The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 303
themselves have become so depraved that they have ceased to act upon their own religious scriptures and are increasingly becoming ignorant of their own religions. They have become so corrupt that when they find that there is a likelihood of their securing a favourable decision regarding a dispute in accordance with the Islamic Law, they do not hesitate to refer it to the Holy Prophet for settlement and seek his judgement. They are told that so long as they do not accept Islam, they must follow their own scriptures and abide by their own Law; but that if, bowing to the political supremacy of Islam, they sometimes seek the judgement of the Islamic Government, it must be according to the Quranic Law (46-57). The Surah proceeds to draw the attention of the Muslims to the great change that has come over Islamic politics and they are told that as the power of the infidels has been finally broken and, instead of infidels, Christians are now to be their principal enemies, and Jews, in spite of their enmity towards Christianity, are to side with Christians, Muslims should be on their guard against them. Jews will try to turn some of the Muslims into hypocrites and, though they may succeed in their endeavors and some Muslims may fall victim to their machinations, yet Islam will suffer no real loss on that account and eventually Muslims will conquer and prevail (58-64). Some light is shed on the stratagems and machinations that will be employed by the enemies of Islam to turn Muslims away from their faith and to lower it in their estimation (65-72). The importance of the preaching of Islam is impressed on the Holy Prophet and on Muslims. They are told that the one real method effectively to defeat the activities of Jews and Christians is to preach the Message of Islam to them and to bring home to them the truth from their own Scriptures that they can reject Islam only by denying and belying those scriptures. It should also be made clear to them that their salvation, too, lies in Islam. Their idolatrous beliefs should also be proved to be baseless from their own scriptures, particularly the doctrine of the Sonship of Jesus, who should be shown to be only a Prophet of God (73-78). Similarly, mention is made of Jews who, by opposing and persecuting the two great Prophets of God, David and Jesus, have incurred the displeasure of the Almighty and excited His wrath against them which has led to the disappearance from among them of all feeling of jealousy for their religion. Muslims are told to draw the attention of these people to their past faults and failings, but are warned that by experience they will learn that Christians are more amenable to accepting the truth than Jews (79-87). (The experience of the past thirteen centuries bears ample testimony to the fact that far more Christians than Jews have accepted Islam during this period. Perhaps the time for the reformation of the Jews may also be drawing near). 743