Among those who came before Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ Nation were people who worshiped idols with varying images. Among them were people who worshiped stones. And among them were those who worshiped people, human beings; like those who worshiped Nimrod, Pharaoh, and others. And among them were people who worshiped images. If something was beautiful, it had a nice image, they worshiped it. Among them were those who worshiped the sun, the moon, and the stars; like those at the time of Prophet Ibraaheem, ^alayhis salaam. And among them were people who use to worship Angels, and they use to say that the Angels are daughters of Allaah. And Allaah said about them in the Qur'aan:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤمِنُونَ بِالأَخِرَةِ لَيُسَمُّونَ المَلآئِكَةَ تَسمِيَةَ الأُنثَى
(which means) Those who do not believe in the Hereafter name the Angels with the names of females.
That is, they use to say that the Angels are the daughters of Allaah. Allaah refuted them and dispraised them in the Qur'aan. Those people were among the Arabs in the Era of Ignorance. The Arabs in the the Era of Ignorance use to like to have sons and they use to sometimes bury their daughters alive, and they attributed to Allaah what they hated for themselves. So, this verse was in refutation to the blasphemers among the Arabs at that time. There are also other verses in the Qur'aan which refute them.
There were people who use to worship the devil, and still do. And there were people who use to worship fish. And some who use to worship cows, and they still exist.
There were people before this Nation, of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, who were called Sophists. They use to deny the reality of this world. They use to say that none of this exists; this world doesn't exist. They use to say that it is all an imagination. The scholars said that you refute these people by beating them and taking their money and if they complain, you tell them, “According to you, this doesn't exist, so why are you complaining?” And, "If you say that the reality of the world doesn't exist, then your denial doesn't exist."
And among the people before this Nation was As-Sumaniyyah. They are a faction of Hindus who use to deny that you can achieve knowledge by using your mind, and they said that the world is eternal with no beginning. And there were people called Ad-Dahriyyah. “Dahriyyah” means that it is related to time. These were atheists. They were materialists, meaning that they believed there was nothing other than this material world. According to them, everything is physical and material. They denied the existence of the Creator. They said that nothing makes us die except time. In saying that, they mean that nothing but the passage of time makes us die. They denied the Existence of Allaah. They said that the world is beginningless and they denied the existence of the Creator.
And among them were those called Hayoolah. One might say that Hayoolah means “primordial matter.” In simple words, they believed there was some matter, physical eternal entity, that was the origin of something else. They believed there was something and it is physical like us, but it is eternal and it is the origin of everything. They said that the basis of everything in the world is eternal; not that everything is eternal. They said that the different qualities and things that take place are events.
And among those people who existed before the Nation of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ are those who said that the world is eternal and they denied the existence of the Creator. Among them were some philosophers. And among the philosophers were those who believed that there is an Eternal Creator, but they say that the world is also eternal. Those philosophers said there are 2 types of eternity: 1) eternity which is unaffected by another and 2) eternity which is affected by another. They said that Allaah is eternal but nothing affected His existence. And according to them, the world is eternal but it is affected by the Creator. How did they arrive at this non-sense? Because they said that the existence of the Creator dictates and necessitates the existence of the world. So they said since the Creator is eternal, then the world is eternal, but since the Creator's existence necessitates the existence of the world, then the world is eternal by the affect of the Creator, and the Creator is eternal without anyone's affect. This is all blasphemy, and it's impossible because it is impossible that something would be eternal and also affected by another. They are basically saying that it is eternal and created at the same time. They say that the Maker and the made are both eternal and beginningless.
And there was also another group of people who were Philosophers. They said that there are 4 elements and they are eternal. They said they are earth, water, fire, and air. This is from blasphemous philosophy. There was another group of philosophers who added and said that these 4 elements are eternal and the stars and celestial bodies are also eternal. And another group of them said there is a fifth element that is eternal. Those people say that the fifth element is something ambiguous and they don't know what the fifth element actually is.
Also, among the people in previous nations were the Majis who were in 4 factions. They believed in 2 gods: yahdhaan (in their claim creates good) and ahraman (in their claim creates evil); one who created good and one who created evil. According to them, the one who creates good is light and the one who creates evil is dark, and he is like the devil but he is like a god also, according to them, because he can create.
