does not submit to Him but, instead, arrogantly refuses to worship Him is among those of whom it was said: “Call upon Me and I will answer you. Indeed, those who are too proud to worship Me will enter Hell in utter humiliation.” ⦗Ghafir 60⦘

For this reason every prophet and his nation were Muslims, submitting to Allah alone and worshipping Him alone in whatever He had commanded them, even though their individual laws differed. Thus the Messiah always remained a Muslim: first when he followed the Torah, and when Allah abrogated part of it for him. Muhammad as well was unfailingly a Muslim: when he prayed toward Bayt al-Maqdis (the Temple in Jerusalem), then when he turned toward the Kaʿbah. Once Allah sent him to all people, everyone was commanded to obey him, and obedience to him became the very essence of worshipping Allah. Whoever refused to obey him was not truly worshipping Allah and therefore was not a Muslim.

Regarding legislation, the Jews claimed that whatever Allah has commanded He would never abrogate, whereas the Christians claimed that their religious elites were allowed to abrogate what Allah had commanded. Allah guided the believers to the truth about which they differed: He alone, exalted is He, may abrogate what He has prescribed—contrary to the Jews—and no creature may alter any part of the Creator’s law—contrary to the Christians.

With respect to what is lawful and unlawful, and to purity and impurity, wholesome things were forbidden to the Jews and the rules on defilement were made severe for them, to the extent that they were even barred from