Islam's Position regarding Christians

All praise be to Allah and may peace and blessings of Allah be upon His Messenger and upon all his family. As for what follows:

The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Legal Rulings read the following question addressed to His Excellency, the General Director, the text of which is as follows:

Question:

Allah, the Most High says:
"And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him.

And He, the Most High says:
" Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam. up to the end of the Verse. And He, the Most High also says:
"Not all of them are alike; a party of the People of the Scripture stand for the right, they recite the Verses of Allah during the hours of the night...

up to the end of Verse 115 of Surah Aal 'Imran. And He, the Majestic and Most High says:
"Verily, you will find the strongest among men... up to Verse 85 of Surah Al-Ma'idah.

Due to my work and close contact with some of my Christian colleagues, it sometimes happens that discussions take place regarding whether Islam accepts Christians or not? And what is the position of Islam regarding the Christians? They draw evidence from the Qur'anic Verses which I have mentioned above as examples, not as exhaustive references. In view of this, I request our eminent scholars to give a satisfactory reply and I hope that the reply will be simple and convincing, accompanied by proofs and evidences and in a purposeful and instructive manner. Also, are any of these Verses abrogated, as some Christians advance the argument that some Qur'anic Verses contradict others? All that persuaded me to write this letter was my firm devotion to Islam and its people.

Answer:

The fundamentals of the laws brought by the Prophets and the Messengers are one. Allah revealed them and sent down to them (i.e. the Prophets and Messengers) His Books by which He charged the first of them with faith and belief in the last, and (in) his aid and support, and He charged the last of them with faith and belief in the first of them. And all that they brought from Allah is called the religion of Islam. Allah, the Most High says:
"And remember when Allah took the covenant from the Prophets saying: "Take whatever I gave you from the Book and Al-Hikmah (understanding of the Laws of Allah, etc.) and afterwards there will come to you a Messenger (i.e.. Muhammad) confirming what is with you; you must then believe in him and help him." He (Allah) said: "Do you agree (to it) and will you take up My Covenant (which. I conclude with you)?" They said: "We agree." He said: "Then bear witness; and I am with you among the witnesses (to this)." Then whoever turns away after this, they are the Fasiqun (rebellious: those who turn away from. obedience to Allah). Do they seek a religion other than the religion of Allah (the true Islamic Monotheism worshipping none but Allah Alone), while to Him submitted all creatures in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and to Him shall they all be returned? Say (O Muhammad): "We believe in Allah and in what has been sent down to us, and in what was sent down to Ibrahim, Isma'il, Ishaq, Ya'qub and Al-Asbat (the sons of Ya'qub) and what was given to Musa, 'Isa and the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between one and another among them and to Him (Allah) we have submitted (In Islam)." And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him and in the Hereafter, he will be one of the losers.
And He, the Most High says:
"The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books and His Messengers. They say: "We make no distinction between one and another of His Messengers."

And He says:
"And in their footsteps We sent 'Isa, the son of Maryam, confirming the Tawrah that had come before them and we gave him the Injil, in which was guidance and light and confirmation of the Tawrah that had come before it, a guidance and admonition for Al-Muttaqun (the pious).

up to His Words:
And We have sent down to you (O Muhammad the Book (this Qur'an) in truth, confirming the Scripture that came before it and Muhaiminan (trustworthy in highness and a witness) over it (the old Scriptures). I And He says:
"40 People of the Scripture! Now has come to you Our Messenger (Muhammad) explaining to you much of that which you used to hide from the Scripture and passing over (i.e. leaving out without explaining) much. Indeed, there has come to you from Allah a light (Prophet Muhammad ) and a plain Book (this Qur'an) wherewith Allah guides all those who seek His Good Pleasure to ways of peace, and He brings them out of darkness by His Will unto light and guides them to a Straight Way (Islamic monotheism).

And He says:
40 People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Now has come to you Our Messenger (Muhammad) making (things) clear unto you, after a break in (the series of) Messengers, lest you say: "There came unto us no bringer of glad tidings and no warner." But now has come unto you a bringer of glad tidings and a warner. And Allah is Able to do all things. And He, the Most High says:
And (remember) when 'Isa, son of Maryam, said: "O Children of Israel! I am the Messenger of Allah unto you confirming the Tawrah (which came) before me, and giving glad tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad." But when he came to them with clear proofs, they said: "This is plain magic."

And He, the Most High says:
"And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad) but We inspired him (saying): "La ilaha illa Ana (None has the right to be worshipped but I [Allah]), so worship Me (Alone and none else)."