There were also some people called the Saabi'ah. Their religion was like those who believed in primordial matter – who believed in the eternity of some matter which was the origin of the world.
Among those who came before the Nation of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ are the ones called the BaraHimah – Brahmans. They denied all the Prophets and they said that Prophethood is impossible. They said, “If a Prophet comes, he will come with something that your mind can know, or come with something your mind will deny. They said, “If he comes with something your mind can know, then we don't need him because we have a mind. And if he comes with something your mind denies, we don't need him because the mind is evidence from God. So why would we take from someone who opposes the mind?” They missed the third option, which is something that your mind is neutral about; the mind doesn't go one way or the other way. There are things that the mind alone won't know. And this is what the Prophet comes with. Because the mind, alone, would not know if there is an afterlife or not. It is neutral about that. Does the mind, by itself, know that there is torture or enjoyment in the grave? Does the mind know that it is obligatory to pray or fast? The mind alone cannot verify that. The mind is neutral about all of these things. Allaah sent Prophets because the people's minds are not sufficient to know everything that they need to know. The Prophets will come to verify or deny what the mind alone cannot verify or deny. Maybe the Brahmins were not smart enough to conclude this. They deny all the Prophets, but the Brahmins say that the world is created and the Creator is One.
THE JEWS
And among the people of previous nations are Jews. It came from the Prophet ﷺ that they will separate into 71 factions. Know, that the reason for their separation is what is mentioned by most of the scholars of interpretation. As time passed on the people among the Children of Israel, their hearts became hard. They transgressed and went beyond the boundaries, and they fabricated books as they desired. They claimed that those books were revelation from Allaah. And they use to say, “Whoever opposes us in this, we will kill them.” Then they thought and they said, “There is no way we can kill all the Children of Israel. However, the Children of Israel have a scholar. He is their power. He is a big scholar among them. We will display what we have made to him. If he accepts it, his followers will accept it. And if he doesn't accept, we will kill him. Then, all of the Children of Israel will follow us.” So they sent a message to him. The man knew what they wanted; he knew their scheme that they had in mind. So he wrote the book of Allaah on very fine paper and very small letters. He put that in a horn of an animal. Then he wore that horn around his neck and wore his clothing over the top of it. Then he went to them and they displayed to him what they had, and called him to believe in it. So, he pointed at his chest where the horn was. He said, “Yes, I believe in this and how would I not believe in it?” And he had companions who use to observe him until he died. And they found the horn with him and what is in it. They said, “When he said, 'I believe in this' he was talking about what was in the horn.” Then the people differed about him, they thought: “Did he believe what those people displayed to him or not?” And because of him, the difference among the Children of Israel happened, until they became 71 factions. The best of those factions were the people who followed the man with the horn.
The Jews by the way, their Tawraah is not narrated by Tawaatur – it is not definitely true; especially today, it is perverted. But at the time of the Prophet ﷺ, they had authentic copies. But even then, it was not narrated by tawaatur because BukhtanaSar did genocide on the Children of Israel, so they were few. None of them remembered the Tawraah and didn't know where it was buried. Allaah brought ^Uzayr back to life. ^Uzayr had memorized it and knew where it was buried. The Children of Israel told him, “If you really are ^Uzayr, show us where the Tawraah is buried.” They found it, but it was damaged and worn out. So ^Uzayr recited it from memory and they filled in the gaps. So, they don't have the Tawraah by tawaatur.
In general, all of the Jews are of 2 factions – 1) There are those who deny the Prophethood of Al-MuSTafaa (the Chosen One), Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and 2) there are those who don't deny it. At the time of the Prophet, they knew about him. There are plenty of cases pertaining to this. Like in the case of that Companion from Al-Madinah, who said, “We had a Jewish neighbor” and remember that the Arabs of that time were idol worshipers, so they didn't believe in the Afterlife, Paradise, Hellfire, etc. So this Companion said, “We had a Jewish neighbor, and he use to talk to us about Paradise and Hell, and he use to talk to us about the coming of the last Prophet, and he pointed at Makkah and said that he will come from this direction. We asked him when that will be and he looked at the sky and thought. I was the youngest among the people at that time. Then he looked at me and said, 'If this boy lives his life, he will meet him.' The years passed and Allaah sent His Prophet and we believed in him, and that Jew used to sit envious and hateful towards the Prophet.” He didn't embrace Islaam although he use to describe exactly what will happen and it happened.
