Sahih International
"O
People of the Scripture, do not commit excess in your
religion or say about Allah except the truth. The Messiah,
Jesus, the son of Mary, was but a messenger of Allah and His
word which He directed to Mary and a soul [created at a
command] from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers. And
do not say, "Three"; desist - it is better for you. Indeed,
Allah is but one God. Exalted is He above having a son. To
Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the
earth. And sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs."Abridged Ibn Katheer:
Prohibiting the People of the Book From Going to Extremes in Religion
Allah forbids the People of the Scriptures from going to extremes in
religion, which is a common trait of theirs, especially among the
Christians. The Christians exaggerated over `Isa until they elevated him
above the grade that Allah gave him. They elevated him from the rank of
prophethood to being a god, whom they worshipped just as they
worshipped Allah. They exaggerated even more in the case of those who
they claim were his followers, claiming that they were inspired, thus
following every word they uttered whether true or false, be it guidance
or misguidance, truth or lies. This is why Allah said,
Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that `Umar said that the Messenger of Allah said,
This is the wording of Al-Bukhari.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Anas bin Malik said that a man once said, "O Muhammad! You are our master and the son of our master, our most righteous person and the son of our most righteous person...'' The Messenger of Allah said,
Allah's statement,
This is why `Isa was a word and a Ruh (spirit) created by Allah, as he had no father to conceive him. Rather, he came to existence through the word that Allah uttered, `Be,' and he was, through the life that Allah sent with Jibril. Allah said,
And Allah said,
`Abdur-Razzaq narrated that Ma`mar said that Qatadah said that the Ayah,
Therefore, `Ruh from Allah', in the Ayah and the Hadith is similar to Allah's statement,
﴿اتَّخَذُواْ أَحْبَـرَهُمْ وَرُهْبَـنَهُمْ أَرْبَاباً مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ﴾
(They took their rabbis and their monks to be their lords besides
Allah.) Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that `Umar said that the Messenger of Allah said,
«لَا تُطْرُونِي كَمَا أَطْرَتِ النَّصَارَىِ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ. فَإِنَّمَا أَنَا عَبْدٌفَقُولُوا: عَبْدُاللهِ وَرَسُولُه»
(Do not unduly praise me like the Christians exaggerated over `Isa,
son of Maryam. Verily, I am only a servant, so say, `Allah's servant and
His Messenger.')This is the wording of Al-Bukhari.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Anas bin Malik said that a man once said, "O Muhammad! You are our master and the son of our master, our most righteous person and the son of our most righteous person...'' The Messenger of Allah said,
«يَا
أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ عَلَيْكُمْ بِقَوْلِكُمْ، وَلَا يَسْتَهْوِيَنَّكُمُ
الشَّيْطَانُ،أَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِاللهِ، عَبْدُاللهِ وَرَسُولُهُ،
وَاللهِ مَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ تَرْفَعُونِي فَوْقَ مَنْزِلَتِي الَّتِي
أَنْزَلَنِي اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَل»
(O people! Say what you have to say, but do not allow Shaytan to
trick you. I am Muhammad bin `Abdullah, Allah's servant and Messenger.
