أَخْبَرَنَا الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ حُرَيْثٍ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا الْفَضْلُ بْنُ مُوسَى، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ السَّائِبِ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ كَانَتْ مُلُوكٌ بَعْدَ عِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلاَةُ وَالسَّلاَمُ بَدَّلُوا التَّوْرَاةَ وَالإِنْجِيلَ وَكَانَ فِيهِمْ مُؤْمِنُونَ يَقْرَءُونَ التَّوْرَاةَ قِيلَ لِمُلُوكِهِمْ مَا نَجِدُ شَتْمًا أَشَدَّ مِنْ شَتْمٍ يَشْتِمُونَّا هَؤُلاَءِ إِنَّهُمْ يَقْرَءُونَ ‏ {‏وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ‏} ‏ وَهَؤُلاَءِ الآيَاتِ مَعَ مَا يَعِيبُونَّا بِهِ فِي أَعْمَالِنَا فِي قِرَاءَتِهِمْ فَادْعُهُمْ فَلْيَقْرَءُوا كَمَا نَقْرَأُ وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا كَمَا آمَنَّا‏.‏ فَدَعَاهُمْ فَجَمَعَهُمْ وَعَرَضَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقَتْلَ أَوْ يَتْرُكُوا قِرَاءَةَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَالإِنْجِيلِ إِلاَّ مَا بَدَّلُوا مِنْهَا فَقَالُوا مَا تُرِيدُونَ إِلَى ذَلِكَ دَعُونَا‏.‏ فَقَالَتْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمُ ابْنُوا لَنَا أُسْطُوَانَةً ثُمَّ ارْفَعُونَا إِلَيْهَا ثُمَّ اعْطُونَا شَيْئًا نَرْفَعُ بِهِ طَعَامَنَا وَشَرَابَنَا فَلاَ نَرِدُ عَلَيْكُمْ‏.‏ وَقَالَتْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ دَعُونَا نَسِيحُ فِي الأَرْضِ وَنَهِيمُ وَنَشْرَبُ كَمَا يَشْرَبُ الْوَحْشُ فَإِنْ قَدَرْتُمْ عَلَيْنَا فِي أَرْضِكُمْ فَاقْتُلُونَا‏.‏ وَقَالَتْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمُ ابْنُوا لَنَا دُورًا فِي الْفَيَافِي وَنَحْتَفِرُ الآبَارَ وَنَحْتَرِثُ الْبُقُولَ فَلاَ نَرِدُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلاَ نَمُرُّ بِكُمْ وَلَيْسَ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْقَبَائِلِ إِلاَّ وَلَهُ حَمِيمٌ فِيهِمْ‏.‏ قَالَ فَفَعَلُوا ذَلِكَ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ‏ {‏وَرَهْبَانِيَّةً ابْتَدَعُوهَا مَا كَتَبْنَاهَا عَلَيْهِمْ إِلاَّ ابْتِغَاءَ رِضْوَانِ اللَّهِ فَمَا رَعَوْهَا حَقَّ رِعَايَتِهَا‏} ‏ وَالآخَرُونَ قَالُوا نَتَعَبَّدُ كَمَا تَعَبَّدَ فُلاَنٌ وَنَسِيحُ كَمَا سَاحَ فُلاَنٌ وَنَتَّخِذُ دُورًا كَمَا اتَّخَذَ فُلاَنٌ‏.‏ وَهُمْ عَلَى شِرْكِهِمْ لاَ عِلْمَ لَهُمْ بِإِيمَانِ الَّذِينَ اقْتَدَوْا بِهِ فَلَمَّا بَعَثَ اللَّهُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَلَمْ يَبْقَ مِنْهُمْ إِلاَّ قَلِيلٌ انْحَطَّ رَجُلٌ مِنْ صَوْمَعَتِهِ وَجَاءَ سَائِحٌ مِنْ سِيَاحَتِهِ وَصَاحِبُ الدَّيْرِ مِنْ دَيْرِهِ فَآمَنُوا بِهِ وَصَدَّقُوهُ فَقَالَ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى ‏ {‏يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَآمِنُوا بِرَسُولِهِ يُؤْتِكُمْ كِفْلَيْنِ مِنْ رَحْمَتِهِ‏} ‏ أَجْرَيْنِ بِإِيمَانِهِمْ بِعِيسَى وَبِالتَّوْرَاةِ وَالإِنْجِيلِ وَبِإِيمَانِهِمْ بِمُحَمَّدٍ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَتَصْدِيقِهِمْ قَالَ ‏ {‏يَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ نُورًا تَمْشُونَ بِهِ‏} ‏ الْقُرْآنَ وَاتِّبَاعَهُمُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ {‏لِئَلاَّ يَعْلَمَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ‏} ‏ يَتَشَبَّهُونَ بِكُمْ ‏{‏أَنْ لاَ يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَى شَىْءٍ مِنْ فَضْلِ اللَّهِ‏}‏ الآيَةَ‏.‏

"There were kings after 'Isa bin Mariam who altered the Tawrah and the Injil, but there were among them believers who read the Tawrah. It was said to their kings: 'We have never heard of any slander worse than that of those (believers) who slander us and recite: "And whosoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, such are the disbelievers." In these Verses, they are criticizing us for our deeds when they recite them.' So he called them together and gave them the choice between being put to death, or giving up reading the Tawrah and Injil, except for what had been altered. They said: 'Why do you want us to change? Leave us alone.' Some of them said: 'Build us a tower and let us go up there, and give us something to lift up our food and drink so we do not have to mix with you.' Others said: 'Let us go and wander throughout the land, and we will drink as the wild animals drink, and if you capture us in your land, you may kill us.' Others said: 'Build houses for us in the wilderness, and we will dig wells and grow vegetables, and we will not mix with you or pass by you, for there is no one of the tribes among whom we do not have close relatives.' So they did that, and Allah revealed the words: 'But the monasticism which they invented for themselves, We did not prescribe for them, but (they sought it) only to please Allah therewith, but that they did not observe it with the right observance.' Then others said: 'We will worship as so-and-so worshipped, and we will wander as so-and-so wandered, and we will adopt houses (in the wilderness) as so-and-so did.' But they were still following their Shirk with no knowledge of the faith of those whom they claimed to be following. When Allah sent the Prophet [SAW], and they were only a few of them left, a man came down from his cell, and a wanderer came from his travels, and a monk came from his monastery, and they believed in him. And Allah said: 'O you who believe! Fear Allah, and believe in His Messenger (Muhammad), He will give you a double portion of His mercy - meaning, two rewards, because of their having believed in 'Isa and in the Tawrah and Injil, and for having believing in Muhammad [SAW]; and He will give you a light by which you shall walk (straight), - meaning, the Qur'an, and their following the Prophet [SAW]; and He said: 'So that the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) may know that they have no power whatsoever over the Grace of Allah.'"