Aal-i-Imraan 3:84

"Say, "We have believed in Allāh and in what was revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Descendants [al-Asbāṭ], and in what was given to Moses and Jesus and to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [submitting] to Him.""

The Only Valid Religion To Allah is Islam

Allah rebukes those who prefer a religion other than the religion that He sent His Books and Messengers with, which is the worship of Allah Alone without partners, to Whom,

وَلَهُ أَسْلَمَ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ

(submitted all creatures in the heavens and the earth,) Willingly, or not. Allah said in other Ayat,

وَللَّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا

(And unto Allah (Alone) falls in prostration whoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly.) 13:15, and,

أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْاْ إِلَىٰ مَا خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ مِن شَىْءٍ يَتَفَيَّؤُاْ ظِلَٰلُهُۥ عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَٱلشَّمَآئِلِ سُجَّدًا لِّلَّهِ وَهُمْ دَٰخِرُونَ ٤٨ وَلِلَّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مِن دَآبَّةٍۢ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَهُمْ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ ٤٩ يَخَافُونَ رَبَّهُم مِّن فَوْقِهِمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ ۩ ٥٠

(Have they not observed things that Allah has created: (how) their shadows incline to the right and to the left, making prostration unto Allah, and they are lowly And to Allah prostrate all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, of the moving creatures and the angels, and they are not proud. They fear their Lord above them, and they do what they are commanded) 16:48-50.

Therefore, the faithful believer submits to Allah in heart and body, while the disbeliever unwillingly submits to Him in body only, since he is under Allah's power, irresistible control and mighty kingship that cannot be repelled or resisted. Waki` reported that Mujahid said that the Ayah,

وَلَهُ أَسْلَمَ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا

(While to Him submitted all creatures in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly), is similar to the Ayah,

وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُمْ مَّنْ خَلَقَ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضَ لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ

(And verily, if you ask them: "Who created the heavens and the earth" Surely, they will say: "Allah") 39:38.

He also reported that Ibn `Abbas said about,

وَلَهُ أَسْلَمَ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا

(while to Him submitted all creatures in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly.)

"When He took the covenant from them."

وَإِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُونَ

(And to Him shall they all be returned) on the Day of Return, when He will reward or punish each person according to his or her deeds.

Allah then said,

قُلْ ءَامَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا

(Say: "We believe in Allah and in what has been sent down to us) the Qur'an,

وَمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَى إِبْرَهِيمَ وَإِسْمَـعِيلَ وَإِسْحَـقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ

(and what was sent down to Ibrahim, Ismai`0l, Ishaq, Ya`qub) the scriptures and revelation,

وَالأَسْبَاطَ

(and the Asbat,) the Asbat are the twelve tribes who originated from the twelve children of Israel (Ya`qub).

وَمَا أُوتِىَ مُوسَى وَعِيسَى

(and what was given to Musa, `Isa) the Tawrah and the Injil,

وَالنَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ

(and the Prophets from their Lord.) and this encompasses all of Allah's Prophets.

لاَ نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ

(We make no distinction between one another among them) we believe in all of them,

وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ

(And to Him (Allah) we have submitted (in Islam))

Therefore, faithful Muslims believe in every Prophet whom Allah has sent and in every Book He revealed, and never disbelieve in any of them. Rather, they believe in what was revealed by Allah, and in every Prophet sent by Allah. Allah said next,

وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الإِسْلَـمِ دِينًا فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ

(And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him,) whoever seeks other than what Allah has legislated, it will not be accepted from him,

وَهُوَ فِى الاٌّخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَـسِرِينَ

(and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers.)

As the Prophet said in an authentic Hadith,

«مَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلًا لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُنَا، فَهُوَ رَد»

(Whoever commits an action that does not conform to our matter (religion) then it is rejected).