By Allah! I do not like that you elevate me above the rank that Allah
has granted me.)Allah's statement,
﴿وَلاَ تَقُولُواْ عَلَى اللَّهِ إِلاَّ الْحَقَّ﴾
(nor say of Allah except the truth.) means, do not lie and claim that
Allah has a wife or a son, Allah is far holier than what they attribute
to Him. Allah is glorified, praised, and honored in His might, grandure
and greatness, and there is no deity worthy of worship nor Lord but
Him. Allah said;
﴿إِنَّمَا الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَكَلِمَتُهُ أَلْقَـهَا إِلَى مَرْيَمَ وَرُوحٌ مِّنْهُ﴾
(Al-Masih `Isa, son of Maryam, was (no more than) a Messenger of
Allah and His Word, which He bestowed on Maryam and a spirit from
﴿created by﴾ Him;) `Isa is only one of Allah's servants and one of His
creatures. Allah said to him, `Be', and he was, and He sent him as a
Messenger. `Isa was a word from Allah that He bestowed on Maryam,
meaning He created him with the word `Be' that He sent with Jibril to
Maryam. Jibril blew the life of `Isa into Maryam by Allah's leave, and
`Isa came to existence as a result. This incident was in place of the
normal conception between man and woman that results in children.This is why `Isa was a word and a Ruh (spirit) created by Allah, as he had no father to conceive him. Rather, he came to existence through the word that Allah uttered, `Be,' and he was, through the life that Allah sent with Jibril. Allah said,
﴿مَّا
الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ إِلاَّ رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِ
الرُّسُلُ وَأُمُّهُ صِدِّيقَةٌ كَانَا يَأْكُلاَنِ الطَّعَامَ﴾
(Al-Masih ﴿`Isa﴾, son of Maryam, was no more than a Messenger; many
were the Messengers that passed away before him. His mother ﴿Maryam﴾ was
a Siddiqah. They both ate food.)And Allah said,
﴿إِنَّ مَثَلَ عِيسَى عِندَ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ ءَادَمَ خَلَقَهُ مِن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ ﴾
(Verily, the likeness of `Isa before Allah is the likeness of Adam.
He created him from dust, then (He) said to him: "Be! ـ and he was.)
﴿وَالَّتِى أَحْصَنَتْ فَرْجَهَا فَنَفَخْنَا فِيهَا مِن رُّوحِنَا وَجَعَلْنَـهَا وَابْنَهَآ ءَايَةً لِّلْعَـلَمِينَ ﴾
(And she who guarded her chastity, We breathed into her (garment) and
We made her and her son ﴿`Isa﴾ a sign for all that exits.) (21:91)
﴿وَمَرْيَمَ ابْنَةَ عِمْرَانَ الَّتِى أَحْصَنَتْ فَرْجَهَا﴾
(And Maryam, the daughter of `Imran who guarded her chastity,) and Allah said concerning the Messiah,
﴿إِنْ هُوَ إِلاَّ عَبْدٌ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَيْهِ﴾
(He ﴿`Isa﴾ was not more than a servant. We granted Our favor to him.)`Abdur-Razzaq narrated that Ma`mar said that Qatadah said that the Ayah,
﴿وَكَلِمَتُهُ أَلْقَـهَا إِلَى مَرْيَمَ وَرُوحٌ مِّنْهُ﴾
(And His Word, which He bestowed on Maryam and a spirit from ﴿created by﴾ Him;) means, He said,
﴿كُنَّ﴾
(Be) and he was. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ahmad bin Sinan
Al-Wasiti said that he heard Shadh bin Yahya saying about Allah's
statement,
﴿وَكَلِمَتُهُ أَلْقَـهَا إِلَى مَرْيَمَ وَرُوحٌ مِّنْهُ﴾
(and His Word, which He bestowed on Maryam and a spirit from ﴿created
by﴾ Him;) "`Isa was not the word. Rather, `Isa came to existence
because of the word.'' Al-Bukhari recorded that `Ubadah bin As-Samit
said that the Prophet said,
«مَنْ
شَهِدَ أَنْ لَا إِلهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَنَّ
مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، وَأَنَّ عِيسَى عَبْدُاللهِ وَرَسُولُهُ
وَكَلِمَتُهُ أَلْقَاهَا إِلى مَرْيَمَ وَرُوحٌ مِنْهُ، وَأَنَّ الْجَنَّةَ
حَقٌّ، وَالنَّارَ حَقٌّ، أَدْخَلَهُ اللهُ الْجَنَّةَ عَلَى مَا كَانَ
مِنَ الْعَمَل»
(If anyone testifies that none has the right to be worshipped but
Allah Alone Who has no partners, and that Muhammad is His servant and
Messenger, and that `Isa is Allah's servant and Messenger and His Word
which He bestowed on Maryam and a spirit created by Him, and that
