Al-Radd ʿalā al-Manṭiqiyyīn - Ibn Taimiya - (449)

Al-Radd ʿalā al-ManṭiqiyyīnIbn Taimiya

—peace and blessings be upon him—about some people of a religion with whom I had once lived. I described their prayer and other acts of worship, and thereupon the verse was revealed:

“Indeed, those who believe, those who are Jews, the Christians, and the Sabeans—whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and acts righteously—will have their reward with their Lord; no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve.” (2:62)

Al-Suddi, citing his teachers in his well-known commentary, recounts the same event: “This verse was sent down regarding the companions of Salman al-Farsi. While he was conversing with the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—he spoke of his companions, informing him that they used to fast, pray, believe in you, and testify that you would be raised up as a prophet. So Allah revealed the verse:

‘Indeed, those who believe, those who are Jews, the Christians, and the Sabeans—whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day…’ (2:62)

He then explained:

‘The Jews were true believers so long as anyone who clung to the Torah and the way of Moses remained upon that until Jesus came. When Jesus arrived, whoever still held to the Torah and the practice of Moses—refusing to abandon them and refusing to follow Jesus—was doomed.

“As for the Christians, whoever among them adhered to the Gospel and to the laws of Jesus was a believer whose faith was accepted—until Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came. Whoever thereafter failed to follow Muhammad and persisted instead in the practice of Jesus and the Gospel was likewise doomed.’”

Ibn Abi Hatim adds: “A similar report is related from Saʿid ibn Jubayr.”

Regarding the phrase, “and those who are Jews,” the first interpretation is that it refers to the community of Muhammad.

As for what a group of exegetes say about His words, “and those who are Jews,” there are several opinions: the first is that they were those who believed in Jesus before Muhammad was sent—this was stated by Ibn ʿAbbas; the second is that they were those who believed in Moses and practiced his law until Jesus came, whereupon they believed in him and practiced…

صلى الله عليه وسلم عن أهل دين كنت معهم فذكر من صلاتهم وعبادتهم فنزلت: {إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالنَّصَارَى وَالصَّابِئِينَ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحاً} وكذلك ذكر السدي عن أشياخه في تفسيره المعروف قال: "نزلت هذه الآية في أصحاب سلمان الفارسي بينا هو يحدث النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إذ ذكر أصحابه فأخبره فقال: كانوا يصومون ويصلون ويؤمنون بك ويشهدون انك ستبعث نبيا فأنزل الله هذه الآية: {إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالنَّصَارَى وَالصَّابِئِينَ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ} فقال: " كان إيمان اليهود أنه من تمسك بالتوراة وبسنة موسى حتى جاء عيسى فلما جاء عيسى كان من تمسك بالتوراة واخذ بسنة موسى فلم يدعها ولم يتبع عيسى كان هالكا وإيمان النصارى أن من تمسك بالإنجيل منهم وشرائع عيسى كان مؤمنا مقبولا منه حتى جاء محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم فمن لم يتبع محمدا صلى الله عليه وسلم منهم ويدع ما كان عليه من سنة عيسى والإنجيل كان هالكا " قال ابن أبي حاتم: " وروي عن سعيد بن جبير نحو هذا". و {وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا} أولا: المراد بهم أمة محمد. وأما ما يذكره طائفة من المفسرين في قوله: {وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا} أن فيهم أقوالا أحدها: أنهم هم الذين آمنوا بعيسى قبل أن يبعث محمد قاله ابن عباس والثاني: أنهم الذين آمنوا بموسى وعملوا بشريعته إلى أن جاء عيسى فآمنوا به وعملوا