Part 64

Alla h, Most Hi gh, says, ( 0, Peop le of the Scripture (Jews

and Christians)! Why do you di spute abou t Ibrah eem, whil e

the Tall'rah (To rah) and the Il1jee/ (Gospcl) were not revealed

till after hi m? I lave YOli then no se nsc? Verily, YO li are those

who have disputed about th at of which you h<lve know ledgc.

Why do you thcn di spute concerning that whi ch YO ll have

no knowledge? It is All ah Who knows. and you know nolo

Ib ra hcem was neilhe r a Jew nor a Chri sti an, but he was a true

Muslim I/cllliflm (Islamic Monothc ism - to wo rshi p none but

A ll ah, A lone) and he was nol of al-J/I I1Shrikooll , Veri ly, among

the mankind who ha ve the best claim to Ibrah eelll are those

who followed him , and this Prop het ( Mu h ammad ~) a nd those

who have be lieved (M uslim s). And A llah is the Wali (Protecto r

and I'leiper) or the Believers, ) (SaO/'ail Ali '11IImll 3:65-68)

Allah, Mos t High, rebukes th e People of th e Scripture, Ihe Jews

and Chri stia ns, regard ing each group's c laim that Ibrah eem ~

was an adherent of the ir re ligion , He declares him innoce nt

of that and mad e clea r how igno rant th ey were and how littl e

intell ige nce they possessed in His Words : ( Whi le the Tawra;'

(Torah) and the II/jeel (Gospel) were not revea led lill after him?

Have you then no sense? ) (Saara;' Ali " l1Irall 3 :65) So bow

cou ld he have fo llowed yo ur re ligion whcn what was legislated

for you was onl y legi sla ted many long ages aft er him ? Thi s is

w hy I-Ie says, ( I-lave you the n no sense? ) - up to I-li s Words :

( Ibrahee m was nei ther a Jew nor a Chri sti an, but he was a true

Muslim Hal1ijal1 (Is lamic Monothe ism - to worship none but

Allah , A lon e) and he was nOI of al-mllshrikooll. ) (SoO/'ali Ali

So I-Ie made c lear that Ibrahec l11 i:MJ fo llowcd th e true Relig ion

of Islami c Monothe ism, which is to have since re intention 10

devote oncse lfto the wors hip of A ll ah, A lone, w ithout partne rs

and to in tentionall y turn away from Iha l which is fal se, in

favor of the truth, whi c h co ntrad icts Juda ism, Chri sti an ity and

paga ni sm. Allah , Most High , says, ( And who turns away from

th e religion of Ibraheem (i. e. Islami c Monot heism) except

him who befools himse lf? Tru ly, We chose him in thi s world

i and veril y. in th e Ilc rcafi cr he will be among the ri ghteous.

When his Lord suid 10 him , "Submi t (i.c. be a Muslim)! " He

sa id. " I have submitted myself (as a M uslim) to the Lord of

the 'Alall1eclI." And thi s (subm iss ion to Alla h. Islam) was

enj oi ned by Ibrahcclll upon his so ns and by Ya ' qoob, (saying).

"0. my sons! Allah has chose n for yo u th e (true) Re ligion,

then die not except in the faith of Islam (as Mu slims - Is lamic

Monotheism):' Or we re YOli witn esses when death approached

Ya'qoob? When he said unto his sons, "W hat will you worsh ip

alter meT' They sa id , ';Wc slwll worship yo ur //all (God - i.e.

A ll ah), th e !lall (God) of your falhers, Ibrah cc m, Isma 'ce l.

Ishaq , One /lah (God). and to Hi m we submit (in Is lam) ." That

was a nation who have passed away. Th ey shall rcceive the

rcward or what they ea rn cd and you of what you ca m . And

you w ill not be asked of w hat they used to do. And they say.

" Be Jews or Christians, thcn you will be gu ided:' Say (to

them, 0, Mu ha mmad), "Nay, (We follow) only the Re ligion of

Ibrahce m, I-Iani/all (ts lf.Unie Mo notheism, i.e. to worship none

but A ll ah. Alone), and he was not of al-l1Il1shrikooll (those who

worshipped ot he rs along wi th A ll ah." Say (0, Muslim s), "We

be lievc in Alla h and that whi ch has bee n sc nt down to us and

that wh ich has bee n sent down to Ibmhecm, Isma·ee l. Ishaq ,

Va'qoob. and to AI-lisbat (the twelve sons ofVa ' qoob [Jacob]),

and tha t which has becn give n to Moosa (Moses) and 'Eesa

(Jesus). Hnd that which has bee n given to the Prophets frol11

their Lord . We nwke no di stinction bc twec n an y of the m, and

to Ilim we have submi tt ed (in Islam) ." So if they be lieve in the

lik e or that which you be li eve, then they a re ri ght ly gu ided.

