Sūrat al-Ḥajj
Section 7 of 18 · Surah Studies · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Six Ways of Believing
In verse 17 Allah (swt) speaks of the various major theological beliefs prevalent at the time, and then of which among them is the successful one:
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَٱلَّذِينَ هَادُوا۟ وَٱلصَّـٰبِـِٔينَ وَٱلنَّصَـٰرَىٰ وَٱلْمَجُوسَ وَٱلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوٓا۟ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدٌ
“As for those who believe and the Jews and the Sabians and the Christians and the Magians and those who ascribe partners to Allah, Allah will judge between them on the Day of Judgment. Surely Allah is witness to every thing.” (22:17)
Allah (swt) speaks of those who believe; of the yahūd; then of the ṣābiʾīn, the Sabians; of the naṣārā, that is, the Nazarenes, the Christians; of the Magians; and then of those who associate partners with Him — the pagans. Every other belief generally falls under one or another of these, in one sense or another. The Sabians were a people of the time of Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him), who worshipped the stars.
Inna Allāha yafṣilu baynahum yawma al-qiyāmah: Allah (swt) will make the matter plain, and will decide between them on the Day of Judgement; and Allah (swt) is a witness to everything.
The next verse is a verse of sajdah, at which a prostration is to be performed — the sixth verse of sajdah, it seems:
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَسْجُدُ لَهُۥ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱلشَّمْسُ وَٱلْقَمَرُ وَٱلنُّجُومُ وَٱلْجِبَالُ وَٱلشَّجَرُ وَٱلدَّوَآبُّ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ ۖ وَكَثِيرٌ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِ ٱلْعَذَابُ ۗ وَمَن يُهِنِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُۥ مِن مُّكْرِمٍ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَآءُ ۩
“Have you not seen that to Allah prostrate all those in the skies and all those on the earth, and the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the animals and many from mankind? And there are many on whom punishment has become due. And the one whom Allah puts to disgrace, there is none to give him respect. Surely Allah does what He wills.” (22:18)