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been stated about sin it is evident, therefore, that sin occurs not only
outwardly but inwardly also. And that inward transgression of God's will which
has been mentioned is truly called sin. Accordingly sin is that wish and desire
of the heart through which man inclines to those things which are contrary to
God's will and opposed to His holy commands and prohibitions. Therefore sin is
that inward opposition to God's will which has entered man's heart; and on this
account sin has ruined and blinded man's will, desire, mind and intellect.
Since man, in the way which has been mentioned, commits sin through
transgressing God's prohibitions and neglecting His commands and by doing evil
deeds, speaking improper words, and thinking the evil thoughts which occur
plentifully to every man, it has been clearly proved that sin is common to all
men. Even the prophets are not sinless.1 Therefore the fancy and
theory which many Muslim theologians have entertained that the prophets are
innocent and free from sin is erroneous, as is evident not only from the holy
Scriptures but from the Qur'an2 also. The reason of this fancy of
theirs is simply this, that they
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have not ascertained the nature of sin and think that outward acts alone are
sins. If, according to what they say, evil thoughts and desires were not counted
as sins, and the term 'sin' were restricted to merely external acts, then
perhaps some men would remain sinless. But, in the first place, such an idea is
opposed to God's omniscience and His holiness. For in consequence of His
omniscience God is aware of each man's every thought and wish, and because of
His purity and holiness He will never be pleased with an evil thought or desire.
In the second place, this idea of theirs is contrary to the word of God,
according as it has been shown that in God's sight an evil thought or wish is a
sin. In the third place, the idea is in opposition to man's internal nature,
since it has been explained and proved that thought and volition are man's
internal acts, and that there is no difference between an internal and an
external act except that the latter is openly manifested and the former inwardly
concealed, so that no one becomes aware of it except God and the man himself.
Since, therefore, every neglect of a divine command, and every transgression of
a divine prohibition, and every false and improper word, and each evil thought
and wish, is in God's sight a sin and is displeasing to Him, who will dare to
say in the presence of God, the all-wise and the holy, that in his whole life he
has never committed a sin, either outwardly or inwardly? It is self-evident
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