“…so record us among the witnesses” (Āl ʿImrān 3:53). Ibn ʿAbbās said: “together with Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and his community.”

Everyone who affirms the messengers is therefore counted among the witnesses, just as the disciples said: “Our Lord, we believe in what You have sent down and we follow the Messenger, so write us among the witnesses” (Āl ʿImrān 3:53).

The Exalted also said: “O you who believe, bow, prostrate, worship your Lord, and do good so that you may prosper” (al-Ḥajj 22:77) (77); and: “Strive for Allah with the striving due to Him. He has chosen you and placed no hardship on you in the religion—the way of your father Abraham. He named you Muslims before and in this revelation so that the Messenger may be a witness over you and you may be witnesses over humankind” (al-Ḥajj 22:78).

As for His words at the beginning of the verse, “You will surely find that the most hostile people toward the believers are the Jews and those who associate partners with Allah, and you will surely find that the nearest of them in affection to the believers are those who say, ‘We are Christians’” (al-Māʾidah 5:82)—it is exactly as He, glorified and exalted, has informed us. The enmity of the polytheists and the Jews toward the believers is more intense than that of the Christians, and the Christians are closer in affection to them. This is well known of the Jews’ character, for within them there is a degree of hatred, envy, and animosity not found among the Christians.