Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (2/210)

been included in Allah’s—exalted be He—statement:
“Indeed, among the People of the Book there are those who believe in Allah” (Āl ʿImrān 199).

Such people do not profess faith in the Book of Allah and in His Messenger for the sake of money they can collect, unlike many of the rabbis and monks who consume people’s wealth unjustly and turn them away from the path of Allah, thereby hindering them from believing in Muhammad—peace and blessings be upon him.

As for His—exalted be He—words:
“Among the People of the Book is a community standing firm; they recite the verses of Allah during the hours of the night while they prostrate” (Āl ʿImrān 113)
⦗113⦘
“They believe in Allah and the Last Day, enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and hasten to every good deed; such are among the righteous” (Āl ʿImrān 114),
this verse applies to the Jews even more forcefully than it applies to the Christians. A similar passage is His—exalted be He—saying:
“And of the people of Moses is a community who guide by the truth and thereby judge with justice” (al-Aʿrāf 159).

This is an unqualified commendation of anyone who holds fast to the Torah; it is neither praise for those who denied the Messiah nor praise for those who denied Muhammad—peace and blessings be upon him.

The context itself clarifies the matter, for He—exalted be He—also says:
“You are the best community ever raised for humankind: you enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and believe in Allah” (Āl ʿImrān 110).

يَتَنَاوَلُهُمْ قَوْلُهُ - تَعَالَى -: {وَإِنَّ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَمَنْ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ} [آل عمران: ١٩٩] الْآيَةَ. فَهَؤُلَاءِ لَا يَدَّعُونَ الْإِيمَانَ بِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ لِأَجْلِ مَالٍ يَأْخُذُونَهُ كَمَا يَفْعَلُ كَثِيرٌ مِنَ الْأَحْبَارِ وَالرُّهْبَانِ الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَالَ النَّاسِ بِالْبَاطِلِ وَيَصُدُّونَهُمْ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَيَمْنَعُونَهُمُ الْإِيمَانَ بِمُحَمَّدٍ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ. وَأَمَّا قَوْلُهُ - تَعَالَى -: {مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ أُمَّةٌ قَائِمَةٌ يَتْلُونَ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ وَهُمْ يَسْجُدُونَ} [آل عمران: ١١٣] (١١٣) {يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَيُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَأُولَئِكَ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ} [آل عمران: ١١٤] فَهَذِهِ الْآيَةُ تَتَنَاوَلُ الْيَهُودَ أَقْوَى مِمَّا تَتَنَاوَلُ النَّصَارَى وَنَظِيرُهَا قَوْلُهُ - تَعَالَى -: {وَمِنْ قَوْمِ مُوسَى أُمَّةٌ يَهْدُونَ بِالْحَقِّ وَبِهِ يَعْدِلُونَ} [الأعراف: ١٥٩] وَهَذَا مَدْحٌ مُطْلَقٌ لِمَنْ تَمَسَّكَ بِالتَّوْرَاةِ لَيْسَ فِي ذَلِكَ مَدْحٌ لِمَنْ كَذَّبَ الْمَسِيحَ وَلَا فِيهَا مَدْحٌ لِمَنْ كَذَّبَ مُحَمَّدًا - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ. وَهَذَا الْكَلَامُ يُفَسِّرُهُ سِيَاقُ الْكَلَامِ، فَإِنَّهُ قَالَ - تَعَالَى -: {كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ} [آل عمران: ١١٠]