By Dr. Maxwell Shimba, Shimba Theological Institute

Introduction

Islamic theology affirms that every human being is born a Muslim, naturally disposed to recognize and submit to Allah. This claim is grounded in the Qur’anic doctrine of fitrah (innate disposition), a belief that every child is born with an instinctive orientation toward monotheism. Yet this doctrine introduces serious theological and logical difficulties. If all humanity—including Adam—was already born in submission, what then is the need for religion, prophets, and revelation? The following study critically examines the coherence of Islam’s fitrah doctrine and contrasts it with the biblical doctrine of creation, fall, and redemption.

The Fitrah in the Qur’an

The Qur’an teaches that mankind is created in a state of natural submission:

“So set your face toward the religion, inclining to truth. [Adhere to] the fitrah of Allah upon which He has created [all] people. No change should there be in the creation of Allah. That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know” (Qur’an 30:30).¹

Here, Islam asserts that submission to Allah is woven into human nature itself. Consequently, Adam is presumed to have been “born Muslim,” not by choice or revelation, but by creation. This implies that divine guidance is already embedded within man’s nature from birth.

The Redundancy of Prophets in Islam

If mankind is already born in a state of submission, the question arises: why the need for prophets and scriptures at all? Prophets are traditionally viewed as guides who recall mankind to truth. But if the fitrah is uncorrupted and sufficient, such guidance becomes redundant. On the other hand, if guidance is still required, this implies that the fitrah is inadequate to preserve submission.

This paradox undermines Islamic theology:

If the fitrah is sufficient, then the Qur’an, prophets, and Muhammad are unnecessary.
If the fitrah is insufficient, then the Qur’an contradicts itself by claiming all people are already born in submission.

Infants, Judgment, and the Problem of Salvation

The Islamic position leads to further inconsistency. If all infants are born Muslim by default, then they already fulfill the divine requirement without knowledge of Muhammad or the Qur’an. Islamic tradition often holds that children who die before maturity enter Paradise based on their fitrah.² But this undermines the necessity of Islam’s religious system, since revelation is not required for their salvation.

If salvation is attainable without prophetic revelation for infants, why not for all humanity? This exposes a deep theological dilemma: either revelation is essential for salvation, in which case the fitrah doctrine collapses, or revelation is non-essential, rendering Muhammad and the Qur’an unnecessary.

The Biblical View: Creation, Fall, and Redemption

Christianity presents a more coherent account of humanity’s condition. The Bible teaches that Adam was indeed created in fellowship with God but fell into sin through disobedience (Genesis 3). This fall disrupted man’s natural communion with God, introducing death and alienation. Unlike the Islamic doctrine of fitrah, the Bible affirms that mankind is not born in unbroken submission but in a fallen state: “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5).³ The Apostle Paul echoes this: “Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).⁴

Therefore, prophets in Scripture do not merely remind humanity of an innate submission but reveal God’s redemptive plan. This plan culminates in Jesus Christ, who restores mankind to fellowship with God through His death and resurrection (Romans 5:18–19; 1 Corinthians 15:22). Christianity thus explains both the need for revelation and the necessity of salvation in a way that is logically consistent and theologically complete.

The Necessity of Christ

Where Islam struggles with the redundancy of prophets under the fitrah doctrine, Christianity maintains coherence in affirming the necessity of Christ. Humanity is not simply misled but fallen. Thus, a mere reminder is insufficient; restoration requires atonement. Jesus fulfills this role uniquely—performing miracles (John 11:43–44), revealing God perfectly (John 14:9), dying for sin (Hebrews 9:26–28), and rising again (John 11:25). Unlike Muhammad, whose role is limited to instruction, Jesus provides actual redemption.

Scholarly Implications

The doctrine of fitrah reveals a structural weakness in Islamic apologetics. By claiming that all people are born Muslim, Islam undercuts its own need for prophets and scripture. The Qur’an and Muhammad’s mission become either redundant or contradictory. Christianity, however, avoids this problem by offering a coherent anthropology: man was created good, fell into sin, and requires redemption through Christ. This framework accounts for both the necessity of revelation and the uniqueness of salvation history.

From an academic standpoint, this paradox within Islam underscores the superiority of the biblical worldview. Islam attempts to explain the human condition through innate submission, but the reality of sin, moral corruption, and the universal need for redemption point toward the Christian gospel as the only consistent answer. Thus, while Islam’s doctrine of fitrah falters under scrutiny, the Christian narrative demonstrates theological integrity, historical grounding, and salvific necessity.

References

Qur’an 30:30 (Sahih International translation).
Sahih al-Bukhari 1385; Sahih Muslim 2658 — traditions affirming that children of Muslims (and, in some narrations, all children) are admitted into Paradise.
Psalm 51:5 (NIV).
Romans 5:12 (NIV). See also Romans 3:23; 1 Corinthians 15:22.
John 11:25; Hebrews 9:26–28; John 14:9.

Friday, September 12, 2025

If All Are Born Muslim, Why the Need for Religion and Prophets?