QUESTION 07
If Islam abrogates other religions, why some of Quranic verses call anyone including Moslem, Jewish, Christian, …, who believes in God and performs righteous deed as saved, and says: There is no grief and sorrow for such people on the Day of Resurrection. Do these verses not imply that all people could be among the saved even after appearance of Islam, and their religions are still valid and legitimate, and not abrogated?
Reply:
First, it is necessary to mention the said verses, and then discuss about it:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالنَّصَاري وَالصَّابِئِينَ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحاً فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
1- Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabians, whoever believes in Allah and the Last day and does good, they shall have their reward from their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالصَّابِئُونَ وَالنَّصَارَي مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحاً فَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
2- Surely those who believe and those who are Jews and the Sabians and the Christians whoever believes in Allah and the last day and does good; they shall have no fear nor shall they grieve.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالصَّابِئِينَ وَالنَّصَاري وَالْمَجُوسَ وَالَّذِينَ أَشْرَکُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَي کُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ
3- Surely those who believe and those who are Jews and the Sabeans and the Christians and the Magians and those who associate (others with Allah); surely Allah will decide between them on the day of resurrection; surely Allah is a witness over all things.
It may be assumed at first that such verses imply that: followers of any of above religions are saved if perform righteous deeds while believing in God and Day of Resurrection, and consequently, the other religions are not abrogated yet, and appearance of Islam does not result in abrogation of other religions. Rather, any of preceding religions are a path towards God, and a man could reach this destination from any path he selects. He shall not necessarily follow a special religion like Islam.
This has been repeatedly propounded by those who have a surface study on Quran.
However, it shall be noted that we can not interpret a verse regardless of other verses and their relation with it. Rather, we shall take into account the occasion of revelation, previous and next verses and other Quranic verses when thinking of and finding concept of one verse.
Should the other religions were still recognized after appearance of Islam, not only there was no need for legislation of a new religion called Islam, but also it was never proper for the Islam Prophet (s.a.) to write letters to the leaders and authorities of all nations in the world to invite them to his religion, and introduce his religion as a global religion, and the seal of religions.
Prophet’s letters and his continuous invitations and the strenuous Jihad by Moslems with the People of Book at Prophet’s (s.a.) time and after him, and the phrases narrated from the great leaders all indicate that the mission of preceding prophets have been expired after appearance of Islam, and there is no mission save Islam, and no prophethood save that of Hazrat Mohammad(s.a.).
Now we shall find what does the verse indicate?
The said verses express two realities, one in brief and one in details.
1- If the Jews and Christians really believe in God and Day of Resurrection, and do not pretend to it, they should believe in Islam Prophet (s.a.) according to Torah, Gospel and other divine books, because Torah and Gospel have give the good tiding of appearance of Islam Prophet (s.a.), and have numerated his signs so much that they knew him like their children.
It is remarkable that Quran refers to this reality before above verses in The Table sura and says:
قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْکِتَابِ لَسْتُمْ عَلَي شَيْءٍ حَتَّي تُقِيمُوا التَّوْرَاةَ وَالْإِنْجِيلَ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْکُمْ مِن رَبِّکُمْ
Say: O followers of the Book! you follow no good till you keep up the Torah and the Gospel and that which is revealed to you from your Lord.
It goes without saying that following these divine books refers to following their contents, one of which is prophethood of Prophet (s.a.) and his global mission, which has been stated in these books and Quran has repeatedly referred to it.
Should they really believe in God and Day of Resurrection, they would also believe in the global mission of Islam Prophet which is among divine instructions in the books of Old and New Testament. In this case, they will be deemed among Moslems and will certainly be rewarded.
In brief: Belief in God and Day of Resurrection includes belief in the divine books and their instructions including prophethood of seal of prophets, and such person would not be called a Christian anymore. Rather, he would be a Moslem.
2- Considering the preceding verses in The Cow sura, it is clarified that it refers to those of People of Book who really believed in God and Day of Resurrection at the time of preceding prophets, and observed their religious instruction at that time. In contrast to them, some deviated from the path of monotheism, and worshipped calf and even explicitly told Moses: We do never worship God unless we see him with our eyes. Children of Israel were liable to divine wrath for such improper deeds so that Quran says:
وَضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الذِّلَّةُ وَالْمَسْکَنَةُ وَبَاءُوا بِغَضَبٍ مِنَ اللّهِ ذلِکَ بِأَنَّهُمْ کَانُوا يَکْفُرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ النَّبِيِّينَ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ
And abasement and humiliation were brought down upon them, and they became deserving of Allah's wrath; this was so because they disbelieved in the communications of Allah and killed the prophets unjustly.
Here, God distinguishes those who really believed in God, and Day of Resurrection, and performed righteous deeds from the others, declares that there would be no grief and sorrow for them on the Day of Resurrection.
In this case, the verse allocates to those of People of Book who lived in the previous ages, and had passed away before mission of Islam Prophet (s.a.), and has nothing to do with the time of Prophet’s mission.
Occasion of revelation of verse too testifies that after revelation of Quran and mission of Islam Prophet (s.a.), some Moslems were thinking that the only path of salvation is Islam. Then, what about our forefathers and ancestors who believed in other religions.
The above verse was then revealed and declared officially that all of those who believed in God, Day of Resurrection and their time prophet and performed righteous deeds are among the saved people, and there would be no fear and concern for them.
In his first meeting with Prophet (s.a.), Salman talked of his friends and votaries in the convent, and said: All votaries in the convent were looking forward your mission, but unfortunately, they died before visiting you.
One of people told Salman,: They are all among the people of Fire. Salman was distressed. Then, the above verse was revealed and declared that those really believing in the precedent rightful religions would be saved although they may not succeed to visit Islam Prophet (s.a.).
In brief: Those who firmly believed in the real religion of their time before Islam Prophet (s.a.), will be among the saved people on the Day of Resurrection.
In this case, the verse has no relation with the improper ideas such as “The followers of all religion are saved”, and such interpretation indicates unawareness from the contents of the verse and related verses.
Moreover, Pilgrimage sura, verse 17 has no relation with their claim, and it indicates that God judges among the various nations in the world on the Day of Resurrection. This never implies that followers of all religions will be saved on the Day of Resurrection, and all of them are truth-seekers.
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Author: Ayatullah Seyyed Muhammad Shirazi
