Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (5/341)

“Those to whom We gave the Scripture before it believe in it.” ⦗Al-Qasas 52⦘

He also said:

“When it is recited to them they say, ‘We believe in it; it is indeed the truth from our Lord. We had already submitted before it came.’” ⦗Al-Qasas 53⦘

They recognise that the meanings it contains accord with the words of the earlier messengers, both in what they reported and in what they commanded. For it speaks of Allah’s oneness, His attributes, His Throne and His angels, and of His creation of the heavens and the earthand other thingsexactly as the messengers before him spoke. It enjoins tawḥīd (monotheism) and worship of Allah alone with no partner, together with justice, truthfulness, prayer and zakāh (almsgiving); and it forbids shirk (idolatry), wrongdoing and indecencies, just as the former messengers enjoined and forbade.

The Meccan sūrahs were revealed with the comprehensive universal foundations on which all the messengers were agreed—foundations that are indispensable—namely, the general Islam which Allah will accept from none of the first or the last except as their faith.

As for the Medinan sūrahs, they contain these same foundations along with what is specific to Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, in terms of particular legislation and method.

For the religion of the prophets is one, as is established in the authentic collections from the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—who said:

{الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ هُمْ بِهِ يُؤْمِنُونَ} [القصص: ٥٢] . وَقَالَ: {وَإِذَا يُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِهِ إِنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا مِنْ قَبْلِهِ مُسْلِمِينَ} [القصص: ٥٣] . وَيَعْلَمُونَ الْمَعَانِي الَّتِي فِيهِ أَنَّهَا مُوَافِقَةٌ لِأَقْوَالِ الرُّسُلِ قَبْلَهُ فِي الْخَبَرِ وَالْأَمْرِ. فَإِنَّهُ أَخْبَرَ عَنْ تَوْحِيدِ اللَّهِ وَصِفَاتِهِ، وَعَرْشِهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ، وَخَلْقِهِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ، وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ بِمِثْلِ مَا أَخْبَرَتْ بِهِ الرُّسُلُ قَبْلَهُ. وَأَمَرَ بِتَوْحِيدِ اللَّهِ وَعِبَادَتِهِ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَبِالْعَدْلِ وَالصِّدْقِ وَالصَّلَاةِ وَالزَّكَاةِ، وَنَهَى عَنِ الشِّرْكِ وَالظُّلْمِ وَالْفَوَاحِشِ كَمَا أَمَرَتْ وَنَهَتِ الرُّسُلُ قَبْلَهُ. وَالسُّوَرُ الْمَكِّيَّةُ نَزَلَتْ بِالْأُصُولِ الْكُلِّيَّةِ الْمُشْتَرِكَةِ، الَّتِي اتَّفَقَتْ عَلَيْهَا الرُّسُلُ، الَّتِي لَا بُدَّ مِنْهَا، وَهِيَ الْإِسْلَامُ الْعَامُّ الَّذِي لَا يَقْبَلُ اللَّهُ مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِنَ الْأَوَّلِينَ وَالْآخِرِينَ دِينًا غَيْرَهُ. وَأَمَّا السُّوَرُ الْمَدَنِيَّةُ فَفِيهَا هَذَا، وَفِيهَا مَا يَخْتَصُّ بِهِ مُحَمَّدٌ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنَ الشِّرْعَةِ وَالْمِنْهَاجِ. فَإِنَّ دِينَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَاحِدٌ كَمَا ثَبَتَ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: