The Qur’an responds to the claim of Jews and Christians

METHODOLOGY FOR STUDY OF THE QUR'AN 

by Sheikh Imran Nazar Hosein

www.imranhosein.org

The Qur’ān responds to the claim of Jews and Christians 
to possess a monopoly on Truth and Faith

  

There is a divine response in the Qur’ān to those Christians and Jews who believe that they are the chosen people of the Lord-God with a monopoly on truth, faith, divine blessings and entry into heaven: 

And they say: “None shall enter Paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian.” Those are their (vain) desires. Say: “Produce your proof if ye are truthful .”  

(Qur’ān, al-Baqarah, 2:111) 

Not only does the Qur’ān declare such a belief to be false, but it set the record straight in the very next verse with a clear rebuttal concerning who will enter heaven. Heaven is not reserved exclusively for Jews, Christians, Muslims, or anyone else; rather: 

“Nay, whoever submits His whole self to Allah and is a doer of good, He will get his reward with his Lord; on such shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.”  

(Qur’ān, al-Baqarah, 2:112) 

Allah Most High declared to those who have fear of the Lord-God in their hearts (and who hence accept the Qur’ān as His Word), and who have faith in Nabī Muhammad (s) as His last Messenger (or Prophet), that He would bless them in such wise as would clearly invalidate that false claim. He has promised to such believers that He will not only multiply by twice His Rahmah (i.e., kindness and mercy) on them, but also do two more things for them: 

1. He will bless them with a divine light with which they will walk (i.e., they will be able to read the world, and hence the historical process, the way an astronomer or a navigator of a ship reads the stars); 

2. He will forgive them their sins:   

“O you who have faith! Fear Allah, and believe in His Messenger, and He will bestow on you a double portion of His Mercy:  He will provide for you a Light by which you can walk (straight in your path), and He will forgive you (your past): for Allah is Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful. 

“(He will act this way so that) the Ahl al-Kitāb (i.e., Christians and Jews) should know that they have no monopoly over any of Allah’s Grace, seeing that all Grace is in Allah’s hand [alone]: He grants it unto whomever He wills – for Allah is limitless in His great Grace.”  

(Qur’ān, al-Hadīd, 57:28-29)   

Nowhere is that ‘light’ from Allah more manifest in the  life of such a believer than in his study, understanding and explanation of this Qur’ān. 

Source: Sheikh Imran Nazar Hosein

to be continued .....