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'
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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.