Based on Tafheemul Quran by Syed Abul A’la Maududi
Context: After establishing Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim عليه السلام) as the archetype of a pure monotheist (Hanif) and a Muslim, this section directly applies these lessons. It challenges the claims of the Jews and Christians, defines the correct belief, and presents the final argument about who truly follows the religion of Abraham.
Verse 135
Q: What did the Jews and Christians claim about the path to guidance, and what was the Islamic response?
A: They claimed that the only path to guidance was to become a Jew or a Christian.
القرآن: وَقَالُوا كُونُوا هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَىٰ تَهْتَدُوا ۗ قُلْ بَلْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا ۖ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ
Translation: And they say, “Be Jews or Christians, and you will be guided.” Say, “Rather, [we follow] the creed of Abraham, inclining toward truth (Hanif), and he was not of those who associated partners with Allah.”
The Islamic response, commanded to Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), was to reject this exclusivity and declare that Muslims follow the creed (Millah) of Abraham, who was a Hanif (one who turns away from falsehood and inclines solely toward pure monotheism) and was not one of those who associate partners with Allah (Mushrikin) .
Q: How does the description of Abraham as not being a “Mushrik” refute the beliefs of other religions?
A: This description distinguishes Abraham’s pure monotheism from:
- Trinitarian Christianity, which associates partners with God in divinity.
- Rabbinical Judaism, which, in the Islamic view, had associated partners with God through racial exclusivism and legalistic innovations that displaced pure submission.
Verse 136
Q: What is the comprehensive declaration of faith that Muslims are instructed to make, and how is it different from the faith of others?
A: Muslims are instructed to declare belief in Allah and all His prophets without distinction.
القرآن: قُولُوا آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالْأَسْبَاطِ وَمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَمَا أُوتِيَ النَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ
Translation: Say, “We believe in Allah and what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Descendants, and what was given to Moses and Jesus and what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him.”
This differs from others because:
· Jews rejected Jesus and Muhammad.
· Christians rejected Muhammad and, in effect, the law of Moses.
· Polytheists rejected all prophets.
The Muslim creed accepts all true prophets without discrimination, demonstrating its universality and consistency.
Q: What is the concluding identity statement of this verse, and what does it imply?
A: The declaration concludes with: “…and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him.” This implies that believing in all prophets logically leads to submitting to the One God who sent them all.
Verse 137
Q: According to this verse, what is the test for true guidance for the People of the Book?
A: The test is whether they believe in the same comprehensive faith as the Muslims, which includes belief in Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). If they do, they are truly guided.
القرآن: فَإِنْ آمَنُوا بِمِثْلِ مَا آمَنتُم بِهِ فَقَدِ اهْتَدَوا ۖ وَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّمَا هُمْ فِي شِقَاقٍ ۖ فَسَيَكْفِيكَهُمُ اللَّهُ ۚ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
Translation: So if they believe in the same as you believe in, then they have been guided; but if they turn away, they are only in dissension. Then Allah will be sufficient for you against them. And He is the Hearing, the Knowing.
Q: If the People of the Book turn away from this belief, how does the Quran describe their state, and what reassurance is given to the believers?
A: Their turning away places them in a state of “dissension” (Shiqaq), meaning stubborn opposition to the unified truth. The believers are reassured that Allah will be sufficient for them against their opposition, for He is All-Hearing and All-Knowing.
Verse 138
Q: What is meant by the metaphorical phrase “the dye of Allah” (Sibghat Allah)?
A: “The dye of Allah” is a metaphor for the authentic, all-pervading divine creed.
القرآن: صِبْغَةَ اللَّهِ ۖ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللَّهِ صِبْغَةً ۖ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ عَابِدُونَ
Translation: [Adopt] the dye of Allah. And who is better than Allah in dye? And we are His worshippers.
It signifies:
- The natural monotheistic disposition (Fitrah) with which Allah created humanity.
- The religion of Islam, which restores and colors the human soul with that pure disposition.
No creed “colors” or shapes a human’s soul more perfectly than the one from God.
Verse 139
Q: What simple, powerful argument does this verse provide to cut through theological disputes with the People of the Book?
A: The argument is based on the common Lord and individual accountability.
القرآن: قُلْ أَتُحَاجُّونَنَا فِي اللَّهِ وَهُوَ رَبُّنَا وَرَبُّكُمْ وَلَنَا أَعْمَالُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَالُكُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُخْلِصُونَ
Translation: Say, “Do you argue with us about Allah while He is our Lord and your Lord? For us are our deeds, and for you are your deeds. And we are to Him sincere.”
The three key points are:
- Common Lord: The debate is about the will of the same God—the Lord of all.
- Individual Accountability: Each party is responsible for its own deeds.
- The Key Differentiator: The Muslims declare, “And we are to Him sincere (mukhlisun).” This sincerity (Ikhlas)—worshipping God alone without any partners—is the essence of the Islamic claim.
Verse 140
Q: What is the “absurd claim” challenged in this verse, and why is it illogical?
A: The verse challenges the Jewish and Christian claim that patriarchs like Abraham and his descendants were followers of their religions.
القرآن: أَمْ تَقُولُونَ إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالْأَسْبَاطَ كَانُوا هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَىٰ ۗ قُلْ أَأَنتُمْ أَعْلَمُ أَمِ اللَّهُ ۗ وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن كَتَمَ شَهَادَةً عِندَهُ مِنَ اللَّهِ ۗ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ
Translation: Or do you say that Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Descendants were Jews or Christians? Say, “Are you more knowing or is Allah?” And who is more unjust than one who conceals a testimony he has from Allah? And Allah is not unaware of what you do.
This claim is illogical and anachronistic because Judaism (as the religion of the Mosaic law) and Christianity (as the religion of Jesus) came centuries after these prophets lived.
Q: What is the decisive argument against those who make false claims about the prophets?
A: The decisive argument is the rhetorical question: “Are you more knowing or is Allah?” This asserts that Allah’s testimony in the Quran—that the patriarchs were Hanif Muslims—overrules any human claim. Those who conceal this truth from their own scriptures are committing a great injustice (Zulm), and Allah is fully aware of their concealment.
Verse 141
Q: This verse repeats Verse 134. What is the purpose of this repetition at the end of the Abrahamic narrative?
A: The repetition serves as the final, bookending statement on the entire narrative (vv. 124-141).
القرآن: تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ ۖ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُم مَّا كَسَبْتُمْ ۖ وَلَا تُسْأَلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
Translation: That was a nation which has passed on. They will have what they earned, and you will have what you have earned. And you will not be asked about what they used to do.
It definitively closes the discussion about ancestral claims by stating three principles:
- Closure: That was a community that has passed away.
- Individual Responsibility: They will be judged by what they earned, and you will be judged by what you earn. Salvation is not inherited.
- Abolition of Proxy Argument: You will not be asked about what they did, dismantling any argument for salvation based on the deeds of forefathers. Each soul stands alone before God.
Messages from Quran 