The status of the
people of the Book before Islaam – 3:
2) Allaah said: { And
from those who call themselves Christians, We took their covenant, but they
have abandoned a good part of the Message that was sent to them. So We planted
amongst them enmity and hatred till the Day of Resurrection, and Allah will
inform them of what they used to do }
Allaah said that,
just like He took the covenant from the Jews, He also took the covenant { from
those who call themselves Christians }, meaning: those who claimed to
follow Issa (SAAWS).
So what did they do?
Allaah said: { they
have abandoned a good part of the Message that was sent to them }, meaning:
they breached the covenant as well. They
abandoned both the text that was sent to them and abandoned acting upon it.
So, what did Allaah
punish them with?
Allaah said: { So
We planted amongst them enmity and hatred }. This means that they were divided into many
groups and sects, and that every group believes that the other groups are
deviated (or even disbelievers). This
resulted in a lot of hatred and enmity amongst them. This enmity and hatred will last, as Allaah
said, { till the Day of Resurrection }.
This was their
punishment in this life when they discarded Allah's Book, disobeyed His
Messengers (SAAWS) and His Orders, and transgressed beyond bounds in Allah's
disobedience.
They attributed to
Allaah a son and a (female) companion, and claimed that Allaah is one of three,
while Allaah said: { Say: "He is Allaah, the One. Allaah the Self-Sufficient Master Whom all
creatures need. The One who does NOT
beget, nor was begotten. The One that
there is no equal to } [Surat Al-Ikhlaas].
Allaah is not like
His creation. He is the Self-Sufficient;
He does not need a son or a companion.
All of His creations need Him.
And, if He wants to forgive His servants, He can just do it. { Surely, His Command, when He intends a
thing, is only that He says to it, "Be!" and it is } [Ya-Seen
(82)]. There is no need for someone to
be tortured or killed for Allaah to forgive His servants.
Allaah continues to
say, regarding those who call themselves Christians, that in the Afterlife, { Allah
will inform them of what they used to do }, and then punish them for it.
So, in those three
verses, Allaah described the status of the people of the Book before Islaam,
and how He took the covenant from them.
He told us how they, except for a few of them, breached their
covenant. This prepares for what is to
come in the coming verses.
To
be continued, if Allaah wills.