyway and then takes them to Himself.

1. Why did Adam, in his state of holiness, complete mastery over his lower passions and sanctifying grace choose to sin? Would God not have somehow informed Adam that what he was doing was wrong? Would not this sanctifying grace that existed in Adam somehow supernaturally inform his intellect or conscious to not sin?

His lower passions did not tempt him to sin. He was tempted by ambition and pride. The reason he fell to that temptation is the same reason why you and I do: he wanted it more than he wanted to do God’s will. There is no good reason for wanting to do one’s own will rather than God’s, but we, and he, did it anyway.

Re: whether God would have informed him that what he was doing was wrong, God had informed him ahead of time by infusing him with knowledge about what was right and what was wrong. Because Adam already knew what he ought to do because of special knowledge received from God, he was not acting in ignorance, but deliberately. I don’t think there’s a whole lot of difference between Christianity and Islam re: that particular question.

Re: whether he was predisposed not to sin – maybe, but he still had free will, so it was up to him.

 

[Catholic_Dude]

Islam rejects Original Sin, in saying that we do not inherit tainted natures. We are born to ‘this world’, and not a ‘higher world’ because this is where we are meant to be. Not because we somehow no longer deserve to be in the ‘higher world’. When we are born, the door to that ‘higher world’ is open to us, we just need the desire to walk through that door. With God’s unending mercy, grace and help this can happen for all of us. Without God’s mercy, nothing is possible. Every human is born on the state of ‘fitra’, just as Adam was created. We all have the same choice that Adam had, sin or not to sin.

I have been told that Islam utterly rejects Free Will and believe Allah directly predetermines every act. So I don’t think what you’re saying makes much sense.

Also, what you’re describing cannot answer the presence of suffering and death. The doctrine of Original Sin is the only thing that explains life. It’s the only thing that explains why there is a good God but a creation that is subject to pain, suffering, and death. God didn’t intend for man to suffer and die, but these things are a result of sin, since sin is very damaging. Sin separates a person from communion with God, and being separated from communion with God is like a body separating itself from oxygen. The problem is, Islam denies there can be communion with God. It is thus very ‘worldly’ in its thought process.

1. Perhaps I could add that Islam sees a certain injustice in the view that Adam and Eve’s children should be missing their connection to God (sanctifying grace) when they have not yet even made the choice to disconnect themselves. Or to say that someone is ‘born a sinner’ even before they have committed a sin. I would agree that we are all born capable of committing sin but I could not call my new born infant a sinner until he actually did something wrong.

The term “original sin” is misleading. It does NOT mean a person is “a sinner before they commit a sin,” it means they are born out of communion with God. Think of it as adoption. A person is born not adopted into God’s family. They are not a sinner, they have not sinned, they just aren’t a member of the family.

What of the infant who dies before reconnecting himself to God? Why should his fate be ‘uncertain’? Also, what of those who very strongly desire to be with God but for one reason or another do not join with the Church? They for a genuinely good reason (raised in a different religion, were not presented with an honest teaching of the Church) do not believe in the Church and the need for baptism? If such people die without this sanctifying grace in this life can it be received again after death?

Nobody who has not willfully transgressed God’s commandments will suffer punishments. But this doesn’t mean they are automatically entitled to a reward either.
The gift of Heaven is not something God ‘owes’ us. Even Adam wasn’t owed Heaven, God extended that as a gift. That said, Jesus did come so that all men after Adam would have a chance, but some are given more opportunities than others, depending on God’s Plan.

1. Why did Adam, in his state of holiness, complete mastery over his lower passions and sanctifying grace choose to sin? Would God not have somehow informed Adam that what he was doing was wrong? Would not this sanctifying grace that existed in Adam somehow supernaturally inform his intellect or conscious to not sin?

Adam knew what he was doing was wrong and did have mastery over his lower passions, which is precisely why his sin was so severe. The more one knows better, the more guilty they are for sinning. Adam was still fallible even after having all those gifts, and he was able to be deceived, since God has given man just enough light to know better and just enough darkness to leave room to question.

