Page 194 - Islam Denounces Terrorism

192 Islam Denounces Terrorism

This is not the only verse to set out the position of the People of
the Book. God praises the People of the Book in many of the Qur'an's
verses. The related verses include:

Among the people of Moses there is a group who guide by the truth
and act justly in accordance with it. (Qur'an, 7:159)

They are not all the same. There is a community among the People of
the Book who are upright. They recite God's signs throughout the
night, and they prostrate. They have faith in God and the Last Day,
and enjoin the right and forbid the wrong, and compete in doing
good. They are among the righteous ones. They will not be denied the
reward for any good thing they do. God knows those who have fear
of God. (Qur'an, 3:113-115)

Among the people of the Book there are some who have faith in God
and in what has been sent down to you and what was sent down to
them, and who are humble before God. They do not sell God's signs
for a paltry price. Such people will have their reward with their Lord.
And God is swift at reckoning. (Qur'an, 3:199)

As these verses clearly show, pure and sincere Jews and Christians
are praised with fine words in the Qur'an and are promised a fine
reward by God; God says that He will take these people into paradise.
This is an expression of His love. How can a Muslim be the enemy of
someone whom God loves, is pleased with and welcomes into par-

adise? That is impossible according to the Qur'an. Such enmity is a
crime according to the Qur'an. Therefore, the fanatics who adopt false
hadiths as their guide – despite the verses of the Qur'an clearly demon-
strating the contrary – are committing an offense in the view of Islam
by spreading hostility toward the People of the Book.

What needs to be done is to invite the People of the Book to Islam
using pleasant words, and then to leave the decision up to them.