Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 135

(Ayah 135) ➊ The People of the Book used to invite the Muslims to Judaism and Christianity and considered guidance to be exclusive to their own religion. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) says that Abdullah bin Suriyah (a Jew) said to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), “Guidance is only what we are upon, so if you follow us, you will be rightly guided,” and the Christians said the same. Upon this, this verse was revealed. (Ibn Kathir with a Hasan chain) That is, say: We will follow the religion of Ibrahim (Abraham), who was Hanif and Muslim, meaning, turning away from all groups and the ways of forefathers, turning solely to Allah and being fully obedient to Him, and was not of the polytheists. You yourselves admit that his religion was the truth. Your condition is such that, on one hand, you are caught in shirk, considering Uzair and Masih (peace be upon them) as sons of Allah, sometimes believing in three gods, sometimes worshipping the cross. On the other hand, instead of following divine revelation, you are caught in imitating the rabbis and monks, divided into sects. With what face do you claim to be upon guidance? Alas! Now the majority of Muslims are in the same state: just as the Jews, Christians, and polytheists abandoned the Hanif religion and considered adherence to a few rituals, innovations, superstitions, and acts of shirk as the religion of guidance, similarly, they too have abandoned the Qur’an and Sunnah and made it obligatory to follow elders who came centuries after the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), who were not even prophets. They have considered asking from others besides Allah, visiting the graves of elders instead of Hajj, and abandoning prayer, fasting, and zakat in favor of self-invented litanies, practices, and retreats as a means of nearness to Allah. If anyone calls to Tawheed and the Qur’an and Sunnah, he is declared irreligious and misguided.

➋ Islam is actually the name of a collection of beliefs and principles, that is, the belief in Tawheed and following divine revelation. This is also what is meant by religion and millah. All the prophets were followers of the same religion and millah, that is, Islam; if there is any difference, it is in some rulings. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ اَلْاَنْبِيَاءُ إِخْوَةٌ لِعَلاَّتٍ، اُمَّهَاتُهُمْ شَتَّی وَ دِيْنُهُمْ وَاحِدٌ ] “All the prophets are paternal brothers, their mothers (i.e., their laws) are different, and their religion is one.” [ بخاری، أحادیث الأنبیاء، باب قول اللہ تعالٰی …: ۳۴۴۳، عن أبی ہریرۃ رضی اللہ عنہ ] In this sense, the religion of Muhammad is also the millah of Ibrahim; Judaism and Christianity are outside the millah of Ibrahim, because they fell into shirk instead of Tawheed of Allah, and into imitation of rabbis and monks instead of following divine revelation, and abandoned acting upon the Torah and Gospel. If they were truly Muslim, they would have believed in you because the attributes of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) are present in the Torah and Gospel. See also Surah Al-Imran (64 to 68).

135. 1. The Jews invite Muslims to Judaism and the Christians to Christianity, and say that guidance lies only in that. Allah the Exalted said, tell them that guidance is in following the religion of Ibrahim, who was Hanif (a worshipper of the One Allah, turning away from all else and worshipping Him alone); he was not a polytheist. Whereas both Judaism and Christianity contain elements of shirk. And now, unfortunately, manifestations of shirk are also common among Muslims. Although the teachings of Islam, by the grace of Allah, are preserved in the Quran and Hadith, in which the concept of Tawheed is absolutely clear and very explicit, distinguishing Islam from Judaism and dualism (religions that believe in two gods). But the polytheistic values and concepts that have entered into the beliefs and actions of a large number of Muslims have obscured the distinction of Islam from the eyes of the world. Because followers of other religions do not have direct access to the Quran and Hadith; they will only judge by observing the actions of Muslims, and thus it appears to them that there is no distinction between Islam and other religions tainted with polytheistic concepts. In the next verse, the standard of faith is being explained.

135. The Jews say, "Become Jews and you will be guided," and the Christians say, "Become Christians and you will be guided." Say to them: (It is not so), rather, whoever is on the religion of Abraham will be guided, and he was a monotheist and was not among those who associated partners with Allah [167].

[167]
The Meaning of Millat and the Millat of Ibrahim (peace be upon him):

Millat is the name of that system of life which is based on certain specific beliefs, and among the beliefs of the Millat of Ibrahim (peace be upon him), the most important belief that Allah Almighty has mentioned is this: Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was a monotheist. He did not commit shirk. The Jews say to the Muslims, "If you become Jews, you will attain salvation," even though they themselves were polytheists and used to call Prophet Uzair (peace be upon him) the son of Allah. Similarly, the Christians used to say the same thing to the Muslims, even though they also believed in three gods and were polytheists, and there is no doubt about the polytheism of the disbelievers of Makkah and others. Even though they too claimed to follow the Millat of Ibrahim. Allah Almighty said that none of them is on guidance nor do they have any connection with the Millat of Ibrahim, because all of them are polytheists. Only the one who is not a polytheist can be upon the Millat of Ibrahim, and he alone will be rightly guided.