Only Truth will be of Benefit on the Day of Resurrection

In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Tafsir of Surah 5:119-120

"Allah will say: "This is a Day on which the truthful will profit from their truth: theirs are Gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise) - they shall abide therein forever. Allah is pleased with them and they with Him. That is the great success (Paradise).
To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and all that is therein, and He is Able to do all things." (Qur'an 5 : 119-120)

Only Truth will be of Benefit on the Day of Resurrection:

Allah answers His servant and Messenger `Isa, son of Maryam, after he disowns the disbelieving Christians who lied about Allah and His Messenger, and when `Isa refers their end to the will of his Lord,

(This is a Day on which the truthful will profit from their truth.) Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn `Abbas commented, "This is the Day when Tawhid will benefit those who believed in it.''

(Theirs are Gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise) -- they shall abide therein forever.) and they will never be removed from it,

(Allah is pleased with them and they with Him.)

(But the greatest bliss is the good pleasure of Allah.) (9:72) We will mention the Hadiths about this Ayah (9:72) later on. Allah's statement,

(That is the great success.) means, this is the great success, other than which there is no greater success. Allah said in another Ayat,

(For the like of this let the workers work.) (37:61), and,

(And for this let (all) those strive who want to strive.) (83:26) Allah's statement,

(To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and all that is therein, and He is able to do all things.) means, He created everything, owns everything, controls the affairs of everything and is able to do all things. Therefore, everything and everyone are in His domain and under His power and will. There is none like Him, nor is there rival, ancestor, son, or wife for Him, nor a lord or god besides Him. Ibn Wahb said that he heard Huyay bin `Abdullah saying that Abu `Abdur-Rahman Al-Habli said that `Abdullah bin `Amr said, "The last revealed Surah was Surat Al-Ma'idah.''

Reminding `Isa of the Favors that Allah Granted him

In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

(Remember) when Allah will say (on the Day of Resurrection). "O 'Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)! Remember My Favour to you and to your mother when I supported you with Ruh-ul-Qudus [Jibrael (Gabriel)] so that you spoke to the people in the cradle and in maturity; and when I taught you writing, Al-Hikmah (the power of understanding), the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel); and when you made out of the clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, by My Permission, and you breathed into it, and it became a bird by My Permission, and you healed those born blind, and the lepers by My Permission, and when you brought forth the dead by My Permission; and when I restrained the Children of Israel from you (when they resolved to kill you) since you came unto them with clear proofs, and the disbelievers among them said: 'This is nothing but evident magic.' "
And when I (Allah) put in the hearts of Al-Hawarieen (the disciples) [of 'Iesa (Jesus)] to believe in Me and My Messenger, they said: "We believe. And bear witness that we are Muslims." (Qur'an 5 : 110-111)

The initial question would be addressed to all Prophets as such. Then each of them would be called upon to bear witness separately, as stated in several places in the Qur'an. In this connection the question that will be addressed to Jesus is specifically mentioned here.

Allah mentions how He blessed His servant and Messenger, `Isa, son of Maryam, and the miracles and extraordinary acts He granted him. Allah said,

(Remember My favor to you) when I created you from your mother, without male intervention, and made you a sign and clear proof of My perfect power over all things.

(And to your mother) when I made you testify to her chastity and you thus absolved her from the sin that the unjust, ignorant liars accused her of,

(when I supported you with Ruh - il-Qudus) the angel Jibril, and made you a Prophet, calling to Allah in the cradle and manhood. I made you speak in the cradle, and you testified that your mother was free from any immoral behavior, and you proclaimed that you worship Me. You also conveyed the news of My Message and invited them to worship Me.

(so that you spoke to the people in the cradle and in maturity;) Meaning you called the people to Allah in childhood and in maturity. And the word Tukallim means invited, because his speaking to people while a child is nothing strange by itself. Allah's statement,

(And when I taught you the Book and the Hikmah,) the power of writing and understanding,

(and the Tawrah,) which was revealed to Musa, son of `Imran, who spoke to Allah directly. Allah's statement,

(and when you made out of the clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, by My permission,) means: `you shaped it in the figure of a bird by My permission, and it became a bird with My permission, after you blew into it'. Then, it became a flying bird with a soul by Allah's permission. Allah said;

(and you healed those born blind, and the lepers by My permission,) This was explained before in Surah Al `Imran (chapter 3) and we do not need to repeat it here. Allah's statement,

(And when you brought forth the dead by My permission,) meaning, you called them and they rose from their graves by Allah's leave, power, lntent and will. Allah said next,

(and when I restrained the Children of Israel from you since you came unto them with clear proofs, and the disbelievers among them said: "This is nothing but evident magic.'') Meaning: `remember My favor, when I stopped the Children of Israel from harming you, when you brought them the clear proofs and evidence, testifying to your prophethood and Message from Me to them. They rejected you and accused you of being a magician and tried to kill you by crucifixion, but I saved you, raised you to Me, purified you from their vulgarity and protected you from their harm.' The wording of this Ayah indicates that `Isa will be reminded of these favors on the Day of Resurrection. Allah used the past tense in these Ayat indicating that it is a forgone matter that will certainly occur. This Ayah also contains some of the secrets of the Unseen that Allah revealed to His Messenger Muhammad .

Jesus is being told that the faith of the disciples in him was also the result of God's grace and succour, for he, himself, did not have the power to produce even one man of faith in that land of disbelief. It is also made clear that the true religion of the disciples of Jesus was Islam.

Allah said,

(And when I (Allah) Awhaytu Al-Hawariyyin to believe in Me and My Messenger.)