 

[Aloysium]

I am not sure you are the best spokesperson for Islam.
I would not go on a Muslim forum and claim to represent the Catholic position.
You are presenting your beliefs and your understanding of your religion.
If you want to learn about how different members of the Catholic faith see things, you’ve come to the right place. I suppose if you want to argue, there are people who will argue with you.

 

[noorez]

I have been told that Islam utterly rejects Free Will and believe Allah directly predetermines every act. So I don’t think what you’re saying makes much sense.

Also, what you’re describing cannot answer the presence of suffering and death. The doctrine of Original Sin is the only thing that explains life. It’s the only thing that explains why there is a good God but a creation that is subject to pain, suffering, and death. God didn’t intend for man to suffer and die, but these things are a result of sin, since sin is very damaging. Sin separates a person from communion with God, and being separated from communion with God is like a body separating itself from oxygen. The problem is, Islam denies there can be communion with God. It is thus very ‘worldly’ in its thought process.

The term “original sin” is misleading. It does NOT mean a person is “a sinner before they commit a sin,” it means they are born out of communion with God. Think of it as adoption. A person is born not adopted into God’s family. They are not a sinner, they have not sinned, they just aren’t a member of the family.

Nobody who has not willfully transgressed God’s commandments will suffer punishments. But this doesn’t mean they are automatically entitled to a reward either.
The gift of Heaven is not something God ‘owes’ us. Even Adam wasn’t owed Heaven, God extended that as a gift. That said, Jesus did come so that all men after Adam would have a chance, but some are given more opportunities than others, depending on God’s Plan.

Adam knew what he was doing was wrong and did have mastery over his lower passions, which is precisely why his sin was so severe. The more one knows better, the more guilty they are for sinning. Adam was still fallible even after having all those gifts, and he was able to be deceived, since God has given man just enough light to know better and just enough darkness to leave room to question.

Islam does not reject Free Will. We can act either in accordance with God’s commandments or against it freely. We are fully accountable for all evil actions that we knew were wrong to do (willful ignorance not an excuse).

Pain and suffering can be attributed as a result of the evils that we do. Death included. However, as I mentioned before, Islam death itself is considered a natural part of being a human being. Perhaps if we continued to exist in a much purer state, death would not be as unpleasant as it has become today.

As for sin, I do agree with you that it separates us from God. The more I sin and do not repent, the more I will have distanced myself from the light of God.

Islam does not say specifically that there is no ‘communion’ with God. Difference Islamic thinkers have said that such a thing exists. I come from a branch of Islam that emphasizes a very esoteric interpretation of the faith. One such thinker from this branch describes the relationship to God in heaven as one of marriage: God being the bridegroom and we his bride. We must prepare ourselves and continually build this relationship through faith and love for God.

Your other points helped. Thanks!!

This helps me with trying to understand the Catholic faith!

 

[noorez]

I am not sure you are the best spokesperson for Islam.
I would not go on a Muslim forum and claim to represent the Catholic position.
You are presenting your beliefs and your understanding of your religion.
If you want to learn about how different members of the Catholic faith see things, you’ve come to the right place. I suppose if you want to argue, there are people who will argue with you.

My goal here is to present the Islamic thought on this matter and see what the christian answer is, to better understand the christian perspective. The answers here are helping.

I am though representing these thoughts according to the ‘Shia Nizari Ismaili’ interpretations of the faith and not to Islam in general.

 

[dmar198]

Pain and suffering can be attributed as a result of the evils that we do. Death included. However, as I mentioned before, Islam death itself is considered a natural part of being a human being. Perhaps if we continued to exist in a much purer state, death would not be as unpleasant as it has become today.

If death is the result of sin, and death is a natural part of being human, then it seems that Islam teaches that sin is part of being human, which is a much harder teaching than original sin is.

Also, when I read the Quran I see Potiphar saying that the human soul is prone to sin, which seems to be at least a partial admission of original sin. Surah 12:53 – “Nor do I absolve my own self of blame: the human soul is certainly prone to evil, unless my Lord do bestow His Mercy: but surely my Lord is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.” (I just read that yesterday while I was listening to the Quran on audio, and it struck me as an admission of original sin at least partially.)

