Surat Al `Imran (71-80)

{يَا أَهْلَ الكِتَابِ لِمَ تَلْبِسُونَ الحَقَّ بِالبَاطِلِ وَتَكْتُمُونَ الحَقَّ وَأَنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ} [آل عمران: 71]

71- O People of the Scripture, why do you conceal the description of Prophet Muhammad [peace be upon him] that was mentioned in your Scriptures? Why do you hide the truth, mix it with falsehood, and waste it on purpose while you know that very well?

{وَقَالَتْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الكِتَابِ آَمِنُوا بِالَّذِي أُنْزِلَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا وَجْهَ النَّهَارِ وَاكْفُرُوا آَخِرَهُ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ} [آل عمران: 72]

72- From the methods of plots of the People of the Scriptures against Islam and Muslims a group of them said to mislead the weak-faith people and turn them away from Islam: Show faith in the beginning of the day, and deny it at the end of it so that some people who believed may abandon their religion as you did and would say: "Verily, the Jews have knowledge and they reverted because they knew a defect in Islam, hence, confusion and disorder take place in their rows and the faith of people will shake!

{وَلَا تُؤْمِنُوا إِلَّا لِمَنْ تَبِعَ دِينَكُمْ قُلْ إِنَّ الهُدَى هُدَى اللهِ أَنْ يُؤْتَى أَحَدٌ مِثْلَ مَا أُوتِيتُمْ أَوْ يُحَاجُّوكُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّكُمْ قُلْ إِنَّ الفَضْلَ بِيَدِ اللهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَاللهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ} [آل عمران: 73]

73- They shall say: Do not trust but only the people of your religion, and do not feel comfortable except for those who follow your religion, and do not display your secrets but to your group.

O Noble Prophet say: The Straight way and the right guidance is that which Allah sent down to His Messenger in the Qur'an and He does not guide anyone to it except those who seek the truth and devote themselves to Him.

They shall say: Do not show to them the knowledge that supports their religion so that they may not take this as a proof against you at Allah on the Day of the Recompense.

Say to them: All matters are in the hands of Allah Who is the Bestower of favor and grace, the Owner of wide generosity and great favors, so He gives them to whomever He wants and withholds them from whomever He wants.

{يَخْتَصُّ بِرَحْمَتِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَاللهُ ذُو الفَضْلِ العَظِيمِ} [آل عمران: 74]

74- He [Glory be to Him] singles out of His Servants whomever He wants. He singled out Muslims by great favor when He gave them the legislation of Abraham [peace be upon him] and made Prophet Muhammad [peace be upon him] follow that legislation. He is of great benevolence and favor, and His Mercy encompassed everything!

{وَمِنْ أَهْلِ الكِتَابِ مَنْ إِنْ تَأْمَنْهُ بِقِنْطَارٍ يُؤَدِّهِ إِلَيْكَ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ إِنْ تَأْمَنْهُ بِدِينَارٍ لَا يُؤَدِّهِ إِلَيْكَ إِلَّا مَا دُمْتَ عَلَيْهِ قَائِمًا ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا لَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا فِي الأُمِّيِّينَ سَبِيلٌ وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللهِ الكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ} [آل عمران: 75]

75- There are some people from the People of the Scriptures if you entrusted them with a amount of money, whatever much it is, they would pay it back honestly without taking some of it. However, there are some people if you entrusted them with a mount of money, whatever few it is, they would deny it and do not pay it back unless you keep asking them to pay. That is because they said: "There is no blame against them to cheat, trick, and eat up the monies of the Arab because their religion allow that." This is from the moral of the Jews and this is their status with all the people other than the Jews and not with the Arabs alone. They lied against Allah and His Book because Allah does not command lewdness. It is not permissible for anyone to eat up the money of another falsely, but the Jews are the ones who fabricated this saying because they are the masters of falsehood and lie.

