Page 424 - Bigotry: The Dark Danger

Bigotry:
The Dark Danger

When we look at the verses that precede verse 166 of
Surat al-A'raf, we see they are directly addressed to the Children of
Israel. A community that has emerged from the Children of Israel,
from among the Jews in other words, is not abiding by the Sabbath
(Saturday). They are forgetting and disregarding the reminders
given them in the name of the faith and are rebelling by insisting on

doing something that they should not. Therefore, these people are in
a state of direct denial of their own religion. This is a community that
has emerged from Jewish society and that refuses to pay heed.

Looking at these verses, there is one community of honest and
sincere Jews and another, among these Jews, that represents a com-
munity of deniers who refuse to pay heed. For example, in verse 164
there are Jews who persistently warn this community and call them

to the truth. Their aim is to summon them to the true path "so that
hopefully they will gain fear of God." Verse 165 states that this hon-
est community that forbid the evil were saved. Those who

God reveals in verses that He will never
allow sincere Jews and Christians who
devoutly believe in Him to know fear.