Muslims and Ahlul Kitab

Muslims and Ahlul Kitab (Jews and Christians)

By. Dr. Amir Parviz Parsa

Respecting Jews and Christians?

Unfortunately some extremist Muslims look down upon Jews and Christians as infidels (Kafir). They certainly are wrong. Respect for Ahlul Kitab (Jews and Christians) is based on many verses of Quran (such verses) are ignored by these narrow-minded, short-sighted, and prejudiced extremist Muslims.

Verse 62 of Surah 2, of the Quran says:

“Those who believe (in the Quran), and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians, any who believe in God, and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord: On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.”

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَالَّذِينَ هَادُواْ وَالنَّصَارَى وَالصَّابِئِينَ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحاً فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

Verse 69 of Surah 5, repeats the same notions almost in the same words.

If only the People of the Book had believed and been righteous, We should indeed have blotted out their iniquities and admitted them to gardens of bliss.

وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ آمَنُواْ وَاتَّقَوْاْ لَكَفَّرْنَا عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ وَلأدْخَلْنَاهُمْ جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ

Verse 285 of Surah 2 says:

“The apostle believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, as do the men of faith. Each one of them believes in God, His angels, and they say we make no distinction between one and another of His apostles, and they say: We hear and we obey: (we seek) thy forgiveness our Lord, and to Thee is the end of all journeys.”

آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللّهِ وَمَلآئِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ لاَ نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّسُلِهِ وَقَالُواْ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ

Verse 113 of Surah 2 tells us that:

The Jews say: "The Christians have naught (to stand) upon; and the Christians say: "The Jews have naught (To stand) upon." Yet they (Profess to) study the (same) Book. Like unto their word is what those say who know not; but God will judge between them in their quarrel on the Day of Judgment”.

وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ لَيْسَتِ النَّصَارَى عَلَىَ شَيْءٍ وَقَالَتِ النَّصَارَى لَيْسَتِ الْيَهُودُ عَلَى شَيْءٍ وَهُمْ يَتْلُونَ الْكِتَابَ كَذَلِكَ قَالَ الَّذِينَ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ مِثْلَ قَوْلِهِمْ فَاللّهُ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فِيمَا كَانُواْ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ

Verse 3 of Surah 3 says:

It is He Who sent down to thee (step by step), in truth, the Book, confirming what went before it; and He sent down the Law (of Moses) and the Gospel (of Jesus) before this, as a guide to mankind, and He sent down the criterion (of judgment between right and wrong).

نَزَّلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقاً لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَأَنزَلَ التَّوْرَاةَ وَالإِنجِيلَ

Verse 25 of Surah 57 says:

“We sent aforetime Our apostles with Clear Signs and sent down with them The Book and the Balance (of right and wrong), that men may stand forth in justice…”

لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَنزَلْنَا مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْمِيزَانَ لِيَقُومَ النَّاسُ بِالْقِسْطِ ...

Verse 25 of Surah 32 says:

Verily the Lord will judge between them on the Day of Judgment, in the matters they differ (among themselves).

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فِيمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ

The same notion is repeated in Verse 17 of Surah 45, Verse 3 of 60, Verse 93 of Surah 10, Verse 92 of Surah16, Verse 99 of Surah 22, in all of which God says He is the one who judges on the Day of Judgment between different groups such as Jews , Christians, etc.

The most important verses concerning the Jews and Christians are Verses 113 and 114 of Surah 3 in which God is talking about the Jews and Christians. Distinguishing between them God says:

“Not all of them are alike: Of the people of the Book are a portion that stand (for the right); they rehearse the Signs of God all night long, and they prostrate themselves in adoration. They believe in God and the Last day, they enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong; and they hasten (in emulation) in all good works: they are in the rank of the righteous.”

لَيْسُواْ سَوَاء مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ أُمَّةٌ قَآئِمَةٌ يَتْلُونَ آيَاتِ اللّهِ آنَاء اللَّيْلِ وَهُمْ يَسْجُدُونَ
يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَيُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَأُوْلَـئِكَ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ

As to some Muslims who seem not to truly understand the portion which was in Italic of the Verse is: Who are they to say something against what God Almighty Himself has said?

Verse 82 of Surah 5 even considers the fact that among the Christians and Jews there are people who are devoted to learning and men who have denounced the world and they are not arrogant and in the next Verse some of them are quoted to say:

Strongest among men in enmity to the believers wilt thou find the Jews and Pagans; and nearest among them in love to the believers wilt thou find those who say, "We are Christians": because amongst these are men devoted to learning and men who have renounced the world, and they are not arrogant.

لَتَجِدَنَّ أَشَدَّ النَّاسِ عَدَاوَةً لِّلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ الْيَهُودَ وَالَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُواْ وَلَتَجِدَنَّ أَقْرَبَهُمْ مَّوَدَّةً لِّلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ الَّذِينَ قَالُوَاْ إِنَّا نَصَارَى ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّ مِنْهُمْ قِسِّيسِينَ وَرُهْبَانًا وَأَنَّهُمْ لاَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ

Other verses of the Holy Quran can be easily cited in which we are told there should be respect for all Prophets of God. One such verse is Verse 84 of Surah 3, which reads:

"Say: We believe in God and what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Isma’il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes and in the Books given to Moses, Jesus, and the Prophets from their Lord: We make no distinction between one and another among them, and to God do we bow our will in submission."

قُلْ آمَنَّا بِاللّهِ وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالأَسْبَاطِ وَمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَى وَعِيسَى وَالنَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ لاَ نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ

The same notion is repeated in Verse 13 of Surah 42:

The same religion has He established for you as that which He enjoined on Noah - the which We have sent by inspiration to thee - and that which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: Namely, that ye should remain steadfast in religion, and make no divisions therein: to those who worship other things than Allah, hard is the (way) to which thou callest them. Allah chooses to Himself those whom He pleases, and guides to Himself those who turn (to Him).

شَرَعَ لَكُم مِّنَ الدِّينِ مَا وَصَّى بِهِ نُوحًا وَالَّذِي أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ وَمَا وَصَّيْنَا بِهِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمُوسَى وَعِيسَى أَنْ أَقِيمُوا الدِّينَ وَلَا تَتَفَرَّقُوا فِيهِ كَبُرَ عَلَى الْمُشْرِكِينَ مَا تَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَيْهِ اللَّهُ يَجْتَبِي إِلَيْهِ مَن يَشَاء وَيَهْدِي إِلَيْهِ مَن يُنِيبُ َ

Enough evidence is given above to convince Muslims that we should respect the followers of all Prophets of God whether it is Moses, Jesus, Jacob, Abraham, or any other one.

Islam is the most complete and whole of religions, that by itself gives no foundation whatsoever to not respect followers of other religions. The choice of the religion is up to the individual: and that Choice is between him and God. It is God who would judge individuals, it is He who would also judge on the differences between us on the Day of Judgment, and it is He who makes the final decision as to who is truly most devoted, regardless of the labels we, at times, place upon our foreheads by calling ourselves Muslims, Jews, Christians, etc.

THUS IT IS AN ETHICAL AND MORAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL OF US AND A MATTER OF COURTESY TO TREAT EACH OTHER WITH RESPECT AND DIGNITY, REGARDLESS OF ONE’S RELIGION. EVERY ONE SHOULD BE RESPECTED AND TOLERATED. IT IS GOD WHO JUDGES ON WHO IS BETTER, DESERVING PARADISE.