Transliteration:( Wa lan tardaa 'ankal Yahoodu wa lan Nasaaraa hattaa tattabi'a millatahum; qul inna hudal laahi huwalhudaa; wa la'init taba'ta ahwaaa'ahum ba'dal lazee jaaa'aka minal 'ilmimaa laka minal laahi minw waliyyinw wa laa naseer )
240. The meaning of this verse is that non-believers will never be in agreement with the believers. Agreement can only be reached with them on two grounds:
1. Either they become believers.
2. Or (God forbid) we become non-believers like themselves. Besides these two issues any other reason for reaching a common bond will be for their selfish motives which has been proven on numerous occasions.
241. It should be remembered that not having a friend and helper is a sign of Allah's punishment. Allah has appointed friends and helpers for the believers. Says Allah Almighty: "Only Allah is your friend and His Messenger and the believers that they establish the prayer and pay the poor due and bow down before Allah" (S5: V55)
120. Never will the Jews nor the Christians be pleased with you (O Muhammad ) till you follow their religion. Say: “Verily, the guidance of Allah (i.e. Islamic Monotheism) that is the (only) guidance. And if you (O Muhammad ) were to follow their (Jews and Christians) desires after what you have received of Knowledge (i.e. the Qur’an), then you would have against Allah neither any Wali (protector or guardian) nor any helper. 121. Those to whom we gave the Book recite it as it should be recited (Yatlunahu Haqqa Tilawatihi) they are the ones who believe therein. And whoso disbelieve in it, those are they who are the losers.) Ibn Jarir said, “Allah said,
(Never will the Jews nor the Christians be pleased with you (O Muhammad ) till you follow their religion.) meaning, `The Jews and the Christians will never be happy with you, O Muhammad! Therefore, do not seek what pleases or appeases them, and stick to what pleases Allah by calling them to the truth that Allah sent you with.’ Allah’s statement,
(Say: “Verily, the guidance of Allah (i.e. Islamic Monotheism) that is the (only) guidanceâ€) emeans, `Say, O Muhammad , the guidance of Allah that He sent me with is the true guidance, meaning the straight, perfect and comprehensive religion.â€â€™ Qatadah said that Allah’s statement,
(Say: “Verily, the guidance of Allah (i.e. Islamic Monotheism) that is the (only) guidance) is, “A true argument that Allah taught Muhammad and his Companions and which they used against the people of misguidance.†Qatadah said, “We were told that the Messenger of Allah used to say,
(There will always be a group of my Ummah fighting upon the truth, having the upper hand, not harmed by their opponents, until the decree of Allah (the Last Hour) comes.)
This Hadith was collected in the Sahih and narrated from `Abdullah bin `Amr.
(And if you (O Muhammad ) were to follow their (Jews and Christians) desires after what you have received of Knowledge (i.e. the Qur’an), then you would have against Allah neither any Wali (protector or guardian) nor any helper.)
This Ayah carries a stern warning for the Muslim Ummah against imitating the ways and methods of the Jews and Christians, after they have acquired knowledge of the Qur’an and Sunnah, may Allah grant us refuge from this behavior. Although the speech in this Ayah was directed at the Messenger , the ruling of which applies to his entire Ummah.
Allah said,
(Those to whom We gave the Book. Yatlunahu Haqqan Tilawatih.)
`Abdur-Razzaq said from Ma`mar, from Qatadah, “They are the Jews and Christians.†This is the opinion of `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam, and it was also chosen by Ibn Jarir. Sa`id reported from Qatadah, “They are the Companions of the Messenger of Allah .†Abu Al-`Aliyah said that Ibn Mas`ud said, “By He in Whose Hand is my soul! The right Tilawah is allowing what it makes lawful, prohibiting what it makes unlawful, reciting it as it was revealed by Allah, not changing the words from their places, and not interpreting it with other than its actual interpretation.†As-Suddi reported from Abu Malik from Ibn `Abbas who said about this Ayah (2:121): “They make lawful what it allows and they prohibit what it makes unlawful, and they do not alter its wordings.†`Umar bin Al-Khattab said, “They are those who when they recite an Ayah that mentions mercy, they ask Allah for it, and when they recite an Ayah that mentions torment, they seek refuge with Allah from it.†This meaning was attributed to the Prophet , for when he used to recite an Ayah of mercy, he invoked Allah for mercy, and when he recited an Ayah of torment, he sought refuge from it with Allah.
