How to be Free from Sin

by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad

The Islamic concept of salvation differs from that of other religions, and from Christianity in particular, because Islam rejects the concept of Original Sin and declares man to be responsible only for his own sins. He, therefore, needs to free himself from his own sins in order to attain salvation. In this article, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah(as) answers the all-important question, why does man commits sin, and how can he free himself from it.

The Promised Messiah(as) also argues that a true religion must be judged by its ability to lead its followers to certainty about the existence of God. The holy author makes a detailed comparison between Islam and other major religions, and concludes that Islam alone can lead man to perfect awareness and, consequently, to freedom from sin.

The first English translation of this article was published under the title How to get rid of the Bondage of Sin, in the English edition of The Review of Religions, January 1902. The current translation has been prepared by Wakalat Tasnif, Rabwah.

31 pages, ebook

First published June 1, 2008

About the author

Mirza Ghulām Ahmad was an Indian religious figure and founder of the Ahmadiyya movement. He claimed to be the Mujaddid (divine reformer) of the 14th Islamic century, the Promised Messiah (“Second Coming of Christ”), the Mahdi awaited by the Muslims in the latter-days, and a “subordinate prophet”, with some qualifications. He declared that Jesus (Isa) had in fact survived the crucifixion and later died a natural death, after having migrated towards Srinagar, Kashmir in India and claimed that he had appeared in the spirit and power of Jesus. His claims, teachings, writings, prophecies and religious activities caused grave concern particularly in the Christian and Muslim religious circles.

He traveled extensively across the subcontinent of India preaching his new religious ideas and ideals and won a sizable following. He is known to have engaged in numerous debates and dialogues with the Muslim, Christian and Hindu priesthood and leadership. Ghulam Ahmad founded the Ahmadiyya movement in 1889. The mission of the movement, according to him, was the propagation of Islam in its pristine form.

Ghulam Ahmad authored around 80 books on various religious, spiritual and theological issues. Many of his books bear a polemic and vindicatory tone. He promoted the peaceful propagation of Islam and emphatically argued against the necessity of Jihad in its form of physical fighting in the present age.

Reviews

[Qasim · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book the Promised Massiah a.s gives a remedy for sin: "No one would commit sin if he was sure that lightening would strike him the moment he did so. The logic behind this argument is irrefutable. Just consider, do you ever transgress when you are certain that punishment will be forthcoming? Would you put your hand into a fire, or throw yourself from a mountain, or jump into a well, or lie down before a moving train, or put your hand in the mouth of a wild beast, or happily be bitten by a mad dog, or remain standing in the midst of terrible thunderstorm? Would you not rush out of a house that is about to collapse, or jump out of a bed in which there is a snake, or escape from a building that is on fire? If you are keen to avoid these possible dangers, then why do you not shun those sins that I have just mentioned? "

[Ataur Baten · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Messiah is a great writer too!!!

Explains that Jesus’s flood sacrifice had no effect on stopping sin among his followers!

Only a river connected to heaven can help save mankind! A river that has a connection to God! Not one that is stagnating and cut off from God!