THE ABROGATION OF PREVIOUSLY REVEALED RELIGIONS

(Imam Baghawi:) The Prophet (pbuh) said:

“By Him in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad (pbuh), any person of this Community, any Jew, or any Christian who hears me and dies without believing in what I have been sent with will be an inhabitant of hell.”

This is a rigorously authenticated (sahih) hadith that was recorded by Muslim (Sharh al sunna, 1.104-5).

(Ibn Kathir:) God Most High says in the Qur’an 2:62 (“The Cow”):

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
“Surely those who believe, those of Jewry, the Christians, and the Sabaeans – whoever has faith in God and the Last Day, and works righteousness, their wage awaits them with their Lord, and no fear shall be upon them, and neither shall they sorrow.”

Suddi states that the verse “Surely those who believe, etc.” was revealed about the former companions of Salman the Persian when he mentioned them to the Prophet (pbuh), relating how they had been, saying, “They used to pray, fast, and believe in you, and testify that you would be sent as a prophet.” When he finished praising them, the Prophet (pbuh) replied, “Salman, they are the denizens of hell,” which came to discomfit Salman greatly, and so God revealed this verse.

The faith of the Jews was that of whoever adhered to the Torah and the sunna of Moses (upon him be peace) until the coming of Jesus. When Jesus came, whoever held fast to the Torah and the sunna of Moses without giving them up and following Jesus was lost.

The faith of the Christians was that whoever adhered to the Evangel and precepts of Jesus, their faith was valid and acceptable until the coming of Muhammad (pbuh). Those of them who did not then follow Muhammad (pbuh) and give up the sunna of Jesus (pbuh) and the Evangel were lost.

The foregoing is not contradicted by the hadith relating that the verse,

“Surely those who believe, those of Jewry, the Christians, and the Sabaeans – whoever has faith in God and the Last Day …”

was followed by God revealing in the Qur’an 3:85 (“The Family of Imran”),

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
“Whoever seeks a religion other than Islam will never have it accepted of him, and he will be those who have truly failed in the hereafter.”

for the hadith merely confirms that no one’s way or spiritual works are acceptable unless they conform to the Sacred Law of Muhammad (pbuh) now that he has been sent with it. As for people prior to this, anyone who followed the messenger of his own time was guided, on the right path, and was saved (Tafsir al-Qur’an al-Azim (y60), 1,103).