Surah Al Imran Tafseer

Disputing with the Jews and Christians About the Religion of Ibrahim

Allah censures the Jews and Christians for their dispute with Muslims over Ibrahim Al-Khalil and the claim each group made that he was one of them.

Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar reported that Ibn Abbas said,

"The Christians of Najran and Jewish rabbis gathered before the Messenger of Allah and disputed in front of him. The rabbis said, `Ibrahim was certainly Jewish.' The Christians said, `Certainly, Ibrahim was Christian.'

So Allah sent down,

يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لِمَ تُحَأجُّونَ فِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ

O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Why do you dispute about Ibrahim,

meaning, `How is it that you, Jews, claim that Ibrahim was Jew, although he lived before Allah sent down the Tawrah to Musa!

How is it that you, Christians, claim that Ibrahim was Christian, although Christianity came after his time"

وَمَا أُنزِلَتِ التَّورَاةُ وَالانجِيلُ إِلاَّ مِن بَعْدِهِ

while the Tawrah and the Injil were not revealed till after him!

This is why Allah said,

أَفَلَ تَعْقِلُونَ

Have you then no sense!

Allah then said