but if thl!Y turn i.l\vay. then th ey a re on ly in opposit ion. So

Allah wi ll suffi ce you against th em . And He is th e A ll-l iea ring.

the All-Know ing. (Ou r Sibghah [Re ligion] is) the Sibglwh

(Religion) or Allah (lslal11) and whi ch Sibglw" (Religion) can

be better th an A llah 's? And we arc His wO f!. hippers. (ut/seer

Ibl1 Karheer) Say (M uh am mad to the Jews and Christians),

" Dispute you with us about Allah while I-I e is our Lord and

your Lord? And we arc to be rewarded for our deeds and you

for you r deeds. And we are si ncere to I-li m in worsh ip and

obedi ence (i.c. we worshi p !lim Alone and none else, and we

obey His Orders)." Or say you that Ibrahccm, Isma'cel, Ishaq,

Ya'qoob and AI-Asbar (the twe lve sons of Ya'qoob) were Jews

or Christi ans? Say, "Do you know belter or docs Allah (knows

belle r. . . that th ey all were Muslim s)? A nd who is marc unjust

than he who concea ls Ihe tes timony (Le. 10 believe in Prophet

Muhammad ~ when he comes, written in th eir Books) he

has from All ah? And All ah is nO! unaware o f w hat you do ."

) (Soora" AI-Boqara" 2: 130140) So Allah, the Ahnighty, the

A ll -Powerfu l declared Hi s K/w/ee/ innocent of thei r claim, that

he was a Jew or a Christian and made clear that he was onl y

a Hanee! - a Muslim and he was not one of the polytheists, I

wh ich is why He says, ( Verily, among ma nki nd who have the

best claim to Ibrahcem are th ose who fo ll owed him ) (SoO/'all

Ali '!/JIron 3:68) That is, those who followed his Reli gion and

obeyed him du ri ng his lifeti me and those who he ld fast to hi s

Religion after them ( and th is Prophet ) (SoO/'o" Ali -illlrall

3 :68), That is, Muhammad ~ , because A ll ah leg islated for him

the Hanee! Re ligion, whi ch He legislated for AI-Kilo/eel and

He completed it fo r hi m, giving to him that which He had not

give n 10 any Prophet or Messenger be fore him , as He, Most

Hi gh, says, (S ay (0, Muhammad), "Trul y, my Lord has guided

me 10 a Straight Pal h, a ri ghl re ligion , the religion o f Ibrahcclll,

HOllijall (i.e, the truc Islami c Monotheism - to be lieve in One

God [Allah i.c. to wo rshi p none but Allah, Alone]) and he was

nol o f a/-mllsl1rikool1," Say (0, Muhammad), "Veril y. my salah

StOlY of Ihmh eem ~

(prayer), my sac rifi ce, my li ving and my dyin g arc for All ah,

the Lord orlhe A/ameen. l ie has no partner. A nd of th is I have

bee n comm anded and I <l llllhc first o rl he Mus lims." ) (SoOl"oli

A I-An '0111 6 : 16 1163)

He, Most Hi gh, says, ( Veril y, Ibrahec l11 was an VII/mall (a

leader having a ll the good ri ghteous qua liti es), or a nation,

obedi ent to All ah, H al1i/all (i.e. to worship none but Allah),

an d he was no t one or lhase who were a l-1I1I1shrikooll . (I-Ie was)

Iha llkfu l fo r Hi s (A ll ah 's) G races. He (A ll ah) c hose hi m and

guided him to a Stra ight Path (Islam ic Monotheism, neither

Judaism no r Christian ity). And We gave hi m good in thi s world,

and in the Hereafte r he sha ll be ort he ri ght eous. Then, We have

inspired you (0, Muh am mad, say ing), " Follow the Re li gion o r

Ibrahccm fianjftm (Isla mi c Monothc ism - to worship nonc but

A ll ah) and he was not o r the mllshrikoo ll ) (Soorah An-NoM

A I-B ukhari narrated on the authority or ' Abd ull ah Ibn ' Abbas

I ~ that whe n thc Prophet ~ saw the pi ctures in the I-louse (or

A ll ah), he would not e nte r it unti l he had ordercd th em to be

erased ; and he saw (pictures of) Ibrah cem ~ and Isma' ce l

~ . holdin g divining a rrows ill the ir ha nd s. He sa id, " May

A ll ah ki ll the m ! By All ah, they never cast lots w ith d ivini ng

arrows."(I ) It was not narrated by Muslim and in one or A I-

Bukhari's wo rd ings, it was writt en th at he :Jt said , " May A ll ah

kill them ! T hey knew full well that our S ha ikh (i. c. Ibrahccm

~) never cast lots w ith them." (2 )

As ror His saying: ( an UU/m oh ) , a ro le mode l, a n Imam,

ri ghtl y-gui ded, a ca ll er to goodness and one who should be