Translation
We (God) gave Moses the book, to complete (Our blessings) on those who would do what is good and beautiful, proving clear exposition of all things, a guidance and a mercy so that they might develop faith in meeting their Sustainer God. This is a book [the Qur’an] that We have revealed as blessings; therefore, follow its teachings and be mindful of your responsibility [as a human and person of faith] so that you might receive His blessings; lest you say that books were revealed to two parties before us and we were not informed of what they read. Or, you say: “If the Book was revealed to us, we would have guided ourselves better than they did.” Now then, the evident truth from your Sustainer has come—a source of guidance and blessings; whoever now denies such messages from God and walks away from them will be the one doing evil indeed. We will return such negligence and opposition to our Messages with negative consequences that befit such conduct. 356
Is it that they are waiting for anything other than Angels to come to them, or that your Sustainer God should come, or some other evidence appears from your Sustainer? The day when such evidence will arrive, their faith in it will benefit no souls that did not believe before or did not use their prior faith to do good. Say: “Wait then, and we will wait with you as well.” (Beyond belief) those who create division in their faith and turn into sectarian divides, you have no relationship with them. Their affairs will be in the hands of God, Who will inform them [in due time and on the Day of Judgment] with respect to their conduct. Whoever earns a good and beautiful deed, God will multiply its rewards ten times, and whoever brings about an evil deed will face its consequences accordingly; no wrong will be done to them. 357
Interpretation
356 The constancy of messages from God Almighty in the form of Books of Guidance that have come throughout human history is a central message of the Qur’an. The book given to Moses (the Torah) and the book given to Jesus (the Bible) and this Qur’an (given to Mohammad) are but chapters in the larger Book of Guidance that God has revealed in portions over time with the evolution of human societies and their diverse lifestyles and experiences as part of the human experience. The unity of the Godhead and the unity of God’s guidance is a fundamental aspect of the teachings contained in all Books of Revelations, and the receivers of such revelations must remain true to their teachings to be guided and blessed by God. The challenge has been not only to develop faith in God and faith in our meeting with our Creator but also to maintain the purity and the unity of such faith and thoughts. The fact that we have created different religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, to name the major ones in our world) out of the same guidance and then, within each religion, created divisions and sects, is further indication of our failure in remaining true to the oneness of message from God.
357 Attention is drawn here that developing faith in the fullness of life and acting accordingly will benefit us as individuals and as societies; this is the challenge for all of us during our transient existence on this earth. To wait until death comes to us or to have faith on the Day of Resurrection will confer no benefits, as we will have, by then, lost the lifelong opportunity that God had gifted us with to use our souls and minds to find the truth about our life and our purpose.
In their jealousy to outdo their fellow faithful, some groups have turned prophets into Godhead and people into saints and Angels. Other groups have created theological differences, religious hierarchies to compete for worldly gains, and deviant doctrines to control the masses, in direct opposition to God’s call for human equality, religious tolerance, and coexistence and to refrain from any divine partnership with the Creator and His creation. God, in his infinite mercy and to encourage goodness in all of us, also assures us that he will amply reward all good works but will make evil suffer its evil consequence in due measure of its transgression.
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REFLECTION
The Torah, revealed to Moses; the Bible, revealed to Jesus; and the Qur’an, revealed to Mohammed, are sequels to the same guidance that God promised to Adam and Eve (and by implication to mankind) and if we follow such guidance together, we will have a peaceful world that will enable human beings to reach their highest potential of knowing God, understanding the natural world, and fulling our mutual commitments and obligations.
ACTION
People of all faiths who believe in God and the true guidance in their respective Books of Revelations should uphold that guidance of mutual interactions and freedom to practice their faith in their own way and strive for peaceful coexistence among all people. This is certainly the message contained in the Qur’an.