Dietary and Sabbath laws (S.16:114-119, 124) are contradicted in S16:101

Question

1. S2:62 tells us that Muslims, Christians and Sabeans are saved. S3:85 tells us only Muslims are saved. Jews and Christians have the curse of Allah on them (S9:30).

2. Dietary and Sabbath laws (S.16:114-119, 124) are contradicted in S16:101.

Answer

Muhtaram / Muhtaramah

In the Name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāh wa-barakātuh.

3. Are only Muslims saved from the curse of Allah, or the Christians, Jews and Sabians as well?

The following Verses of the Holy Quran have been referred to in the query:

إن الذين آمنوا والذين هادوا والنصارى والصابئين من آمن بالله واليوم الآخر وعمل صالحا فلهم أجرهم عند ربهم ولا خوف عليهم ولا هم يحزنون

Surely, those who believed in Allah, and those who are Jews, and Christians, and Sabians, __whosoever believes in Allah and in the Last Day, and does good deeds – all such people will have their reward with their Lord, and there will be no reason for them to fear, nor shall they grieve.(Verse: 2:62)

ومن يبتغ غير الإسلام دينا فلن يقبل منه وهو في الآخرة من الخاسرين

Whoever seeks a faith other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers. (Verse: 3:85)

وقالت اليهود عزير ابن الله وقالت النصارى المسيح ابن الله ذلك قولهم بأفواههم يضاهئون قول الذين كفروا من قبل قاتلهم الله أنى يؤفكون

The Jews say, ― Uzair (Ezra) is the Son of Allah and the Christians say, ―MasīH (the Christ) is the Son of Allah. That is their oral statement. They imitate the saying of the earlier disbelievers. May Allah ruin them, how far they are turned back from the truth! (Verse: 9:30)

The contradiction mentioned in the query between the abovementioned verses is based on the premise that the meaning of Verse 2:62 is that the Muslims, Jews, Christians and Sabians are all saved from the wrath of Allah Ta’ala. This premise is incorrect.

To understand the correct meaning of the verse, it is important to be aware of the fact that when Allah Ta’ala sent the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) as the last Prophet and revealed the religion of Islam unto Him (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), all of mankind was supposed to follow this religion. Even those who followed the correct beliefs brought by the Messengers of Allah that preceded the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) (i.e. those who had not moved away from the correct religion and not accepted the alterations made in their religion by those who came later on) were not permitted to remain on their old religion, but were commanded to follow the religion of Islam.

In the light of the abovementioned, the words translated as ‘those who believed in Allah’ mentioned in Verse 2:62, refer to those people of the Book whose beliefs were not altered due to the false beliefs brought about by those who came later. Thus, the meaning of the Verse would be that those who were on the correct religion of the Messengers of Allah that preceded the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), and those Christians, Jews and Sabians who have altered their religion due to the beliefs brought about by those who came later; if any of them accept the religion brought by the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), believe in Allah Ta’ala and the Hereafter, and do good deeds, they will be rewarded by Allah Ta’ala and will be saved from the wrath of Allah Ta’ala.

(Tafseer al-Fakhr al-Razi Vol.2 Part 1 Pg.113 – Dar al-Fikr)

4. Contradiction or no contradiction in dietary and Sabbath laws?

The following Verses of the Holy Quran have been referred to in the query:

فكلوا مما رزقكم الله حلالا طيبا واشكروا نعمة الله إن كنتم إياه تعبدون . إنما حرم عليكم الميتة والدم ولحم الخنزير وما أهل لغير الله به فمن اضطر غير باغ ولا عاد فإن الله غفور رحيم . ولا تقولوا لما تصف ألسنتكم الكذب هذا حلال وهذا حرام لتفتروا على الله الكذب إن الذين يفترون على الله الكذب لا يفلحون . متاع قليل ولهم عذاب أليم . وعلى الذين هادوا حرمنا ما قصصنا عليك من قبل وما ظلمناهم ولكن كانوا أنفسهم يظلمون . ثم إن ربك للذين عملوا السوء بجهالة ثم تابوا من بعد ذلك وأصلحوا إن ربك من بعدها لغفور رحيم .

So, eat the permissible and pure things from what Allah has provided you, and be grateful for the bounty of Allah, if you worship Him alone. He has but prohibited for you the carrion, the blood, the flesh of swine and what has been invoked upon with a name other than that of Allah. However, if anyone is compelled by necessity – neither seeking pleasure, nor crossing the limit (of necessity) – then, Allah is Most-Forgiving, Very-Merciful. Do not say about what your tongues describe falsely, “This is lawful and that is unlawful” so that you may forge the lie upon Allah. Surely, those who forge a lie upon Allah do not prosper. (Let there be) a little enjoyment, and (then) for them there is a painful punishment. For those who are Jews, We had prohibited that which We have already told you; and We did not wrong them, but it was they who used to wrong themselves. Then your Lord – for those who did evil because of ignorance, then repented after that and corrected themselves – surely your Lord is, after all that, Most-Forgiving, Very-Merciful. (Verse: 16:114-119)

إنما جعل السبت على الذين اختلفوا فيه وإن ربك ليحكم بينهم يوم القيامة فيما كانوا فيه يختلفون

The Sabbath was prescribed only for those people (i.e. Jews) who differed in it, and your Lord will certainly judge between them on the Day of Resurrection in those matters in which they used to differ. (Verse: 6:124)

وإذا بدلنا آية مكان آية والله أعلم بما ينزل قالوا إنما أنت مفتر بل أكثرهم لا يعلمون

Whenever We replace a verse with another verse — and Allah knows well what He reveals – they say, ―You are but a forger. The fact rather is that most of them are ignorant. (Verse: 16:101)

It has been mentioned in the query that the dietary and Sabbath laws mentioned in Verses 16:114-119 & Verse 16:124 are contradicted in Verse 16:101, whereas, no reference is made towards dietary laws or Sabbath laws in this Verse. However, if the questioner still feels that there is a contradiction, he could always write back to us with further clarification to the contradiction.

And Allah knows best
Darul Iftaa

Madrasah Inaa’miyyah