Muhammad, the Qur'an and Islam
Gospel. In v. 71 Muhammad is commanded to proclaim everything that was
sent down to him, and v. 72 says that the People of the Book have nothing
to stand on until they fulfill the Torah and the Gospel. The v. 7^263 3 says that
those who believe and Jews, Sabians and Christians who believe in God,
the Resurrection and practice good (works) will have nothing to fear (cf.
2:59). In v. 74 the children of Israel are said not to have liked the message
of the messengers; they accused them of lies and killed them. The v. 75
says that the Jews were made (spiritually) blind and deaf as a punishment
(cf. Acts 28:26f). In v. 76 those who say that God is the Messiah are
described as being unbelievers, and Jesus is quoted as telling the children of
Israel to serve His and their Lord. This verse says further that those who
ascribe partners to God will go to Hell. The v. 77 is against those who say
that God is the third of three; there is only one God. The v. 79 says that the
Messiah was only a messenger, his mother was a just person, and they both
ate food, etc. The vv. 80f speak of the People of the Book as worsh^264 ipping
others beside God, and command them not to transgress the truth in their
faith(s). In the vv. 82f the unbelievers of the children of Israel are said to
have been cursed by David and Jesus, because they (the children of Israel)
rebelled. The vv. 83f claim that the Jews made friends with unbelievers (the
allied polytheist Arabs), and the v. 85 depicts the Jews and polytheists as
being for the most part enemies of the Muslims, whereas the Christians are
said to be the nearest the Muslims. In the vv. 86f some (of the Christians)
are reported to have accepted the Qur'an, and have been rewarded with
Paradise, but the unbelievers will be sent to Hell. The vv. 89f speak
generally of the Islamic dietary laws, and v. 91 claims that God does not
punish for unintentional oaths, nevertheless, an expiation for the same is
given. In the vv. 92f wine, games, stones for sacrifice, and arrow^265 s for
divination are forbidden. The v. 94 maintains that believers who practice
good (works) are not accused of sin for what they ate previously, and the
vv. 95f state that wild game (excepting fish) is forbidden on the pilgrimage
and gives the expiation for transgression. In v. 98 the Ka`ba is declared to
be a refuge for mankind, etc., and the vv. 98b-99 say that Allah punishes,
and Muhammad is only responsible for the proclamation. In v. 1 01
believers are told not to ask about things, which if made manifest would
trouble them, and a canonical tradition (in reference to this verse) implies
that some things were forbidden, simply because someone had asked
Muhammad about them. The v. 102 forbids some heathen practice^266 s with
respect to sacrifice, and v. 103 shows that some (pagans) wanted to