Paradise is true and Hell is true, then Allah will admit him into
Paradise with the deeds which he performed.) In another narration, the
Prophet said,
«مِنْ أَبْوَابِ الْجَنَّةِ الثَّمَانِيَّةِ يَدْخُلُ مِنْ أَيِّهَا شَاء»
(...through any of the eight doors of Paradise he wishes.) Muslim
also recorded it. Therefore, `Ruh from Allah', in the Ayah and the Hadith is similar to Allah's statement,
﴿وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمْ مَّا فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَمَا فِى الاٌّرْضِ جَمِيعاً مِّنْهُ﴾
(And has subjected to you all that is in the heavens and all that is
in the earth; it is all from Him.) meaning, from His creation. `from
Him' does not mean that it is a part of Him, as the Christians claim,
may Allah's continued curses be upon them. Saying that something is from
Allah, such as the spirit of Allah, the she-camel of Allah or the House
of Allah, is meant to honor such items. Allah said,
﴿هَـذِهِ نَاقَةُ اللَّهِ﴾
(This is the she-camel of Allah...) and,
﴿وَطَهِّرْ بَيْتِىَ لِلطَّآئِفِينَ﴾
(and sanctify My House for those who circumambulate it.) An authentic Hadith states,
«فَأَدْخُلُ عَلَى رَبِّي فِي دَارِه»
(I will enter on my Lord in His Home) All these examples are meant to
honor such items when they are attributed to Allah in this manner.
Allah said,
﴿فَـَامِنُواْ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ﴾
(so believe in Allah and His Messengers.) believe that Allah is One
and Alone and that He does not have a son or wife. Know and be certain
that `Isa is the servant and Messenger of Allah. Allah said after that,
﴿وَلاَ تَقُولُواْ ثَلَـثَةٌ﴾
(Say not: "Three!") do not elevate `Isa and his mother to be gods
with Allah. Allah is far holier than what they attribute to Him. In
Surat Al-Ma'idah (chapter 5), Allah said,
﴿لَّقَدْ كَفَرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُواْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ ثَـلِثُ ثَلَـثَةٍ وَمَا مِنْ إِلَـهٍ إِلاَّ إِلَـهٌ وَحِدٌ﴾
(Surely, disbelievers are those who said: "Allah is the third of the
three.'' But there is none who has the right to be worshipped but One
God.) Allah said by the end of the same Surah,
﴿وَإِذْ قَالَ اللَّهُ يعِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ أَءَنتَ قُلتَ لِلنَّاسِ اتَّخِذُونِى﴾
(And (remember) when Allah will say (on the Day of Resurrection): "O
`Isa, son of Maryam! Did you say unto men: `Worship me''') and in its
beginning,
﴿لَّقَدْ كَفَرَ الَّذِينَ قَآلُواْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ﴾
(Surely, in disbelief are they who say that Allah is the Messiah, son
of Maryam.) The Christians, may Allah curse them, have no limit to
their disbelief because of their ignorance, so their deviant statements
and their misguidance grows. Some of them believe that `Isa is Allah,
some believe that he is one in a trinity and some believe that he is the
son of Allah. Their beliefs and creeds are numerous and contradict each
other, prompting some people to say that if ten Christians meet, they
would end up with eleven sects!
Sa`id bin Batriq, the Patriarch of Alexandria and a famous Christian
scholar, mentioned in the year four hundred after the Hijrah, that a
Christian Council convened during the reign of Constantine, who built
the city that bears his name. In this Council, the Christians came up
with what they called the Great Trust, which in reality is the Great
Treachery. There were more than two thousand patriarchs in this Council,
and they were in such disarray that they divided into many sects, where
some sects had twenty, fifty or a hundred members, etc.! When the king
saw that there were more than three hundred Patriarchs who had the same
idea, he agreed with them and adopted their creed. Constantine who was a
deviant philosopher -- gave his support to this sect for which, as an
honor, churches were built and doctrines were taught to young children,
who were baptized on this creed, and books were written about it.
