Al-Bannā continues to list the Qur’ānic principles that prove that no religion abrogates another. Al-Bannā argues that freedom of creed is a personal issue that the regime has nothing to do with. He cites the Qur’ānic verse: “Whoso desireth that (life) which hasteneth away, We hasten for him therein what We will for whom We please. And afterward We have appointed for him hell; he will endure the heat thereof, condemned, rejected.” 15, Meaning of the Glorious <I><abbr title="Muslims believe Qur'ān is compilation of God's revelations. [Original: Qur’ān}"><a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/quran" title="Muslims believe Qur'ān is compilation of God's revelations. [Original: Qur’ān}">Qur’ān</a></abbr></i> by Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall, <a href="http://www.geocities.com/askress2009/quran/pickthall/surah17.html" title="http://www.geocities.com/askress2009/quran/pickthall/surah17.html">http://www.geocities.com/askress2009/quran/pickthall/surah17.html</a> .
Moreover, al-Bannā argued, the Qur’ān does deprive believers in other religions from God’s mercy and His reward, and it makes God the judge in the conflicts amongst them: “Lo! Those who believe (in that which is revealed unto thee, Muhammad), and those who are Jews, and Christians, and Sabaeans - whoever believeth in Allah and the Last Day and doeth right - surely their reward is with their Lord, and there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.” 62, Meaning of the Glorious <I><abbr title="Muslims believe Qur'ān is compilation of God's revelations. [Original: Qur’ān}"><a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/quran" title="Muslims believe Qur'ān is compilation of God's revelations. [Original: Qur’ān}">Qur’ān</a></abbr></i> by Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall, <a href="http://www.geocities.com/askress2009/quran/pickthall/surah2.html" title="http://www.geocities.com/askress2009/quran/pickthall/surah2.html">http://www.geocities.com/askress2009/quran/pickthall/surah2.html</a> .
The Qur’ān also recognizes the Bible and the Torah as revealed by God. Al-Bannā argues that the only criticism of the Qur’ān in this response concerns what has been proved by historical facts and evidence, concerning the existence of differences that occurred due to the delay in writing down the Holy texts. Al-Bannā claims that this delay resulted in errors that were related to the diversity of translations or the church orientations. This happened also in the Sunnah because of the delay in its documentation. Al-Bannā stated that it is unreasonable for a statement like “ for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,” [Deuteronomy 5: 9, Bible Gateway, New International Version, http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=5&chapter=5&version=31 ] to be in a Holy Text about virtues.
However, he cites the Qur’ānic verses reading: “Say O People of the Scripture! Ye have naught (of guidance) till ye observe the Torah and the Gospel and that which was revealed unto you from your Lord. That which is revealed unto thee (Muhammad) from thy Lord is certain to increase the contumacy and disbelief of many of them. But grieve not for the disbelieving folk.” 68, Meaning of the Glorious <I><abbr title="Muslims believe Qur'ān is compilation of God's revelations. [Original: Qur’ān}"><a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/quran" title="Muslims believe Qur'ān is compilation of God's revelations. [Original: Qur’ān}">Qur’ān</a></abbr></i> by Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall, <a href="http://www.geocities.com/askress2009/quran/pickthall/surah5.html" title="http://www.geocities.com/askress2009/quran/pickthall/surah5.html">http://www.geocities.com/askress2009/quran/pickthall/surah5.html</a> . Moreover, the Qur’ān recommends righteous and just relationships with non Muslims and calls for protecting churches and monks. Al-Bannā mentioned that the Prophet Muhammad commanded that Muslim leaders preserve the security of Christians and churches in their conquering wars. Moreover, Christians could pay the jizyah to guarantee their safety under Muslim rule and be free to apply their doctrinal codes. Had Islam believed in abrogating the other religions, Muslim troops would have destroyed churches and killed clergymen.
However, al-Bannā states that some people will try to refute his argument and allege that it claims the nonexistence of the religious institution in Islam. He says that Muslim faqīhs throughout history have dominated Muslims’ thinking and subjugated them to their own thoughts, establishing what was similar to the religious institution which is not fundamental in Islam.
The existence of faqīhs was more for social than religious reasons. In spite of the faqīhs’ skills and ingenuity, following them harmed Islam and caused its deterioration. Al-Bannā hinted that the religious institution in the full meaning of the term does not exist in Islam. The grand Imām has no authority to judge any Muslim, but can himself be a subject of criticism.
