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contends that, from his perspective, Islam requires “belief in God
and in the Last Day, as well as faith in [His] messengers [ar- rusul].” as
such, one who believed in Moses and Jesus before the advent of “our
prophet” Muhammad was, “beyond a doubt,” a Muslim. But does rida
truly think, asks this reader, that a contemporary twentieth- century
Jew or Christian will be redeemed if he “believes in God and in the Last
Day, and performs good deeds” but “rejects that which was revealed
to Muhammad”?^71 the reader wishes to understand how rida could
consider a Jew or a Christian to be deserving of redemption in the
afterlife when he denies the legitimacy of “the seal of the prophets,”
Islam’s Muhammad.
In his reply, rida appeals to the writings of an early Islamic exe-
gete, Muhammad ibn Jarir at- tabari (838– 923). rida cites the story
of a meeting among Jews, Christians, and Muslims, each professing
the superiority of their own religion. the Jews say that “our religion
is better than yours, for our religion preceded yours, and our scripture
preceded yours, and our prophet preceded yours. Ours is the religion
of abraham.” they conclude from this that “only those who are Jew-
ish will enter paradise.” the Christians, the tale follows, say the same
thing concerning their own religion. Finally, the Muslims assert that
“our book came after yours and our prophet followed yours. You were
instructed to follow us and leave your religion.” therefore, reckon the
Muslims, “only those who follow our religion will enter paradise.” at
the climax of the story, God joins the conversation and reveals the
Qurʾanic passage (Q. 4:123– 25):
It will not be according to your hopes or those of the people of
the Book: anyone who does wrong will be requited for it and will
find no one to protect or help him against God; anyone, male or
female, who does good deeds and is a believer, will enter paradise
and will not be wronged by as much as the dip in a date stone.
Who could be better in religion than those who direct themselves
wholly to God, do good, and follow the religion of abraham, who
was true in faith? God took Abraham as a friend.^72rida takes this story as evidence that the Qurʾan “has conditioned entry
into paradise and happiness in the afterlife upon faith and good deeds
while denying boasting between the people of the Book and the Mus-
lims.”^73 rida articulates an Islamic argument for religious toleration
(^71) al-Manār 13:8 (1910), 572.
(^72) rida does not provide the full Qurʾanic passage here but cites the beginning and
end with the equivalent of an ellipsis (“— until his words— ”) in the middle.
(^73) al-Manār 13:8 (1910), 573.