Does Al-Imran 3:55 Contradict Islam Being the Only Accepted Religion?
Does Allah Praising the Followers of Jesus Contradict Islam Being the Only Accepted Religion?
Some skeptics imagine that there is a contradiction between the words of Allah Almighty:
“And He will make those who follow you superior to those who disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection.”
And His words Almighty:
“And whoever desires other than Islam as religion, never will it be accepted from him.”
Their aim behind this is to claim that the Holy Qur’an was made by humans.
Two Ways to Refute the Doubt
There is no contradiction. Islam is the religion of monotheism and submission to Allah, and this was the creed of all prophets. Whoever truly followed Jesus, peace be upon him, was upon Islam in his time. After the mission of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, true following of Jesus requires accepting the final Prophet.
The doubt is refuted through two points:
First, Islam is the oneness of Allah, the creed of all the prophets, and the final law that concluded the heavenly laws. Therefore, it is obligatory for all followers of previous messages to follow it.
Second, whoever believes in Jesus, peace be upon him, and follows him is a Muslim. Once Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is sent, that person has no choice but to follow him.
Islam Is the Religion of All Prophets
Islam is the sincerity of religion to Allah through monotheism. It is the submission of one’s face to Allah Almighty.
Allah will not accept from anyone a religion other than Islam, and in the Hereafter he will be among those who have fallen into absolute loss.
“And whoever desires other than Islam as religion — never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.”
Allah, Glory be to Him, rejected the religion of whoever wants a religion other than the religion of Allah. This is the religion with which He revealed His books and sent His messengers: worshipping Him alone, with no partner.
All those in the heavens and the earth submit to Him willingly or unwillingly. The believer submits with his heart and soul to Allah, while the disbeliever submits to Allah unwillingly, because he is under divine subjugation, coercion, and supreme authority that cannot be opposed or resisted.
Islam, as creed, is not a new religion disconnected from the earlier prophets. It is the religion of monotheism, submission, and worship of Allah alone — the religion of every prophet.
Allah Almighty said:
“Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam.”
He said regarding Abraham:
“And strive in Allah’s cause with the striving due to Him. He has chosen you and has not placed upon you in religion any difficulty. This is the religion of your father Abraham. He named you Muslims before.”
Allah Almighty said:
“And Abraham enjoined this upon his sons and Jacob, saying, ‘O my sons, indeed Allah has chosen for you this religion, so do not die except as Muslims.’”
Allah Almighty also said:
“Say, ‘We believe in Allah and in what was revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in what was given to Moses and Jesus and what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims.’”
Islam as Creed and Islam as Law
As for Islam as a law — rules, regulations, and ethics — it contains some of the contents of the previous laws and differs from them in other rulings.
In this sense, Islam is the final message brought by Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. It is obligatory upon all of creation, from the day his call reaches them, to believe in him and leave previous laws and doctrines.
Consequently, nothing will be accepted from them after the mission of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, except belief in his message: Islam as both creed and law.
Whoever seeks other than it will incur clear loss.
After the mission of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the final law abrogated previous laws, and nothing is accepted except following the final message.
Whoever believed in his prophet and obeyed him will have Paradise. As for after the mission of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, his law abrogated the earlier laws, and his religion superseded the earlier religions. Nothing will be accepted from anyone except Islam.
This is the meaning of the other verse.
The Case of Salman Al-Farsi’s Companions
This is supported by what was reported from Salman, who said that he asked the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about the people of a religion he had been with, and he mentioned their prayers and worship.
Then this verse was revealed:
“Indeed, those who believed and those who were Jews or Christians or Sabeans — those who believed in Allah and the Last Day and did righteousness — will have their reward with their Lord. And no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve.”
Al-Suddi said that this verse was revealed about the companions of Salman Al-Farsi. While Salman was speaking to the Prophet, he mentioned his companions and told him about them.
He said:
They used to pray and fast and believe in you, and they testify that you will be sent as a prophet.
When Salman finished praising them, the Prophet of Allah said to him:
“O Salman, they are from the people of Hellfire.”
This was difficult for Salman, so Allah revealed the verse.
The Rule Before and After Each Prophet
The belief of the Jews was that whoever adhered to the Torah and the Sunnah of Moses, peace be upon him, was upon truth until Jesus came.
When Jesus came, whoever continued to adhere to the Torah and the Sunnah of Moses while refusing to follow Jesus was doomed.
Likewise, the belief of the Christians was that whoever adhered to the Gospel and the law of Jesus was a believer and accepted until Muhammad came.
When Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came, whoever did not follow Muhammad and abandoned what he had been upon from the Sunnah of Jesus and the Gospel was doomed.
Following a previous prophet is only valid while his law remains binding. Once a later prophet is sent with a binding message, true obedience requires following the new prophet.
This does not contradict what was reported from Ali ibn Abi Talha from Ibn Abbas concerning the verse:
“Indeed, those who believed and those who were Jews or Christians or Sabeans — those who believed in Allah and the Last Day and did righteousness — will have their reward with their Lord. And no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve.”
Then Allah revealed after that:
“And whoever desires other than Islam as religion — never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.”
What Ibn Abbas said informs us that no method or action will be accepted from anyone except what agrees with the law of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, after he was sent with it.
As for before that, everyone who followed the messenger of his time was upon guidance, a path, and salvation.
The Jews were the followers of Moses, peace be upon him, who judged by the Torah in their time. When Jesus was sent, it became obligatory upon the Children of Israel to follow him and submit to him. His companions and the people of his religion were the Christians.