Meanwhile, the king oppressed all other sects. Another Council produced
the sect known as the Jacobites, while the Nestorians were formed in a
third Council. These three sects agreed that `Isa was divine, but
disputed regarding the manner in which `Isa's divinity was related to
his humanity; were they in unity or did Allah incarnate in `Isa! All
three of these sects accuse each other of heresy and, we believe that
all three of them are disbelievers. Allah said,
﴿انتَهُواْ خَيْراً لَّكُمْ﴾
(Cease! (it is) better for you.) meaning, it will be better for you,
﴿إِنَّمَا اللَّهُ إِلَـهٌ وَحِدٌ سُبْحَـنَهُ أَن يَكُونَ لَهُ وَلَدٌ﴾
(For Allah is (the only) One God, hallowed be He above having a son.) and He is holier than such claim,
﴿وَللَّهِ مَا فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَمَا فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ وَكِيلاً ﴾
(To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the
earth. And Allah is All-Sufficient as a Disposer of affairs,) for all
are creatures, property and servants under His control and disposal, and
He is the Disposer of the affairs. Therefore, how can He have a wife or
a son among them,
﴿بَدِيعُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ أَنَّى يَكُونُ لَهُ وَلَدٌ﴾
(He is the originator of the heavens and the earth. How can He have children.)
http://www.islamicstudies.info/ibnkathir/ibnkathir.php?sid=4&tid=13003
Commentary
The word: 
: Kalimatuh used
in this verse tells us that Sayyidna 'Isa (A.S) is the 'word' of
Allah. Commentators have given different meanings of this expression:
1. Imam al-Ghazzali has said that
two factors operate in the birth of a child: One is the sperm, the
other is the saying of the word 
or
'be' by Almighty Allah after which the child comes to exist. Since the
first factor is out of question in the case of Sayyidna 'Isa (A.S),
therefore, it was by attribution to the second factor that he was called 
(the word of Allah). It means that he came into existence solely through the word: (be) without the mediacy of material means. In this case, the statement which follows immediately, that is, 
would mean that Almighty Allah delivered this word to Maryam (A.S) as
a result of which the birth of Sayyidna 'Isa (A.S) came to be.
2. Some have said that the expression: (the word of Allah) has been used in the sense of: 
(the glad tiding of Allah) and it refers to Sayyidna 'Isa (A.S). It
will be recalled that the glad tiding of the coming of Sayyidna 'Isa
(A.S) given to Maryam (A.S) by Almighty Allah through the angels
carries the expression: Kalimah or word: 
(When the angels said, "O Maryam, Allah gives you the good news of a word ... 3:45).
3. Some have said that kalimah (word) has been used here in the sense of 'ayah or sign, as it has appeared elsewhere in the same sense: 
'She (Maryam) testified to the word of her Lord as true.' (66:12)
Let us now consider the statement: 
(... and a spirit from Him.) in this verse. Worth attention here are
two aspects of our probe. Firstly, why has Sayyidna 'Isa (A.S) been
referred to as ruh or spirit? Secondly, since by saying 'from
Him' the spirit has been attributed to Almighty Allah what, then, would
be the sense of such an attribution?
In this connection, several exegetical stances of commentators have been reported. Their gist is being given below:
1. Some of them explain it on the basis of lexical usage. They say that, according to the rule of 'urf or recognized customary practice, the word 'ruh' or
'spirit' is used in the sense of 'essence' to enhance the effect of
pristine purity in something. Since the birth of Sayyidna Isa (A.S)
was totally unrelated to the mediation of any father and he was the
outcome of nothing but the will of Allah, in His supreme majesty, and a
result of the word: (Kun:
be), therefore, he Was blessed with the most perfect degree of purity.
