Kashif Ahmed Shehzada
A Non Muslim asked this very important question:
"Will my family, who are Christians and setup Jesus as a partner with God, be saved as it says in Surah (Chapter of the Qur'an) 5:69, or be banned from paradise, as it says in Surah 5:72 ?"
5:69 does not say that Christians who believe in the divinity of Christ will be saved. The complete verse is as follows:
"Surely those who believe and those who are Jews and the Sabians and the Christians, WHOEVER believes in ALLAH and the LAST DAY and does good-- THEY shall have no fear nor shall they grieve." 5:69
The important part of this verse is:
"..WHOEVER believes in ALLAH and the LAST DAY..."
When the Qur'an stresses that anyone should believe in Allah, then it is not talking about the concepts of God existing in other religions like Rama, Krishna, Yazdan, The Biblical God Jehovah etc but It refers to the personality of Allah as mentioned in the Qur'an. The attributes of Allah that occur in the Qur'an can be found in no other religious book on the face of the earth. All other books give a distorted image of God. Hence, when the Qur'an says
"..whoever believes in Allah and the last day and does good-- they shall have no fear nor shall they grieve."
Then it talks about belief in that concept of Allah (God) which occurs in the Qur'an with all His divine attributes and laws as described through His own words, and not the Biblical image of God as the Father, Son or the Holy Ghost, or man written concepts about God in any other book. Most certainly, the Qur'anic invitation for belief in Allah does not refer to the Biblical concept of God, whom the bulk of Christendom claim to have faith upon.
Now any one who believes in Allah (with all his attributes and personality mentioned in the Qur'an, and not any other book) and the last day (once again the concept of <yaum ul akhira> or the last day as mentioned in the Qur'an) and does good deeds, then they should have no fear nor shall they grieve, no matter whether they are coming from a Christian background, Jewish background, whether they were Sabeans before or even if they are born to Muslim parents.
It should also be noted that this belief is not something which one can merely proclaim by oral admittance, but it is arrived at by using our reason and intellect in ascertaining the truth and message of Allah, (see Qur'an 21:10, 67:10, 12:108, 38:29 etc) and it isn't what one inherits from ancestors or adheres to through emotions or has any type of blind faith on (see Qur'an 2:170, 47:24, 6:116).
Belief in Qur'anic values (Imaan in Arabic) is something which occurs after seeing evidence and proof of its validity. The Qur'an is a book which not only gives proof for its claims but also asks its opponents to produce their evidence, and it invites the people to analyze its message using their faculties of intellect and reason to ascertain its truthfulness. (See Qur'an 4:174, 23:117, 2:111, 27:64 etc)
The concept of God that the Bible promotes is not the same as that which the Qur'an has given. In 5:69 people are invited to believe in the Qur'anic concept of Allah, and who ever does that then, they have nothing to fear for the consequences of their actions. Following are verses from the Bible and the Qur'an which identify the personality of God, and give us a comparative view to see the difference between Biblical concept of God, and Allah mentioned in the Qur'an and enable us to confirm that the Qur'anic invitation to Allah is distinct from the Biblical version of God.
" . . for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and WAS REFRESHED." EXODUS 31:17
What does the Qur'an say? The speaker informs us Himself:
"And certainly We created the heavens and the earth and what is between them in six periods AND THERE TOUCHED US NOT ANY FATIGUE." 50:38
"At the same time spake the Lord by I-sa'iah, the son of A'moz, saying,Go and LOOSE THE SACKCLOTH FROM OFF THY LOINS, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, WALKING NAKED and barefoot. And the Lord said, like as my servant ISAIAH hath walked NAKED and barefoot three years.." ISAIAH 20:2-3
What does the Qur'an say?
"Say: "Nay Allah never commands what is SHAMEFUL: do ye say of Allah what ye know not?" 7:28
"For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one. " The first Epistle of John 5:7
What does the Qur'an say?
"They do blaspheme who say: God is one of three in a Trinity: for there is no god except One God. If they desist not from their word (of blasphemy) verily a grievous penalty will befall the blasphemers among them." 5:76
The Holy Bible does not even spare God from illicit sexual aspersions being ascribed to Him: In the case of the conception of Jesus Christ, the Bible says that God Almighty arranged for Mary to conceive Jesus by the intervention of the Holy Ghost:
"The Holy Ghost shall COME UPON thee (the question is, how?) and the power of the most High shall OVERSHADOW thee (again, how?)." LUKE 1:35
Whereas in the case of Isaac, his conception took place in the womb of Sarah by the direct intervention of God himself, as recorded in the Holy Bible:
"And the Lord VISITED Sarah, as he had PROMISED and FULFILLED what he had SPOKEN. And Sarah CONCEIVED.. " GENESIS 21:1-2
What does the Qur'an say?
