Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (2/213)

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

the Book were depicted with the disbelief that had characterized most of them before Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—when He said:

“They are not all alike. Among the People of the Book is a steadfast community who recite Allah’s revelations during the watches 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; those are among the righteous.” [Āl ʿImrān 114]

This applies to anyone among them who possessed these qualities before their law was abrogated, for at that time they were upon the true religion—one that had neither been altered nor superseded—just as He says in al-Aʿrāf:

“And among the people of Moses is a community that guides by the truth and thereby establishes justice.” [al-Aʿrāf 159]

and His words:

“We dispersed them across the earth as communities; among them are the righteous and among them are otherwise. We tested them with good and bad that they might return.” [al-Aʿrāf 168] (168)

“Then successors came after them who inherited the Scripture, taking the fleeting gains of this lower world and saying, ‘We shall be forgiven.’ Yet if similar gains were to come to them again, they would seize them. Was not the covenant of the Scripture taken from them that they would not speak of Allah except the truth? They studied what was in it; and the Hereafter is better for those who are mindful—will you not then understand?” [al-Aʿrāf 169] (169)

“But those who hold fast to the Scripture and establish the prayer—We shall not allow the reward of the reformers to be lost.” [al-Aʿrāf 170]

He, Exalted is He, has also said:

“And among those We have created is a community that guides by the truth and thereby dispenses justice.” [al-Aʿrāf 181]

This is Allah’s testimony concerning those who possessed these traits before the mission of Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Whoever from among them lived to see Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and then believed in him will receive his reward twice over.

الْكِتَابِ بِمَا كَانُوا مُتَّصِفًا بِهِ أَكْثَرُهُمْ قَبْلَ مُحَمَّدٍ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - مِنَ الْكُفْرِ قَالَ {لَيْسُوا سَوَاءً 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] . وَهَذَا يَتَنَاوَلُ مَنْ كَانَ مُتَّصِفًا مِنْهُمْ بِهَذَا قَبْلَ النَّسْخِ، فَإِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا عَلَى الدِّينِ الْحَقِّ الَّذِي لَمْ يُبَدَّلْ وَلَمْ يُنْسَخْ كَمَا قَالَ فِي الْأَعْرَافِ {وَمِنْ قَوْمِ مُوسَى أُمَّةٌ يَهْدُونَ بِالْحَقِّ وَبِهِ يَعْدِلُونَ} [الأعراف: ١٥٩] وَقَوْلُهُ: {وَقَطَّعْنَاهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ أُمَمًا مِنْهُمُ الصَّالِحُونَ وَمِنْهُمْ دُونَ ذَلِكَ وَبَلَوْنَاهُمْ بِالْحَسَنَاتِ وَالسَّيِّئَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ} [الأعراف: ١٦٨] (١٦٨) {فَخَلَفَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ وَرِثُوا الْكِتَابَ يَأْخُذُونَ عَرَضَ هَذَا الْأَدْنَى وَيَقُولُونَ سَيُغْفَرُ لَنَا وَإِنْ يَأْتِهِمْ عَرَضٌ مِثْلُهُ يَأْخُذُوهُ أَلَمْ يُؤْخَذْ عَلَيْهِمْ مِيثَاقُ الْكِتَابِ أَنْ لَا يَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْحَقَّ وَدَرَسُوا مَا فِيهِ وَالدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ} [الأعراف: ١٦٩] (١٦٩) {وَالَّذِينَ يُمَسِّكُونَ بِالْكِتَابِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ إِنَّا لَا نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُصْلِحِينَ} [الأعراف: ١٧٠] . وَقَدْ قَالَ - تَعَالَى -: {وَمِمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا أُمَّةٌ يَهْدُونَ بِالْحَقِّ وَبِهِ يَعْدِلُونَ} [الأعراف: ١٨١] فَهَذَا خَبَرٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ عَمَّنْ كَانَ مُتَّصِفًا بِهَذَا الْوَصْفِ قَبْلَ مَبْعَثِ مُحَمَّدٍ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - وَمَنْ أَدْرَكَ مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ مُحَمَّدًا - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - فَآمَنَ بِهِ كَانَ لَهُ أَجْرُهُ مَرَّتَيْنِ.