One fundamental principle of Islam that Muslims proudly talk about is the lack of the concept of “original sin”, where one bears the burden of someone else’s sins.

As the Qur’an says,

“That no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. That no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another”

[Qur’an 53:38-39]

Muslim scholars like Ibn Kathir and At-Tabari explain that the burden here is the burden of sins.

Allah also says,

“O you who have believed, upon you is [responsibility for] yourselves. Those who have gone astray will not harm you when you have been guided. To Allah is your return all together; then He will inform you of what you used to do.”

[Qur’an 5:105]

Contrast this with the concept of “original sin” in Christianity, which explains that because Prophet Adam (peace be upon him) ate from the tree, all of his children carry his sin. This concept was started by Paul and became a core belief of many strands of Christianity, including Catholicism and Protestantism. Notables such as Saint Augustine and Martin Luther believed in this. Thus, according to them, newborns – who did not even do a single conscious deed – have the burden of carrying the sin of someone thousands (or hundreds of thousands) of years ago. Contrast that with Islam, where a newborn is considered pure and sinless.