"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23.Muslims say, "Life is a test". In Muslim thought, a person passes the test if he accepts whatever Allah sends. He may qualify for heaven if the good deeds outweigh bad deeds on Allah's scales.
Sakina asked if she is allowed to line-dance and still be a Muslim. Is dancing haram or halal? Sakina wondered how close to the edge can she get. There was no sense of personal holiness--being set apart.
What is sin? It's difficult for a Muslim to understand the biblical concept. For him life is all about keeping Islamic requirements. Since most Muslims do not see themselves as sinners, Vivian Stacey, missionary to Pakistan, suggests an honor/shame paradigm. "Is there anything your hand has done that you would be ashamed about before God? or Is there anything your mouth has said that you'd be ashamed about before God?", etc.
A friend seated next to a Saudi man on an extended flight started with, "You believe Adam was a prophet?" "Of course." "How many rules did God give Adam?" "He gave him one." My friend continues, "He gave Adam one rule and he failed to keep it." "Yes", agreed the Saudi. Even though Adam and Eve regretted it, they lost their place in paradise. When we think about it, Muslims have 130 rules laid out in the Qur'an and the Hadith. So, how can the 'non-prophet' type keep all those rules faithfully when Adam couldn't even keep one??
From 'Isa and Islam, Religious Dialoque': "One main theme that the Quran gives attention to is the problem of the Day of Judgment" (Commentary Al-Mishbah, M.Q. Shihab, 53). Judgment Day is a problem because of man's sin. No matter how religious someone is, his heart is still sinful. Sin must be punished. Punishment will happen on Judgment Day. There is a hadith that says: "When a person sins, a black spot is dripped into his heart" (HR. at-Tirmidzi). If every sin is like a black spot, then every person's heart is totally black!
Somalis talk about someone having 'bad blood' if involved in crime and fighting. And how do you get rid of bad blood? It takes the blood of Christ to purify an errant Somali's heart. There is actually no sacrifice we can give to cover the stain of sin. If a white cloth has even one small black stain it is worthless.
Even though the Bible has several lists of sins, the bottom line is really 2 laws God gave Moses "...to love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and soul, and your neighbor as yourself." repeated by Jesus. If we lack passion and love for God and others--we "fall short of the glory of God."
The heart of every man is very black and waits for the Judgement Day. Is there a way out? God(Allah) says: "Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool" (Book of the Prophet Isaiah 1:18 NLT)"When we accept God's solution to our sins as a FREE gift, our hearts are made right with God and the relationship between God and us is restored. This is the story of Easter. Praise God!
