Sūrat Āl ʿImrān
Section 6 of 22 · Surah Studies · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
The Challenge of Mubāhalah
Allah (swt) then relates what in fact took place. After these verses, and after this discussion with the Naṣrānīs, the Nazarenes, the Christians — a discussion conducted in great detail — they refused in the end to believe. They refused to believe. Something of great interest then occurs, and Allah (swt) recounts what the Prophet (peace be upon him) did:
فَمَنْ حَآجَّكَ فِيهِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَكَ مِنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا۟ نَدْعُ أَبْنَآءَنَا وَأَبْنَآءَكُمْ وَنِسَآءَنَا وَنِسَآءَكُمْ وَأَنفُسَنَا وَأَنفُسَكُمْ ثُمَّ نَبْتَهِلْ فَنَجْعَل لَّعْنَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَى ٱلْكَـٰذِبِينَ
“If someone argues with you (O Prophet) over this after the knowledge that has come to you, say (to him), “Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, then (let us) pray and invoke the curse of Allah upon the liars.”” (3:61)
Verse 61. This was the culminating point: when they would not listen, the Prophet (peace be upon him) gave them an ultimatum. Of those who had come there were about sixty, of whom about fourteen were the members of the delegation from Najrān, from the Christians of Najrān; of the sixty present, fourteen were great scholars of their religion, men of learning and standing.
The challenge the Prophet (peace be upon him) put to them was this: bring everyone you wish; he will bring himself, his women and his children, and then they will perform mubāhalah. What is mubāhalah? It is mutual imprecation, mutual cursing: one side will say, if we are wrong in our position, then let us be cursed; and the other side will say, if we are wrong, then let us be cursed. That was the challenge he gave them.
Despite the presence of fourteen of their great ministers, they refused to come forward. They refused to take part. Over the course of history various Muslim scholars have in fact issued this same challenge, and it has yet to be taken up. It is a very dangerous thing to undertake — above all when one is not wholly certain.