Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (2/427)

in it once Allah had addressed His servants with that command. Hence it is evident that the injunction was meant for those then living: they were to judge according to what Allah had revealed in the Gospel. And Allah placed in the Gospel the command to follow Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—just as He had placed the same command in the Torah. Therefore, let them judge by whatever Allah has sent down in the Gospel that Muhammad—peace and blessings be upon him—has not abrogated, just as the people of the Torah were ordered to judge by what Allah had revealed therein that the Messiah had not abrogated. As for what he did abrogate, they were instructed within the Torah itself to follow the Messiah; and within the Gospel they were likewise instructed to follow Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

Accordingly, any member of the People of the Book who, after the mission of Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—rules by what Allah revealed in the Torah and the Gospel will not be ruling in opposition to the judgment of Muhammad, for both the Torah and the Gospel had already commanded them to follow him, as the Exalted says:

“Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find written down with them in the Torah and the Gospel” (al-Aʿraf 157),

and He, the Exalted, also says:

“We have sent down to you the Book in truth, confirming what came before it of the Scripture and as a guardian over it. So judge between them by what Allah has revealed, and do not follow their whims, turning away from the truth that has come to you” (al-Maʾida 48).

بِهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ خِطَابِ اللَّهِ لِعِبَادِهِ بِالْأَمْرِ فَعُلِمَ أَنَّهُ أَمْرٌ لِمَنْ كَانَ مَوْجُودًا حِينَئِذٍ أَنْ يَحْكُمُوا بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فِي الْإِنْجِيلِ، وَاللَّهُ أَنْزَلَ فِي الْإِنْجِيلِ الْأَمْرَ بِاتِّبَاعِ مُحَمَّدٍ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - ; كَمَا أَمَرَ بِهِ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ فَلْيَحْكُمُوا بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فِي الْإِنْجِيلِ مِمَّا لَمْ يَنْسَخْهُ مُحَمَّدٌ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - ; كَمَا أَمَرَ أَهْلَ التَّوْرَاةِ أَنْ يَحْكُمُوا بِمَا أَنْزَلَهُ مِمَّا لَمْ يَنْسَخْهُ الْمَسِيحُ وَمَا نَسَخَهُ فَقَدْ أُمِرُوا فِيهَا بِاتِّبَاعِ الْمَسِيحِ وَقَدْ أُمِرُوا فِي الْإِنْجِيلِ بِاتِّبَاعِ مُحَمَّدٍ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - فَمَنْ حَكَمَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ بَعْدَ مَبْعَثِ مُحَمَّدٍ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَالْإِنْجِيلِ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا يُخَالِفُ حُكْمَ مُحَمَّدٍ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - إِذْ كَانُوا مَأْمُورِينَ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَالْإِنْجِيلِ بِاتِّبَاعِ مُحَمَّدٍ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - ; كَمَا قَالَ - تَعَالَى -: {الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ الرَّسُولَ النَّبِيَّ الْأُمِّيَّ الَّذِي يَجِدُونَهُ مَكْتُوبًا عِنْدَهُمْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَالْإِنْجِيلِ} [الأعراف: ١٥٧] وَقَالَ - تَعَالَى -: {وَأَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَمُهَيْمِنًا عَلَيْهِ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ عَمَّا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ} [المائدة: ٤٨] .