When Allah sent Muhammad as the Seal of the Prophets and as Messenger to all the children of Adam, it became obligatory for them to believe in what he informed them of, obey him in what he commanded, and refrain from what he forbade.
These are the true believers.
The Obligation to Believe in Muhammad
Among the clear texts in this regard is the hadith of Abu Hurairah from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:
“By the One in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad, no one from this nation hears of me, Jew or Christian, and then dies without believing in what I was sent with, except that he will be among the people of the Fire.”
Whoever Truly Followed Jesus Was a Muslim
Whoever believes in Jesus, peace be upon him, and follows him is a Muslim. Once Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is sent, he has no choice but to follow him.
Regarding the verse:
“And I will make those who follow you superior to those who disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection.”
Allah, Glory be to Him, says to Jesus, son of Mary:
I will support those who follow you in Islam against those who disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection.
It has also been said that the Christians are superior to the Jews until the Day of Resurrection. There is no country in which there are Christians except that they are superior to the Jews, whether in the East or the West, while the Jews are humiliated in every country.
It has also been said that Jesus is raised up before Allah, then he will descend before the Day of Resurrection. Whoever believes in Jesus and Muhammad, peace be upon them, and is upon their religion, will continue to prevail over those who left them until the Day of Resurrection.
The Disciples Were Muslims
When Jesus, peace be upon him, became certain of the stubbornness of the Children of Israel and their insistence upon disbelief, he wanted to distinguish between his supporters who believed in him and the disbelievers.
So he said to them:
Who among you will support the religion of Allah and help me convey what I have been commanded to do?
His chosen ones and sincere followers — twelve men, the disciples — said:
We are the sincere supporters of Allah for His call and the believers in what you have brought, so bear witness to that for us on the Day of Resurrection.
Then they turned to Allah, asking Him to write them among those who testified to His Oneness, acknowledged His Lordship, and followed the Messenger of Allah.
Allah Almighty said:
“And when Jesus perceived disbelief on their part, he said: Who are my supporters for Allah? The disciples said: We are supporters of Allah. We have believed in Allah, and bear witness that we are Muslims.”
Allah called upon the followers of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to support the religion of Allah just as the disciples did.
Allah Almighty said:
“O you who have believed, be supporters of Allah as Jesus, son of Mary, said to the disciples: Who are my supporters for Allah? The disciples said: We are supporters of Allah. So a party of the Children of Israel believed and a party disbelieved. So We supported those who believed against their enemy, and they became dominant.”
Allah ordered these disciples to believe in Him and in His Messenger Jesus, peace be upon him. They said: We believe, and bear witness that we are Muslims.
Allah Almighty said:
“And when I inspired the disciples, ‘Believe in Me and My Messenger,’ they said, ‘We believe, and bear witness that we are Muslims.’”
Another Interpretation: Worldly Superiority
It was also said that what is meant by Allah Almighty’s statement:
“And He will make those who follow you superior to those who disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection.”
Is that He will make them superior to them in many worldly interests.
That is permissible to be shared in, but not in what is connected to the matter of the Hereafter, because it is not permissible to equate a Muslim and a disbeliever in the Hereafter.
Therefore, Allah said:
“Then to Me is your return, and I will judge between you concerning that over which you used to differ.”
Meaning: on the Day of Resurrection.
Allah Almighty also said:
“And never will Allah grant the disbelievers a way over the believers.”
So this is in the meaning of giving preference to the believers over the disbelievers.
Conclusion
Islam is the sincerity of religion to Allah through monotheism. It is submission to Allah, Glory be to Him, and it is the religion with which Allah revealed His books and sent His messengers.
Islam is the worship of Allah alone with no partner. As a creed, Islam is the continuation of the belief in monotheism followed by the messengers from Adam to Muhammad, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all.
As for Islam as law, it agreed with some previous laws in some rulings and differed from them in others. It is obligatory upon all creation to believe in the message of Islam as creed and law as brought by Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Whoever seeks other than that will be disappointed and lost.
Those who followed Jesus, peace be upon him, according to his nature and Sunnah are among the people of Islam. They are those who supported and aided him. They are the sincere disciples of his call and the believers in what he brought.
It was also said that what is meant is that Allah made those who followed Jesus superior to those who disbelieved in many worldly interests.
Source Notes
The report of Salman was narrated by Ibn Abi Hatim in his Tafsir, 1/165, interpretation of Surat Al-Baqarah, no. 633.
The report of Al-Suddi was narrated by Ibn Abi Hatim in his Tafsir, 1/166, interpretation of Surat Al-Baqarah, no. 635.
Interpretation of the Great Qur’an, Ibn Kathir, Dar Al-Ma’rifah, Beirut, 1400 AH / 1980 CE, vol. 1, p. 248.
The hadith of Abu Hurairah was narrated by Muslim in his Sahih, Book of Faith, Chapter on the Obligation of Belief in the Message of Our Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to All People, no. 403.
See: Al-Durr Al-Manthur, Al-Suyuti, Dar Al-Fikr, Beirut, 1st edition, 1983 CE, vol. 2, p. 227.
Studies in the Holy Qur’an, Dr. Muhammad Abd Al-Salam Abu Al-Nil, Dar Al-Fikr Al-Arabi, Cairo, 2nd edition, 1987, pp. 218-219.
Tanzih Al-Qur’an from Objections, Judge Abd Al-Jabbar, edited by Dr. Ahmad Abd Al-Rahim Al-Sayeh and Counselor Tawfiq Ali Wahba, Al-Nafiza Library, Cairo, 1st edition, 2006, pp. 86-87.