Allah’s statement,
(they are the ones who believe therein)
explains the Ayah,
(Those to whom We gave the Book. Yatlunahu Haqqa Tilawatihi).
These Ayat mean, “Those among the People of the Book who perfectly adhered to the Books that were revealed to the previous Prophets, will believe in what I have sent you with, O Muhammad!†Allah said in another Ayah,
(And if only they had acted according to the Tawrah, the Injil, and what has (now) been sent down to them from their Lord (the Qur’an), they would surely, have gotten provision from above them and from underneath their feet.) (5:66). The Ayah,
(Say (O Muhammad ) “O People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! You have nothing (as regards guidance) till you act according to the Tawrah, the Injil, and what has (now) been sent down to you from your Lord (the Qur’an).â€) means, “If you adhere to the Torah and the Gospel in the correct manner, believe in them as you should, and believe in the news they carry about Muhammad’s prophethood, his description and the command to follow, aid and support him, then this will direct you to adhere to truth and righteousness in this life and the Hereafter.†In another Ayah, Allah said,
(Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write (i.e. Muhammad ) whom they find written with them in the Tawrah and the Injil.) (7:157) and,
(Say (O Muhammad to them): “Believe in it (the Qur’an) or do not believe (in it). Verily, those who were given knowledge before it, when it is recited to them, fall down on their faces in humble prostration. And they say: “Glory be to our Lord! Truly, the promise of our Lord must be fulfilled.â€) (17:107-108).
These Ayat indicate that what Allah promised for Muhammad will certainly occur. Allah also said,
(Those to whom We gave the Scripture (i. e. the Tawrah and the Injil) before it, they believe in it (the Qur’an). And when it is recited to them, they say: “We believe in it. Verily, it is the truth from our Lord. Indeed even before it we have been from those who submit themselves to Allah in Islam as Muslims. These will be given their reward twice over, because they are patient, and repel evil with good, and spend (in charity) out of what We have provided them.) (28:52-54) and,
(And say to those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) and to those who are illiterates (Arab pagans): “Do you (also) submit yourselves (to Allah in Islam)†If they do, they are rightly guided; but if they turn away, your duty is only to convey the Message; and Allah is the Seer of (His) servants) (3:20).
Allah said,
(And whoever disbelieves in it (the Qur’an), those are they who are the losers), just as He said in another Ayah,
(But those of the sects (Jews, Christians and all the other non-Muslim nations) that reject it (the Qur’an), the Fire will be their promised meeting place) (11:17).
As recorded in the Sahih, the Prophet said,
(By He in Whose Hand is my soul! There is no member of this Ummah (mankind and Jinns), Jew or a Christian, who hears of me, yet does not believe in me, but will enter the Fire.)
121. The cause of their disconcertment with the Prophet (peace be on him) was not that they were earnest seekers after the Truth which the Prophet had failed to make clear to them. The real cause of their unhappiness was that he had not resorted to hypocrisy and trickery, in regard to religious matters, that unlike them he did not pursue self-interest and self-indulgence under the facade of godliness and piety, that he did not twist religious principles and injunctions without scruple, as the Jews were wont to do in order to make them suit their desires and fancies, that he did not resort to the chicanery and duplicity which characterized the religious life of the Jews. As a result, it was no use trying to appease them. For unless the Muslims were prepared to assume the attitude and orientation of the Jews and to follow all their errors in belief and practice, there was no question of their being able to bring about any reconciliation with them.
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