Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (3/56)

Then the Exalted said: “So to that end call, and stand firm as you have been commanded,” (al-Shūrā 42:15).

Meaning: call to the religion He has laid down for us: “And stand firm as you have been commanded, and do not follow their desires,” (al-Shūrā 42:15).

This prohibition embraces the passions of the People of the Scripture just as it embraces the passions of the idolaters. He made this explicit in His words, the Exalted: “The Jews and the Christians will never be satisfied with you until you follow their way. Say, ‘The guidance of Allah is the only true guidance.’ And if you follow their desires after the knowledge that has come to you, you will have from Allah neither protector nor helper,” (al-Baqarah 2:120).

He, the Exalted, also said: “Even if you were to bring to those who were given the Scripture every sign, they would still not follow your direction of prayer; nor are you to follow their direction, nor is any of them to follow the direction of another. And if you follow their desires after the knowledge that has reached you, then you would surely be among the wrongdoers,” (al-Baqarah 2:145).

Likewise, He explicitly forbade following the whims of the idolaters in His words, the Exalted:

ثُمَّ قَالَ - تَعَالَى -: {فَلِذَلِكَ فَادْعُ وَاسْتَقِمْ كَمَا أُمِرْتَ} [الشورى: ١٥] . إِلَى الدِّينِ الَّذِي شَرَعَهُ لَنَا: {وَاسْتَقِمْ كَمَا أُمِرْتَ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ} [الشورى: ١٥] . وَهَذَا يَتَنَاوَلُ أَهْوَاءَ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ، كَمَا يَتَنَاوَلُ أَهْوَاءَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ، وَقَدْ صَرَّحَ بِذَلِكَ فِي قَوْلِهِ - تَعَالَى -: {وَلَنْ تَرْضَى عَنْكَ الْيَهُودُ وَلَا النَّصَارَى حَتَّى تَتَّبِعَ مِلَّتَهُمْ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى اللَّهِ هُوَ الْهُدَى وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ بَعْدَ الَّذِي جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِنْ وَلِيٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ} [البقرة: ١٢٠] . وَقَالَ - تَعَالَى -: {وَلَئِنْ أَتَيْتَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ بِكُلِّ آيَةٍ مَا تَبِعُوا قِبْلَتَكَ وَمَا أَنْتَ بِتَابِعٍ قِبْلَتَهُمْ وَمَا بَعْضُهُمْ بِتَابِعٍ قِبْلَةَ بَعْضٍ وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ إِنَّكَ إِذًا لَمِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ} [البقرة: ١٤٥] . كَمَا صَرَّحَ بِنَهْيِهِ عَنِ اتِّبَاعِ أَهْوَاءِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ فِي قَوْلِهِ - تَعَالَى -: