| Answer: I am afraid that this inference is not correct
because the said verse has been interpreted while disregarding the context. To
understand what it says, first let us look at it in relation to the preceding
and succeeding verses. They read:
It was We who revealed the Torah to Moses; therein was
guidance and light. In accordance with it the obedient Prophets of Allah, Rabi
scholars and the jursits of the Jews used to decide the affairs of the Jews
because they had been entrusted with the book of Allah and made witnesses
....And in their footsteps We sent Jesus the son of Mary in testification of the
Book before him; therein was guidance and light and We gave him Injil as a
guidance and admonition to those who fear Allah and it is incumbent upon the
recipients of Injil to decide [according to the directives] contained in
it...And to you [O Prophet] We sent the scripture in truth according to the
confirmation of the scripture that came before it, and as a guardian. So judge
Between them by what Allah has revealed, And follow not their vain desires,
diverging from the truth that has come to you. To each among you had We
prescribed a Law and a Way. If Allah had so willed, He would have made you a
single People, but [His plan is] to test you in what He has given you; so try to
outdo one another in virtues. The return of you all is to Allah; it is He that
will show you the truth of the matters in which you dispute. And this [He
commands]: Judge between them by what Allah has revealed, And follow not their
vain desires, but beware of them lest they beguile you from any of that
[teaching] which Allah has sent down to you. And if they turn away, be assured
that for some of their crimes it is Allah’s purpose to punish them. And truly
most men are rebellious. Do they then seek after a judgement of [the days of]
Ignorance? But who, for a people whose faith is assured, can give better
judgement than Allah? (5:44-50)
A simple reading of these verses tells us:
1. This cluster of verses is narrating Allah’s scheme of
the history of Wahī (divine revelation) to three major Prophets who received
this guidance in the form of Books.
2. Each of the three Prophets were given a Book so that he
could decide the affairs of his people through his Book.
3. Since the first two Books could not be preserved in
their original form, the final Book: the Qur’ān was revealed as a guardian and
judge between the older books.
4. The Law and the Way (ie the Sharī‘ah) were different to
all these nations (whilst the basics in faith were the same). The reason being
that a change in this law should become a source of trial and test for the
subsequent nation. The test was that they willingly accept this change or not
since the basics were the same; only the outward appearance in law changed. An
example of this is that the teaching of Tawhīd (monotheism) never changed in any
divine Book but the nature and quantity of worship rituals (which were the Law),
for example, changed.
5. Allah could have kept all the people on His path by
force but He did not do so. He did not want people to follow His path due to
some coercion. He wanted people to decide freely for themselves. So He gave them
the choice to choose.
6. The Prophet Muhammad (sws) was directed to judge between
the previous nations according to the Qur’ān since this was the final and
authentic version of the Words of Allah.
7. If the people of the previous nations do not listen to
him and deliberately deny his message, then they will face a grievous doom very
soon.
If this contextual analysis is correct, the inference to
which you have referred, I should believe, does not arise. |