Transliteration:( Wa qaaloo koonoo Hoodan aw Nasaaraa tahtadoo; qul bal Millata Ibraaheema Haneefanw wa maa kaana minal mushrikeen )
269. Hazrat Ebrahim was a true believer. A religion of pristine purity is that which is free from any form of mixture of another religion. Such was the religion of Hazrat Ebrahim all pure and unadulterated Just as one would appreciate pure milk or genuine gold, so is the honour given to faith in its pure form. May Allah bless us with such a type of Faith. Ameen.
270. In this verse is a refutation of both, the Nasara and the Yahud because although they would claim to be on the Path of Hazrat Ebrahim, yet by practice they were idol-worshippers. Allah says an Ebrahimi is he who follows the path of Hazrat Ebrahim عليه السلام and without doubt Ebrahim عليه السلامwas not an idolater. Since you are idol worshippers how can you claim to be his followers.
Two points emerge from this:
1. Allah has blessed Hazrat Ebrahim with such widespread popularity that a follower of every religion was proud to be associated with him.
2. It is not enough to be children of noble parentage, one's deeds should be like theirs too. Furthermore, differences in opinions should be dispelled by turning towards those pious personages whose guidelines are acceptable to both parties e.g. turning to the Companions and Ahadith of the Holy Prophetصلى الله عليه و آله وسلم .when faced with juristic differences. Another point taken from this verse is that in order to show the greatness of the religion it is important to show the greatness of the founder of the religion. Almighty Allah threw light on the greatness of Ebrahim's religion through describing the greatness of Hazrat Ebrahim.
The tafsir of Surah Baqarah verse 134 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Baqarah ayat 133 which provides the complete commentary from verse 133 through 134.
135. In order to grasp the subtlety, of this remark two things should be borne in mind. First, that in comparison to Islam, the primordial religion, both Judaism and Christianity are later products. The name Judaism, as well as the characteristic features and elaborate body of laws and regulations associated with it. emerged during the third or fourth century, B.C. As for Christianity. in the sense of the body of dogmas and theological doctrines which characterize it, it came into existence long after Jesus (peace be on him). The question that naturally arises is that, if man’s guidance depends on following Judaism or Christianity, how can Abraham and other Prophets and righteous people who are accepted as having been rightly-guided even by the Jews and Christians be considered so when they were born several centuries before the birth of Judaism and Christianity? If they were rightly-guided from whom did they receive their guidance? Obviously their source of guidance and inspiration was neither Judaism nor Christianity since, in their times, these did not exist. So man’s rectitude does not depend on those characteristics which led to the rise of Jewish and Christian particularisms; it rather depends on adopting that universal way to Truth which has guided and inspired men throughout the ages.
Second. the Scriptures of the Jews and Christians attest that Abraham believed that worship, adoration, service and obedience were due to God alone, and that it was his mission to have none associated with God in His attributes and rights. Since polytheistic elements had made inroads into Judaism and Christianity it was obvious that both had strayed from the way of Abraham.
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