Which is less severe: conforming to the People of the Book or the polytheists?
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The questioner : Can it be inferred from the verse that imitating the disbelieving polytheists is ... [worse] than imitating the People of the Book?
The Shaykh : No, on the contrary, imitating the People of the Book is less severe.
The questioner : His saying, the Exalted:[Al-Baqarah 2:150] He said, "They are the People of the Book."
The Shaykh : Yes, because the People of the Book will say, "Why is Muhammad contradictory? Yesterday he followed us in the direction of prayer, and today he turned away from following us." So they will argue against Muhammad, saying, "Now, either your first statement and first action were the truth, so why did you turn away from it? Or it was false, so why did you adopt it?" Thus, they will argue.
The questioner : His saying:[Al-Baqarah 2:150].
The Shaykh : Yes,[Al-Baqarah 2:150] because those who wronged will use this as a similarity and an argument, whereas the people of truth and justice will say, "This is evidence that he is truly a Messenger of Allah, because if he were not a Messenger, he would not have done what is used as an argument against him, or what the people of wrongdoing use as an argument against him." Yes.
The Shaykh : No, on the contrary, imitating the People of the Book is less severe.
The questioner : His saying, the Exalted:
in order that the people will not have any argument against you
لئلا يكون للناس عليكم حجةThe Shaykh : Yes, because the People of the Book will say, "Why is Muhammad contradictory? Yesterday he followed us in the direction of prayer, and today he turned away from following us." So they will argue against Muhammad, saying, "Now, either your first statement and first action were the truth, so why did you turn away from it? Or it was false, so why did you adopt it?" Thus, they will argue.
The questioner : His saying:
except for those of them who commit wrong
إلا الذين ظلمواThe Shaykh : Yes,