"The Originator of the heavens and the earth. How can He have a son when He has NO CONSORT, and He has created everything and has knowledge of all things?" 6:102
"Ye, shall take them (the slaves) as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them (the slaves) for a possession, they shall be, your BONDMEN (slaves) for ever.." LEVITICUS 25:46
What does the Qur'an say?
No man has the right to make others subservient to his laws, even though he may occupy the status of Prophethood.
"It is not meet for a mortal that Allah should give him the Book and the wisdom and 'Nabuwah' (Direct reception of Divine Messages), then he should say to mankind: Be my slaves rather than Allah's; but rather (he would say): Be sustenence providers (Rabaniyoon) because of your teaching the Book and your studying (it yourselves)." 3:79
JEREMIAH DECEIVED BY GOD (?):
"O Lord, thou hast DECEIVED me, and I was DECEIVED: thou art stronger than I and hast PREVAILED: I am in derision daily, everyone mocketh me. JEREMIAH 20:7
What does the Qur'an say?
It is the devil who deceives people, not God!
"He (Satan) gives them promises and excites vain desires in them; and the Shaitan does not promise them but TO DECIEVE." 4:120
"And the Lord was with Judah, and he drove out the inhabitants of the mountain, but COULD NOT drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had Chariots OF IRON." JUDGES 1:19
What does the Qur'an say?
"..when He has decreed a matter, He only says to it, Be, and it is." 3:47
And much more. It should be clear from the above that the concept of God that the Bible has given is not the same that the Qur'an mentions. The point to consider is that when Allah requires belief in Him, then it means in all His qualities and attributes as mentioned in the Qur'an and not any other book.
The attributes of Allah as described in the Qur'an are not to be found in any other scripture of the world, and a Christian or any person coming from any background IF he believes in the qualities and plan of Allah as mentioned in the Qur'an, THEN it can be said that he has nothing to fear or grieve. That is why at another place in the Qur'an it is said:
<Fa in a_manu_ bi misli ma_ a_mantum bihi fa qadih tadau, wa in tawallau fa innama_ hum fi syiqa_q(in), fa sayakfika humulla_hu, wa huwas sami'ul 'alim(u).
"If then they believe AS YOU BELIEVE in Him, they are indeed on Guidance, and if they turn back, then they are only in great opposition, so Allah will suffice you against them, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing." 2:137
The verse clearly establishes that people are required to have that belief on Allah which is mentioned in the Qur'an and not any other book.
5:69 does not say Christians who set up partners with Allah will be saved, but it simply states that who ever believes in the Qur'anic concept of Allah and the last day and does works of righteousness as mentioned in the Qur'an, then such having nothing to fear.
If people associate Jesus with Allah, then they will be barred from paradise, as association is an unforgivable crime (see 4:48, 5:72). On the last day Jesus will be asked concerning some people and he will reply. Very important verses:
"And when Allah will say: O Jesus, son of Mary ! did you say to men, Take my mother and me for two gods besides Allah ? He will say: Glory be to Thee, it did not befit me that I should say what I had no right to (say); if I had said it, Thou wouldst indeed have known it; Thou knowest what is in my mind, and I do not know what is in Thy mind, surely Thou art the great Knower of the unseen things." 5:116
"I did not say to them aught save what Thou didst enjoin me with: That SERVE ALLAH MY SUSTAINER AND YOUR SUSTAINER, and I was a witness of them so long as I was among them, but when Thou didst cause me to die, Thou wert the watcher over them, and Thou art witness of all things." 5:117
He will further request;
"If Thou shouldst chastise them, then surely they are Thy servants; and if Thou shouldst forgive them, then surely Thou art the Mighty, the Wise." 5:118
Allah will reply;
"Allah will say: THIS IS A DAY WHEN THEIR TRUTH SHALL BENEFIT THE TRUTHFUL ONES; they shall have gardens beneath which rivers flow to abide in them for ever: Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Allah; this is the mighty achievement." 5:119