Allah [may He be Glorified] said: “Truly, the religion in the sight of Allâh is Islâm. Those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) did not differ except, out of mutual jealousy, after knowledge had come to them. And whoever disbelieves in the Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allâh, then surely, Allâh is Swift in calling to account.” (3:19)
Allah tells us in this verse that:
– Islam is the only religion acceptable to Allah to the exclusion of any other religion.
Islam denotes the inward and the outward submission to Allah in all that He has legislated and ordained either in His glorious Book or through the sayings of His prophet: Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Allah [may He be Glorified] said: “And whoever seeks a religion other than Islâm, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers).” (3:85)
– So, whosoever adopts a religion other than Islam is not on the right path, because he does not follow the way ordained by Allah through His Messenger (peace be upon him).
– Allah [may He be Glorified] tells us in this verse that the People of the Book knew very well that this was the truth but they deviated from it out of oppression and stubbornness.
– And when Muhammad (peace be upon him) came to them, they knew for certain that he was the Messenger of Allah – exactly as they recognized their own children – but envy, oppression and the denial of the signs of Allah kept them away from the right path.
The phrase “And whoever disbelieves in the Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allâh, then surely, Allâh is Swift in calling to account” means: let those who disbelieve in the verses and the signs of Allah wait; the promise of Allah is already coming and they will be recompensed according to their deeds.
Source: QuranComplex