God says
….And whatever [wrong] any human being commits rests upon himself alone; and no bearer of burdens shall be made to bear another’s burden….. Q.6: 164
*This basic ethical law -- which is also found in 17:15, 35:18, 39:7 and 53:38 – constitutes a categorical rejection of the Christian doctrines of “original sin” with which every human being is allegedly burdened from birth and “vicarious atonement” for mankind’s sinfulness by Jesus.
O you who believe! If you remain conscious to God*, He will endow you a standard by which to discern** the true from the false, and will remove your bad deeds, and will forgive you your sins: for God is limitless in His great bounty. -- Q.8: 29
*“remain conscious to God”, i.e., remain aware of His all-presence, with a desire to mould your existence in the light of this awareness. (Adapted from Asad’s translation of ‘muttaqi’ in Q.2: 2, which is positive and comprehensive.)
** I.e., the faculty of moral valuation.
Surely, God will not deal unjustly with man in anything. It is man that wrongs his soul-- Q.10:44
Oh, verily, they who are close to God – no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve: they who have attained to faith and have always been conscious of Him. For them there is the glad tiding [of happiness born of spiritual fulfillment] in the life of this world and in the life to come; [and since] nothing could ever alter [the outcome of] God’s promises, this, this is the triumph supreme.-- Q.10: 62-64
As for those who care for [no more than] the life of this world and its bounties – We shall repay them in full for all that they did in this [life], and they shall not be deprived of their just due therein: [yet] it is they who, in the life to come, shall have nothing but the fire – for in vain shall be all that they wrought in this [world], and worthless all that ever did!* -- Q.11:15,16 *
I.e., although their good deeds will be taken fully into account on Judgement Day, they will be outweighed by their refusal to believe in resurrection and the life to come.
Prophet said
1. “Be self-denying in this world, God will love you; and be aloof from what people have, they will love you” – H: Tirmizi and Ibn Majah. N: Sahl-b-S’aad.
2. “By God, the value of this world,* compared to that with the next, is like one of you puts his finger in the sea and then looks at what it returns with” – H: Muslim. N: Mustaorid.* I.e.,
The value of this world is like a few drops of water compared to the sea
3. “God does not destroy the virtues of a believer. He is given (reward) for it in this world and in the hereafter”-- H: Muslim. N: Anas.