Among other Verses - both general and specific - proving that the laws brought by the Prophets have the same foundations, including singling out Allah in worship, belief in Him, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day, His Decree and His Will, the basic prayer, Zakah and fasting - as in Allah's Words regarding the supplication of His Friend, Ibrahim, upon him be peace:
"O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in a valley with no cultivation, by Your Sacred House (the Ka'bah in Makkah), in order O our Lord, that they may perform prayer (Iqamatus-Salat). up to His Words concerning the supplication of His Friend, Ibrahim:
My Lord! Make me one who performs prayer (Iqamatus- Salat) and (also) from my offspring.

And His Words:
And mention in the Book (the Qur'an) Isma'il. Verily! He was true to what He promised and he was a Messenger (and) a Prophet. And he used to enjoin on his family and his people As-Salah and Az-Zakah and his Lord was pleased with him.

And His Words:
And We inspired Musa and his brother (saying): "Take dwellings for your people in Egypt, and make your dwellings as places for you to worship, and perform prayers (Iqamatus-Salat) ."

And His Words concerning 'Isa:
He ('Isa) said: "Verily, I am a worshipper of Allah. He has given me the Scripture and made me a Prophet. And He has made me blessed wherever I may be, and He has enjoined on me prayer and Zakah so long as I live."And His Words:
"O you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious).

However, it differed in the manner of its performance and the

details of its regulations, as in Allah's Words:

وبكل جعلنا منكم شرعة ومنهاجا وَمِنْهَا جَعَلْنَا

To each among you We have prescribed a law and a clear way.

And the Prophet said:
The Prophets are brothers, their religion is one and their mothers are different. An-Nisa' 4:150-152." class="fa fa-archive text-info" aria-hidden="true">

Because of this, Allah, the Most High informs us that the People of the Book, the Jews and the Christians, are not all the same in His Judgement; indeed, He praises some among the Jews and Christians, and He censures some among the Jews and Christians: He praises those among the Jews and Christians who implemented His Commands in His Words:

Say: "We believe in Allah, and that which has been sent down to us, and that which has been sent down to Ibrahim, Isma'il, Ishaq, Ya'qub, and to Al-Asbat (the twelve sons of Ya'qub), and that which has been given to Musa and 'Isa, and that given to the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them: and to Him we have submitted (in Islam)."

And among them are those about whom Allah says:
"And there are certainly, among the People of the Scripture, those who believe in Allah, and in that which has been revealed to you, and in that which has been revealed to them, humbling themselves before Allah. They do not sell the Ayat of Allah for a little price. For them is a reward with their Lord, and Allah is swift in account.

And among them are some Christians about whom Allah says:
"That is because among them are priests and monks, and they are not proud. And when they listen to what has been. sent down to the Messenger (Muhammad), you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of the truth they have recognized. They say: "Our Lord! We believe; so write us down among the witnesses. And why should we not believe in Allah and in that which has come to us of the truth? And we wish that our Lord will admit us (in Paradise on the Day of Resurrection) along with the righteous people." So because of what they said, Allah rewarded them with Gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise), they will abide therein forever. Such is the reward of those who do good.

And among the Jews and Christians is a group whom Allah praises in His Words:
A party of the People of the Scripture stand for the right, they recite the Ayat of Allah during the hours of the night, prostrating themselves in prayer. They believe in Allah and the Last Day; they enjoin good and forbid evil and they hasten in (all) good works, and they are among the righteous. And whatever good they do, nothing will be rejected of them, for Allah knows well those who are Al-Muttaqun (the pious).

And He censures those among the two groups - the Jews and the Christians - those who were guilty of hypocrisy, or believed in some of the Messengers, while disbelieving in others. Those who covered up the truth after it had been made plain to them, who altered the Words (of Allah) and attributed lies to Allah in the fundamentals of the law or in jurisprudence, and violated their covenants and their contracts (with Him). Allah, the Most High says:
"Do you (faithful believers) covet that they will believe in your religion in spite of the fact that a party of them (Jewish rabbis) used to hear the Word of Allah (the Tawrah), then they used to change it knowingly after they understood it? And when they (Jews) meet those who believe (Muslims) they say: "We believe", but when they meet one another in private, they say: "Shall you (Jews) tell them (Muslims) what Allah has revealed to you (Jews, about the description and the qualities of Prophet Muhammad that which are written in the Tatorah) that they (Muslims) may argue with you (Jews) about it before your Lord?" Have you (Jews) then no understanding? Know they (Jetos) not that Allah knows what they conceal and what they reveal? And there are among them (Jews) unlettered people who know not the Book, but they trust upon false desires and they but guess. Then woe to those who write the Book with their own hands and then say: "This is from Allah," to purchase with it a little price! Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for that which they earn thereby.

And Allah, the Most High says:
"And (remember) when Allah took a Covenant from those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) to make it (the news of the coming of Prophet Muhammad and the religious knowledge) known and clear to mankind, and not to hide it; but they threw it away behind their backs, and purchased with it some miserable gain! And indeed worst is that which they bought.

