Did Jesus Redeem Mankind? — Page 35
? 28 28 made man with the aim that he should combat him (the Satan) and should try to activate goodness in himself. He (God), however, told Satan that he would be able to influence man only through an external agency, for, in his constitution, He had made him pure. SIN AND HEREDITY Christianity claims that sin is inherent in man and has been transmitted to human progeny through heredity. If it is true, the impulse to follow Satan should originate in the human heart. However, Islam declares that the human heart is pure; in fact, it declares that even the heart of the man who goes over to Satan is pure: وَاسْتَفْرِ مَنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ مِنْهُمْ بِصَوْتِكَ وَاجْلِبْ عَلَيْهِمْ بِخَيْلِكَ وَرَجِلِكَ وَشَارِكُهُمْ فِي الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْاَوْلَادِ وَعِدُهُمْ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ الشَّيْطَنُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا. (17:65 ,Bani Israil ) إِنَّ عِبَادِي لَيْسَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطن - 15:43 Al-Hijr) i. e. , Beguile them with thy voice and bear on them with thy horses and thy footmen, whoso of them thou wishest; that is, entice them through people in power or seduce them through the underlings and whether thou hold out to them the temptation of wealth or progeny, there will be no effect whatever on My servants. In verse, the influences that vitiate the human character have been enumerated. Not one of these originates in the heart. On the contrary, all have external sources and tend