Section: Affirming the superiority of the Messenger of Allah, his law, and his community

Section

In our reply to their first treatise we have already shown that it is impossible for them to cite any statement of Muhammad—peace and blessings be upon him—or of any other prophet—upon them be peace—to support a religion that contradicts the faith of the Muslims. We shall now elaborate on this and say:

There is no doubt that falsehood can never be upheld by a sound proof, whether rational or revealed, whether the matter concerns doctrine or practice. A sound proof necessarily entails the truth of whatever it proves; therefore, if a true proof were marshalled for a false claim, that claim would have to be both true and false at once—an impossible combination, like asserting that something is simultaneously existent and non-existent.

The People of the Book possess truth in matters of belief and practice, yet alongside it they also possess falsehood—namely, whatever they have altered in their transmitted reports, whether the alteration lies in the wording or the meaning, together with the innovations they have introduced and the rulings that have been abrogated. Those abrogated matters in which the various revealed laws diverged are few when compared with the principles upon which the scriptures and the messengers unanimously agreed. What they agreed upon is precisely what all creatures need in every time and place: faith in Allah and the Last Day and righteous action, as the Exalted has said:

“Indeed, those who believe, those who are Jews, the Sabians, and the Christians—whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and acts righteously—shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve.” (Qur’an 5:69)