Sura 2, al-Baqarah [Cow], Medina 87, First chapter after Hijra
Asad’s translation:
2:62
VERILY, those who have attained to faith [in this divine writ], as well as those who follow the Jewish faith, and the Christians, and the Sabians 49 - all who believe in God and the Last Day and do righteous deeds - shall have their reward with their Sustainer; and no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve. 50
This verse repeated in 5:69, about 8-9 years later
The Quranic text and Ali’s translation
إِنَّ
الَّذِينَ
آمَنُواْ وَالَّذِينَ
هَادُواْ
وَالنَّصَارَى
وَالصَّابِئِينَ
...
2:62. Those who believe (in the Qur'án) and those who follow the Jewish (Scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians,
... مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحاً فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ ...
and who believe in God and the last day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord;
... وَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ﴿٦٢﴾
on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.
Transliteration Innal lazina a_manu_ wallazina ha_du_ wan nasa_ra_ was sa_bi'ina man a_mana billa_hi wal yaumil a_khiri wa 'amila sa_lihan fa lahum ajruhum 'inda rabbihim wa la_ khaufun 'alaihim wa la_ hum yahzanu_n(a).
2: 62 [al-Baqarah, Medina 87]
Pickthall’s translation:
Lo! those who believe (in that which is revealed unto thee, Muhammad), and those who are Jews, and Christians, and Sabaeans whoever believeth in Allah and the Last Day and doeth right surely their reward is with their Lord, and there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.
Yuksel’s translation:
Surely those who acknowledge, and those who are Jewish, and the Nazarenes, and those who follow other religions, any one of them who acknowledge God and the Last day, and do reform, they will have their reward with their Lord, with no fear over them, nor will they grieve.*
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Amatulla’s commetns:
I concentrate on the word “any who” or “all who” to mean the entire humankind. This condition is not only for the religious groups mentioned by name here, but it is actually addressed to the entire humanity at all times. These verses are part of the Universal concepts of Islam. And this is in line with the way an ever-true religion for mankind is defined in 30:30. Without this foundation or fundamental understanding a Muslim would be misled about his/her position-mindset and duty among fellow human beings, Muslim or non-Muslim and his/her duty toward God. (see my article on this subject)
ALSO: It is asserting, in spite of the past failures and the negative attitude that exists among many of the Jewish people, that there also could be righteous people from them as well if they fulfill the above three conditions. Therefore, they are not all condemned. I think if the Quran would have extended revealing today second time around, there would have been similar verses against the Muslims as well.
Asad’s comments:
49 The Sabians seem to have been a monotheistic religious group intermediate between Judaism and Christianity. Their name (probably derived from the Aramaic verb tsebha', "he immersed himself [in water] ") would indicate that they were followers of John the Baptist - in which case they could be identified with the Mandaeans, a community which to this day is to be found in Iraq. They are not to be confused with the so-called "Sabians of Harran", a gnostic sect which still existed in the early centuries of Islam, and which may have deliberately adopted the name of the true Sabians in order to obtain the advantages accorded by the Muslims to the followers of every monotheistic faith.
50 The above passage - which recurs in the Qur'an several times - lays down a fundamental doctrine of Islam. With a breadth of vision unparalleled in any other religious faith, the idea of " salvation" is here made conditional upon three elements only: belief in God, belief in the Day of Judgment, and righteous action in life. The statement of this doctrine at this juncture - that is, in the midst of an appeal to the children of Israel - is warranted by the false Jewish belief that their descent from Abraham entitles them to be regarded as "God's chosen people".
Ali’s comments:
C76. Latest researches have revealed a small remnant of a religious community numbering about 2,000 souls in Lower Iraq, near Basra.
In Arabic they are called Subbi (plural Subba). They are also called Sabians and Nasoraeans; or Mandaeans, or Christians of St. John.
They claim to be Gnostics, of Knowers of the Great Life. They dress in white, and believe in frequent immersions in water. Their Book Ginza is in a dialect of Aramaic. They have theories of Darkness and Light as in Zoroastrianism. They use the name Yardan (Jordan) for any river. They live in peace and harmony among their Muslim neighbors. They resemble the Sabi'un mentioned in the Quran but are not probably identical with them.
The pseudo-Sabians of Harran, who attracted the attention of Khalifah Ma'mun al Rashid in 830 A.C. by their long hair and peculiar dress probably adopted the name as it was mentioned in the Quran, in order to claim the privileges of the People of the Book. They were Syrian Star-worshippers with Hellenistic tendencies, like the Jews contemporary with Jesus.
There was another people called the Sabaens, who played an important part in the history of early Arabia, and are known through their inscriptions in an alphabet allied to the Phoenician and Babylonian. They had a flourishing kingdom in the Yemen tract in South Arabia about 800-700 B.C., though their origin may have been in North Arabia. They worshipped the planets and stars (Moon, Sun, Venus). Probably the Queen of Sheba is connected with them. They succumbed to Abyssinia about 350 A.C. and to Persia about 579 A.C. Their capital was near San'a. They had beautiful stone buildings, in which the pointed arch is noticeable.
(See Encyclopedia Britannica, on Sabaeans). (R).
C77. CF. 2:38, where the same phrase occurs. And it recurs again and again afterwards.
The point of the verse is that Islam does not teach an exclusive doctrine, and is not meant exclusively for one people. The Jews claimed this for themselves, and the Christians in their own origin were a sect of the Jews.
Even the modern organized Christian churches, though they have been, consciously or unconsciously, influenced by the Time-spirit, including the historical fact of Islam, yet cling to the idea of Vicarious Atonement, which means that all who do not believe in it or who lived previously to the death of Christ are at a disadvantage spiritually before the Throne of Allah.
The attitude of Islam is entirely different. Islam existed before the preaching of Muhammad on this earth: the Quran expressly calls Abraham a Muslim (3:67). Its teaching (submission to Allah's will) has been and will be the teaching of Religion for all time and for all peoples.