Overview (Verses 54 - 57)

Full Heavenly Reward
 
They schemed, and God also schemed. God is the best of schemers. God said: ‘Jesus, I shall gather you and cause you to ascend to Me, and I shall cleanse you of those who disbelieve, and I shall place those who follow you above those who disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection. Then to Me you shall all return, and I shall judge between you with regard to everything on which you used to differ. As for those who disbelieve, I shall inflict on them severe suffering in this world and in the life to come; and they shall have none to help them. But to those who believe and do good works, He will grant their reward in full. God does not love the wrongdoers.” (Verses 54-57)
 
We come now to the end of the account of the relationship between Jesus and the Israelites. This begins with the verse: “They schemed, and God also schemed. God is the best of schemers.” The Jews who did not believe in Jesus, the messenger God sent to them, schemed against him in the most terrible, wicked and relentless of manners. They made all sorts of accusations against him and against his mother, the pure, and her fiancée, Joseph the carpenter, who, according to the Gospels, had not actually married her. They also accused Jesus of lying and taking advantage of people. They reported him to Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor, describing him as an agitator who stirred up the masses and encouraged rioting and rebellion. They further accused him of being an impostor who tried to corrupt the faith of the masses.
 
They continued with this line of false accusations until Pilate granted them their request of punishing him themselves as they saw fit. Pilate, a pagan ruler, dared not take upon himself the responsibility of punishing a man whom he could not condemn on the basis of any real evidence. These are only a few examples of the endless scheming by the Jews.
 
“They schemed, and God also schemed. God is the best of schemers.” We note here that the Qur’ān uses the same term to describe what the Jews plotted against Jesus and what God plans for them. This, in effect, ridicules their scheming, since it will have to be set against what God schemes. How can their scheming be compared to what God plans? Indeed, how can their power be compared to God’s might?
 
They wanted to crucify and kill Jesus. God, on the other hand, willed to gather him and cause him to ascend to Himself. He further willed to purify and cleanse him from mixing with the unbelievers and remaining with them. Such a purification is necessary since all unbelievers are impure. It was also the will of God to elevate the followers of Jesus above the unbelievers until the Day of Resurrection. What God willed came true, and the scheming of the Jews was of no consequence whatsoever: “God said: ‘Jesus, I shall gather you and cause you to ascend to Me, and I shall cleanse you of those who disbelieve, and I shall place those who follow you above those who disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection.’” (Verse 55) How Jesus was gathered and how he ascended to God are matters which lie beyond our human perception. They are unknown except to God. To try to pursue these matters is of no use whatsoever in respect of faith or its implementation. Those who pursue them will inevitably end up more confused, struggling with complicated and endless arguments, gaining no certainty or satisfaction whatsoever. For the whole matter is part of God’s own knowledge.
 
It is not difficult, on the other hand, to explain God’s statement that He has placed those who follow Jesus above the unbelievers, and that this elevation continues until the Day of Resurrection. Those who follow Jesus are the ones who believe in God’s true religion, Islam, or surrender to God. Every Prophet is fully aware of the true nature of this religion. Every messenger preached the same religion and everyone who truly believes in the Divine faith believes in it. These believers are indeed far superior to the unbelievers, according to God’s measure, and they will continue to be so until the Day of Judgement. Moreover, they prove their superiority in our practical life every time they confront the forces of un-faith with the true nature of faith and the reality of following God’s messengers. The Divine faith is one, preached by Jesus, son of Mary, as preached by every messenger sent before him and by the messenger sent after him. Those who follow Muĥammad at the same time follow all the messengers sent by God, starting with Adam until the last messenger.
 
This comprehensive outlook conforms with the theme of the sūrah and its presentation. It is also in conformity with the essence of faith.
 
The destiny of both the believers and the unbelievers is stated in the form of information given by God to Jesus: “Then to Me you shall all return, and I shall judge between you with regard to everything on which you used to differ. As for those who disbelieve, I shall inflict on them severe suffering in this world and in the life to come; and they shall have none to help them. But to those who believe and do good works, He will grant their reward in full. God does not love the wrongdoers.” (Verses 55-57)
 
This statement proves the seriousness of reward and punishment, the Divine justice which is absolute and which cannot be influenced by people’s wishes or fabrications. The return to God, then, is inevitable. His judgement on all matters of dispute is irrevocable. The punishment He inflicts on the unbelievers in this world and in the life to come shall overwhelm them and they can have none to help them against it. The believers who do good works, on the other hand, will have their reward in full, without favouritism, but with great generosity. “God does not love the wrongdoers.” Far be it from Him, then, to do anyone any wrong when He Himself does not love the wrongdoers.
 
All that people of other religions claim in variance with this, particularly when they say that their stay in hell will last only for a few days, and all their deceptive, wishful thinking of God’s reward and their flimsy concept of Divine justice are incorrect and without foundation.