Chapter 3: Surat Aal-'Imran (The House 'Imran), verse 81-91
Translation:
When God made His covenant with the prophets, He said: 'Here are the Scriptures and the wisdom which I have given you. An apostle will come forth to confirm them. Believe in him and help him. Will you affirm this and accept the burden I have laid on you in these terms?' They replied: 'We will affirm it.' 'Then bear witness,' He said, 'and I will bear witness with you. He that hereafter rebels is a transgressor.' Are they seeking a religion other than God's, when every soul in the heavens and the earth has submitted to Him, willingly or by compulsion? To him shall they return. Say: 'We believe in God and what is revealed to us; in that which was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael, to Isaac and Jacob and the tribes; and in that which their Lord gave Moses and Jesus and the prophets. We discriminate against none of them. To Him we have surrendered ourselves.' He that chooses a religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him and in the world to come he will surely be among the losers. How will God guide those who lapse into unbelief after embracing the Faith and acknowledging the Apostle as true, and after receiving veritable proofs? God does not guide the evil-doers. Their reward will be the curse of God, the angels, and all mankind; under it they shall abide for ever. Their punishment shall not be mitigated, nor shall they be reprieved; except those who afterwards repent and mend their ways, for God is forgiving and merciful. But those that recant and die unbelievers, no ransom shall be accepted from them: be it as much gold as would fill the entire earth. Woeful punishment awaits them, and none shall help them. (81-91)
Commentary:
Finding/discovering
God is to find an eternal reality. This is to become a co-traveler or a traveling
companion with the whole universe. Those who find God in this way, can rise
above all kinds of prejudices. They recognize truth in all situations, whether
the call of truth comes through an ‘Israelite prophet’ or an ‘Ishmaelite
Prophet’. But those who lead their lives on the level of community-worship can
recognize truth only when it comes to them from a member of their own community.
If God selects someone outside of their community, then such a message does not
form part of their mind, not even when their own heart witnesses to the veracity
of that message. Even if such believers count themselves as of the believers,
they will find their name abrogated from the list of believers in the Hereafter.
It is because they recognized the truth only in relation to their community
rather than in relation to God. Not acknowledging a message of the truth which
has been witnessed by his own heart is the worst crime in the eyes of God. Such
people will be condemned in the Hereafter and all the creatures will join in
this condemnation.