Adam’s Sin

A Muslim may ask:

What your faith mean where it says ‘that we inherited Adam’s sin’? Every person is responsible for their own sin!

The Islamic story of Adam creation and his dwelling in the garden of Eden (or paradise as Muslims believe) and later his ejection from it, is similar to the story in the Bible (Genesis 3).

God created Adam and Eve, and asked them not to eat from a certain tree in the garden. Due to the deception from the serpent, they ate from that forbidden tree disobeying God’s commandment. (Genesis 3:1-7 cf. Quran 7:19-22).

Later God conversed with Adam and Eve about their disobedience to the only commandment He gave them. God decided that the first man and woman are no longer able to remain in the garden and they have been ejected out of it to earth. (Genesis 3:8-24 cf. Quran 7:22-24)

Though it might seem to us that Adam and Eve’s ejection from the garden to earth was the only punishment they received, it is not exactly true.

When God created Adam and Even, and put them in the garden, He did not put a certain limitation on their life span. They simply could lived forever in the garden if God wanted that. Death was not a threat for Adam and Eve in the garden, they did not have to die.

On the other hand, earth which they were expelled to, was a different case than the garden. Actually, the Quran states clearly that Adam and Eve will not enjoy eternity on earth as they have to die. (Quran 7:25)

In conclusion, we could say that Adam and Eve were not only punished for their sin by being expelled to earth, but also they received death as a punishment for their sins.

If we think God is just, then we have to believe that somehow we inherited at least Adam and Eve nature of sin or their ability to sin in order for us to receive the punishment of death they received for their “original” sin. Do not we die just like Adam and Eve?

If they kept their righteousness and did not eat from the tree, therefore they remained in the garden; are not we were going to be born in the garden? Are not we were going to enjoy eternity in it too?

“… sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Romans 5:12)

We can not say that we are not sinners. All of us are, therefore, all of us deserve the punishment of the disobedience of God’s commandment; death.

I encourage you to read this next post about Adam and Christ as its related to this issue.