Question:
Regarding Qur’an Chapter 3, verses 113, 114, and 115 — these three consecutive verses — which people of the Book do they speak about? Are they referring to those who lived during the time of the Prophetﷺ or those who lived before him? The wording appears to describe people living during the Prophetﷺ ’s time. Does it mean that Jews or Christians living during the Prophetﷺ ’s time who believed in Allahﷻ and the Last Day, prayed at night, but did not accept Prophetﷺ Muhammad as a messengerﷺ, will receive reward in the Hereafter?
Answer:
These verses speak about the People of the Book. They state that the People of the Book are not all the same. Some among them are righteous, and some are not. Therefore, they are not equal.
Among the People of the Book, there is a group that stands firm. They recite the verses of Allahﷻ during the night and prostrate. They believe in Allahﷻ and the Last Day. They enjoin good and forbid evil. They hasten towards good deeds. They are among the righteous. Whatever good they do will not be rejected. Allahﷻ knows those who are righteous.
The verses say that among the People of the Book, there exists a group that recites Allahﷻ’s verses, believes in Allahﷻ and the Hereafter, encourages good, prevents evil, and does righteous deeds.
Who does this refer to? If it refers to Jews who lived during the Prophetﷺ ’s time and remained Jews, would they receive reward? If they remained Jews or Christians without accepting Islam, would they receive reward? The answer is no.
Because Islam calls them to accept the Prophetﷺ .Some hadith reports explain this. Ibn Abbas narrates that during the Prophetﷺ ’s time, there was a Jewish scholar named Abdullah ibn Salam who accepted Islam. Similarly, Tha’labah ibn Sa’ya and Asad ibn Ubay also accepted Islam. These individuals were major leaders and scholars among the Jews. They accepted Islam sincerely, confirmed its truth, and became deeply devoted to it.
When they accepted Islam, some Jews criticized them and said, “These people are the worst among us. If they were good people, they would not have left Judaism and followed Muhammad.” These verses were revealed regarding such individuals.
This narration is reported from Ibn Abbas and recorded in Tabarani. Scholars such as Haythami have stated that its narrators are trustworthy.
Therefore, these verses refer to people who were originally from the People of the Book but later accepted Islam. The verses mention people who recite Allahﷻ’s verses at night. That refers to reciting the Qur’an. Those who recite Qur’an and perform prostration refer to people who accepted Islam.
During the Prophetﷺ ’s time, there were two groups among the Jews. One group opposed the Prophetﷺ . Another group accepted Islam and believed in him. Even after accepting Islam, they were originally from the People of the Book, so Allahﷻ refers to them as part of the People of the Book who became righteous.
Therefore, these verses refer to those Jewish scholars and leaders who accepted Islam, not those who remained Jews or Christians without accepting Islam. Other verses also mention that when they hear the Qur’an, their eyes overflow with tears because they recognize its truth. These verses praise those who accepted Islam during the Prophetﷺ ’s time, not earlier communities, and not those who remained in their previous religions.