“The Jews say, ‘The Christians have no ground to stand on,’ and the Christians say, ‘The Jews have no ground to stand on.’”

At the end of the surah, He, Most High, said:

“The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord,”

—and so on to the end of the surah, just as He said at its beginning:

“And those who believe in what has been revealed to you and what was revealed before you, and who are certain of the Hereafter.”

Thus, He opened it with comprehensive faith, concluded it with comprehensive faith, and placed comprehensive faith at its centre. Our Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was granted opening and concluding words, and words of comprehensive meaning.

In Surah Āl ʿImrān, after recounting the affairs of the Messiah and John, He, Most High, said:

“Say, ‘O People of the Scripture, come to a word common to us and you: that we worship none but Allah, associate nothing with Him, and do not take one another as lords besides Allah.’ If they turn away, then say, ‘Bear witness that we are Muslims.’”

This is the verse that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, wrote to Heraclius, ruler of the Byzantines, when he called them to Islam. Allah also said:

“O People of the Scripture, why do you dispute about Abraham when the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed until after him? Will you not reason?

“Here you are, disputing about matters of which you have knowledge. Why, then, do you dispute about matters of which you have no knowledge? Allah knows, and you do not know.

“Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but one who inclined to the truth, submitting to Allah; he was not one of those who associated others with Allah.

“Indeed, those with the strongest claim to Abraham are those who followed him, this Prophet, and those who believe. Allah is the Protector of the believers.”

—up to His words: “And when Allah took the covenant of