{بَلَى مَنْ أَوْفَى بِعَهْدِهِ وَاتَّقَى فَإِنَّ اللهَ يُحِبُّ المُتَّقِينَ} [آل عمران: 76]

76- Yes, the people who keep their promises and are pious are the one whom Allah loves. If the People of the Scriptures keep their promises and leave betrayal, they will obtain the love of Allah. If they keep their promises, they have to believe in what has been mentioned in their books that is to believe in Muhammad [peace be upon him]. Their piety means to abandon treason, avoid attributing lies against Allah, and avoid the distortion of the Torah.

{إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِعَهْدِ اللهِ وَأَيْمَانِهِمْ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا أُولَئِكَ لَا خَلَاقَ لَهُمْ فِي الآَخِرَةِ وَلَا يُكَلِّمُهُمُ اللهُ وَلَا يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِمْ يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ وَلَا يُزَكِّيهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ} [آل عمران: 77]

77- Those who alter the things that Allah entrusted them such as to believe in Muhammad [peace be upon him], and their saying: "By Allah we shall believe in him and help him," they exchange it for few money from the vanities of the world. They break the promise and betray the trust, therefore those people have no share in the Hereafter. Allah shall not speak to them, shall not look at them with mercy on the Day or the Recompense, He shall not praise them, or purify them from their accumulative sins, but He shall turn away from them, be angry with them, and shall throw them into fire to be tortured therein.

The Ayah is general for that. It was reported in the two authentic books of Hadith [Al Bukhari and Muslim] that it was revealed concerning those who make a vow by Allah on something and do not care. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah [peace be upon him] said: "Whoever takes a false oath to deprive somebody of his property will meet Allah while He will be angry with him." So, Allah revealed this Ayah confirming this meaning which Ibn Mas`ud [may Allah be pleased with him] as reported in Sahih Al Bukhari and others.

{وَإِنَّ مِنْهُمْ لَفَرِيقًا يَلْوُونَ أَلْسِنَتَهُمْ بِالكِتَابِ لِتَحْسَبُوهُ مِنَ الكِتَابِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنَ الكِتَابِ وَيَقُولُونَ هُوَ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللهِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللهِ وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللهِ الكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ} [آل عمران: 78]

78- There is a group from the People of the Scriptures; Jews, turn away from the revealed Scriptures to the distorted ones by altering diacritics to change the meaning. They do that to falsify and interpret the texts to match their whims and to trick the ignorant that that distorted texts are from Allah, whereas they were not from Allah. They are liars and they know that and deliberately do that.

{مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَنْ يُؤْتِيَهُ اللهُ الكِتَابَ وَالحُكْمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ يَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ كُونُوا عِبَادًا لِي مِنْ دُونِ اللهِ وَلَكِنْ كُونُوا رَبَّانِيِّينَ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ الكِتَابَ وَبِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ} [آل عمران: 79]

79- This is a reply to those who said that a Prophet should be worshipped, whether the Christians said that Jesus, son of Mary commanded them to worship him or some of them came asking prophet Muhammad [peace be upon him] whether he calls them to worship him as the worship of Jesus [peace be upon him]! The Allah, the Almighty said which means:

It is not permissible for a person to whom Allah revealed the Book that speaks of the truth in which Allah commanded people with believing in Him alone and devote the worship for Him. He gave him a mind and understanding, revealed to him and made him a prophet then that mans says, while he is a servant of Allah: "O people, be my servant and not the servants of Allah or associate me with Him. This saying is not proper for a prophet or for anyone of the people. Worship is not for the servants, but it is only for the Creator of the servants.

 However, the right is that Prophet should say to the people: Be wise, forbearing, knowledgeable, and holding firm with the obedience of Allah and His Religion by following and having patience for teaching, reading, and memorizing the Book.

{وَلَا يَأْمُرَكُمْ أَنْ تَتَّخِذُوا المَلَائِكَةَ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ أَرْبَابًا أَيَأْمُرُكُمْ بِالكُفْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ أَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ} [آل عمران: 80]

80- A Prophet should say to the people: Allah does not command them to worship the angels or the prophets. Do the Prophets command you to worship other than Allah that is total disbelief? The Prophets do not command people but with faith and devotion to Allah in worship; this is what the Prophet called you to, O Muslims, such as worshipping Allah Alone without no partner?