CHAPTER 3: SECTION FOUR: REFUTING THE CHRISTIANS’ CLAIM
The Answer:
It is an acknowledged fact in Islam that the Jews are wrong doers, disbelievers, transgressors, and deserve the torment and punishment of Allah. It is also a known fact and related by the Prophet (peace be upon him) that the Christians are wrong doers, transgressors, disbelievers, and deserve the torment and the punishment of Allah. The Jews have some traits of disbelief that the Christians do not have and the Christians also have some traits of disbelief that the Jews do not have. The Jews changed the laws of the Torah before Christ, the son of Maryam (Mary), was sent to them. When he was sent to them, they disbelieved and belied him. When Muhammad (peace be upon him) was sent, they also belied him, so they have drawn upon themselves wrath upon wrath. The Anger of Allah fell upon them firstly because they belied Christ (peace be upon him) and secondly because they belied Muhammad (peace be upon him).
The phrase, “Such of them as do wrong” in the verse,
which means, “And argue not with the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), unless it be in (a way) that is better (with good words and in good manner, inviting them to Islamic Monotheism with His Verses)! except with such of them as do wrong.” (Al-‘Ankabut 29: 46)
This phrase refers to the two groups (i.e. the Jews and the Christians).
That is why it was obligatory upon Muslims to argue with the Jews and the Christians in a way that is better except with such of them as to do wrong. Such people are sometimes punished by the tongue and at other times by the hand. Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) also ordered Muslims to fight against the wrong doers from among such people. The Prophet (peace be upon him) fought the Jews who were living in Medina, around it and near it and he also fought Banu Qainuqa’, Banu AnNadTr, Banu Quraizhah, the people of Khaibar, the people of Wady Al-Qura and others. He fought with them after they had been treacherous and had broken the peaceful alliances that had initially been formed.
Believing in That Which the Prophets were Sent:
We do not dispute with them about what they narrate from the prophets, which indicates the disbelief of the Jews, and we do not take it as proof. It is cited in their narrations that the Jews became disbelievers when they changed the religion of Musa (Moses, peace be upon him), the same as the Christians became disbelievers when they changed the religion of ‘Isa (Jesus, peace be upon him).
This is correct and it agrees with what Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Last of the Messengers came with, for we know without any doubt that they are disbelievers. We either believe what they tell us about the prophets or we belie them. If we do not know whether they tell us the truth or not, we should neither believe them nor belie them but we should say (as Allah says,)
which means, “We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you; our ilah (God) and your ilah (God) is One (i.e. Allah), and to Him we have submitted (as Muslims).” (AI-‘Ankabut, 29: 46)
Believing in all that was revealed to the prophets from Allah is obligatory but believing in a certain prophet of whom we have not heard except from them is dependent on two things:
1. The words should have been narrated by that prophet.
2. The meaning should be what that prophet intended.
So there should be a chain of narrators and the correct wording. A third matter is necessary for those who do not know Hebrew. Musa (Moses, peace be upon him), Dawud (David, peace be upon him) and Christ (peace be upon him) spoke Hebrew, so whoever does not know it and knows Arabic or Roman (languages), must be certain of the authenticity of the translation.
By: Sheikhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyah
Comments
John Doe
23/3/2019Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
John Doe
23/3/2019Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
John Doe
23/3/2019Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.