And Allah, the Most High says:
"Indeed Allah took the covenant, from the Children of Israel, and We appointed twelve leaders among them. And Allah said: "I am toith you if you perform the prayers (lqamat As Salat), give Zakah and believe in My Messengers, honor and assist them. And lend to Allah a goodly loan, verily I will remit your sins and admit you to Gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise); but if any of you, after this disbelieved, he has indeed gone astray from the Straight Path." But because of their breach of their Covenant, We cursed them, and made their hearts grow hard. They change the words from their (right) places and abandoned a good part of the Message that was sent to them. And you will not cease to discover deceit in them, except a few of them. But forgive them and overlook (their misdeeds). Verily, Allah loves Al-Muhsinun (those who do good deeds and extend favors to the deserving). And from those who call themselves Christians, We took their covenant, but they abandoned a good part of the Message that was sent to them. So we planted among them enmity and hatred till the Day of Resurrection, and Allah will inform them of what they used to do.

Allah also censures those who said that Allah has taken a son and those who took their rabbis and monks as lords other than Allah. He rejects their slanders, saying:
"And the Jews say: "Uzayr is the son of Allah", and the Christians say: "The Messiah is the son of Allah." That is a saying from their mouths; (in this) they but imitate the sayings of the disbelievers of old. Allah's curse be on them, how they are deluded away from the truth! They took their rabbis and monks to be their lords besides Allah (by obeying them in things that they made lawful or unlawful according to their own desires without being ordered by Allah), and (they also took as their Lord) Messiah, son of Maryam (Mary), while they (Jews and Christians) were commanded [in the Taurat (Torah) and the Injil (Gospel)] to worship none but One Ilah (God Allah), La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). Glorified is He (far above is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him)."

He censures those among them who claim in addition to their disbelief that Paradise is only for them and that none shall enter it but they and He rejects their claims and makes it clear who really are the people of Paradise; Allah says:
And they say: "None shall enter Paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian." These are their own desires. Say: "Produce your proof if you are truthful." On the contrary, whoever submits his face (himself) to Allah (i.e. follows Allah's religion of Islamic monotheism) and he is a Muhsin (i.e. performs good deeds totally for Allah's sake only without any showing off or to gain praise or fame etc. and in accordance with the Sunnah of Allah's Messenger Muhammad) then his reward is with his Lord (Allah), on such shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.

He rebukes those of them who killed the Prophets and the righteous people without right and said: "Our hearts are wrapped (i.e. do not hear or understand Allah's Word)." And they fabricated a terrible lie against Maryam, and said: "We killed Jesus, the son of Maryam." And they devoured usury, interest and people's property unjustly. (He censured) those who said that Allah is a third part of a trinity, He brands them all disbelievers and rejects all of their false claims and promises them a painful punishment. There are other Verses wherein He praises a company of the Jews and Christians and He describes them as deserving commendation, success, happiness and everlasting bliss (i.e. in the Hereafter). He censures another group among these two parties and describes them with attributes that deserve his anger, His curse and His painful torment.

From all this, it is clear that the Islamic position regarding the Jews and Christians is one of justice and fairness and does not contradict the information contained in the texts of the Qur'an and Sunnah regarding both praise and rebuke of them. Verily those whom He praises are totally different from those He censures. They are those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write whom they find written of with them in the Tawrah and the Injil he - commands them to perform the good and forbids them from committing the evil; he permits them the good things and he prohibits for them those Al-Khaba'ith (i.e. all that is evil and unlawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods, etc.), he releases them from their heavy burden's and from the fetters that were upon them, in obedience to the Words of Allah, the Most High:
"O you who believe! Believe in Allah and His Messenger and the Scripture which He has sent to His Messenger and the Scripture which He sent to those before (him).

They are those who are enveloped by Allah's Mercy and are deserving of His praise and they are the successful ones. As for those who disbelieved in all of the Prophets, or believed in some while rejecting others, and falsified what was revealed in the Tawrah and the Injil, and committed all the rest of the sins and the like which we have already mentioned, they are those whom Allah censures and who deserve the punishment (of Allah) and they are the people of the Fire where they will dwell eternally. In view of this, it can be seen that there is no contradiction between the texts which praise those who are deserving of it, and which recognize their standing and the condemnation of those others among them due to their evil ways, their corrupted beliefs, their altering and falsifying what was revealed to them from their Lord, or their obedience to those of their rabbis and monks who did such things, without guidance or understanding, when there is no cause for abrogation therein, since it contains no contradictions; indeed, each part of it confirms the other.

Should anyone wish to study this matter further, he should refer to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger For whoever contemplates the Verses of the Qur'an and the authentic Hadiths from the Messenger and studies what has been authentically recorded in history, without bias, and does not follow vain conjecture, then he will see the truth clearly and will be guided to the Straight Path. May peace and blessings be upon Muhammad and upon his family and Companions.