 

[Catholic_Dude]

Islam does not reject Free Will. We can act either in accordance with God’s commandments or against it freely. We are fully accountable for all evil actions that we knew were wrong to do (willful ignorance not an excuse).

What about the comments I’ve seen elsewhere of God’s absolute predetermination?

Pain and suffering can be attributed as a result of the evils that we do. Death included. However, as I mentioned before, Islam death itself is considered a natural part of being a human being.

So what about all those innocent people, including babies, that suffer and die and yet haven’t committed serious sins (if any sins at all)? I don’t see why death, deformities, diseases, and suffering were originally part of God’s glorious plan for mankind. How can God be all good if His original design included suffering of those who had not done anything wrong?

As Dmar says above, I would say it is much harder to explain and defend suffering of innocent people as part of God’s original plan than to explain and defend original sin.

And on top of that, if you deny that, you must reject Genesis 1-2, which would completely undermine Islam’s claim to be a continuation of the Jewish and Christian scriptures.

As for sin, I do agree with you that it separates us from God. The more I sin and do not repent, the more I will have distanced myself from the light of God.

Ok, good.

Islam does not say specifically that there is no ‘communion’ with God. Difference Islamic thinkers have said that such a thing exists. I come from a branch of Islam that emphasizes a very esoteric interpretation of the faith. One such thinker from this branch describes the relationship to God in heaven as one of marriage: God being the bridegroom and we his bride. We must prepare ourselves and continually build this relationship through faith and love for God.

I’ve never heard of this and I’d like to see support of this in the Quaran and Hadith.
As I understand Islam, God is too big, too other, too distant for there to be intimate communion. This is why Muslims say it’s blasphemy to talk of God as “Father” in any sense, and I’d think comparisons to marriage would be just as unacceptable.

Your other points helped. Thanks!!

This helps me with trying to understand the Catholic faith!

 

[noorez]

What about the comments I’ve seen elsewhere of God’s absolute predetermination?

So what about all those innocent people, including babies, that suffer and die and yet haven’t committed serious sins (if any sins at all)? I don’t see why death, deformities, diseases, and suffering were originally part of God’s glorious plan for mankind. How can God be all good if His original design included suffering of those who had not done anything wrong?

As Dmar says above, I would say it is much harder to explain and defend suffering of innocent people as part of God’s original plan than to explain and defend original sin.

And on top of that, if you deny that, you must reject Genesis 1-2, which would completely undermine Islam’s claim to be a continuation of the Jewish and Christian scriptures.

Ok, good.

I’ve never heard of this and I’d like to see support of this in the Quaran and Hadith.
As I understand Islam, God is too big, too other, too distant for there to be intimate communion. This is why Muslims say it’s blasphemy to talk of God as “Father” in any sense, and I’d think comparisons to marriage would be just as unacceptable.

Thanks for the answers you have given!

I restate: Islam does believe in free will. We are responsible for our actions. We will be rewarded and we will be punished based on our faith and our works. Perhaps you refer to the idea in Islam that God has ‘written down’ all that will happen. This writing down has not had an effect on our decision. As God is beyond time, he knows all that will happen and what we will do. Again, this does not hinder our free will. Some sects in Islam will claim that this means that we do not have free will but most reject this. God desires all to be saved and no one is predestined for damnation. In Islam, we would say that God sets all on the straight pat to begin with and desires us all to remain on it.

As for your point suffering, sin has played a great part in it coming down to us. Islam would reject the idea though that it can be traced back to the single source of Adam’s initial act of sin (the ancestral or original sin). Just as the CCC says that the propagation of the original sin is a mystery, I can only say that such things are a mystery to us. For myself, I have a genetic disease. However, I do not attribute this at all to a curse upon myself. I see this as a gift from God. A trial, a test for my faith. Why has God allowed a new born infant to be born with this? I do not know. But I accept what God has given me. And God has assured us that he will not place test upon anyone that he will not be able to pass.

As for your requested Quran suras and hadith references, I do not have them with me now. If I find them soon I will provide them. However, please remember that a simple reading of these verses will not provide a quick and easy answer. Not without some analysis of the deeper esoteric analysis of the Quran which takes some time to do.