And like the story when the Prophet ﷺ had an agreement with the Jews. So, he had to get some blood money because one of the Companions killed some people who were under the protection of the Prophet ﷺ. There was a Companion who encountered a camp of kuffaar who he thought had killed some Muslims. So, this Companion killed those people in their sleep. The Companion told the Prophet ﷺ about this and the Prophet ﷺ told him, “You have killed people who are under my protection.” So, the Prophet ﷺ had to give them some blood money; so as to prevent fighting. So, he went to some Jews who he had a treaty with at the time. He told them, “I need blood money.” They said, “Yes, right away Abul-Qaasim; sit right here.” Then they said, “Muhammad is here now. Who will go up from the top and throw a rock on his head to kill him?” Some others said, “Don't do that, if you try to throw a rock on him, the Angel will come and tell him.” One of them tried to do it anyway, but the Prophet ﷺ was gone because the Angel went and told him. He left and came back with an army, because they betrayed him and broke the treaty.
There are other stories like that. Like when the 2 Jews went to the Prophet ﷺ to ask him certain matters which were revealed in the Laws of Prophet Moosaa, ^alayhis salaam. One of them said, “Let's go ask this Prophet some questions.” The other one said, “Do not call him a Prophet.” You can use this story when talking to some Christians because the Jews knew that the Arabs had no knowledge of their stories and history. So what would they know about the stories of the Children of Israel, etc because the Arabs of that time were Pagans. So what would the Arabs know about what was revealed to Prophet Moosaa ^alayhis salaam? So, they knew that if Muhammad ﷺ is really a Prophet, he would know what was revealed to Prophet Moosaa, ^alayhis-salaam. The Arabs at that time wouldn't know. So, these 2 Jews went to the Prophet ﷺ to ask him about some specific matters that were revealed to Prophet Moosaa, ^alayhis salaam. So, the Prophet ﷺ told them that it was revealed to Prophet Moosaa that it is Haraam (and shirk) to worship other than Allaah, it is Haraam to practice magic, ribaa is Haraam, and some other matters. The Jews fell and kissed the Prophet's feet, but they didn't believe in him. The Prophet ﷺ asked them, “What prevents you from believing in me?” First they lied and said that Prophet Daawood, ^alayhis salaam, said, “There will be no other Prophet except that he is from my lineage”, and they said that if the Jews knew they believed in him, they would kill them. They didn't embrace Islaam and they knew he was a Prophet. This is evidence that a person might commit blasphemy while retaining the proper belief. Even if a person doesn't change their belief in Allaah and the Messenger, they might still commit blasphemy. Those people knew he was the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ, but they didn't do what would make the belief valid – to say the Shahaadah to embrace Islaam. Allaah said in the Qur'aan, which means: They know him like they know their own children.
In the Qur'aan, Allaah exposes the Jews for many, many things they kept secret. All of the things that they didn't tell people and kept secret, is mentioned in the Qur'aan. Soorah Al-Baqarah is full of things that the Jews kept secret. The Jews hid the story of the Saturday People. Allaah said in the Qur'aan, which means, “O Jews, We know about the people among you who transgressed on Saturday. And We said to them: Become monkeys.” Allaah transformed them into monkeys. The Jews knew about that and the Arabs did not. And Allaah revealed that to the Prophet ﷺ and exposed them.
And you know there is a miracle in the Qur'aan where Allaah challenges the Jews. Allaah ordered the Prophet ﷺ to say to the Jews, “Wish for death.” They will never wish for it. It means that not a single one of them would come out and say, “I wish for death.” Up until today, over 1400 years later, not one of them wishes for death. Allaah said in the Qur'aan that they will never wish for it. If they want to disprove the Qur'aan, all they have to do is come out and say, “I wish for death.” They will never do it. As a matter of fact, Allaah tells us that the Jews are the people who are most attached to this life.
And know that all of the Jews in reference to the foundations of TawHeed are of 2 groups – 1) A group of them are likeners (MushabbiHah). In the Nation of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, those who liken Allaah to the creations took it from the Jews. Anyone, in the Nation of Muhammad ﷺ, who said statements of tashbeeh took it from the Jews. They believe Allaah is above the ^Arsh or sitting on the ^Arsh. And 2) The second group of Jews in this issue are deniers of Destiny. They deny that Allaah would be seen. And they say that the Kalaam of Allaah is created. They say that the living things create their deeds. It was related that most of the nations of the Prophets had among them those who denied destiny. It was narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, which means, “The deniers of destiny have been damned by the tongues of 70 Prophets.”
