In the piece Who is the Liar? John the Baptist or Yahya (يحيى), and Occam's Razor, we attempt to use problem solving tools to arrive at the truth, specifically Occam's Razor. This piece is intended to be complementary noting that we have yet to invoke the Triune God.
Meriting Eternal Life
In the Gospel of John, chapter 14, verse 6 (John 14:6) Jesus tells his disciples, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me," signifying He is the sole path to God, the embodiment of ultimate reality, and the source of eternal life, offering reassurance and guidance to His followers before His crucifixion.The concept of "eternal life" is closely linked to this verse and is explicitly promised by Jesus in other parts of the Gospel of John, most notably John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life
The Way: Jesus identifies himself as the exclusive path to God, acting as the mediator between humanity and the Father.
The Truth: He is described as the embodiment of absolute, divine truth and the fulfillment of God's promises.
The Life: Jesus is presented as the source of both spiritual and eternal life, offering a connection to God that continues forever.
This verse was spoken by Jesus during the Last Supper to comfort his disciples as he prepared for his death, assuring them that faith in him would lead them to God.
In Islam, meriting eternal life (Akhirah) differs from the Christian focus on a single person as the "way." Instead, Muslims attain paradise (Jannah) through a combination of correct belief, righteous deeds, and ultimately, Allah's mercy.
Core Requirements for Eternal Life
Faith (Iman): The foundational requirement is belief in the Oneness of God (Tawheed). This includes accepting all prophets (including Jesus as a prophet), revealed books, angels, and the Day of Judgment.
Righteous Deeds (Amal Salih): Life is viewed as a test where actions are recorded and weighed on a divine scale (Mizan). Good deeds—such as the Five Pillars of Islam, kindness, and justice—must outweigh bad deeds to enter paradise.
Repentance (Tawba): Because humans are viewed as naturally weak rather than inherently sinful, sincere repentance can wipe out past sins. Allah is described as "Oft-Forgiving" and "Most Merciful," forgiving anything except dying in a state of shirk (associating partners with God).
Key Theological Distinctions
No Original Sin: Unlike the Christian concept of inherited sin, Islam teaches that every individual is born in a state of natural purity (Fitra) and is solely responsible for their own actions.
Atonement vs. Guidance: Islam rejects the need for a sacrificial savior to atone for sins. Jesus and other prophets are viewed as guides who show the "straight path" (Sirat al-Mustaqeem) through their teachings and example.
The Role of Mercy: While deeds are crucial, Islamic tradition emphasizes that no one enters paradise by their deeds alone; it is only by Allah's grace and mercy that a soul is saved.
Lack of Assurance: Except for those who die in the service of Allah (martyrs), most Muslims live in a state of "fear and hope," as the final judgment rests entirely on Allah's sovereign will and remains unknown until the Day of Resurrection.
The Eye of The Needle
The phrase "it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" is a famous biblical metaphor found in the Gospels of Matthew (19:24), Mark (10:25), and Luke(18:25).
The expression highlights the extreme difficulty or human impossibility for those who trust in material wealth to achieve salvation.
Most scholars believe Jesus used an intentional, absurd exaggeration to illustrate that salvation cannot be earned through human effort or wealth. By comparing the largest animal in the region (the camel) with the smallest opening (a needle's eye), he emphasized that such a feat is humanly impossible.
The context following the verse is critical: after the disciples asked, "Who then can be saved?", Jesus responded, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible". This indicates that salvation for anyone, rich or poor, is a miracle of God's grace.
While the imagery is common to both the Bible and the Quran, the context of who faces this impossibility differs:
Bible (Matthew 19:24): Jesus uses the metaphor to describe the difficulty for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God, emphasizing how material wealth can be an obstacle to spiritual humility.
Quran (7:40): The metaphor is applied to those who reject divine revelations out of arrogance (istakbarū). It signifies that for those who pridefully turn away from God's signs, salvation is as impossible as a massive animal passing through a microscopic opening.
