Nor is it permissible to take the verse to mean that Allah prescribed it for them in order to seek His own pleasure, for Allah does nothing “in pursuit of His own pleasure.” Likewise, it cannot mean that they themselves introduced it in order to please Him, as some mistaken people imagine—an error that has been discussed in detail elsewhere.

He then mentioned that they invented monasticism and did not observe it as it ought to be observed. In this there is no praise for them; rather, it is censure. After that, the Exalted said: “So We rewarded those among them who believed” ⦗al-Hadid 57:27⦘—namely, those who believed in Muhammad ﷺ—while many of them are defiantly disobedient. And if the verse were also meant to cover those who believed in the Messiah, what is intended would be those who followed him upon the unaltered religion; otherwise, all of them claim to be believers in the Messiah.

In any case, the Almighty praised only those who followed the Messiah upon his uncorrupted faith and those who believed in Muhammad ﷺ. He did not praise the Christians who distorted the Messiah’s religion, nor those who refused to believe in Muhammad ﷺ.

If it is said that some people have maintained that the words of the Exalted, {And monasticism—they invented it} ⦗al-Hadid 57:27⦘, are coordinated with “compassion” and “mercy,” and that the meaning is that Allah placed in the hearts of those who followed him compassion, mercy, and monasticism as well—which they themselves originated—and that this placing is therefore a legislative act