THE CHRISTIANS
And among those who were before the Nation of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ are a group called Christians. The Prophet ﷺ said, which means, “That they will divide into 72 factions.” And the reason for their division is what was mentioned by the interpreters of Qur'aan and historians. That the NaSaarah, which they were called when they were Muslims, were adhering to the Religion of Prophet ^Eesaa, ^alayhis-salaam, for 31 years after he was raised to the sky. They were on a straight path until there was a war that took place between them and the Jews. Among them was a man named Paul. He killed many Muslims, and then he said to the Jews, “If the people of Jesus are on the truth and we have disbelieved in what they have come with, then we will face a big shame. They will go to Paradise and we will go to Hell. However, I have a scheme so that I can corrupt their Religion.” He had a horse he called “Torture (or Punishment).” He use to fight on this horse. He got off and slaughtered this horse. Then he showed outward regret. He put dirt on his head. Then he went to the NaSaarah, who were Muslims, and outwardly showed that he was regretful and repentant. They asked, “Who are you?” He said, “I am Paul. I was your worst enemy, but I heard a call from the sky saying 'your repentance will not be accepted until you embrace Islaam.' And so now I have repented and I resorted to your Religion.” So, they honored him and admitted him into their Kaneesah (Masjid). This man, Paul, stayed in one of their houses. He didn't come out day or night; until he memorized the Injeel. Then he came out and said, “I heard from the sky that 'your repentance has been accepted and your truthfulness is known. You have been accepted and loved.'” Then, he did what the enemies of Islaam often do. When some want to make a problem for the Muslims, they become munaafiqs. They outwardly show to be Muslims while they are not. They go and learn Islaam and cause corruption from the inside; like the British spy and ^Abdullaah ibn Saba' (the one who started the Saba'iyyah), and others. In more than one case, the Jews and Christians have infiltrated the ^Ummah under the guise of being Muslims.
Then, he left and went to Jerusalem. He went there and taught. And he left behind a man called Al-NasToor. He taught this man that ^Eesaa, ^alayhis salaam, his mother, and God were all one in three. He went to Rome. And he taught them that man and God are merged. He taught them that Jesus was not a body and then became a body, and that he was the son of God. Then he taught a man named Jacob this blasphemy. Then he taught a man named Malkaa. Then he told him that the God, who was and always will be, is Jesus. And then he called each one of those three. He said, “You are my pure companions, and I want to expose a secret to you. You must not leave this religion of yours (He meant the kufr that he taught them), and call the people to it. For I have seen Jesus yesterday in my dream and he accepted me. And I want to raise my status to Jesus by a sacrifice which reflects his acceptance of me. And so, you must not leave this religion of yours; no matter what. I want to slaughter myself as a sacrifice.” So, he got up and went to a place of sacrifice and slaughtered himself.
Every one of those three got up and called people to their religion. And each one of them had followers. And they use to fight among each other. And this difference remained between them until today. And they never cease to differ with each other until their number of factions reached to what was mentioned in the Hadeeth.
The basis of their belief was the belief of the people who believed in the primordial matter, but in a different form; not exactly the same way. How so? Because they believed that there was one origin for 3 gods. This was their belief in the Hayoolah. So, the belief in the Hayoolah is to believe there is an eternal origin for the entire world. So, the Christians believed in one eternal origin, and this one is the origin for the 3 individuals who are the same person, the same one. In some aspects of their religion, they followed the Jews. And in some aspects of their religion, they followed the Muslims; who were their origin. And they innovated many things from themselves that they didn't get from the Jews or the Muslims.
And know, that all of these groups of people we have mentioned here are all kuffaar. All of these groups are kuffaar, but some of them have different Religious judgments as far as how to deal with them; as mentioned in the books of Fiqh. For example, it is permissible to marry a Jewish or Christian woman, and it is permissible to eat from what the Jews or Christians slaughter, but it is not permissible to do such with other religions. So, some of these different groups of kuffaar have special rules pertaining to them.
Allaah Knows best and He is Most Wise.