This is not the case in Christianity, where the church dominates everything and has the authority to judge, prohibit and defrock, he elaborated.
Al-Bannā criticized a declaration in al-Dustūr of September 3, 2007 that “Islam is the only righteous religion and whoever says the contrary is a kāfir.” Al-Bannā states that people who believe such arguments do not have any fundamental religious authority, and that they try to impose their opinions under the pretext of being specialists.
“The second possible refutation of my argument,” states al-Bannā might be that the Qur’ān contains verses that can be interpreted as meaning that Islam is the only religion. The origin of this argument is the Islamic belief that all monotheistic religions are mainly based on the concept of submitting one’s self to God, and this is the exact meaning of Islam as a word and concept. [Reviewer: The word “Muslim” literally means the person who submits to God. In this sense, believers of all monotheistic religions submit to God, and are consequently Muslims; i.e, submitting to God.].
Al-Bannā, moreover, argues that it is important to understand the Qur’ān to know the context of a given verse, what precedes it and what follows; for the Qur’ānic verses are all linked. He cites the verse reading: “And whoso seeketh as religion other than the Surrender (to Allah) it will not be accepted from him, and he will be a loser in the Hereafter.” 85, The Meaning of the Holy <I><abbr title="Muslims believe Qur'ān is compilation of God's revelations. [Original: Qur’ān}"><a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/quran" title="Muslims believe Qur'ān is compilation of God's revelations. [Original: Qur’ān}">Qur’ān</a></abbr> </i>by Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall, <a href="http://www.geocities.com/askress2009/quran/pickthall/surah3.html" title="http://www.geocities.com/askress2009/quran/pickthall/surah3.html">http://www.geocities.com/askress2009/quran/pickthall/surah3.html</a> , Picktall translation of the verse translates Islam as “the surrender to God.” The term in the <I><abbr title="Muslims believe Qur'ān is compilation of God's revelations. [Original: Qur’ān}"><a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/quran" title="Muslims believe Qur'ān is compilation of God's revelations. [Original: Qur’ān}">Qur’ān</a></abbr> </i>is “Islam”.
Al-Bannā stated that the verse was revealed following lengthy debates over religion, citing: “When Allah made (His) covenant with the prophets, (He said): Behold that which I have given you of the Scripture and knowledge. And afterward there will come unto you a messenger, confirming that which ye possess. Ye shall believe in him and ye shall help him. He said: Do ye agree, and will ye take up My burden (which I lay upon you) in this (matter) ? They answered: We agree. He said: Then bear ye witness. I will be a witness with you.
Then whosoever after this shall turn away: they will be miscreants. Seek they other than the religion of Allah, when unto Him submitteth whosoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and unto Him they will be returned. Say (O Muhammad): We believe in Allah and that which is revealed unto us and that which was revealed unto Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and that which was vouchsafed unto Moses and Jesus and the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and unto Him we have surrendered. And whoso seeketh as religion other than the Surrender (to Allah) it will not be accepted from him, and he will be a loser in the Hereafter. How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their belief and (after) they bore witness that the messenger is true and after clear proofs (of Allah’s Sovereignty) had come unto them. And Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk. As for such, their guerdon is that on them rests the curse of Allah and of angels and of men combined. They will abide therein. Their doom will not be lightened, neither will they be reprieved.” 81-88, The meaning of the Holy <I><abbr title="Muslims believe Qur'ān is compilation of God's revelations. [Original: Qur’ān}"><a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/quran" title="Muslims believe Qur'ān is compilation of God's revelations. [Original: Qur’ān}">Qur’ān</a></abbr> </i>by Muhammad Mamaduke Picktall, <a href="http://www.geocities.com/askress2009/quran/pickthall/surah3.html" title="http://www.geocities.com/askress2009/quran/pickthall/surah3.html">http://www.geocities.com/askress2009/quran/pickthall/surah3.html</a> .
Taking this context into consideration, verse 19 of the same sūrah can then be understood as referring to those who embraced Islam and then abandoned it. Al-Bannā concludes by stating that it is natural for Islam not to “accept” those who abandoned it, but this does not mean rejecting all non Muslims in principle, because the preceding verses imply that what was revealed to the prophets before Islam should also be acknowledged.
العربية