A Discussion of the Narrations

1. The Excess of Christians in Religion

ʿAlī ibn Ibrāhīm said regarding His words: “O People of the Book, do not commit excess in your religion beyond the truth”; meaning do not say that Jesus is God and the son of God.(152)

Note: The above statement is intended for application, not limitation. Therefore, if Christians become or have become afflicted with other forms of excess (ghuluww), they will be included in the general scope of the verse under discussion.

2. Application of the Verse and “Those Who Have Gone Astray” to Christians

Al-ʿAskarī said: The Commander of the Faithful said: God commanded His servants… and that they seek refuge in Him from the path of those who have gone astray (ḍāllīn); and they are those about whom God said: “Say: O People of the Book, do not commit excess in your religion beyond the truth, and do not follow the desires of a people who had already gone astray before and misled many and strayed from the right way”; and they are the Christians. Then the Commander of the Faithful said: Everyone who disbelieves in God is subject to His wrath (maghḍūb ʿalayh) and has gone astray from the path of God. Al-Riḍā (a.s.) said likewise.(153)

Note: The application of the verse under discussion to Jews and Christians does not necessitate limitation to these two communities, just as the contrast between “those who have incurred wrath” (maghḍūb) and “those who have gone astray” (ḍāll) does not mean that these two defects cannot be combined in one place, because going astray (ḍalāla) can be the source of divine wrath, just as God’s wrath reveals the misguidance of one who has incurred wrath. The combination of both vices is precisely the concept of disbelief (kufr) that was mentioned at the end of this tradition.