سورة البقرة

Imam al-Askari (peace be upon him): This verse was revealed only because a group of Jews and a group of Christians came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) and said: "O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! Judge between us." The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Relate your story to me."

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): When the leaders of the Christians of Najran came to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), the rabbis and scholars of the Jews also came, and in the presence of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) these two groups fell into dispute with one another. Rafi ibn Harmala (from the Jews) said to the Christians: "You have no foundation and no root." And he denied the prophethood of Isa (peace be upon him) and disbelieved in the Injil. One of the Najranis said: "The Jews have no foundation and no root." And he denied the prophethood of Musa (peace be upon him) and the Tawrat. Allah revealed this verse for this reason.

Imam al-Askari (peace be upon him): The Jews said, "The Christians have nothing [and their religion has no foundation], and their religion is false and they are disbelievers," even though [those same Jews] recite the Torah [and could see that it confirmed the Injil].

Imam al-Askari (peace be upon him): The Jews said, "We have believed in the One, Wise Allah and in His awliya; but the Christians have nothing and are not upon the truth [and their religion has no foundation]."

Imam al-Askari (peace be upon him): The Christians said, "The Jews have nothing [and their religion has no foundation] and their religion is false and they are disbelievers, even though they recite the Injil, and they are not upon the truth [and their religion has no foundation]."

Imam al-Askari (peace be upon him): The Christians said, "We are believers in the One, Wise Allah, [but] the Jews have no religion and are not upon the truth [and their religion has no foundation]."

Imam al-Askari (peace be upon him): These and those (the Jews and the Christians) were speaking these words in blind imitation and without any proof [accusing one another]. They would recite their heavenly books but did not reflect upon them so as to act upon what they require and be delivered from misguidance.

Imam Askari (peace be upon him): The Jews said: "How are we disbelievers when we possess the Book of Allah, the Torah, and we recite it?!" The Christians also said: "How are we disbelievers when we have [the Book of Allah] the Injil and we recite it?!"

Imam Askari (peace be upon him): Those who did not know the truth also said the same, and they did not consider this matter from the angle Allah had commanded. They addressed one another and differed, like the speech of the Christians and the Jews — this group declared that group disbelievers, and those also considered these to be disbelievers.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): What is meant by الَّذِینَ لا یَعْلَمُونَ [those who do not know] in the verse is the polytheists of the Arabs, who said regarding Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and his companions: "These people have nothing [and their religion has no foundation or basis]," or they said: "All the prophets and their communities are worthless and have no standing. Their speech has no foundation or basis."

Imam Askari (peace be upon him): Allah, in the Hereafter, will punish them to the extent of what they deserve.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Both of you (the Jews and the Christians) have gone astray and speak falsehood, and you are transgressors against the religion of Allah and His command ... Both of you groups oppose the Book of Allah and do not act upon it. For if you had acted upon the Book of Allah, you would not have accused one another of disbelief without proof; because the Book of Allah is a means of healing from blindness [ignorance] and deliverance from misguidance; it guides those who act upon it to the straight path. But when you do not act upon the commands that are in the Book of Allah, [that same divine Book] becomes a burden and an increase of sin upon you. When you do not accept the proof of Allah, you will be in opposition to Allah and subject to His wrath."

Imam Askari (peace be upon him): Allah [on the Day of Resurrection] will judge concerning what they differed about in this world, and will expose their misguidance and their transgression.