Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (3/65)

—and likewise His words, “Allah has promised those of you who believe and do righteous deeds…” ⦗al-Nur 55⦘.

Although in fact every one of them is a believer who performs righteous deeds, this wording is used when the class in question could, in principle, include others besides the ones named, yet in reality no one remains within that class except the mentioned individuals. It is like saying, “Here is a man from the Banū ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib,” even though no one from that clan is left but him.

He also characterized them as committing shirk—that is, worshipping beings other than Allah—as the Exalted says: “They have taken their rabbis and monks as lords apart from Allah, and (also) the Messiah, son of Mary, while they were commanded only to worship one God. There is no deity but Him; glory be to Him, far above what they associate with Him.” ⦗al-Tawbah 31⦘.

Thus He informed us that they appointed lords besides Allah and took the Messiah as a lord, even though they had been commanded only to worship the one true God. By setting up others as lords they in fact worshipped them, thereby associating partners with Allah—exalted is He, far above what they ascribe to Him.

And the Exalted One said:

{وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ} [النور: ٥٥] . وَإِنْ كَانَ جَمِيعُهُمُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ، وَهَذَا إِذَا كَانَ الْجِنْسُ يَتَنَاوَلُ الْمَذْكُورِينَ وَغَيْرَهُمْ، وَلَكِنْ لَمْ يَبْقَ فِي الْجِنْسِ إِلَّا الْمَذْكُورُونَ، كَمَا يَقُولُ: هُنَا رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ بَقِيَ مِنْهُمْ غَيْرُهُ. وَوَصَفَهُمْ بِالشِّرْكِ، وَبِأَنَّهُمْ يَعْبُدُونَ غَيْرَ اللَّهِ، كَمَا قَالَ - تَعَالَى -: {اتَّخَذُوا أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَابًا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَالْمَسِيحَ ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا إِلَهًا وَاحِدًا لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ سُبْحَانَهُ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ} [التوبة: ٣١] . فَأَخْبَرَ أَنَّهُمُ اتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَرْبَابًا وَاتَّخَذُوا الْمَسِيحَ رَبًّا وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا إِلَهًا وَاحِدًا وَهَؤُلَاءِ بِاتِّخَاذِهِمْ غَيْرَهُ أَرْبَابًا عَبَدُوهُمْ فَأَشْرَكُوا بِاللَّهِ - سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ -. وَقَالَ - تَعَالَى -: