CHAPTER III: The CNN Interview about Clergymen and the People of the Book

The CNN interview with Muhammad about how clergymen repel people away the Path of the Lord God

The CNN anchor: The monotheistic religion of Abraham prevents the existence of clergymen and those who manipulate religion to gain money; both types of people are now adopting a stance against you; did you begin attacking them?

Muhammad: I never attacked persons; I only register and assert long-forgotten facts which negate any types of mediators between the Lord God and people; hence, there is no need for clergymen and for worshiping entombed saints or allies

The CNN anchor: How?

Muhammad: My Lord God has commanded me to announce the following: "Say, “What thing is more solemn in testimony?” Say, “God is Witness between you and me. This Quran was revealed to me, that I may warn you with it, and whomever it may reach. Do you indeed testify that there are other gods with Allah?” Say, “I myself do not testify.” Say, “He is but One God, and I am innocent of your polytheism.”" (6:19).

The CNN anchor: This is announced to all people so that they believe in the Quran and in the monotheism of (There is no God but Allah). Yet, what about the People of the Book in Arabia?

Muhammad: They recognized the Quran but most of them rejected it: "Those to whom We have given the Book recognize it as they recognize their own children; but those who have lost their souls do not believe." (6:20).

The CNN anchor: Has 6:20 been revealed in Mecca or in Yathreb?

Muhammad: In Mecca.

The CNN anchor: What about the People of the Book after you settled in Yathreb?

Muhammad: Of course, the Quranic Message is addressed to all people in Arabia and elsewhere at the time and in later eras until the end of days; yet, at the time, repelling others from the Quran began mainly by the Qorayish tribe inside Mecca; the People of the Book there who rejected the Quran remained silent at the time; some of the People of the Book there believed in the Quran. After I settled in Yathreb, monotheists among the People of the Book there welcomed the Quran; those among the People of the Book who hated the Quran joined the polytheists among the Arabian people in the endeavors to distract others away from the Quran.   

The CNN anchor: This means some of the disbelievers among the People of the Book began repelling others from the Quran inside Yathreb and this did not occur in Mecca, right?

Muhammad: Yes; 6:20 is about their stance of rejecting the Quran in silence inside Mecca; in Yathreb, the People of the Book, who repelled others from the Quran and concealed the Truth, are mentioned here: "We have seen your face turned towards the heaven. So We will turn you towards a direction that will satisfy you. So turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque. And wherever you may be, turn your faces towards it. Those who were given the Book know that it is the Truth from their Lord; and God is not unaware of what they do. Even if you were to bring to those who were given the Book every proof, they would not follow your direction, nor are you to follow their direction, nor do they follow the direction of one another. And if you were to follow their desires, after the knowledge that has come to you, you would be in that case one of the unjust ones. Those to whom We have given the Book recognize it as they recognize their own children. But some of them conceal the Truth while they know." (2:144-146). No doubt you have notice the similarity between 6:20 revealed in Mecca and 2:146 revealed in Yathreb.

The CNN anchor: What about this sin of concealing the Truth?

Muhammad: It is explained here: "Those who suppress the proofs and the guidance We have revealed, after We have clarified them to humanity in the Book - those - God curses them, and the cursers curse them. Except those who repent, and reform, and proclaim. Those - I will accept their repentance. I am the Acceptor of Repentance, the Merciful." (2:159-160). This context applies to all those who conceal the Truth found in the Divine Books, including the Quran, in all eras, whether they are among the People of the Book, in Arabia at the time or in all eras, or the so-called clergymen, past and present.

The CNN anchor: At the time in Arabia when the Quran was being revealed, your call for introducing reform to the religion of Abraham, after its being distorted, clearly posed a threat to the stature of the clergymen of the People of the Book, I am sure.

Muhammad: The clergymen who manipulate religion, and their likes in all eras, are warned by my Lord God here: "Those who conceal what God revealed in the Book, and exchange it for a small price - those swallow nothing but fire into their bellies. And God will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them, and they will have a painful torment. It is they who exchange guidance for misguidance and forgiveness for torment. But how would they imagine their bearing patiently inside the Hell-Fire?!" (2:174-175).

The CNN anchor: It is very dangerous that clergymen conceal any facts or truths. In modern, civilized countries, this is banned by the law, as the public opinion has the right to know the truth and any specific facts about any topic.

Muhammad: I am glad that this is banned by the law regarding matters and topics of this temporary world. It is prohibited in Islam to conceal the religious truth; it is a grave sin because it results in misguiding others who will enter into Hell in case they do not repent and make amends before their death. 

The CNN anchor: Does the Quran contain a rebuke for the clergymen of the People of the Book for concealing the Truth in the Divine Scriptures or the Celestial Books?

Muhammad: Yes; it is found here: "O People of the Book! Our Messenger has come to you, clarifying for you much of what you kept hidden of the Book, and overlooking much. A Light from God has come to you, and a Clear Book." (5:15).

The CNN anchor: What is meant by (Messenger) in 5:15? You?

Muhammad: The Quranic term (Messenger) has several meanings; its meaning differ as per the Quranic context at hand; in 5:15, the term (Messenger) refers to the Quran itself and not to me or to any person.

The CNN anchor: What about disputes among the People of the Book in matters of religion?

Muhammad: My Lord God says the following in the Quran: "This Quran relates to the Israelites most of what they differ about. And it is guidance and mercy for the believers." (27:76-77).

The CNN anchor: Yet, the clergymen of the People of the Book in Yathreb repelled others from the Quran!

Muhammad: My Lord God has commanded me to tell them the following: "Say, “O People of the Book, why do you hinder from God’s Path those who believe, seeking to distort it, even though you are witnesses? God is not unaware of what you do.”" (3:99).

The CNN interview with Muhammad about his denouncing the clergymen of the People of the Book

Firstly:

The CNN anchor: I conclude that you have denounced the clergymen of the People of the Book in Arabia and the clergymen of Qorayish, your own tribe. You have proved to me that Islam is against clergymen and any people who manipulate religion to gain money. This is why Qorayish persecuted you and the early believers; the affluent Meccan tribesmen feared losing their wealth, power, and stature which came from their manipulating pilgrimage to Mecca and religion in general.    

Muhammad: Exactly.

The CNN anchor: What about the People of the Book in Arabia and their clergymen? How did you denounce such clergymen? I need some details about this.

Muhammad: The Quran mentions details within the stories of the Israelites and the other types of the People of the Book. The vast majority of the People of the Book disobeyed the Lord God's commands by concealing the Truth found in their Celestial Books and compromising religion for the sake of money: "God received a pledge from those who were given the Book: “You shall proclaim it to the people, and not conceal it.” But they disregarded it behind their backs, and exchanged it for a small price. What a miserable exchange they made." (3:187).

The CNN anchor: This is a general statement about the People of the Book; what about the Israelites and their Torah?

Muhammad: My Lord God says the following in the Quran: "We have revealed the Torah, wherein is guidance and light. The monotheistic prophets judged among the Jews according to it, so did the rabbis and the scholars, as they were required to protect God’s Book, and were witnesses to it. So do not fear people, but fear Me. And do not sell My Verses for a cheap price. Those who do not judge according to what God revealed are the disbelievers." (5:44).

The CNN anchor: This was before the era when the Quran was revealed; what about the Israelites in Arabia during your lifetime there?

Muhammad: Many Quranic verses have addressed them directly; this is exemplified here: "O Israelites! Remember My Bounty which I bestowed upon you, and fulfill your pledge to Me, and I will fulfill My pledge to you, and fear Me. And believe in what I revealed, confirming what is with you; and do not be the first to deny it; and do not exchange My Verses for a small price; and be conscious of Me within piety." (2:40-41).

The CNN anchor: Did the Israelites obey God's Quranic commands?

Muhammad: Most of them disobeyed: "So woe to those who write the Book with their own hands, and then say, “This is from God,” that they may exchange it for a little price. Woe to them for what their hands have written, and woe to them for what they earn." (2:79).

The CNN anchor: They dared to ascribe the books they authored to the Lord God's Revelation! They sought money by spreading such falsehoods! Would you exemplify to me some of their falsehoods?

Muhammad: This is one of their false notions about Hell refuted by my Lord God in the Quran: "And they say, “The Fire will not touch us except for a number of days.”..." (2:80).

The CNN anchor: It is the same myth of getting out of Hell through intercession, I suppose. How does God refute them in the Quran?

Muhammad: He has commanded me to say the following to them: "...Say, “Have you received a promise from God - God never breaks His promise - or are you saying about God what you do not know?”" (2:80).

The CNN anchor: Thus, the clergymen of the Israelites lied to their followers by claiming that God promised to get them out of Hell after few days! God never made any promise of the kind; they ascribe lies and falsehoods to God and to His Religion!

Muhammad: Further explanation is found here: "Indeed, whoever commits misdeeds, and becomes besieged by his sins - these are the inmates of the Fire, wherein they will dwell forever. As for those who believe and do righteous deeds - these are the inhabitants of Paradise, wherein they will dwell forever." (2:81-82).

The CNN anchor: What other facts have you said to the Israelites of Arabia?

Muhammad: When I urged them to use my Lord God's Book as the Criterion, many of them refused as they adhered to the myth of Hell dwellers getting out of it: "Have you not considered those who were given a share of the Book, as they were called to the Book of God to arbitrate between them; then some of them turned back, and declined? That is because they said, “The Fire will not touch us except for a limited number of days.” They have been misled in their religion by the lies they fabricated." (3:23-24).

The CNN anchor: Those disbelievers among the Israelites are warned in the Quran, right?

Muhammad: Yes; here: "How about when We gather them for a Day in which there is no doubt, and each soul will be paid in full for what it has earned, and they will not be wronged?" (3:25).

The CNN anchor: It is a dominant myth believed by so many misguided people that clergymen and/or 'saints' will act as intercessors so that sinners enter into Paradise after spending few days inside Hell. Such myth dominated Arabia to the extent that God refutes it in the Quran.

Muhammad: The vast majority of the People of the Book deified mortals, especially prophets and clergymen: "The Jews said, “Osir is the son of God,” and the Christians said, “The Messiah is the son of God.” These are their statements, out of their mouths. They emulate the statements of those who disbelieved before. May God assail them! How deceived they are! They have taken their rabbis and their priests as gods instead of Allah, as well as the Messiah son of Mary. Although they were commanded to worship none but The One God. There is no God except He. Glory be to Him; High above what they associate with Him." (9:30-31).

The CNN anchor: This means you called the People of the Book in Arabia to believe in the Quran and to reject their clergymen?

Muhammad: Exactly; my Lord God has commanded me to tell them the following: "Say, “O People of the Book, come to terms common between us and you: that we worship none but God, and that we associate nothing with Him, and that none of us takes others as gods besides Allah.” And if they turn away, say, “Bear witness that we have submitted [to God].”" (3:64).

The CNN anchor: What happened after that?

Muhammad: Most of them refused to do so; clergymen who amassed and consumed ill-gotten money deceived them by several myths and repelled them from the Quranic Truth; the polytheistic, avaricious clergymen are warned here against Hell torment: "O you who believe! Many of the rabbis and priests consume people's wealth illicitly, and hinder from God’s Path. Those who hoard gold and silver, and do not spend them in God’s cause, inform them of a painful torment. On the Day when they will be heated in the Fire of Hell, then their foreheads, and their sides, and their backs will be branded with them: “This is what you hoarded for yourselves; so taste what you used to hoard.”" (9:34-35).

The CNN anchor: Was everyone among the People of the Book in Arabia at the time misguided and misguiding?

Muhammad: No; this applied to the vast majority among them; some of them were truly pious monotheists who believed in the Quran. My Lord God has commanded me to say the following: "Say, “O People of the Book, why do you hinder from God’s Path those who believe, seeking to distort it, even though you are witnesses? God is not unaware of what you do.”" (3:99); "They are not alike. Among the People of the Book is a community that is upright; they read God’s Verses throughout the night, and they prostrate themselves. They believe in God and the Last Day, and advocate righteousness and advise against evil, and are quick to do good deeds. These are among the righteous ones. Whatever good they do, they will not be denied it. God knows the pious ones." (3:113-115).

The CNN anchor: This is great!

Secondly:

 The Sunnite sheikh Massood, the Wahabi sheikh Al-Ghamadany, and the Sufi sheikh Bahlool were jubilantly eating, as usual, but the Shiite sheikh Mandoor was not eating; he was depressed and seemed to be engrossed in thought.

The Shiite sheikh Mandoor (screaming): How dare you feel happy on that day?! Do not you know that this is the Ashura day commemorating the martyrdom of Al-Hussein?!

The Wahabi sheikh Al-Ghamadany (defiantly): Ashura is a feast for jubilation as per the Sunna hadiths! 

 The Shiite sheikh Mandoor slapped himself several times while weeping and chanting: (O Hussein! O Hussein!), and then he fell on the floor suddenly; he fainted as if in a trance. The three other sheikhs managed to awake him from his swoon; once he opened his eyes, he demanded Tatbir, and the three other sheikhs looked at him in amazement as he stripped naked except for his loincloth and he shouted at them to wound him with knives and to flog him with whips so that blood trickle down his body; he said he desired to imitate what happened to the martyred Hussein; the three other sheikhs remained motionless and looked quizzically at him.

The Sufi sheikh Bahlool (calmly): There are no whips or knives here; even the knives on the table are made of plastic as you know; the FBI men removed from this room anything that can be used as a weapon.

The Shiite sheikh Mandoor (weeping): Quick, all of you! Scratch my body with the plastic knives until I bleed! Now!

 They remained motionless and the Shiite sheikh Mandoor repeated his demand angrily several times.

The Shiite sheikh Mandoor (defiantly in a loud voice): If you do not obey me, I will kill myself at once and you will be accused, by the FBI men, of killing me!

The Wahabi sheikh Al-Ghamadany (frightened): This madman would certainly commit suicide if he would have the chance! Let's obey him so as not to get into more trouble!

 The three sheikhs kept beating and scratching the frail semi-naked body of the Shiite sheikh Mandoor with the plastic knives, forks, and spoons, while he chanted: (O Hussein! O Hussein!). The door of their room was forced open and armed FBI men screamed at the four sheikhs to freeze, to lie down on the floor, and to submit while raising their hands. The four sheikhs obeyed these commands at once and remained silent.

The leader of the FBI men (addressing Mandoor): Why have you demanded from them to torture you?!

The Shiite sheikh Mandoor: I beg you! Please allow them to continue until blood trickles down my body!

The leader of the FBI men: Why?!

The Shiite sheikh Mandoor: I am mourning the loss of the martyred Al-Hussein!

The leader of the FBI men: When was he murdered?!

 The Shiite sheikh Mandoor wept and cried in agony; the Wahabi sheikh Al-Ghamadany, still lying down on the floor while raising his hands, requested to provide an answer and he was granted permission to speak

The Wahabi sheikh Al-Ghamadany: Hussein was murdered by the Umayyads 14 centuries ago. Shiites mourn him by Tatbir or wounding themselves in a state of frenzy.

The leader of the FBI men (surprised): Why the hell would they perform such a savage practice since he was murdered 14 centuries ago?! Even if they desire to mourn him, there are more civilized ways to mourn the dead! Why such savagery would be required, anyway?!

The Sunnite sheikh Massood: Shiites do so because they punish themselves as their ancestors did not support Hussein; they let him down; they did not defend him; they left him to the Umayyads who murdered him mercilessly along with his family members.

The leader of the FBI men (surprised): Since such a murder occurred 14 centuries ago, the Shiites of today are guiltless; they never murdered him or let him down. It is not your fault, sheikh Mandoor that he got killed; why would you torture yourself that way since you are not to blame?!

The Shiite sheikh Mandoor (weeping and crying): An American infidel like you will never understand my religion!

The leader of the FBI men (looking at him with despise): F**k you!

The CNN interview with Muhammad about the People of the Book during his era in Arabia

The CNN anchor: Before we go on talking about how the People of the Book in Arabia repelled others from the Quran, I would like you to define the People of the Book who lived in the 7^th century Arabia.

Muhammad: They were the descendants of the Israelites; they included monotheists, Jews, and Nazarenes. 

The CNN anchor: What about Christians?

Muhammad: They were called the Nazarenes at the time, and they were among the People of the Book in Arabia.

The CNN anchor: This means that the Israelites are sometimes addressed by God in the Quran as the People of the Book, right?

Muhammad: Yes; this is exemplified in this Quranic verse about some of their sins: "The People of the Book challenge you to bring down to them a book from the sky. They had asked Moses for something even greater. They said, “Show us God plainly.” The thunderbolt struck them for their injustice. Then they took the calf for worship, even after the clear proofs had come to them. Yet We pardoned that, and We gave Moses a clear authority." (4:153).

The CNN anchor: Are the Nazarenes or Christians addressed in the Quran also as the People of the Book?

Muhammad: Yes; this is exemplified in this Quranic verse about their grave sin of deifying Jesus within the so-called trinity: "O People of the Book! Do not exaggerate in your religion, and do not say about God except the Truth. The Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, is the Messenger of God, and His Word that He conveyed to Mary, and a Spirit from Him. So believe in God and His messengers, and do not say, “Three.” Refrain - it is better for you. God is only one God. Glory be to Him - that He should have a son. To Him belongs everything in the heavens and the earth, and God is a Sufficient Protector." (4:171).

The CNN anchor: Does this mean that all of the People of the Book in Arabia were disbelievers?

Muhammad: No; the verses I have quote serve as general preaching and warning; they are the People of the Book whether they applied the Torah and the Gospel or not.

The CNN anchor: You are implying that the true texts of the Torah and the Gospel existed in Arabia at the time, right?

Muhammad: This is a Quranic fact.

The CNN anchor: How?!

Muhammad: My Lord God, within a dispute among the Israelites over prohibited food items, has challenged the Israelites to read the Torah to see if it contains their falsehoods; this means the true text of the Torah was with them: "All food was permissible to the Israelites, except what Israel forbade for himself before the Torah was revealed. Say, “Bring the Torah, and read it, if you are truthful.”" (3:93).

The CNN anchor: What about the true Gospel in Arabia?

Muhammad: My Lord God mentions it in this Quranic context: "We have revealed the Torah, wherein is guidance and light...Those who do not judge according to what God revealed are the disbelievers...We sent Jesus son of Mary, fulfilling the Torah that preceded him; and We gave him the Gospel, wherein is guidance and light, and confirming the Torah that preceded him, and guidance and counsel for the righteous. So let the people of the Gospel judge according to what God revealed in it. Those who do not judge according to what God revealed are the sinners." (5:44-47).

The CNN anchor: The true Gospel revealed by God is missing now; as per history, the Church banned many gospels or biographies of Christ. Their numbers are not known; some of them are ascribed to his disciples. Yet, the true Gospel seems to have existed in Arabia in the 7^th century, away from the authority and interference of the Church. 

Muhammad: This is about the Gospel granted to Jesus: "In their footsteps, We sent Jesus son of Mary, fulfilling the Torah that preceded him; and We gave him the Gospel, wherein is guidance and light, and confirming the Torah that preceded him, and guidance and counsel for the righteous." (5:46).

The CNN anchor: So, God in the Quran says that the Gospel is a source of light and guidance.

Muhammad: Yes; the same description is about the Torah as well: "But why do they come to you for judgment, when they have the Torah, in which is God’s Law? Yet they turn away after that. These are not believers. We have revealed the Torah, wherein is guidance and light..." (5:43-44); this is about the Book granted to Moses: "Then We gave Moses the Book, perfect for the righteous, and explaining everything clearly, and a source of guidance and mercy, that they may believe in the encounter with their Lord." (6:154)

The CNN anchor: Why did not the People of the Book use their own Scriptures as Criterion for judgment?

Muhammad: The Lord God has called them to apply the sharia laws found in their Divine Books: "Had the People of the Book believed and been righteous, We would have remitted their sins, and admitted them into the Gardens of Bliss. Had they observed the Torah, and the Gospel, and what was revealed to them from their Lord, they would have consumed amply from above them, and from beneath their feet. Among them is a moderate community, but evil is what many of them are doing." (5:65-66).

The CNN anchor: What is meant by this phrase (Among them is a moderate community, but evil is what many of them are doing)?

Muhammad: Like the rest of human beings, their deeds and faith made them divided into three categories: sinful disbelievers, moderate ones who mixed good deeds with bad ones and then repented, and pious Forerunners.

The CNN anchor: What about the disbelieving sinners among them?

Muhammad: The People of the Book in Arabia included a majority of sinners and a minority of believers: "...Had the People of the Book believed, it would have been better for them. Among them are the believers, but most of them are sinners." (3:110).

The CNN anchor: What about the pious Forerunners among them?

Muhammad: They are mentioned here: "They are not alike. Among the People of the Book is a community that is upright; they read God’s Verses throughout the night, and they prostrate themselves. They believe in God and the Last Day, and advocate righteousness and advise against evil, and are quick to do good deeds. These are among the righteous ones. Whatever good they do, they will not be denied it. God knows the pious ones." (3:113-115).

The CNN anchor: I do believe that the Quran mentions a lot the sinners among the People of the Book.

Muhammad: It also mentions a lot the pious believers among them.

The CNN anchor: Really?!

Muhammad: This is exemplified here: "Among the People of the Book are those who believe in God, and in what was revealed to you, and in what was revealed to them. They are humble before God, and they do not sell God’s Verses for a cheap price. These will have their reward with their Lord. God is swift in Judgment." (3:199).

The CNN anchor: The pious believers among them believed in the Quran, I suppose.

Muhammad: Yes; this fact is mentioned here: "Those to whom We gave the Book before it believe in it. When it is read to them, they say, “We have believed in it; it is the Truth from our Lord; we were submitters [to God] prior to it.” These will be given their reward twice, because they persevered; and they counter evil with good; and from Our provisions to them, they give." (28:52-54).

The CNN anchor: This Quranic context includes the monotheists among the Israelites in Arabia, right?

Muhammad: Yes; their belief is in contrast to the disbelief of Arabian people especially Qorayish: "Say, “Believe in it, or do not believe.” Those who were given knowledge before it, when it is read to them, they fall to their chins, prostrating. And they say, “Glory to our Lord. The promise of our Lord is fulfilled.”" (17:107-108).

The CNN anchor: How can we be sure that the context 28:52-54 includes the monotheists among the Israelites?

Muhammad: This is proven here as scholars of the Israelites, who believed in the Quran when they heard its verses in Arabia, are mentioned within this context about the Qorayish disbelievers: "Is it not a sign for them that the scholars of the Israelites recognized it?" (26:197).

The CNN anchor: What about the Nazarenes or Christians in Arabia at the time? Did some of them or of their scholars or clergy believe in the Quran in their turn?

Muhammad: Yes; my Lord God mentions this fact here: "...And you will find that the nearest in affection towards the believers are those who say, “We are Christians.” That is because among them are priests and monks, and they are not arrogant. And when they hear what was revealed to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflowing with tears, as they recognize the Truth in it. They say, “Our Lord, we have believed, so count us among the witnesses.” “And why should we not believe in God, and in the truth that has come to us, and hope that our Lord will include us among the righteous people?” God will reward them for what they say - Gardens beneath which rivers flow, where they will stay forever. Such is the reward of the righteous." (5:82-85).

The CNN anchor: What about others among the People of the Book in Arabia? Did they declare their belief in the Quran?

Muhammad: They knew about it beforehand; yet, some of them denied it and concealed the Truth: "Those to whom We have given the Book recognize it as they recognize their own children. But some of them conceal the Truth while they know." (2:146).

The CNN anchor: What about their fate?

Muhammad: They are losers in the Hereafter; they will lose their souls within eternal damnation in Hell: "Those to whom We have given the Book recognize it as they recognize their own children; but those who have lost their souls do not believe." (6:20).

The CNN anchor: I understand the three divisions of the People of the Book, but do the same divisions apply to Quran-believing people?

Muhammad: Certainly; this fact is proven here: "Then We passed the Book to those of Our servants whom We chose. Some of them wrong their souls, and some follow a middle course, and some are in the foremost in good deeds by God’s leave; that is the greatest blessing." (35:32).

The CNN anchor: What about your own contemporaries (or the so-called companions) in Arabia?

Muhammad: The same divisions apply to them: "The Forerunners - The first of the Migrants and the Supporters, and those who followed them in righteousness. God is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens beneath which rivers flow, where they will abide forever. That is the sublime triumph. Among the Desert-Arabs around you there are some hypocrites, and among the inhabitants of the city too. They have become adamant in hypocrisy. You do not know them, but We know them. We will torment them twice; then they will be returned to a severe torment. Others have confessed their sins, having mixed good deeds with bad deeds. Perhaps God will redeem them. God is Forgiving and Merciful." (9:100-102).

The CNN anchor: What about the rest of human beings?

Muhammad: The same divisions apply to them as per the Quranic Chapter 56; I mean the Forerunners, those on the Right, and those on the Left. The angels of death informs a dying soul about its rank.

The CNN anchor: What about the Last Day?

Muhammad: The same divisions of humanity will be there: "And you become three classes. Those on the Right - what of those on the Right? And those on the Left - what of those on the Left? And the Forerunners, the Forerunners. Those are the nearest." (56:7-11).

The CNN anchor: Yet, the Muhammadans, when they read the Quranic Chapter One, assume that the People of the Book are the ones intended by this verse: "...those against whom there is anger, nor of those who are misguided." (1:7).

Muhammad: This is a wrong assumption; the vast majority of human beings in all eras are both misguided and misguiding; they would have misguided me, the Last Prophet of the Lord God, if I would obey them, let alone others. You remember this verse addressed to me, I am sure: "If you were to obey most of those on earth, they would divert you from God’s Path. They follow nothing but assumptions, and they only conjecture." (6:116).

The CNN anchor: This means misguidance can apply to anyone and is never confined to Jews and Christians; the claims of the Muhammadans against them are wrong, then!

Muhammad: The misguided and misguiding ones are found in all eras and regions within all communities.

The CNN anchor: What about this Quranic verse: "...those against whom there is anger, nor of those who are misguided." (1:7)? What does it mean?

Muhammad: it refers to one category of human beings: everyone among the misguided ones in all eras who incur God's wrath upon their souls. In sum, they are all male and female polytheists, disbelievers, and hypocrites in all eras. They are exemplified here: "Whoever kills a believer deliberately, the penalty for him is Hell, where he will remain forever. And God will be angry with him, and will curse him, and will prepare for him a terrible torment." (4:93); "Whoever renounces faith in God after having believed - except for someone who is compelled, while his heart rests securely in faith - but whoever willingly opens up his heart to disbelief - upon them falls wrath from God, and for them is a tremendous torment." (16:106); "As for those who dispute about God after having answered His call, their argument is invalid with their Lord; and upon them falls wrath; and a grievous torment awaits them." (42:16); "And He will torment the hypocrites, male and female, and the polytheists, male and female, those who harbor evil thoughts about God. They are surrounded by evil; and God is angry with them, and has cursed them, and has prepared for them Hell - a miserable destination." (48:6).

The CNN interview with Muhammad about how the Israelites reached Arabia

The CNN anchor: How did the Quran-hating People of the Book in the 7^th century Arabia begin to repel others from the Quran?

Muhammad: This has its historical roots before the descent of the Quran; such roots can be traced in the Quran itself.

The CNN anchor: Please go on.

Muhammad: The story of the Israelites with Moses and Moses' Pharaoh is repeated in the Quran; I will quote from it the verses linked to the topic at hand; after the destruction, by drowning, of Pharaoh and his people, courtiers, and soldiers, the Israelites inherited the rule of Egypt, for a while, and owned the possessions of the drowned sinners: "So We took vengeance on them, and drowned them in the sea - because they rejected Our signs, and paid no heed to them. And We made the oppressed people inherit the eastern and western parts of the earth, which We had blessed. Thus the fair promise of your Lord to the Israelites was fulfilled, because of their endurance. And We destroyed what Pharaoh and his people had built, and what they had harvested." (7:136-137); "So We drove them out of gardens and springs. And treasures and noble dwellings.So it was. And We made the Israelites inherit them." (26:57-59).

The CNN anchor: What?! Did the Israelites rule Egypt for a while after the death of Moses' Pharaoh?! This is never mentioned in the Bible's Old Testament! Anyway, we never know everything about the history of Ancient Egypt; we know very little as per random excavations; even some pharaohs removed the names of dead pharaohs from temples; the ancient Egyptians never recorded history of their phases of weakness and defeat. This means many details of the history of the Israelites and Pharaoh mentioned in the Quran by the Omniscient Lord God is never told elsewhere. In sum, you are telling me about the Quranic fact that the Israelites inherited and ruled the Egyptian State for a while, before their exodus, right?

Muhammad: Exactly; after enjoying such luxury and bounty for a while, they received the Lord God's command to move to the Promised Land. Moses reminded them of the Bounty of God bestowed on them: "When Moses said to his people, “O my people, remember God’s Bounty upon you, when He placed prophets among you, and made you kings, and gave you what He never gave any other people.” “O my people, enter the Holy Land which God has assigned for you, and do not turn back, lest you return as losers.”" (5:20-21).

The CNN anchor: I guess that in the context 5:20-21, the word (kings) refers to their ruling Egypt temporarily and the word (prophets) refers to both Moses and Aaron. Have the Israelites been thankful to God for such bounty?

Muhammad: Within the exodus, after passing the Red Sea, the Israelites saw a Pharaonic temple and demanded from Moses to carve a pagan god for them: "And We delivered the Israelites across the sea. And when they came upon a people who were devoted to some statues of theirs, they said, “O Moses, make for us a god, as they have gods.” He said, “You are truly an ignorant people.” “What these people are concerned with is perdition, and their deeds are based on falsehoods.” He said, “Shall I seek for you a god other than Allah, while He has favored you over all other people?”" (7:138-140).

The CNN anchor: What?! They became ungrateful disbelievers despite witnessing the drowning of Pharaoh and his people and how the Red Sea was divided miraculously by the staff of Moses?! What happened next?

Muhammad: Moses left them and went to Mount Al-Tur, in Sinai, Egypt, in order to receive the words of my Lord God Who talked to him. During the absence of Moses, most of the Israelites worshiped a Pharaonic god in the shape of a calf made of gold: "In his absence, the people of Moses adopted a calf made from their ornaments - a body which lowed. Did they not see that it could not speak to them, nor guide them in any way? They took it for worship. They were unjust ones." (7:148). In another Quranic context, my Lord God has reminded the Israelites of Arabia of this grave sin of their ancestors: "And recall that We appointed for Moses forty nights. Then you took to worshiping the calf after him, and you turned unjust ones." (2:51). 

The CNN anchor: But the Israelites of Arabia never worshiped a calf statue, right?

Muhammad: Yes; the verse 2:51 serves as warning and preaching addressed to them so as not to fall into the trap of polytheism like their ancestors in Sinai; of course, the verse 2:51 comes in the context of addressing the Israelites in the Quran; my Lord God has called them to believe in the Quran and reminded them of His Bounty granted to them and to their ancestors.

The CNN anchor: We will discuss later how God has addressed the Israelites in the Quran; I would like you to trace the historical roots in the Quran about the Israelites.

Muhammad: They repented after worshiping the calf of gold; Moses chose seventy men for the appointment with my Lord God: "And Moses chose from his people seventy men for Our appointment. When the tremor shook them, he said, “My Lord, had You willed, You could have destroyed them before, and me too. Will you destroy us for what the fools among us have done? This is but Your test - with it You misguide whomever You will, and guide whomever You will. You are our Protector, so forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are the Best of Forgivers.”" (7:155).

The CNN anchor: Why was this appointment made?

Muhammad: For the covenant: "And recall when We received a pledge from you, and raised the Mount above you: “Take what We have given you earnestly, and remember what is in it, that you may attain righteousness.”" (2:63).

The CNN anchor: Why has God made Mount Al-Tur suspend above their heads?!

Muhammad: To make them feel the awe of the situation: "And when We suspended the Mount over them, as if it was an umbrella, and they thought it would fall on them: “Hold fast to what We have given you, and remember what it contains, so that you may be saved.”" (7:171).

The CNN anchor: This is very frightening; what happened next to the Israelites?

Muhammad: You know that in 7:155, Moses implored and supplicated to my Lord God for their sake.

The CNN anchor: Has God answered his prayers?

Muhammad: Yes; my Lord God has said the following to Moses: "..My torment - I inflict it upon whomever I will, but My mercy encompasses all things..." (7:156)

The CNN anchor: I know, of course, that God is never unjust to anyone; this is His Divine Will; He inflicts torment on those who deserve it and bestows mercy on those who deserve it.

Muhammad: Exactly.

The CNN anchor: Who are the ones who deserve His mercy? If it is for everyone indiscriminately, what would be the use of Hell, then?

Muhammad: My Lord God says the following about His mercy: "...I will specify it for those who act righteously and perform Zakat, and those who believe in Our Verses.”" (7:156).

The CNN anchor: This is about Paradise in the Hereafter as their reward, right?

Muhammad: Yes; this is about the People of the Book who believe in the Quran: "Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet of the Gentiles, whom they find mentioned in the Torah and the Gospel in their possession..." (7:157)

The CNN anchor: This prophet of the Gentiles is you?

Muhammad: Yes.

The CNN anchor: You are mentioned in the true Torah and the true Gospel?

Muhammad: Yes; in both of them, my name and description are found as a prophet who will emerge from among the Arabs who are part of the Gentiles.

The CNN anchor: But in the Quranic verses you have quoted, God has addressed the Israelites in Sinai; the Gospel has not revealed yet at this point in time!

Muhammad: This was a prediction by my Lord God; the Gospel will be revealed later on and it will contain my name and description and the glad tidings about me.

The CNN anchor: How?

Muhammad: My names, (Muhammad) and (Ahmad), are mentioned in both the Torah and the Gospel; for instance, Jesus said the following to the Israelites: "And when Jesus son of Mary said, “O Israelites, I am God’s messenger to you, confirming what preceded me of the Torah, and announcing good news of a messenger who will come after me, whose name is Ahmad.” But when he showed them the miracles, they said, “This is obvious sorcery.”" (61:6).

The CNN anchor: Your names are mentioned in Arabic in the Torah?!

Muhammad: Not in Arabic; I mean the meanings of (Muhammad) and (Ahmad) in the tongue of the Israelites, of course.

The CNN anchor: How are you described in the Torah?

Muhammad: By the same description found here: "Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet of the Gentiles, whom they find mentioned in the Torah and the Gospel in their possession. He directs them to righteousness, and advises them against evil, and allows for them all good things, and prohibits for them illegal things, and unloads the burdens and the shackles that are upon them. Those who believe in him, and respect him, and support him, and follow the Light that came down with him - these are the successful." (7:157).

The CNN anchor: So, the successful ones among the People of the Book are the ones who believe in the Quran.

Muhammad: This means they are not to follow me as a human being; they are to follow the Quranic Light.

The CNN anchor: This means you are a messenger to all human beings: Arabs, Gentiles, and Israelites.

Muhammad: Of course; the Quranic message is for all humanity, urging them to worship my Lord God within monotheism: "Say, “O people, I am the Messenger of God to you all - He to whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. There is no God  but He. He gives life and causes death.” So believe in God and His Messenger, the Prophet of the Gentiles, who believes in God and His words. And follow him, that you may be guided." (7:158).

The CNN anchor: Did the people of Moses at the time in Sinai believe in the advent of the Last Prophet?

Muhammad: Some of them: "Among the people of Moses is a community that guides by Truth, and thereby does justice." (7:159).

The CNN anchor: But the belief in the idea of the advent of the Last Prophet remained until you emerged in Arabia at the time, right?

Muhammad: Yes; my Lord God has said the following to Arabs, who are among the Gentiles, who rejected the Quran but some of the People of the Book believed in it: "Say, “Believe in it, or do not believe.” Those who were given knowledge before it, when it is read to them, they fall to their chins, prostrating. And they say, “Glory to our Lord. The promise of our Lord is fulfilled.” And they fall to their chins, weeping, and it adds to their humility." (17:107-109).

The CNN anchor: The believing monotheists among the Israelites in Arabia prostrated when they heard the Quran, right?

Muhammad: Yes.

The CNN anchor: Why did they prostrate by falling to their chins? I know that prostration in Islam means to place one's forehead on the ground.

Muhammad: They imitated their ancestors; the seventy men in Sinai prostrated in the same way as Mount Al-Tur was made to suspend above their heads during the covenant made with my Lord God and when they heard glad tidings of the advent of the Prophet of the Gentiles.

The CNN anchor: They felt glad that the prophecy came true, right?

Muhammad: Yes; this is why they said: "...“Glory to our Lord. The promise of our Lord is fulfilled.”" (17:108).

The CNN anchor: Why prostration to the chins is repeated in the two verses 17:108-109?

Muhammad: The first prostration was to signal their surprise and their glorification of my Lord God Who fulfilled His promise; the second one was to signal their humility, reverence, and piety.

The CNN anchor: The context of 17:107-109 is about some Israelites who lived in Arabia, especially in Mecca and Yathreb; how did they reach there; what are the historical roots you would provide to me?

Muhammad: During their forty years of wandering, their ancestors reached Arabia at one time.

The CNN anchor: How?

Muhammad: When Moses informed them of my Lord God's command to enter into the Promised Land, they arrogantly refused; their punishment was to wander the earth for forty years: "When Moses said to his people, “O my people, remember God’s Bounty upon you, when He placed prophets among you, and made you kings, and gave you what He never gave any other people.” “O my people, enter the Holy Land which God has assigned for you, and do not turn back, lest you return as losers.” They said, “O Moses, there are tyrannical people in it; we will not enter it until they leave it. If they leave it, we will be entering.” Two men of those who feared, but whom God had blessed, said, “Go at them by the gate; and when you have entered it, you will prevail. And put your trust in God, if you are believers.” They said, “O Moses, we will not enter it, ever, as long as they are in it. So go ahead, you and your Lord, and fight. We are staying right here.” He said, “My Lord! I have control only over myself and my brother, so separate between us and between the unjust people.” He said, “It is forbidden for them for forty years. They will wander on earth. So do not grieve over the sinful people.”" (5:20-26).

The CNN anchor: What is the Quranic proof about their roaming and living in Arabia for forty years?!

Muhammad: My Lord God says the following about the tribe of Qorayish in Mecca: "But when the Truth came to them from Us, they said, “If only he was given the like of what was given to Moses.” Did they not disbelieve in what was given to Moses in the past? They said, “Two works of magic backing one another.” And they said, “We are disbelieving in both.”" (28:48).

The CNN anchor: Meaning?

Muhammad: This means Moses and Aaron reached Mecca along with the Israelites; this means they roamed Arabia at one time; Qorayish refused to believe in Islam advocated by Moses and Aaron and accused both of them of being sorcerers.

The CNN anchor: In fact, excavations in Arabia show writings in Hebrew and names of cities mentioned in the Old Testament; some researchers assume that the Israelites during the era of Moses lived for a long while in Arabia and not elsewhere.

Muhammad: The prophecy about the advent of the Last Prophet made some Israelite tribes settle in Yathreb and near it; they knew I will settle there at some point in time; they coexisted with other Arab tribes; they told them about the prophecy of the emergence of the Prophet of the Gentiles in Arabia; this is how some Arabs knew about me before my ministry as a prophet, and even before I was born, and believed in the Quran before its descent. This is why many of the dwellers of Yathreb converted to Islam and believed in the Quran before any other people including the immigrants who came from Mecca; those monotheists among the Yathreb dwellers are the Supporters. 

The CNN anchor: Is there a Quranic proof about what you have just said?

Muhammad: My Lord God says the following in the Quran: "To the poor immigrants who were driven out of their homes and their possessions, as they sought the favor of God and His approval, and came to the aid of God and His Messenger. These are the sincere. And those who, before them, had settled in the homeland, and had accepted faith. They love those who emigrated to them, and find no hesitation in their hearts in helping them. They give them priority over themselves, even if they themselves are needy. Whoever is protected from his natural greed - it is they who are the successful." (59:8-9).

The CNN anchor: What was the stance of the Israelites in Arabia regarding you and the Quranic revelation after you settled in Yathreb?

Muhammad: Many Arabs in Yathreb believed in the Quran and many Israelites disbelieved out of envy; this is mentioned here: "And when a Book came to them from God, confirming what they have - although previously they were seeking victory over those who disbelieved - but when there came to them what they recognized, they disbelieved in it. So God’s curse is upon the disbelievers. Miserable is what they sold their souls for - rejecting what God has revealed, out of resentment that God would send down His grace upon whomever He chooses from among His servants. Thus they incurred wrath upon wrath. And there is a demeaning torment for the disbelievers." (2:89-90).

The CNN anchor: They knew from their Scriptures about the Quran and about you as the Prophet of the Gentiles and the Last Prophet and yet they disbelieved!

Muhammad: My Lord God says the following about these disbelievers among the Israelites: "And when there came to them a messenger from God, confirming what they had, a faction of those who were given the Book threw the Book of God behind their backs, as if they do not know." (2:101).

The CNN interview with Muhammad about the People of the Book, the Arabs, and the monotheistic religion of Abraham

The CNN anchor: This means there were among the Israelites, or the People of the Book in general, in Arabia those monotheists who believed in the Quran and those disbelievers who were repulsed by it and repelled others from it, right?

Muhammad: Exactly. My Lord God says the following about them: "Among them are those who believed in it, and among them are those who held back from it..." (4:55).

The CNN anchor: Was this in Mecca or Yathreb?

Muhammad: In both cities, with some differences and some similar points.

The CNN anchor: How?

Muhammad: The news about the Quranic revelation in Mecca reached outside it; the disbelieving polytheistic Meccans derided and attacked those who read the Quran; meanwhile, news came from all over Arabia that scholars and monotheists among the People of the Book declared their belief in the Quran. 

The CNN anchor: Would you please exemplify this to me?

Muhammad: The Qorayish tribesmen felt antagonistic towards Islam and hated hearing Quranic verses; they almost physically attacked readers of the Quran; my Lord God has commanded me to warn them against Hell: "And when Our Clear Verses are read to them, you will recognize disgust on the faces of those who disbelieve. They nearly assault those who read to them Our Verses. Say, “Shall I inform you of something worse than that? The Fire! God has promised it to those who disbelieve. And what a wretched outcome!”" (22:72).

The CNN anchor: What about the stance of the Quran-hating Meccans when you read the Quran to them?

Muhammad: They desired that I would fabricate another Quran as per their whims: "And when Our Clear Verses are read to them, those who do not hope to meet Us say, “Bring a Quran other than this, or change it.”..." (10:15)

The CNN anchor: What was your reply to them?

Muhammad: Of course, my Lord God has commanded me to say the following to them: "...Say, “It is not for me to change it of my own accord. I only follow what is revealed to me. I fear, if I disobeyed my Lord, the torment of a Tremendous Day.” Say, “Had God willed, I would not have read it to you, and He would not have made it known to you. I have lived among you for a lifetime before it. Do you not understand?” Who commits graver injustice than someone who fabricates lies about God, or denies His Verses? The criminals will never prosper." (10:15-17).

The CNN anchor: At the time, what was the stance of the monotheists among the People of the Book?

Muhammad: The belief of the monotheists among the People of the Book in the Quran was a refutation of the claims of the Quran-hating Gentiles among the Arabs: "Say, “Believe in it, or do not believe.” Those who were given knowledge before it, when it is read to them, they fall to their chins, prostrating. And they say, “Glory to our Lord. The promise of our Lord is fulfilled.” And they fall to their chins, weeping, and it adds to their humility." (17:107-109); "Is it not a sign for them that the scholars of the Israelites recognized it?" (26:197).

The CNN anchor: I see that the People of the Book have a special position in the Quran; why is that?

Muhammad: Because most Arabs are the descendants of the progeny of Abraham's first-born son, Ishmael, and the Israelites are the descendants of Abraham's second son, Isaac, as his son, Jacob, also known as Israel, had twelve sons who formed the Israelite tribes. Besides, the People of the Book had more knowledge than Arabs as they had many prophets and messengers and Scriptures; the Arabs had no prophets after the death of Ishmael. The term (Gentiles) means those who never received any Scriptures before. That I emerged as the Last Prophet and the Prophet of the Gentiles from among the descendants of Ishmael is how my Lord God answered the prayers of Abraham when he, along with Ishmael, rebuilt the Kaaba: "Our Lord, and raise up among them a messenger, of themselves, who will read to them Your Verses, and teach them the Book and Wisdom, and purify them. You are the Almighty, the Wise.”" (2:129). 

The CNN anchor: What is the proof of this?

Muhammad: My Lord God has commanded me to call both the Gentiles (or Arabs) and the People of the Book in Arabia to convert to Islam and to believe in the Quran: "If they argue with you, say, “I have submitted myself to God, and those who follow me.” And say to those who were given the Book, and to the Gentiles, “Have you submitted [to God]?” If they have submitted, then they are guided; but if they turn away, then your duty is to convey. God is Seeing of the servants." (3:20).

The CNN anchor: Did the People of the Book in Arabia at the time call the Arabs as (Gentiles)?

Muhammad: Certainly; this is inferred from here: "Among the People of the Book is he, who, if you entrust him with a heap of gold, he will give it back to you. And among them is he, who, if you entrust him with a single coin, he will not give it back to you, unless you keep after him. That is because they say, “We are under no obligation towards the Gentiles.” They tell lies about God, and they know it." (3:75). The Lord God has reminded the Arabs, or the Gentiles, of His Bounty of sending them a messenger from among them: "It is He who sent among the Gentiles a messenger from themselves; reading His verses to them, and purifying them, and teaching them the Book and Wisdom although they were in obvious misguidance before that." (62:2).

The CNN anchor: This is why you are called the Prophet of the Gentiles, right?

Muhammad: Yes; this is because my people, the Arabs, are among the Gentiles; this fact is mentioned here in this Quranic context about the covenant of the Israelites with my Lord God at Mount Al-Tur, in Sinai, in Egypt: "Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet of the Gentiles, whom they find mentioned in the Torah and the Gospel in their possession. He directs them to righteousness, and advises them against evil, and allows for them all good things, and prohibits for them illegal things, and unloads the burdens and the shackles that are upon them. Those who believe in him, and respect him, and support him, and follow the Light that came down with him - these are the successful. Say, “O people, I am the Messenger of God to you all - He to whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. There is no God  but He. He gives life and causes death.” So believe in God and His Messenger, the Prophet of the Gentiles, who believes in God and His words. And follow him, that you may be guided." (7:157-158).

The CNN anchor: Did the Arabs, or the Gentiles of Arabia, wished to receive a messenger and a Divine Book like the Israelites who received the Torah and the Gospel among other Scriptures?

Muhammad: Yes; my Lord God has said the following to them: "This too is a Blessed Book that We revealed; so follow it, and be righteous, that you may receive mercy. Lest you say, “The Scripture was revealed to two parties before us, and we were unaware of their teachings.”Or lest you say, “Had the Scripture been revealed to us, we would have been better guided than they.” Clarification has come to you from your Lord, and guidance, and mercy. Who then commits a grave injustice than he who denies God's Verses and turns away from them? We will repay those who turn away from Our Verses with the worst kind of torment, because of their turning away." (6:155-157). The (two parties) here are the Jews and the Christians.

The CNN anchor: The Arabs might have expressed this wish, in 6:157, jestingly, right?

Muhammad: No; they were in earnest; yet, they felt animosity towards me and regarding the Quran itself: "And they swore by God with their solemn oaths, that if a warner came to them, they would be more guided than any other people. Yet when a warner came to them, it only increased them in aversion." (35:42).

The CNN anchor: This means Arabs who disbelieved in the Quran at the time concurred with some of the People of the Book who denied the Quran, right?

Muhammad: Exactly. Of course, there were also believers in the Quran among both Arabs and the People of the Book. Of course, both coexisted and interacted in Arabia; both knew about the religion of Abraham and both distorted it. The Lord God commands them, in the Quran, to believe in the monotheistic religion of Abraham.

The CNN anchor: Really?! Was this command addressed to the People of the Book in the Quran?!

Muhammad: Yes; my Lord God says the following in the Quran: "Say, “God has spoken the Truth, so follow the religion of Abraham the monotheist; he was not a polytheist.”" (3:95); "And they say, “Be Jews or Christians, and you will be guided.” Say, “Rather, the religion of Abraham, the monotheist; he was not a polytheist.”" (2:135).

The CNN anchor: This means they are told to introduce reform to their faith by adhering to the true monotheistic religion of Abraham.

Muhammad: There is more here: "Say, “We believe in God; and in what was revealed to us; and in what was revealed to Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the Tribes; and in what was given to Moses and Jesus; and in what was given to the prophets - from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we submit.” If they believe in the same as you have believed in, then they have been guided. But if they turn away, then they are in schism. God will protect you against them; for He is the Hearer, the Knower." (2:136-137).

The CNN anchor: The same command of following the monotheistic religion of Abraham is addressed to the Gentiles or Arabs, right?

Muhammad: Yes; you can find it here: "And strive for God, with the striving due to Him. He has chosen you, and has not burdened you in religion - the faith of your father Abraham. It is he who named you Muslims before, and in this. So that the messenger may be a witness over you, and you may be witnesses over the people. So perform prayers and Zakat and adhere to God. He is your Protector. What an excellent Protector, and what an excellent Helper." (22:78).

The CNN anchor: What is meant exactly by the monotheistic religion of Abraham?

Muhammad: It includes inherited acts of worship: Zakat, prayers, fasting, and pilgrimage. In Arabia, Arabs and the People of the Book performed these acts of worship but within distortions; they also fell into the trap of polytheism especially by deifying allies/saints, edifices, and tombs; they distorted the monotheistic religion of Abraham and they were commanded to return to it.

The CNN anchor: How?

Muhammad: The monotheistic religion of Abraham means dedicating one's acts of worship to the Creator Allah within deep faith devoted to Him without deifying or sanctifying any creatures alongside with Him: "We sent down to you the Book with the Truth, so serve God, devoting your religion to Him. Is not to God that sincere faith is due? As for those who take allies besides Him, “We only worship them that they may bring us nearer to God.” God will judge between them regarding their differences. God does not guide the disbelieving liars." (39:2-3); "Say, “I was commanded to serve God, devoting my religion exclusively to Him. And I was commanded to be the first among the submitters.” Say, “I fear, if I disobeyed my Lord, the torment of a Tremendous Day.” Say, “It is God I worship, sincere in dedicating my religion to Him.” “But you can worship whatever you wish besides Him.” Say, “The losers are those who lose their souls and their people on the Day of Resurrection.” That is indeed the obvious loss." (39:11-15)

The CNN anchor: What about those who rejected the monotheistic religion of Abraham?

Muhammad: My Lord God says the following about them: "Who would forsake the religion of Abraham, except he who fools himself? We chose him in this world, and in the Hereafter he will be among the righteous ones." (2:130); "And who is better in religion than he who submits himself wholly to God, and is a doer of good, and follows the faith of Abraham the monotheist? God has chosen Abraham for a friend." (4:125).

The CNN anchor: It is a common idea that you conveyed a new religion; yet, you say that you are a follower of the monotheistic religion of Abraham; have you received a divine command to follow it?

Muhammad: Yes. "Say, “My Lord has guided me to a Straight Path, an upright religion, the creed of Abraham the monotheist, who was not a polytheist.” Say, “My prayers and my worship, and my life and my death, are devoted to God, the Lord of the worlds. No associate has He. Thus I am commanded, and I am the first among the submitters.Say, “Am I to seek a Lord other than God, when He is the Lord of all things?” No soul gets except what it is due, and no soul bears the burdens of another. Then to your Lord is your return, then He will inform you regarding your disputes." (6:161-164); "Then We inspired you: “Follow the religion of Abraham, the monotheist. He was not a polytheist.”" (16:123).

The CNN anchor: I see now that following the monotheistic religion of Abraham means adhering to (There is no God but Allah) and devoting and dedicating one's faith and acts of worship 100% to God only by never deifying or sanctifying anything or anyone besides Him; this also includes never to make distinction among messengers of God. I see now why the disbelievers in Arabia, among both Arabs and the People of the Book, stood against the religious reform you advocated when you urged them, through the Quran, to return to the monotheistic religion of Abraham. 

The CNN interview with Muhammad about how some of the People of the Book in Arabia repelled others from the Path of the Lord God

The CNN anchor: Let us talk now about how the People of the Book in Arabia repelled others from the Quran.

Muhammad: This is what my Lord God says about the disbelievers of Qorayish: "They keep others from it, and avoid it themselves; but they ruin only their own souls, and they do not realize." (6:26); likewise, many among the People of the Book did the same whether they believed in their own Divine, Celestial Scriptures or not.

The CNN anchor: Does the Quranic verses about the People of the Book in Arabia apply to the People of the Book in all eras and in our modern era?

Muhammad: This depends on the Quranic context; some contexts pertain only to those who lived in Arabia at the time and some others are very general and apply to all eras.

The CNN anchor: Would you please exemplify this to me?

Muhammad: The Lord God says the following in the Quran: "The Jews said, “Osir is the son of God,” and the Christians said, “The Messiah is the son of God.” These are their statements, out of their mouths. They emulate the statements of those who disbelieved before. May God assail them! How deceived they are!" (9:30). Those Jews who deified Osir do not exist now; yet, Christians still deify Jesus until now. Deifying clergymen still persists today: "They have taken their rabbis and their priests as gods instead of Allah, as well as the Messiah son of Mary. Although they were commanded to worship none but The One God. There is no God except He. Glory be to Him; High above what they associate with Him." (9:31).

The CNN anchor: How did the People of the Book repelled others from the Quran or the Path?

Muhammad: This sin committed by them is explained here: "They want to extinguish God’s Light with their mouths, but God refuses except to complete His Light, even though the disbelievers dislike it." (9:32); "They want to extinguish God’s Light with their mouths; but God will complete His Light, even though the disbelievers dislike it." (61:8). Of course, this also indicates that my Lord God preserves the Quranic text until the end of days despite the existence, in all eras, of those who repel people from the Quran.

The CNN anchor: I notice that the verb (want) is repeated in 9:32 and 61:8; why is that?

Muhammad: This shows the Omniscience of my Lord God; He knows what is inside souls and minds of all human beings; He knows all their intentions: "And your Lord knows what their hearts conceal, and what they reveal." (27:74 + 28:69).

The CNN anchor: This is about all human beings; yet, what about the People of the Book in particular? What about their desire or intention to repel others from the Quran?

Muhammad: My Lord God has exposed their grudges and envy towards the early believers in Arabia here: "Many of the People of the Book wish to turn you back into disbelievers after you have believed, out of envy on their part, after the Truth has become clear to them. But pardon and overlook, until God brings His command. God has power over all things." (2:109); "Or do they envy the people for what God has given them of His Grace?..." (4:54).

The CNN anchor: This envy made the People of the Book in Arabia want to misguide Arabs, or the Gentiles, and to distract them away from the Quran, right?

Muhammad: Exactly; "It is never the wish of the disbelievers from among the People of the Book, nor of the polytheists, that any good should be sent down to you from your Lord. But God chooses for His mercy whomever He wills. God is Possessor of Sublime Grace." (2:105); "A party of the People of the Book would love to lead you astray, but they only lead themselves astray, and they do not realize it." (3:69).

The CNN anchor: Does this apply to all People of the Book in Arabia at the time?

Muhammad: No; only some of them.

The CNN anchor: What was their relation with Arabs at the time especially the early believers?

Muhammad: Some were honest and some were deceitful: "Among the People of the Book is he, who, if you entrust him with a heap of gold, he will give it back to you. And among them is he, who, if you entrust him with a single coin, he will not give it back to you, unless you keep after him. That is because they say, “We are under no obligation towards the Gentiles.” They tell lies about God, and they know it." (3:75).

The CNN anchor: This means some of them consumed ill-gotten money!

Muhammad: Some of them were pious and honest as per 3:75 and this is asserted further here: "Indeed, whoever fulfills his commitments and maintains piety - God loves the pious." (3:76). The deceitful ones among all human beings are cursed here: "Those who exchange the covenant of God, and their vows, for a small price, will have no share in the Hereafter, and God will not speak to them, nor will He look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them. They will have a painful torment." (3:77).

The CNN anchor: Sadly, some 'Muslims' in the West consume ill-gotten money by stealing from others and justifying their theft using fiqh rules; they imitate the deceitful ones mentioned in 3:77.

Muhammad: I am innocent of what they do!

The CNN anchor: Thus, some misguided ones among the People of the Book deceived the Gentiles in Arabia; what about the stance of the early believers towards the People of the Book?

Muhammad: Some of them admired and obeyed the misguided ones among the People of the Book; they have been warned by my Lord God here: "O you who believe! If you obey a party of those who were given the Book, they will turn you, after your belief, into disbelievers." (3:100).

The CNN anchor: This means the misguided ones among the People of the Book at the time repelled others from God's Path or the Quran, right?

Muhammad: Exactly; my Lord God has commanded me to preach them that way: "Say, “O People of the Book, why do you reject the Verses of God, when God witnesses what you do?” Say, “O People of the Book, why do you hinder from God’s Path those who believe, seeking to distort it, even though you are witnesses? God is not unaware of what you do.” O you who believe! If you obey a party of those who were given the Book, they will turn you, after your belief, into disbelievers." (3:98-100).

The CNN anchor: The warning in 3:100 indicates clearly that some of your companions were negatively influenced by the misguided ones among the People of the Book in Arabia, right?

Muhammad: Yes.

The CNN anchor: Would you please exemplify this to me?

Muhammad: The polytheists of Qorayish demanded miracles or signs like the ones granted to Moses and Jesus; my Lord God refused because miracles seldom guided anyone in ancient times; besides, the Holy Quran is the only miracle of Islam; the Arab polytheists stubbornly insisted on seeing a miracle; this insistence was witnessed by the early believers in Mecca; after settling in Yathreb, some of the People of the Book demanded miracles and some believers imitated them in this demand: "The People of the Book challenge you to bring down to them a book from the sky. They had asked Moses for something even greater. They said, “Show us God plainly.” The thunderbolt struck them for their injustice. Then they took the calf for worship, even after the clear proofs had come to them. Yet We pardoned that, and We gave Moses a clear authority." (4:153); "Or do you want to question your messenger as Moses was questioned before? Whoever exchanges faith for disbelief has strayed from the right path." (2:108).

The CNN anchor: I am astonished!

Muhammad: Some People of the Book distorted the religion of the Lord God; they repeated the blasphemous phrase (the Lord is the shepherd) and the word (Hosanna) or "observe/save us" as if they were cattle in need of protection all the time; one should never utter blasphemies by ascribing to the Lord God false names and descriptions. My Lord God warns them here: "Among the Jews are some who take words out of context, and say, “We hear and we disobey”, and “Hear without listening”, and “Observe us,” twisting with their tongues and slandering the religion. Had they said, “We hear and we obey”, and “Listen”, and “Give us Your attention,” it would have been better for them, and more upright. But God has cursed them for their disbelief; they do not believe except a little." (4:46).

The CNN anchor: The phrase (the Lord is my shepherd) is still heard in churches today!

Muhammad: When some of the early believers in Arabia were negatively influenced by some of the disbelievers among the People of the Book, my Lord God has warned them here: "O you who believe! Do not say "Observe us", but say “Give us Your attention,” and listen. The disbelievers will have a painful torment." (2:104).

The CNN anchor: This means 4:46 indicates how some of the People of the Book in Arabia repelled others from the Quran or the Path, right?

Muhammad: Yes.

The CNN anchor: How?

Muhammad: My Lord God says the following in the Quran: "And among them are uneducated who know the Scripture only through hearsay, and they only speculate. So woe to those who write the Scripture with their own hands, and then say, “This is from God,” that they may exchange it for a little price. Woe to them for what their hands have written, and woe to them for what they earn." (2:78-79).

The CNN anchor: Are there other examples?

Muhammad: Yes; some were hypocrites who feigned being believers in the Quran and then declared their rejection of it later on; their schemes are exposed by my Lord God here: "When they come to you, they say, “We believe,” though they have entered with disbelief, and they have departed with it. But God is well aware of what they hide. You see many of them competing with one another in sin and aggression, and their consuming illicit money. What they have been doing is truly evil. Why do the rabbis and the priests not prevent them from speaking sinfully and from consuming forbidden wealth? Evil is what they have been doing." (5:61-63); "Some of the People of the Book say, “Believe in what was revealed to the believers at the beginning of the day, and reject it at its end, so that they may return.” And trust none except those who follow your religion.” Say, “Guidance is God’s guidance. If someone is given the like of what you were given, or they argue with you before your Lord, say, “All grace is in God’s hand; He gives it to whomever He wills.” God is Bounteous and Knowing." (3:72-73). Their aim was to make others cast doubt on Islam; this saddened me at the time: "O messenger! Do not let those who are quick to disbelief grieve you - from among those who say with their mouths, “We believe,” but their hearts do not believe; and from among the Jews - listeners to lies, listeners to other people who did not come to you. They distort words from their places, and they say, “If you are given this, accept it; but if you are not given it, beware.” Whomever God has willed to divert, you have nothing for him from God. Those are they whose hearts God does not intend to purify. For them is disgrace in this world, and for them is a great torment in the Hereafter." (5:41).

The CNN anchor: What else?

Muhammad: They slandered and insulted the early believers; this ordeal was a test; my Lord God has directly addressed the believers by commanding them to adhere to patience and piety: "You will be tested through your possessions and your persons; and you will hear from those who received the Book before you, and from the polytheists, much verbal abuse. But if you persevere and lead a righteous life - that indeed is a mark of great determination." (3:186).

The CNN anchor: This is the great Islamic tolerance I find in the Quran. What else apart from insults?

Muhammad: Scheming, conspiring, and plotting.

The CNN anchor: Would you please exemplify this to me?

Muhammad: They held secret meetings described here: "And when they come across those who believe, they say, “We believe,” but when they come together privately, they say, “Will you inform them of what God has disclosed to you, so that they might dispute with you concerning it before your Lord?” Do you not understand? Do they not know that God knows what they conceal and what they reveal?" (2:76-77).

The CNN anchor: What else?

Muhammad: Some of the People of the Book in Arabia who hated the Quran sided with the polytheistic Arabs despite the fact that they knew that the Quran is the Truth from the Lord God Who has cursed them: "Have you not considered those who were given a share of the Book? They believe in Gypt and Taghut, and say of those who disbelieve, “These are better guided on the way than the believers.” Those are they whom God has cursed. Whomever God curses, you will find no supporter for him." (4:51-52).

The CNN anchor: What else?

Muhammad: Some of the People of the Book in Arabia committed military aggression against me and the early believers and we had to engage into military self-defense by fighting them.

The CNN anchor: This entails some explanation.

The CNN interview with Muhammad about fighting the People of the Book in Arabia

The CNN anchor: Before I ask you about fighting the People of the Book in Arabia, I must say I understand from the previous segment of this interview that God has commanded the believers to pardon, within patience and piety, the People of the Book who envied and insulted them; this means committing military aggression against them was unconceivable; it was not an option. It is more logical that some of the Quran-hating ones among the People of the Book in Arabia would initiate military aggression and raise arms against the believers in Yathreb who had to defend themselves, right?  

Muhammad: Exactly. My Lord God says the following about the People of the Book in Arabia: "...Had the People of the Book believed, it would have been better for them. Among them are the believers, but most of them are sinners. They will do you no harm, beyond insulting you. And if they fight you, they will turn around and flee, then they will not be helped." (3:110-111).

The CNN anchor: This means sinners among them were the ones who insulted you and the early believers and fought against you and were defeated.

Muhammad: Yes. In 3:111, you see that they began military aggression and we had to fight back in self-defense while trusting the divine promise that the aggressors will be defeated.

The CNN anchor: This promise or prediction is in 3:111, right?

Muhammad: Yes, but this promise has its conditions.

The CNN anchor: What are they?!

Muhammad: To support the Lord God; this is a repeated rule in the Quran: "O you who believe! If you support God, He will support you, and will strengthen your foothold." (47:7); "...God supports whoever supports Him. God is Strong and Mighty." (22:40); "Most surely We will support Our messengers and those who believe, in this life, and on the Day the witnesses arise." (40:51).

The CNN anchor: What is meant by supporting God?! Does He need support by mortals?!

Muhammad: My Lord God has granted all human beings full freedom to believe or to disbelieve, to obey or to disobey, while bearing full responsibility for one's choice in the Hereafter within Judgment and then the outcome either in Hell or in Paradise. This means absolute religious freedom is essential; people are to choose freely for themselves; guidance is found only in the Divine Books revealed by the Lord God to His messengers and prophets; yet, clergymen repel others from the Truth and ascribe lies, falsehoods, narratives, and hadiths to the Religion of God; such hadiths 'justify' all types of injustices including religious persecution and committing military aggression against peaceful believers to force them to forsake their faith; to support the Lord God means to refute and reject such lies and hadiths and to engage into military self-defense in case of being attacked first by military aggressors.  

The CNN anchor: I see. This peaceful jihad by refuting false claims means to support God; when military aggressors attack peaceful believers who have the right to defend themselves, God will lend the believers victory because they support Him.

Muhammad: Exactly: "God defends those who believe..." (22:38).

The CNN anchor: This is a general Quranic rule which applies to believers who fulfill these conditions in all eras, right?

Muhammad: Yes; by the way, from this Quranic verse: "Most surely We will support Our messengers and those who believe, in this life, and on the Day the witnesses arise." (40:51), we infer that the pious monotheists will be witnesses who will testify against clergymen and the followers of clergymen on the Last Day.

The CNN anchor: Yet, those authors of your biographies have distorted your history and tarnished your reputation; they have portrayed you as a fierce, heartless warrior who committed military aggression, enslaved women and children, robbed possessions of others, and murdered POWs.

Muhammad: I am innocent of such fabrications; my Lord God sent me with the Quran as a mercy to the humankind and not to fight and murder the humankind: "We did not send you except as mercy to the humankind." (21:107).

The CNN anchor: We will discuss Quranic legislations of self-defense fighting some other time; let us focus now on your fighting the aggressors among the People of the Book in Arabia.

Muhammad: In Islam, fighting is only for the purpose of self-defense when peaceful ones are attacked first by unjust aggressors.

