Adam and His Sin

 According to the Holy Qur’an, God created man as his vicegerent (or ambassador) on earth. In chapter 2 verse 30, we read:

Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: "I will create a vicegerent on earth." They said: "Wilt Thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood?- whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy holy (name)?" He said: "I know what ye know not."

Surah 2 Verse 30

From the above verse, and others like it, we understand that as the khalifah or vicegerent of God on earth, man is gifted with certain powers, which other creatures of God do not possess. For example, he possesses (within limits of course) intellectual faculties. In verse 29 of chapter 2, we also read that God created all things on earth for man.

The duty of man as God’s khalifah is to make use of all the blessings of God on earth to his own benefit. For this, man is given freedom, that is, freedom of choice and action (also within limits). It is because of man’s special faculties and his freedom that he becomes the best of God’s creatures.

As mentioned in the verse quoted above, the angels asked God, whether He was placing on earth one who would make mischief and shed blood. This is a clear reference to the freedom given to man. If man is free, he may misuse that freedom to deny God, or to disobey Him. It was because of this freedom that Adam could disobey God and eat the forbidden fruit. When man contradicts God’s commandments or His will, he commits sins. Adam committed such a sin, which led to his expulsion from the Garden of Eden. But Adam repented and prayed to God for forgiveness, which God granted him, as mentioned in the following verse:

Then learnt Adam from his Lord words of inspiration, and his Lord Turned towards him; for He is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.

Surah 2 Verse 37

This means that unlike Christianity, which teaches that all the children of Adam are sinful for Adam’s sin, Islam teaches that all humans are innocent by birth and they become sinful only when they consciously commit a sin. Thus, the concept of “original sin” and the need for atonement by God Himself - by dying on the Cross - is a pure invention of those who came after Jesus Christ calling themselves Christians.
Adam and His Sin - OnIslam.net