In the two Sahīh collections, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is reported to have said:

“Leave me alone so long as I leave you alone. Those before you perished only because of their excessive questioning and their disagreements with their prophets. When I forbid you something, avoid it; and when I command you to do something, do as much of it as you can.”

It is also reported in the two Sahīh collections that he said:

“We are the last, but will be the foremost on the Day of Resurrection, although they were given the Scripture before us and we were given it after them. This, then, is their day concerning which they differed, and Allah guided us to it. In this, the people follow us: tomorrow is for the Jews, and the day after tomorrow for the Christians.”

It is known through mass transmission that the People of the Scripture differed and became divided before Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sent. Indeed, the Jews split into sects before the Messiah came; then, when the Messiah came, they differed concerning him. The Christians subsequently developed further differences. How, then, can it be said that His words,

“Those who were given the Scripture did not become divided until after the clear proof had come to them,”

refer to those among them who did not believe in Muhammad?

Furthermore, those who disbelieved in Muhammad are disbelievers, and they are the ones mentioned in His words:

“Those who disbelieved among the People of the Scripture and the polytheists would not desist until the clear proof came to them.”