Christian Claim
“Islam has no concept of grace — salvation is earned by works alone”
Bible References
James: 'A person is justified by works and not by faith alone'
“You see then that by works, a man is justified, and not only by faith.”
Jesus: 'Not everyone who says Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom'
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
Quran References
قُلْ يَٰعِبَادِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا۟ مِن رَّحْمَةِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا
“Say: O My servants who have transgressed against themselves — do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins.”
Islamic Clarification
The Quran declares Allah's mercy 'encompasses all things' (7:156) and calls to repentant sinners: 'Do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins' (39:53). Good deeds in Islam are a grateful response to Allah's grace, not a transaction to earn paradise. The tension between faith and works is equally present in the Bible — James 2:24 explicitly says 'a person is justified by works and not by faith alone,' contradicting a purely grace-based salvation. Both traditions have rich, complex theologies of mercy.