Jesus is being told that the faith of the disciples in him was also the result of God's grace and succour, for he, himself, did not have the power to produce even one man of faith in that land of disbelief. It is also made clear that the true religion of the disciples of Jesus was Islam.

This is also a reminder of Allah's favor on `Isa, by making disciples and companions for him. It is also said that Awhaytu in the Ayah means, `inspired', just as in another Ayah, Allah said;

(And We inspired the mother of Musa (saying): Suckle him...) (28:7). Allah said in other Ayat,

(And your Lord Awha (inspired) the bee, saying: "Take habitations in the mountains and in the trees and in what they erect. Then, eat of all fruits, and follow the ways of your Lord made easy (for you).'') (16:68-69) Al-Hasan Al-Basri commented about the Hawariyyun, "Allah inspired them'', while As-Suddi said, "`He put in their hearts,'' and the Hawariyyun said,

(We believe. And bear witness that we are Muslims.)

The Messengers Will be Asked About Their Nations

In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

"On the Day when Allah will gather the Messengers together and say to them: "What was the response you received (from men to your teaching)? They will say: "We have no knowledge, verily, only You are the All-Knower of all that is hidden (or unseen, etc.)." ( Qur'an 5 : 109)

Allah states that on the Day of Resurrection, He will ask the Messengers about how their nations, to whom He sent them, answered and responded to their teachings. Allah said in other Ayat,

(Then surely, We shall question those (people) to whom it (the Book) was sent and verily, We shall question the Messengers.) (7:6), and,

(So, by your Lord, We shall certainly call all of them to account. For all that they used to do.) (15:92-93). The statement of the Messengers here,

(We have no knowledge) is the result of the horror of that Day, according to Mujahid, Al-Hasan Al-Basri and As-Suddi. `Abdur-Razzaq narrated that Ath-Thawri said that Al-A`mash said that Mujahid said about the Ayah,

(On the Day when Allah will gather the Messengers together and say to them: "What was the response you received'') They will become afraid and reply,

(We have no knowledge. ..) Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim also recorded this explanation. `Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn `Abbas commented on the Ayah,

(On the Day when Allah will gather the Messengers together and say to them: "What was the response you received (from men to your teaching)'' They will say: "We have no knowledge, verily, only You are the Knower of all that is hidden.'') "They will say to the Lord, Most Honored, `We have no knowledge beyond what we know, and even that, You have more knowledge of them than us.'' This response is out of respect before the Lord, Most Honored, and it means, we have no knowledge compared to Your encompassing knowledge. Therefore, our knowledge only grasped the visible behavior of these people, not the secrets of their hearts. You are the Knower of everything, Who has encompassing knowledge of all things, and our knowledge compared to Your knowledge is similar to not having any knowledge at all, for

(only You are the Knower of all that is hidden.)

Allah Mentions `Isa and Praises the Injil

"And in their footsteps, We sent 'Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary) , confirming the Taurat (Torah) that had come before him, and We gave him the Injeel (Gospel), in which was guidance and light and confirmation of the Taurat (Torah) that had come before it, a guidance and an admonition for Al-Muttaqun (the pious." (Qur'an 5 : 46)

Allah said,

(and We sent...) meaning, We sent

(in their footsteps) meaning the Prophets of the Children of Israel,

(`Isa, son of Maryam, confirming the Tawrah that had come before him,) meaning, he believed in it and ruled by it.

(and We gave him the Injil, in which was guidance and light) a guidance that directs to the truth and a light that removes the doubts and solves disputes,

(and confirmation of the Tawrah that had come before it,) meaning, he adhered to the Tawrah, except for the few instances that clarified the truth where the Children of Israel differed. Allah states in another Ayah that `Isa said to the Children of Israel,

(. ..and to make lawful to you part of what was forbidden to you.) So the scholars say that the Injil abrogated some of the rulings of the Tawrah. Allah's statement,

(a guidance and an admonition for those who have Taqwa.) means, We made the Injil guidance and an admonition that prohibits committing sins and errors, for those who have Taqwa of Allah and fear His warning and torment. Allah said next,

(Let the people of the Injil judge by what Allah has revealed therein.) meaning, so that He judges the people of the Injil by it in their time. Or, the Ayah means, so that they believe in all that is in it and adhere to all its commands, including the good news about the coming of Muhammad and the command to believe in and follow him when he is sent. Allah said in other Ayat

(Say "O People of the Scripture! You have nothing (guidance) until you act according to the Tawrah, the Injil, and what has been sent down to you from your Lord.'') and,

(Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write whom they find written with them in the Tawrah...) until,

(...successful.) Here, Allah said,

(And whosoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, such are the rebellious.) meaning, the rebellious and disobedient of Allah who prefer falsehood and abandon truth. We mentioned before that this Ayah was revealed about the Christians, and this is evident from the context of the Ayah.

So clearly we recognize the Messiah did not expound a new religion. That very religion which had been the religion of all the Prophets was also his religion, and it is towards that religion that he called people. He believed in the true teachings of the Torah which were extant in his time, and the Gospels (Injil) confirm this (see, for example, Matthew 5: 17-18). The Qur'an repeatedly stresses the fundamental fact that none of the Prophets of Allah, no matter in which part of the world they appeared, denied the Prophets who had preceded them. On the contrary, each Prophet confirmed the message of his predecessors and sought to promote the mission which was the sacred legacy of them all. Allah did not reveal any of the Books in order to repudiate the previous ones; each confirmed and supported the preceding ones.