Continuation of my Contentions Series.

Link to Shaykh Abd al Hakim Murad’s Contentions part 1.

43. Our God is too generous to require an ‘economy of salvation’

From The History of Christian Thought by Paul Tillich

“There is an economy of salvation, the building of the different periods which finally led to the new man. This idea of the new man, or new creature, or new being, as the aim of the history of salvation, is an important contribution of these theologians.

This economy, this periodic preparation, is already present in the Old Testament. So Ignatius says: “Judaism has believed towards Christianity.” Here again we have the relationship towards fulfillment. The Christ, the new man, has appeared. He is perfect. The disruptedness of the old man is overcome and death is dissolved. This leads to Christology.”

Interpretation:
The main idea that is being put forth here is that while Islam believes Allah sent Messengers of importance and weight to guide all of mankind, the ‘economy of salvation’ of the Christians holds that none of that was relevant to salvation until Jesus (AS) came.

Someone holding to the belief of the ‘economy of salvation’ believes the difference between people born before Christ and those after Christ is, in a way, the similar to people born poor and those born wealthy in today’s economy.

Shaykh Abdal Hakim puts, as evidence against this concept, God’s generosity, in which there are no poor and no wealthy. Guidance is provided to all levels of humanity (part of it being innate), and is not temporally bound by the appearance of a certain Prophet. For individuals who were never provided explicit guidance, forgiveness still reaches them.