Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (2/259)

“Indeed, those who disputed about the Book have plunged into deep schism.” ⦗al-Baqarah 176⦘

He—exalted is He—also says:

“They will never cease to differ, except those upon whom your Lord has mercy.” ⦗Hud 118⦘

Furthermore, the Gospel contains no legal rulings by which people may be judged regarding the matters over which they differ; the bulk of it is exhortations, counsels, and accounts of the Messiah. The Torah and the Quran, by contrast, both include rulings that settle people’s disputes—rulings the Gospel does not possess.

He, Most High, likewise says:

“And none differed concerning it except those who had been given it after clear proofs had come to them, out of transgression among themselves. So Allah, by His leave, guided those who believed to the truth about which they had differed.” ⦗al-Baqarah 213⦘

This verse shows that, after the People of the Scripture diverged out of sheer envy, Allah guided the believers to the truth regarding the very points over which those people had disagreed. It therefore censures those who were given the Book yet still fell into dispute.

The Christians are included in this rebuke; had “the Book” meant the Gospel, only they would have been blamed, which is not the case. The Jews and all other factions who quarrel are likewise condemned. The only ones praised are the believers whom Allah, by His permission, guided to the truth from which those others deviated.

{وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ اخْتَلَفُوا فِي الْكِتَابِ لَفِي شِقَاقٍ بَعِيدٍ} [البقرة: ١٧٦] وَقَوْلِهِ: {وَلَا يَزَالُونَ مُخْتَلِفِينَ إِلَّا مَنْ رَحِمَ رَبُّكَ} [هود: ١١٨] وَأَيْضًا: فَالْإِنْجِيلُ لَيْسَ فِيهِ حُكْمٌ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ فِيمَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ بَلْ عَامَّتُهُ مَوَاعِظُ وَوَصَايَا وَأَخْبَارُ الْمَسِيحِ بِخِلَافِ التَّوْرَاةِ وَالْقُرْآنِ، فَإِنَّ فِيهِمَا مِنَ الْحُكْمِ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ فِيمَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ مَا لَيْسَ فِي الْإِنْجِيلِ. وَأَيْضًا فَإِنَّهُ قَالَ: {وَمَا اخْتَلَفَ فِيهِ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ أُوتُوهُ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ فَهَدَى اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ بِإِذْنِهِ} [البقرة: ٢١٣] . وَذَلِكَ يَقْتَضِي أَنَّ اللَّهَ هَدَى الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بَعْدَ اخْتِلَافِ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ لِمَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ وَهَذَا ذَمٌّ لِمَنْ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ فَاخْتَلَفُوا. وَالنَّصَارَى دَاخِلُونَ فِي هَذَا الذَّمِّ وَلَوْ كَانَ الْمُرَادُ الْإِنْجِيلَ لَكَانُوا هُمُ الْمَذْمُومِينَ دُونَ غَيْرِهِمْ وَلَيْسَ كَذَلِكَ بَلِ الْيَهُودُ وَغَيْرُهُمْ مِنَ الْمُخْتَلِفِينَ مَذْمُومُونَ أَيْضًا، وَإِنَّمَا الْمَمْدُوحُ هُمُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ هَدَاهُمُ اللَّهُ لِمَا اخْتَلَفَ أُولَئِكَ فِيهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ بِإِذْنِهِ.