Muhammad’s speech in the Quran. Part 4

In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful

Polemics with the holders of the Prescription

What is the separation of teaching? It is the exclusivity of its position. Signs of such positions and conditions are developed by “spiritual” persons. Imposed dogmas determine the correctness of their vision as an only right path to follow. It is believed that following the proposed road is the key to success.

Usurping the right to determine the truth, the holders of the Prescriptions were divided and became opposing sides. To reproach this fact, God sent down the Quran, which reflected Muhammad’s polemics with Jews and Christians. The answer to their postulates was the following.

Say, “If the home of the hereafter with God is for you alone and not the [other] people, then wish for death, if you should be truthful!” (2:94)

Most of the known prophets are considered to be Jews, therefore, Tanakh apologists, who claim to be chosen by the Lord, were active opponents of Muhammad.

Say, “O Jews! If you claim that you are close to God, excluding the people, then wish for death, if you should be truthful!” (62:6)

Persistence in their views led to the religious confrontation between “priests” and the messenger. The following prescription was sent down upon that.

Then whoever argues with you about it after [this] knowledge has come to you – say, “Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, then supplicate earnestly [together] and invoke the curse of God upon the liars [among us].” (3:61)

The curse itself is a serious thing, therefore, this method, in combination with collection of intimate people, was designed to search for declared evidence. It was not about imposing the way of life, but about declaring arguments from the Prescription.

Say, “Do you argue with us about God while He is our Lord and your Lord? For us are our deeds, and for you are your deeds. And we are sincere to Him!”

Or do you say that Ibrahim (Abraham) and Ishmael and Ishaq (Isaac) and Yaqub (Jacob) and the descendants were Jews or Christians?

Say, “Are you more knowing or is God?”

And who is more unjust than one who conceals a testimony he has from God? And God is not unaware of what you do. (2:139-140)

Reliance directly on Prescription dispels human “build-ups” in the form of self-names and rituals. In more details, the topic of self-names disclosed in the article “the Quran about self-names”. Earlier Prescriptions, without interpretation, and the Quran have one basis and do not contradict each other. On this basis, it was logical to call the holders of Prescription to a common denominator.

Say, “O holders of the Prescription! Come to a word that is equitable between us and you – that we will not serve except God and not associate anything with Him and not take one another as lords instead of God!” But if they turn away, then say, “Bear witness that we humbled ourselves!” (3:64)

At once, “Elite” understood the power of influence of the Quran and urgently appealed to his followers so that they do not come out of their system through ignoring the Quranic prescriptions, by the reliance only on the way of their teachings.

And do not trust except those who follow your duty (diinakm) before God!

“Say, “Indeed, it is the Guidance! The guidance of God, and what is given is one similar to what was given to you!” Or would they argue with you before your Lord?”

Say, “Indeed, preference is in the hand of God – He grants it to whom He wills. And God is all-Encompassing and Wise! He selects for His mercy whom He wills. And God is the possessor of great bounty!” (3:73-74)

The built system covered all spheres of human life. For greater impact, the rules of eating were developed, which contain the permitted and the forbidden kinds of food that are not in the Prescription.

All food was lawful to the children of Israel except what Israel had made unlawful to himself before the Torah was revealed.

Say, “So bring the Torah and recite it, if you should be truthful.” And whoever invents about God untruth after that – then those are [truly] the obscurantists!

Say, “God has told the truth. So follow the community of Abraham, inclining toward truth; and he was not of the associating others with God!” (3:93-95)

Personal decision, even of the messenger to Israel, did not have the divine power of the law for believers.

Sometimes the discussion shifted from the main to secondary topics. But such questions were not preferable to discuss in details.

They will say there were three, the fourth of them being their dog; and they will say there were five, the sixth of them being their dog – guessing at the unseen; and they will say there were seven, and the eighth of them was their dog.

Say, “My Lord is most knowing of their number. None knows them except a few!”

So do not imitate them, except for an obvious benefit and do not be in the same row with any of them!” (18:22)

Countering the perception of signs of the Lord and an attempt to make distortion in the concepts caused negative reaction of the Most High.

Say, “O holders of the Prescription! Why do you close yourselves from the signs of God while God is witness over what you do?”

Say, “O holders of the Prescription! Why do you avert from the way of God those who believe, seeking to make it deviant, while you are witnesses? And God is not unaware of what you do!” (3:98-99)

Speaking to the conscience of the “leadership” of the holders of the Scripture, Muhammad was ordered to recall the result of violations of the commandments of the Creator on the precedent case of the violators of Saturday.

Say, “O holders of the Prescription! Do you resent us except that we have believed God and what was revealed to us and what was revealed before and because most of you are apostates?”

Say, “Shall I inform you of [what is] worse than that as penalty from God? [It is that of] those whom God has cursed and with whom He became discontented and made of them apes and pigs and servants of transgression. Those are worse in position and further astray from the sound way!” (5:59-60)

In the polemics with Christians, the most irreconcilable issue was the statement of the divine nature of Jesus. In this issue, the Almighty through the messenger spoke to the logical thinking.

They have certainly closed themselves who say that God is the anointed, the son of Maryam (Mary).

Say, “Then who could prevent God at all if He had intended to destroy the anointed, the son of Maryam (Mary), and his mother and everyone on the earth?”

And to God belongs the kingship of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them. He creates what He wills, and God is over all things competent. (5:17)

On this occasion, “priests” oppose the dogma that the logic has no place in faith.

The main issue required all kinds of arguments. After all, the doctrine of kinship with the Creator was unacceptable by the Creator.

Say, “If the Gracious had a son, then I would be the first of [his] servants!” (43:81)

In an effort to bring the common denominator in the debate, Muhammad made the following statement prescribed by God.

So if they argue with you, say, “I have humbled myself before God, and [so have] those who follow me!”

And say to those who were given the Prescription and [to] the unsophisticated, “Have you humbled yourselves?” And if they humbled, they are rightly guided; but if they turn away – then upon you is only the notification. And God is Seeing of His servants! (3:20)

The essence of the appeal to the holders of the Prescription was the call for obedience to God, the foundation of which is the very Prescriptions, but not historical and human sources, which are considered as divinely inspired.