Всевышний сообщил о том, что все пророки заключили с Аллахом суровый завет. Ниспослание Писания и мудрости было великой милостью Господа по отношению к ним, и это обязывало их совершенным образом выполнять свои обязанности перед Ним. Согласно этому завету, каждый пророк был обязан уверовать в последующего пророка и оказывать ему поддержку, когда тот явится к людям, чтобы подтвердить правдивость предыдущих посланий и проповедовать среди них единобожие, истину, справедливость и другие важные воззрения, присущие каждому небесному законодательству. Пророки согласились на такие условия и обязались выполнять этот завет, и тогда Аллах призвал их засвидетельствовать его истинность. Кроме того, Аллах Сам засвидетельствовал их согласие и сильно пригрозил каждому, кто осмелится нарушить этот завет. Из этого следует, что все пророки следовали единым путем, проповедовали одну религию и не имели разногласий между собой. Они походили друг на друга и в том, что каждый из них обязался уверовать в Пророка Мухаммада, да благословит его Аллах и приветствует, и оказывать ему поддержку. И если человек называет себя последователем Божьих пророков, то мусульманская вера является той самой религией, исповедовать которую они согласились и обязались по приказу Аллаха. Если же он отказывается следовать путем Пророка Мухаммада, да благословит его Аллах и приветствует, и продолжает называть себя последователем остальных пророков, то он - всего лишь нечестивец, который уклоняется от повиновения Аллаху и фактически отвергает и опровергает пророка, последователем которого он себя называет. Это откровение лишает всех людей Писания и представителей других общин, не верующих в Пророка Мухаммада, да благословит его Аллах и приветствует, возможности оправдаться собственной неосведомленностью. Из него становится ясно, что люди не могут должным образом уверовать в посланников, последователями которых они себя считают, пока не уверуют в Пророка Мухаммада - последнего и самого достойного из посланников, да благословит его Аллах и приветствует.

The infallibility of the Prophets

The verse implies that a person whom Allah invests with the Book, the Wisdom and the power of making decisions, and places him on the great station of prophethood is always faithful to his mission when he communicates the Divine message to people and calls on them to be-come His faithful servants. That he starts moving people away from the worship of only one God and starts asking them to become his own worshippers or the worshippers of some other creatures is something he can never do. If so, this would mean that the one whom Allah had sent as his messenger did not, in fact, deserve this designation. Any government of this world, when appointing someone to an office of responsibility, always takes two factors into consideration:

1. Does the incumbent have the ability to comprehend and execute government policy?

2. How far can he be expected to execute government directives, and to hold its subjects in a stable stance of loyalty? No king or parliament would ever appoint someone as its representative or ambassador about whom there exists the least doubt of indulging in anti-government activity, or deviation from its policy or directives. However, it is possible that the government may have failed to make a correct assessment of a person's ability or loyalty. But with Allah even that element of doubt does not exist. If He knows about a man that he would not over-step the bounds of loyalty and obedience to Him, even in the slightest degree, then it is impossible that he could, later on, prove to be contrary to that assessment. Otherwise, it would mean that Divine knowledge is defective (we seek refuge with Allah! ) Right from here, the question of the ` ismah1 (infallibility) of the prophets, (علیہم السلام) becomes clear. Now that the blessed prophets are free of minor sins, how can the probability of doing shirk (the major sin of associating others with Allah) or making revolt against Allah remain valid?

1.` Ismah' means a special protection given to someone by Allah which makes him refrain from sins. For the purpose of brevity we may translate it as 'infallibility' – editor

In this, there is the necessary refutation of the Christians who claimed that it was Masih (علیہ السلام) who asked them to have belief in his sonship and godhead. Also chastised were the Muslims who had gone to the Holy Prophet . ﷺ trying to find out if it was all right for them to prostrate before him rather than greet him with the usual سلام salam. Also admonished were the people of the Book who had invested their rabbis and monks with the station of God. Refuge with Allah! (Tafsir ` Usmani)

Other English translations

Tafsīr · classical commentary

The Only Valid Religion To Allah is Islam