Selected Exegesis

The Jews and Christians each considered their distorted religion to be true and believed it to be the only path to guidance and salvation. They regarded other religions and nations as entirely false and excommunicated their followers.

Based on this ignorant prejudice, they invited Muslims to their religion. Therefore, the Glorious God instructed the Noble Prophet to say: We do not absolutely judge Judaism and Christianity as false, and we only consider those groups among the People of the Book who do not act according to the original and undistorted heavenly book to be in error. However, we will not convert to either Judaism or Christianity. Rather, we have accepted the religion and nation of Abraham, which is innate and free from polytheism and inclination towards falsehood, and we will follow it and invite you to it as well.

This statement indicates that neither distorted Judaism nor Christianity is based on the religion of Abraham, just as the emphasis on Abraham’s freedom from polytheism is to invalidate the polytheistic Judaism and Christianity.