Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (5/180)

Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-MasīhIbn Taimiya

Ibn Isḥāq said:

“About twenty men—give or take—of the Christians came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, while he was still in Mecca, after word of him had reached Abyssinia. They found him sitting in the assembly and spoke with him, asking the questions they had prepared, while some men of Quraysh were gathered in their own circles nearby. When they had finished questioning the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, he invited them to Allah, Mighty and Exalted, and recited the Qur’an to them. As soon as they heard it, their eyes overflowed with tears; they responded to his call, believed in him, and affirmed his truth, recognizing in him what had already been described to them in their own Scripture.

When they rose to leave, Abū Jahl and a party of Quraysh confronted them and said:

‘May Allah disappoint you, company of travelers! Your coreligionists sent you from your homeland to investigate this man and bring them news of him, yet you could scarcely settle into his gathering before you abandoned your faith and accepted everything he told you. We have never known a delegation more foolish than you!’—or words to that effect.

They replied,

‘Peace be upon you; we will not act ignorantly toward you. Our deeds are ours and yours are yours.’

It is said that concerning them the Most High revealed:

“Those to whom We gave the Scripture before this believe in it; and when it is recited to them, they say, ‘We believe in it. It is indeed the truth from our Lord. Even before it we were already in submission.’” (al-Qasas 28:52–53)

وَقَالَ ابْنُ إِسْحَاقَ: «وَقَدِمَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - عِشْرُونَ رَجُلًا - أَوْ قَرِيبٌ مِنْ ذَلِكَ - وَهُوَ بِمَكَّةَ مِنَ النَّصَارَى حِينَ ظَهَرَ خَبَرُهُ بِالْحَبَشَةِ، فَوَجَدُوهُ فِي الْمَجْلِسِ فَكَلَّمُوهُ وَسَأَلُوهُ وَرِجَالٌ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ فِي أَنْدِيَتِهِمْ. فَلَمَّا فَرَغُوا مِنْ مَسْأَلَتِهِمْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - عَمَّا أَرَادُوا، دَعَاهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - إِلَى اللَّهِ - عَزَّ وَجَلَّ - وَتَلَا عَلَيْهِمُ الْقُرْآنَ، فَلَمَّا سَمِعُوا فَاضَتْ أَعْيُنُهُمْ مِنَ الدَّمْعِ ثُمَّ اسْتَجَابُوا لَهُ وَآمَنُوا بِهِ وَصَدَّقُوهُ، وَعَرَفُوا مِنْهُ مَا كَانَ يُوصَفُ لَهُمْ فِي كِتَابِهِمْ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ، فَلَمَّا قَامُوا مِنْ عِنْدِهِ اعْتَرَضَهُمْ أَبُو جَهْلٍ فِي نَفَرٍ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ، فَقَالُوا: خَيَّبَكُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ رَكْبٍ، بَعَثَكُمْ مَنْ وَرَاءَكُمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ دِينكُمْ لِتَرْتَادُوا لَهُمْ فَتَأْتُوهُمْ بِخَبَرِ الرَّجُلِ، فَلَمْ تَطْمَئِنَّ مَجَالِسُكُمْ عِنْدَهُ حَتَّى فَارَقْتُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَصَدَّقْتُمُوهُ بِمَا قَالَ لَكُمْ؟ ! مَا نَعْلَمُ رَكْبًا أَحْمَقَ مِنْكُمْ - أَوْ كَمَا قَالُوا لَهُمْ - فَقَالُوا: " سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ لَا نُجَاهِلُكُمْ، لَنَا أَعْمَالُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَالُكُمْ " . وَيُقَالُ: فِيهِمْ نَزَلَ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: {الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ هُمْ بِهِ يُؤْمِنُونَ وَإِذَا يُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِهِ إِنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا مِنْ قَبْلِهِ مُسْلِمِينَ} [القصص: ٥٢] » .