Chapter 3: Surat Aal-'Imran (The House 'Imran), verse 72-76
Translation:
Some of the people of the Book say to one another: 'Believe in that which is revealed to the faithful in the morning and deny it in the evening, so that they may themselves abandon their faith. Believe in non except those that follow your own religion.' (Say: 'The only guidance is guidance of God!') 'Do not believe that anyone will be given the like of that which you were given, or that they will ever dispute with you in your Lord's presence.' Say: 'Grace is in the hands of God: He bestows it on whom He will. God's grace is infinite.' Among the People of the Book there are some who, if you trust them with a heap of gold, will return it to you intact; and there are others who, if you trust them with one dinar, will not hand it back unless you demand it with importunity. For they say: 'We are not bound to keep faith with Gentiles.' Thus they deliberately say of God what is untrue. Indeed, those that keep faith and guard themselves against evil know that God Loves the righteous. (72-77)
Commentary:
A community
into which prophets and reformers have taken birth; in which religion has held
sway for a sufficient period of time, is often mistaken that they and truth are
synonymous (that is whatever they are practicing is nothing but the truth). It
comes to believe that guidance has something to do with a particular community
rather than a matter of principle. This was the case/matter with the Jews. Under
the influence of historical traditions a mentality was developed among them that
whoever belonged to their community was on the right path/is guided and that
whoever is outside their community is misguided. Those who come to regard truth
particular to a certain community are not willing to accept such truth as has
been revealed/manifested outside their community. They tend to forget that truth
is something that comes from God and not from an individual or a community.
Although they think they are the adherents to a divine religion, in actual fact,
their religion is based more on community-worship than on God-worship (for them
their community is supreme, God is relegated to the secondary place). This
mentality casts such a covering/veil on their eyes that they become resistant
(unable to see) to see any merit in anyone else but the members of their own
community. Even in the face of clear signs and arguments they doubt the veracity
of such a person. That is why they severely/strongly oppose any call of truth
coming from outside their community. By double standard ways they try to root
out such a call.
They
would not hesitate to adopt any method, just or unjust to curb any such
movement. They would even resort to airing/spreading baseless/false propaganda
to cast his veracity into doubt/suspect. Going against God’s commandments they
legalize two criterion of behavior, one for the members of their own community
and another for those outside of their community. (They would spare no method of
abusing that person even going to the extent of character assassination, all
such method become legalized once they have come to believe in the erroneous
supposition that only one belonging to their own community is rightly guided).