The Qur'anic Doctrine of Salvation
I. GOD'S PURPOSE OF MERCY
A PURPOSE of mercy on the part of the Creator was
revealed to man immediately after the Fall. This revelation
was contained in the promise of 'Guidance' which should come
to Adam, but not for himself alone.. 'If guidance shall come
to you from me, whoso shall follow my guidance, on them shall
no fear come, neither shall they be grieved; but they who
shall not believe, and treat our signs as falsehood, these
shall be inmates of the fire, in it they shall remain for
ever.' 1
John Owen, speaking of the grace of God, says, 'That promise,
"They shall all be taught of God", enwraps in itself
the whole mystery of grace, as to its actual dispensation
unto us, so far as we may be made real possessors of it.'
2
It is not too much to claim that, in a similar way, we may
see in the promise of God given to Adam of guidance', the
foundation of a doctrine of grace as taught in the Qur'an.
God did not leave mankind to perish after the Fall; but declared
to Adam His purpose of grace to save some.
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