The CNN anchor: I see. Yet, your biographies mention you fought some Jewish tribes near Yathreb and drove them out of Arabia!

Muhammad: This is not true. My only true history is found exclusively in the Holy Quran; my Lord God sometimes rebukes me in the Quran for my mistakes; this is exemplified here: "O prophet! Why do you prohibit what God has permitted for you, seeking to please your wives? God is Forgiving and Merciful." (66:1). Hence, all instances of self-defense fighting are mentioned in the Quran with comments from my Lord God. It would be impossible that I might have committed military aggression, or else, this would have been mentioned, along with the severest rebuke, in the Quran.

The CNN anchor: This means any battles in your biographies never mentioned in the Quran are fictional, right?

Muhammad: Of course.

The CNN anchor: What about your fighting aggressors among the People of the Book in Arabia?

Muhammad: This is mentioned in the Quran, of course.

The CNN anchor: But without much details; we can find too much details only in your biographies!

Muhammad: I have nothing to do with such biographies; they are never mine; even those who wrote them never lived during my era; they never saw anything during my lifetime in Arabia!

The CNN anchor: The first author of a biography of you is named Mohamed Ibn Ishaq who died in 151 A.H.

Muhammad: I am innocent of lies and falsehoods written about me!

The CNN anchor: Let us talk about what is mentioned in the Quran about your fighting aggressors among the People of the Book in Arabia.

Muhammad: This is about some Jews near Yathreb: "It is He who evicted those who disbelieved among the People of the Book from their homes at the first mobilization. You did not think they would leave, and they thought their fortresses would protect them from God. But God came at them from where they never expected, and threw terror into their hearts. They wrecked their homes with their own hands, and by the hands of the believers. Therefore, take a lesson, O you who have insight. Had God not decreed banishment for them, He would have tormented them in this life. But in the Hereafter they will have the torment of the Fire. That is because they opposed God and His Messenger. Whoever opposes God - God is stern in retribution." (59:2-4).

The CNN anchor: Would you please explain this further to me?

Muhammad: This means the early believers and I did not fight them; my Lord God caused their leaving their homes out of fear which seized their hearts; I and the early believers did not do anything. This victory is God's alone.

The CNN anchor: Why did they deserve this?

Muhammad: They initiated military aggression against the early believers in Yathreb, and when the early believers mobilized their troops to begin their legitimate military self-defense fighting, fear seized the hearts of the aggressors and they fled after destroying their own homes.

The CNN anchor: What is meant by this phrase (They wrecked their homes with their own hands, and by the hands of the believers)?

Muhammad: When some believers saw them destroy their own homes, they did the same.

The CNN anchor: What about aggressors among the Jews of Arabia at the time?

Muhammad: My Lord God says the following about them: "God repelled the disbelievers in their rage; they gained no advantage. God thus spared the believers combat. God is Strong and Mighty. And He brought down from their strongholds those of the People of the Book who backed them, and He threw terror into their hearts. Some of them you killed, and others you took captive. And He made you inherit their land, and their homes, and their possessions, and a region you have never stepped on. God has power over all things." (33:25-27).

The CNN anchor: Would you please explain this further to me?

Muhammad: This is when the polytheistic military troops of the confederates sieged Yathreb and aimed to annihilate all believers; some Jewish tribes who lived near Yathreb sided with those aggressors and posed a threat to the early believers; yet, my Lord God has caused fear to seize the hearts of the soldiers of the confederates and they withdrew and ended the siege: "O you who believe! Remember God's bounties upon you, when forces came against you, and We sent against them a wind, and forces you did not see. God is Observant of what you do." (33:9). 

The CNN anchor: This means God defeated them and no fighting occurred because of this divine intervention; they retreated and left behind their Jewish allies.

Muhammad: Exactly; when the troops of the believers fought them and achieved victory, some were killed and some were captured, and the rest of them fled to their fortresses; we sieged them; fear seized their hearts and they fled Arabia. The early believers inherited their possessions, lands, and homes.

The CNN anchor: Did you put to death any Jewish captives?

Muhammad: No. Putting captured soldiers to death has nothing to do with Islam; they are to be released by grace or in exchange of other captives: "...Then, either release them by grace, or in exchange for others, until war lays down its burdens..." (47:4).

The CNN anchor: This is about Jewish aggressors in Arabia; what about Christian aggressors in Arabia?

Muhammad: Some tribes among Jews and Christians allied themselves to Arab polytheists who attacked Yathreb and initiated military aggression; my Lord God has commanded self-defense fighting in that case: "Fight those who do not believe in God, nor in the Last Day, nor forbid what God and His Messenger have forbidden, nor abide by the Religion of Truth - from among those who received the Book - until they pay the due tribute, willingly or unwillingly." (9:29). 

The CNN anchor: What justification can be found in the Quran?

Muhammad: They never adhered to peace which is the True Religion of God as per 9:29; they were aggressors who fought against the early believers who had to engage into self-defense fighting.

The CNN anchor: What about those among them who did not believe in the Quran and did not fight against the early believers?

Muhammad: One dealt peacefully with them as per the Quranic legislations here: "As for those who have not fought against you for your religion, nor expelled you from your homes, God does not prohibit you from dealing with them kindly and equitably. God loves the equitable." (60:8); "And fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not commit aggression; God does not love the aggressors." (2:190). Thus, self-defense military endeavors are exerted only in case of being attacked by aggressors.

The CNN anchor: What about the (tribute) mentioned in 9:29?

Muhammad: In all eras, defeated parties in any wars who initiated aggression typically pay financial compensations because of the sabotage, robbing, and killings they have committed. This pertains to justice. They are not killed and their land is not invaded.

The CNN anchor: I see. But the tribute is not mentioned in the Quranic context 59:2-4, right?

Muhammad: They left their lands and homes to us; why would they pay tributes or compensations, then? As for the Quranic context of the verse 9:29, it is about some Jews and Christians of Arabia who fought against us and remained in their regions; after we defeated them, peace treaties included their paying tributes or compensations for the damages they caused. We never conquered or invaded their regions because this pertains to injustice.

The CNN anchor: During such wars, what was the stance of the hypocrites inside Yathreb?

Muhammad: Some of them allied themselves to the aggressors among the People of the Book and among the Arabs or Gentiles; my Lord God has warned the believers against committing this sin: "O you who believe! Do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies; some of them are allies of one another. Whoever of you allies himself with them is one of them. God does not guide the unjust people.You will see those in whose hearts is sickness racing towards them. They say, “We fear the wheel of fate may turn against us.” But perhaps God will bring about victory, or some event of His making; thereupon they will regret what they concealed within themselves." (5:51-52).

The CNN anchor: These events occurred during your lifetime in Arabia, right?

Muhammad: Yes.

The CNN anchor: This means these legislations pertains to that era only, right?

Muhammad: No. When the same conditions are repeated in any case, no believers should ally themselves to the aggressors who attack their homeland. The believers should participate in self-defense endeavors, of course.

The CNN anchor: Some terrorists quote 5:51-52 to incite violence, aggression, or terrorism against the peaceful ones among the People of the Book such as Orthodox Christian Copts in Egypt.

Muhammad: I am innocent of what they do! The Quranic verses 5:51-52 are about the military aggressors only among the People of the Book who attacked peaceful people; one should not ally oneself to aggressors against one's country in times of war. This has nothing to do with peaceful people of any religious denominations who never commit acts of violence and aggression.

The CNN anchor: I see.

Muhammad: There is more about this issue of allying oneself to anyone: "O you who believe! Do not ally yourselves to those who take your religion in mockery and as a jest, be they from among those who were given the Book before you, or the disbelievers. And obey God, if you are believers." (5:57).

The CNN anchor: Did such a war between the aggressors among the People of the Book and defenders among the early believers go on?

Muhammad: No. Eventually, the aggressors stopped their aggression and this entails that self-defense fighting would stop when peace reigns supreme: "But if they cease, then God is Forgiving and Merciful. And fight them until there is no persecution, and religion  is judged only by God. But if they cease, then let there be no fighting except against the oppressors." (2:192-193); everyone's adherence to peace in Arabia is the victory mentioned here: "When there comes God’s victory and triumph. And you see the people entering God’s religion in multitudes. Then celebrate the praise of your Lord, and seek His forgiveness. He is the Accepter of Repentance." (110:1-3).

The CNN anchor: Did the People of the Book adhered to peace in multitudes like the rest of the Arabs as per 110:2?

Muhammad: Yes. This verse is among the ones revealed shortly before the completion of the descent of the entire Quranic text: "Today all good things are made lawful for you. And the food of those given the Book is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them. So are chaste believing women, and chaste women from the people who were given the Book before you, provided you give them their dowries, and take them in marriage, not in adultery, nor as mistresses..." (5:5).

The CNN anchor: What does this mean?

Muhammad: Everyone became brethren in peace. Peaceful men among the People of the Book can marry peaceful Muslim women and peaceful Muslim men can marry peaceful women among the People of the Book. No Quran-believing people can marry aggressors/polytheists or fornicators who never repent: "Do not marry polytheistic women, unless they have believed. A believing maid is better than a polytheistic one, even if you like her. And do not marry polytheistic men, unless they have believed. A believing servant is better than a polytheistic one, even if you like him. These call to the Hell-Fire, but God calls to Paradise and to forgiveness, by His leave. He makes clear His Verses to the people, that they may be mindful." (2:221); "The adulterer shall marry none but an adulteress or a polytheistic woman; and the adulteress shall marry none but an adulterer or a polytheistic man. That has been prohibited for the believers." (24:3). Of course, polytheism here means committing unjust aggression and rejection of peace.

The CNN anchor: I see.