I heard it said that Islam has only 2 ways to get to heaven, one being try and have your good works exceed that of the strictest pharisees...lotsa luck!...and
hopefully God will be in a good humour the day you die and have arbitrary mercy on you...(bit of a gamble to put it mildly!). The other way is to give your very life for God in Jihad or holy war, a more guaranteed method (if only it was true!). Contrast this with the way God revealed through His Word and by His Holy Spirit through Jesus, namely that God Himself in Christ would actually die for us, the (only) innocent for the guilty (all of us). Now perhaps you can understand the contrast between these 2 faiths and the utter foolishness of saying both "Jesus was a good man' and "Your good works will get you to heaven". Many nominal Christians sadly have their trust in their good works and not the Good King who bled for them...Think about it.
2 comments:
We believe that no one will attain salvation because of their good works, including some one who dies as a martyr for their works.
The Prophet of Islam said in a Hadith,
"Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately, and rejoice, FOR NO ONES GOOD DEEDS WILL PUT HIM IN PARADISE." The Companions asked, "NOT EVEN YOU, O Messenger of Allah?" He replied, "Not even me unless Allah bestows His pardon and mercy on me".
So here we see that it's not by one's good deeds that one will enter paradise but by Allah's Mercy. However, Allah has commanded us to do good deeds and we would not be recipient of His mercy unless we obey His commands.
Another common objection is that Muslims are not promised or their salvation is not guaranteed.
This is not true for Quran states,
Surah 9:72
"Allah has promised to the believers -men and women, - Gardens under which rivers flow to dwell therein forever, and beautiful mansions in Gardens of 'Adn (Eden Paradise). But the greatest bliss is the Good Pleasure of Allah. That is the supreme success."
and
Surah 3:9
"Verily, Allah never breaks His Promise"
Now if you ask the Muslim "are you going to paradise?" he is going to say to you "if Allah wills" (insha'allah). The well informed Muslim is not going to tell you "Yes I am going paradise for sure." No, the Muslim hopes and prays that he will end up in paradise. It's not because the Muslim is worried whether Allah will keep His promise, for as we have seen Allah does not break His promise. Rather, it is because the Muslim cannot be sure whether he would continue remaining on the straight path and die as a Muslim and the guarantee or promise of salvation is conditional in remaining and dying as a Muslim.
"(As for) those who say: Our Lord is Allah, then continue in the right way, the angels descend upon them, saying: Fear not, nor be grieved, and receive good news of the garden which you were promised." Surah 41:30
You may also find this recent debate helpful which is on the same issues;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNVt5xd1ewI
@nazam. Jesus was a prophet. A true prophet can not err in prophesy. Jesus said no one comes to the Father (God) but by Me. He died on the cross and was not switched before death. His death is the perfect and acceptable sacrifice before Holy God for our sin. How else could we have any hope?
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