The meaning of “ Halal” ( Lawful, Clean) and “Haram” (Unlawful, Unclean) can be used to explain the biblical meaning of sin and the total sinfulness of man.
These concepts are not very easily understood by Muslims because of the great difference in their understanding of what sin is.
To the Muslim , sin is merely seen as a deviation from the right way. All one ha to is to return from this deviation to the right track again.
However the Bible teaches that we are all sinners and that we all need redemption from our sins. (Rom 3: 23-24) This concept can be explained to the Muslim using this illustration.
Ask your Muslim friend what he would do if, going to the supermarket, he found four different types of sausages to choose from.
The first type has 50% beef and 50% pork.
The next two have 75% and 90% beef and the rest of pork. The last one is 100% beef and only has a pork outer skin.
Would he not choose to buy the last one with the least amount of pork?
A faithful Muslim would immediately answer that ALL four types were “Haram” It makes no difference what percentage of pork it contains or whether it is only stuffed into pork skin. All the sausages contain pork and are therefore “Haram” .
With Sin it is the same! God says that all sin is “Haram” – this makes us impure before God.
Does it make any difference whether I am 80% sinful – or 50%, 20 % or 10% ? In the eyes all sins are “ Haram” and the quantity of sin in our lives or how “ angelic “ we are in the eyes of men makes no difference to him. Before God we are all sinners and impure. Would God allow anything impure into heaven or Paradise? Revelation 21:27)
HOW CAN OUR LIVES BE CLEANSED?
Most Muslims believe that Good deeds can cleanse or cancel out evil deeds. This teaching is contrary to the Bible (Romans 3:23, Ephesians 2:8). The following illustration shows this principle.
Suppose you prepared a pot of Breyani and then find out that some malicious person spoiled it by adding some putrid liquid. Would you able to remove the contaminate by adding more rice and Halal chicken?
In the same way, we cannot become clean by adding good deeds to our lives, since they are already contaminated by sinful deeds. Just as we react negatively to contamination, so does God. He reacts strongly against the filth and rottenness of man’s sin. How then can we be purified and be allowed into paradise? The only way to be accepted by God is for our sins to be forgiven through the sacrifice of his Son Jesus Christ. Only in this way will we able cleansed and allowed into paradise.
