Maliki is a 45-year-old Imam that I met during a class in a mosque. Once, I shared with him that a righteous God must punish sins rather than just forgive without retribution. In response to this, he said Allah’s forgiveness is always granted if men repent, to which I said that justice and forgiveness must work together to address sin in order to reflect Allah as both a just and merciful God. When I pointed out that aspect of God’s nature, Maliki stated Allah is all-powerful and can extend his forgiveness out of his own sovereign will to anyone, with no intervention or logical thinking from mankind. Allah does not need to deal with sin to make him just. Even though Allah forgives without retribution over sin, he is still righteous and forgiving; he is the greatest (الله أكبر), and no one should question his attributes and the way Allah forgives!

What men and women should do is repent, worship Allah only, and diligently perform good deeds to pay off sins. Indeed, these actions ultimately reflect both Allah’s justice and mercy. No concept of sacrifice and substitutionary atonement for sin is involved, but rather an exchange system of one’s merit and demerit to pay off the sins that human beings have individually committed against Allah. Obviously, assurance of salvation from Allah does not exist.

Later that week, I learned that fasting can be used by Muslims to gain Allah’s forgiveness. One evening after class, I asked Maliki why fasting is a part of Islam. He then carefully opened the Quran to Surah 2:183 and 2:184, and he explained that fasting had been practiced among Arabs long before Islam, but it was not done in the way Allah instructed. After Hijrah, Muhammad inaugurated the observance of Sawm (fasting) on Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, for all Muslims. Why Ramadan? When the Quran was revealed to Muhammad for the first time to guide people to return to Allah, it happened during Ramadan which was then treated as the holy month in the Islamic calendar. During Ramadan, all Muslims must refrain from eating and drinking, as well as from lustful and evil desires in obedience to Allah between dawn and sunset. The thing about Sawm is that, according to Hadith, completing Sawm in Ramadan can forgive all sins a Muslim has committed in a full year. Maliki also said those who follow and complete the decreed fast may be forgiven and become righteous! Is that a good deal?

After hearing what Maliki said, I was so grateful to Jesus that I can draw near to God with the full assurance that faith brings. I don’t need to worry about whether or not I’ll be good enough or about checking off a list of good things in order to earn God’s forgiveness. I am assured that at the very moment Jesus died, He opened for us a new and living path to enter into God’s presence. It’s not because of my goodness but completely because of Jesus’ sacrifice for my sin that I’m cleansed from my guilty conscience. It’s no longer guilt that spurs me to do good; it’s His grace and love.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1

Please pray that Chinese Muslims will realize that good deeds can’t earn the true peace and salvation that can only come through Christ Jesus, and that they will be convicted by the Holy Spirit that it’s not by works but by the gift of God that they can receive and enjoy true freedom from the bondage of the law.