Transliteration:( Wa maa umiroo il-la liy'abu dul laaha mukhliseena lahud-deena huna faa-a wa yuqeemus salaata wa yu-tuz zakaata; wa zaalika deenul qaiyimah )
The People of the Book (Jews and Christians) were given core commandments through the Holy Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) that aligned with principles in their own scriptures (Torah and Gospel), such as:
Worshiping Allah alone.
Upholding righteous beliefs.
Avoiding association with irreligious people.
Establishing prayer (Salah) and charity (Zakat), albeit with differences in specific rituals.
Why Do They Resist the Prophet (ﷺ)?
Despite these shared principles, many People of the Book rejected the Prophet (ﷺ) due to:
Superficial Adherence vs. Sincerity: They prioritized cultural or ritualistic practices over inner purity and sincerity (ikhlas). True faith requires:
Disgust for Disbelief: Spiritual aversion to polytheism and immorality.
Outward Distinction: Adopting Islamic identity in appearance, character, and conduct.
Institutionalized Hypocrisy: Their scholars distorted scriptures to retain power, rejecting the Quran’s universal truth to protect their authority.
The Holiness of Worship
Salah: Regular, punctual prayer with mindfulness (khushu) is an act of worship that institutionalizes divine connection.
Zakat: Purifying wealth through charity reflects submission to Allah’s pleasure.
Both are inseparable from faith, as the Quran states:
وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّـهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ
“They were commanded only to worship Allah, being sincere to Him in religion.”
(Surah Al-Bayyinah 98:5)
From the time of Prophet Adam (عليه السلام) until today, Allah’s command to worship Him sincerely has remained unchanged. This verse highlights two critical issues:
1. Obligation of Acts of Worship for New Muslims
Duty-Bound: Upon accepting Islam, even former disbelievers must fulfill acts of worship (Salah, Zakat) as integral to faith. The phrase “they were commanded” underscores that rituals are not optional but divine mandates.
2. Inseparability of Belief and Action
Faith Without Deeds is Void: The Quran refutes groups that divorce belief from practice, such as:
Historical Deviations: Jews and Christians who abandoned true worship for monasticism or asceticism.
Modern Extremes:
Mendicants/Charlatans: Those who claim spirituality while indulging in vice (e.g., drug use) and neglect obligations.
Marjiyya/Rafzis: Sects that prioritize blind allegiance to leaders over Quranic commandments.
Allah condemns such hypocrisy:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ﴿٢﴾ كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِندَ اللَّـهِ أَن تَقُولُوا مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ
“O you who believe, why do you say what you do not do? It is most hateful to Allah that you say what you do not do.”
(Surah As-Saff 61:2-3)
Universal Commandments: Core tenets of worship (e.g., Tawhid, Salah, Zakat) transcend time and scripture, uniting all divine messages.
Sincerity Over Ritual: Faith demands inward purity and outward action, rejecting hollow ritualism or escapist spirituality.
Rejecting False Dichotomies: Islam integrates belief and practice, refuting those who divorce the two (e.g., ascetics, extremists).
The Quran thus reaffirms the eternal covenant of worship—unchanged since Adam (عليه السلام)—and exposes the folly of those who distort it for personal or sectarian gain.
The tafsir of Surah Bayyinah verse 5 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Bayyinah ayat 1 which provides the complete commentary from verse 1 through 5.
(98:5) Yet all that they had been commanded was that they serve Allah, with utter sincerity, devoting themselves exclusively to Him, and that they establish Prayer and pay Zakah. That is the Right Faith.[7]
7. That is, the message of the same religion, which now theProphet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is preaching, hadbeen given to the people of the Book by the Prophets whocame to them and by the Books which were sent amongthem; they had not been enjoined any of the false belief andwicked deeds which they adopted afterwards and createddifferent sects. Right and correct religion has always beenthe same: that Allah alone should be served andworshipped exclusively, none else be joined with Him inworship, man should become worshipper of One Allahalone and obedient to His command only, should establishthe salat and pay the zakat. For further explanation, see (Surah Al-Aaraf, ayat 30); (Surah Younus, ayat 106), (Surah Ar-Room, ayat 31); (Surah Az-Zumar, ayat 2). Some commentators have taken the words din alqayyimahin this verse in the meaning of din al-millat al qayyimah: Religion of the righteous community. Someothers have taken qayyimah in the superlative sense andunderstood it in the same meaning as we have adopted inour translation.
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