Ali 'Imran 65: Oh people of the Book! Why do you have disputes over Abraham while the Torah and the Bible were clearly sent down after him? Don’t you contemplate?

Surah Al Imran, verse 65: O People of the Book! Why do you dispute about Abraham? Yet the Torah and the Gospel were surely sent down after him. Do you not think at all? it says. Some say: Abraham, sir, is one of us. The other says: He is one of us too. Yet the Torah and the Gospel came after him; Abraham came earlier. The Torah and the Gospel came later. How do you lay claim to him? With what do you lay claim to him? How do you claim Abraham (peace be upon him) as your own with that ideology of yours? Can you not think at all — a man who since his childhood did not worship idols, did not associate partners with Allah and was a hanif, that is, who lived wholly on the natural disposition of Islam — how can you label him so?

Yes.

Jews and Christians argue among themselves over laying claim to Abraham.

The Jews said Abraham was a Jew.

The Christians said Abraham was a Christian. (?) in the Torah, and Christianity in the Gospel, come after Abraham. Abraham is neither a Jew nor a Christian.

In the disputes that arose between them, both sides, by their own reasoning, brought all sorts of random proofs. So this verse (?) upon this. Yes. What does it say now: O People of the Book — what is meant by this verse is that the books sent are from Allah. And saying People of the Book means that these books were sent by Him.

We wrote it briefly.

Why does it say People of the Book? I write books too. Ahmet Demet writes books too. So many people write books. But all of us — all the books written, even if written in the sciences according to reason, they cannot be held equal to the books Allah wrote. In this respect, the competent one is Allah Almighty. In this respect it says ehl-i kitab, the owners of the Book. That is, the Book He Himself wrote He calls ehl-i kitab. That is, the masters of books, the competent one — in the sense of the most beautiful, the best, in the sense of the truest, shedding light on the worlds, giving life to people. That is why it says People of the Book.

What we write, however much light it may shed, is explanation set against the verses. Yes, if Allah Almighty had not said People of the Book, or Book's people, these books would have been understood to have no authority and not to be sent by Him — if He had not said People of the Book.

It is the word by which He proves that it is sent only by Him, saying I sent it: People of the Book. That is, the Torah, the Psalms, the Gospel, the Quran — all are People of the Book. They are gathered in the Holy Quran. Yes.

One meaning of saying People of the Book is that the Gospel, the Torah and the Psalms are each a part of the Quran, and that, in a way the people of that time would understand, part by part, with verses, He sent these books. Then, through the Seal of the Prophets, after whom He would send no other prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him), He invited all people to the Quran and gathered the books He had sent part by part in the Holy Quran. It is for this reason that no religion other than Islam remained on earth. Yes. O People of the Book, why do you dispute about Abraham? That is, you are being stubborn for nothing.

Do you not think at all that Abraham, before the Gospel and before the Torah, came into the world? So at that time there was neither Christianity nor the Torah. So what cause are you pursuing? By laying claim to him, are you trying to raise yourself to a certain place, a certain rank?

Instead of taking him as your backing, if you just once said Allah to Allah, it would suffice you. If you bowed your neck and knew your Lord, it would suffice you. After that you would anyway carry him — not only him, all the prophets — on your shoulders. O People of the Book, why do you dispute about Abraham? That is, you are being stubborn for nothing. Do you not think at all that Abraham came into the world before the Gospel and before the Torah? The Torah and the Gospel, after Abraham, through your prophets, were sent down to you. Do you not think and use your reason at all? Yes.

We continue with our verse. We continue. You — against one another, lying to lay claim to Abraham, damaging your human honor and dignity, degrading yourselves — do you never consider that with your lies you have become sinners? we say. Liars. Liars from the beginning anyway. I'm not saying it, mind you; Allah says it.

Their hearts are scattered and they are liars, says Allah Almighty. They are restless. They are liars, He says. They are liars. From where? They get branded as liars. In the address Elestü bi Rabbiküm, because with their partial will they did not know Allah Almighty as Allah, they waited for the Lord of their imagination and said to Allah: You are not our Lord — it comes from their lying. That is why they never obey Allah. And they do not turn back.