The answer is that everything they cite from these verses and the like is, in fact, proof against them, not for them. Such has always been the way of every people of misguidance: whenever they appeal to something found in the Scriptures of Allah or in the words of His prophets, the very passage they quote contains what exposes the falsity of their claim. This is due to the majesty of the books Allah has revealed and of the speech He placed upon the tongues of His prophets, for He made those books and words a guidance, a clarification for creation, and a healing for what is in the breasts. Accordingly, the utterances of the prophets—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon them all—must necessarily contain guidance and elucidation by which Allah distinguishes between truth and falsehood, and between honesty and lies. People, however, are afflicted because of themselves, not because of any shortcoming on the part of Allah’s prophets, exalted is He.

Some fail because they do not reflect upon the words spoken by the prophets with proper contemplation until they grasp and understand them. Others err by adhering to part of the truth while ignoring another part—believing in some of what Allah has revealed yet rejecting the rest—and thus they go astray on account of what they refuse to believe, just as the Most High said concerning the Christians:

“And from those who said, ‘We are Christians,’ We took their covenant, but they forgot a portion of what they had been reminded of; so We stirred up among them enmity and hatred until the Day of Resurrection” (al-Ma’idah 14).

Still others attribute to the prophets statements they never uttered—words falsely ascribed to them—or render their statements into other languages without doing them justice in translation, interpreting them in ways that are not warranted by what the prophets’ own words indicate—may Allah’s blessings