Overview (Verses  65 - 68)

A Dispute Over Abraham’s Faith

People of earlier revelations! Why do you argue about Abraham when both the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed till after him? Have you no sense? You have indeed argued about that of which you have some knowledge; why then do you argue about that of which you have no knowledge at all? God knows, whereas you do not know. Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian; but he was wholly devoted to God, having surrendered himself to Him. He was not of those who associate partners with God. The people who have the best claim to Abraham are those who followed him, and this Prophet and those who are true believers. God is the Guardian of the believers. (Verses 65-68)
 
Muĥammad ibn Isĥāq relates a report attributed to Ibn `Abbās, the Prophet’s cousin, which says: “A number of Christians from Najrān and a number of Jewish rabbis met at the Prophet’s place and disputed among themselves. The rabbis claimed that Abraham was nothing but a Jew, while the Christians maintained that Abraham was a Christian. God then revealed this verse starting with: “People of earlier revelations! Why do you argue about Abraham...”
 
Whether it was true or not that that particular occasion was the time when this verse was revealed, it is apparent that this verse is meant to be an answer to the claims of people who professed to believe in earlier revelations. There seem to have been arguments either with the Prophet (peace be upon him) or arguments among themselves in the presence of the Prophet. The ultimate aim of these claims was to monopolise God’s covenant with Abraham which meant that prophethood would remain in Abraham’s seed, and to monopolise honour and Divine guidance. More importantly, they sought through these claims to reject the Prophet’s statement that he followed the faith of Abraham and that the Muslims were the rightful heirs of the original pure faith. The disputants also hoped to raise doubts concerning this fact in the minds of at least some Muslims.
 
It is for this reason that God condemns their attitude here so strongly and shows clearly that their arguments are without basis. Abraham lived long before the revelation of the Torah or the Gospel; how could he, then, be a Jew or a Christian? It is a totally illogical claim which collapses at the first glance at history: “People of earlier revelations! Why do you argue about Abraham when both the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed till after him? Have you no sense?” (Verse 65)
 
They are further condemned in the verse that follows. All their arguments are shown to be without foundation. They appear to indulge in an endless dispute without providing supporting evidence, consistency or logic: “You have indeed argued about that of which you have some knowledge; why then do you argue about that of which you have no knowledge at all? God knows, whereas you do not know.”
 
They argued about Jesus, and they argued about certain Divine legislation when they were called upon to submit to the rulings included in God’s Book. Instead, they turned their backs on it. In these matters, they had some knowledge. They could not, however, claim any basis, even technical, for their arguments about things which took place before the revelation of their Scriptures and the preaching of their religions. They argue, then, for argument’s sake. It is a worthless argument which is advanced for vested interests and which follows no logical method. A person who advances such an argument cannot be trusted at all. He is, indeed, not worth listening to.
 
When the sūrah has shown the worthlessness of their argument, it states the truth known to God. He alone knows the truth of that distant period in history and the true nature of the faith He revealed to His servant, Abraham. When God states something, His word is final. No one can say anything which differs with God’s statement, unless he wishes to make a worthless, futile argument. “Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian; but he was wholly devoted to God, having surrendered himself to Him. He was not of those who associate partners with God.” (Verse 67) Here, we have a clear statement of what has already been implied, that Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, since both the Torah and the Gospel were revealed after his time. It is further stated that Abraham had no interest whatsoever in any creed or doctrine other than complete devotion to God. He was a Muslim in the broad sense of Islam, meaning total surrender to God.
 
“He was not of those who associate partners with God.” This is again implied in the preceding statement that Abraham “was wholly devoted to God, having surrendered himself to Him.” That it is re-emphasised here is significant because it indicates first that both the Jews and the Christians, who had over the years come to accept deviant beliefs, were in effect associating partners with God. Hence, Abraham could neither be a Jew nor a Christian, but an upright man who surrendered himself to God. It further indicates that Islam and polytheism are two diametrically opposed doctrines. Islam means the absolute oneness of God with everything that this oneness entails. Hence, it can have no common ground with any form of polytheism. Moreover, it shows that the claim of the Quraysh idolaters that they followed Abraham’s religion since they were the custodians of the Ka`bah, the House he built for worship in Makkah, is also false. Abraham believed in God alone and surrendered himself to Him, while those people of the Quraysh were idolaters: “He was not of those who associate partners with God.”
 
In view of the truth stated in the Qur’ān about Abraham, neither the Jews, nor the Christians, nor indeed the idolaters could lay any claim to his heritage or to his religion since they had all moved far away from his faith. It is faith which is, indeed, the paramount relation which groups people together, according to Islam. If that relationship which unites the people of faith is lacking, no other tie of blood, lineage, race or land is of any value. In the Islamic view, man achieves his humanity through his spirit, the blow which has made out of him a man. Hence, faith, which is the most essential quality of his spirit, forms the basis which unites human beings together. It is only animals that are grouped together on the basis of land, species, food, pasture, boundaries and fences. Patronage between individuals, communities and generations can only be based on faith. It is faith which unites one believer with another, one Muslim community with another, and one generation of believers who surrender themselves to God and all other generations, bypassing the limitations of time and place, blood and lineage, race and nationality. They are all united by their belief in God Who is the Guardian of all the believers: “The people who have the best claim to Abraham are those who followed him, and this Prophet and those who are true believers. God is the Guardian of the believers.” (Verse 68)

Those who followed Abraham when he was alive and implemented his method and abided by his teachings had the best claim to him. The same applies to this Prophet who shared with Abraham the quality of surrendering himself to God, according to the testimony of God Himself, the best of all witnesses. Then come those who believe in this Prophet and, thereby, follow Abraham’s method and practice.
 
“God is the Guardian of the believers.” They are His party, sheltered by His cover, devoting their loyalty totally to Him, to the exclusion of everyone else. They are one family and one nation, the unity of which transcends all barriers of time, place, country, nationality, race and lineage.
 
This is the noblest form of social unity which alone is worthy of man. Moreover, it is the only method to establish a community free of all artificial restrictions. The only bond which brings people together in this form is a voluntary one. Every individual can release himself of it by his own choice. That bond is a faith which he personally chooses.
 
On the other hand, a person cannot change his race if his society is based on race. Neither can he change his community or colour, nor can he easily change his language or caste if any of these is the basis upon which his society is set up. Such barriers will always be divisive, keeping people apart, unless they take up the bond of ideology and faith as their uniting bond. Such a bond relies on personal conviction. Every individual can consciously choose it and join the community on its basis without having to change his race, colour, language or caste. This is, indeed, an honour given to man because it makes its uniting bond based on the noblest of his qualities.
 
The choice before humanity is either to live as Islam wishes: human beings united by what nourishes their spirits and refines their feelings, or to live like cattle, confined within the boundaries of race, colour and place. We have to remember here that all these are similar to the distinctive marks given to cattle so that they remain identifiable.