Amin Ahsan Islahi's Problematic Interpretation of 4:159

 بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

والصلاة والسلام على اشرف الانبياء والمرسلين

Ayah 4:159 of the Quran states that there is none from among the people of the Scripture [Jews and Christians] except that they will believe in him [Jesus] before their own death. However, Amin Ahsan Islahi dissented from this mainstream understanding of the Ayah, and instead posited:

لَيُؤمِنَنَّ بِهِ اور قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ میں پہلی ضمیر کا مرجع ہمارے نزدیک قرآن مجید ہے اور دوسری کا مرجع آنحضرت صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ہیں۔ مطلب یہ ہے کہ آج یہ اہل کتاب قرآن اور نبی کی صداقت تسلیم کرنے کے لیے یہ شرط ٹھہراتے ہیں کہ وہ آسمان سے کتاب اترتی ہوئی دکھائیں تب وہ یقین کریں گےکہ قرآن فی الواقع اللہ کی کتاب ہے اور محمد (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) واقعی اللہ کے رسول ہیں اور اس حیلے سے وہ ان تمام عقلی، نقلی، فطری اور تاریخی دلائل کو نظر انداز کررہے ہیں جو قرآن اور پیغمبر ^ص کی صداقت کے ثبوت میں موجود ہیں لیکن وہ وقت بھی دور نہیں ہے جب یہ یہود اور نصاری قرآن اور پیغمبر کی کہی ہوئی ایک ایک بات کو واقعات کی شکل میں اپنی آنکھوں سے دیکھ لیں گے اور قرآن ان کے لیے جس رسوائی ونامرادی اور جس ذلت وشکست کی خبر دے رہا ہے وہ پیغمبر کے دنیا سے اٹھنے سے پہلے پہلے اس طرح ان کی آنکھوں کے سامنے آجائے گی کہ اس کو جھٹلانا ان کے لیے ممکن نہیں رہے گا اگرچہ ایمان کی سعادت ان کو یہ سب کچھ دیکھنے کے بعد بھی حاصل نہیں ہوگی۔

"They will believe in it" refers to the Quran and "before his death" to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, in our opinion. It means today these People of the Scripture make their believing in the Quran and the Prophet peace be upon him conditional to him bringing down a Scripture from Heaven manifestly, then they will have certainty that the Quran is in reality the Book of God and Muhammad (peace be upon him) is really the Messenger of God. With this excuse they ignore all the rational, textual, natural and historical proofs that are there to verify the veracity of the Quran and the Apostle [Muhammad]. However, that time isn’t far when these Jews and Christians will witness with their own eyes every word of the Quran and the Apostle materialize in actuality. The Quran’s prophecy of their disgraceful defeat and humiliation will be realized prior to the Apostle is raised up from this world [dies], before their very eyes, such that it will be impossible for them to reject it, although they will not be blessed with Faith despite witnessing all of this. (Tadabbur-i-Quran; v.2, p.423):

There are several difficulties with Amin Ahsan Islahi’s interpretation of the Ayah 4:159: Nowhere in the context of the verse, that is the verses immediately preceding and proceeding it, is there mention of either the Quran or the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Rather, the context of 4:159 is clearly regarding the person of the Messiah Jesus. Secondly, 4:159 states that none of the People of the Scripture, Jews and Christians, will believe in him (or it) before his death – clearly indicating that all of the People of the Scripture are intended and not merely a portion of them. Yet the majority of the People of the Scripture, even if we restrict ourselves to the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم weren’t even aware of him or the Quran. How can it be argued that all of the Jews and Christians attained certainty regarding the Quran being the Word of God prior to the death of the most holy Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم?

The correct interpretation is that every Jew and Christian, right before their death, shall experience a vision which will compel them to believe in the Messiah Jesus as a true servant of God and His Apostle. However, such faith will not profit them. This explanation was put forth by some of the senior Companions of the Prophet, like Ibn Abbas رضى الله عنهما and likewise major authorities among the early Muslims, like al-Hasan al-Basri, Mujahid bin Jabr, al-Dhahhak and Muhammad bin Sirin (may Allah be pleased with them all).