This is the reason why he was called 'a spirit' or 'essence' as
admitted by recognized practice. As for the attribution to Allah, it is
there to hold him in esteem. This is like attributing Masajid (mosques) to Allah in order to enhance the respect in which they are held. Hence, the expression: Masajidullah or the Mosques of Allah. Or, the Holy Ka'bah, by attributing it to Allah, is called: Baytullah or
the House of Allah. Or, by attributing someone religiously observing
and worshipfully obedient to Allah, he is called: 'Abd Allah' or the
servant or slave of Allah. Thus, it is in accord with this formulation
that the Holy Prophet 
has been referred to in Surah Bani Isra'il in the wordings: 
(carried His servant) (17:1) where the attribution to Allah reflects honour given to him.
2. Some commentators have said that
the purpose behind the coming of Sayyidna 'Isa (A.S) was that he should
infuse spiritual life into the dead hearts of people and make them
alive once again (familiar as born-again Christians in the West). Since
he was the cause of spiritual life very much like the spirit is the
cause of physical life, therefore, it was in this light that he was
called a spirit. In fact, this word has been used for the Holy Qur'an
as well: 
(and thus We have revealed to you a spirit of Our Command - 42:52)
because the Holy Qur'an too blesses people with spiritual life.
3. Some others have said that ruh (spirit) is also used in the sense of secret. Since Sayyidna 'Isa (A.S) was, because of his unusual birth, a sign and secret of Allah, therefore, he was called: Ruhullah (the spirit of Allah).
4. Some say that the adjunct is understood here since the statement was to be read as: 
(the possessor of a spirit from Him). However, since all rational
beings are equal as the possessors of a spirit, the distinction of
Sayyidna Isa (A.S) was made manifest when Almighty Allah turned his attribution towards Himself.
5. According to yet another exegetical view, the word: Ruh has been used in the sense of nafkh or
the blowing of breath. Sayyidna Jibra'il (A.S) had, as commanded by
Allah, blown his breath on the collar of Sayyidah Maryam (A.S) and that
became the conception. Since only a blow of breath had caused the
birth of Savyidna 'Isa (A.S) as a miracle, therefore, he was called: Ruhullah or the spirit of Allah. Another verse of the Holy Qur'an: 
(then, We blew Our spirit in her - 21:91) points out in this direction.
In addition to these, several other probabilities have also been suggested. However, none of these come to mean that Sayyidna 'Isa (A.S) is a part of Allah or a divine person on the basis of which it could be suggested that this very spirit we are talking about has manifested itself in the human form, of Sayyidna 'Isa (A.S).
A Telling Repartee
'Allamah Al-Alusi, the author of the famous Tafsir Ruh
al-Ma'ani has reported an episode from the court of Caliph Harun
al-Rashid where a Christian physician entered into a debate against the
scholar 'All ibn al-Husayn al-Waqidi challenging him that his Book
(the Qur'an) has a particular word which indicates that Sayyidna 'Isa
(A.S) is a part of Allah. And as a proof, he read out the verse (171)
which carries the words: 
(a spirit from Him). 'Allamah al-Waqidi came up with a rejoinder and recited another verse (45:13) of the Qur'an: 
(The meaning of the verse is that everything that there is in the heavens and the earth is from the same Allah where the word - minhu: from Him - serves to attribute everything to Allah) and said: 
(ruhim-minhu:
a spirit from Him) means, as you think, that Sayyidna 'Isa (A.S) is a
part of Allah, then, the verse I have just recited would mean that
every thing in the heavens and the earth is also a part of Allah?'
Thus, silenced, the Christian physician chose to become a Muslim.
The Qur'an and the Doctrine of Trinity
Reflected in the statement of the Qur'an: 
(And do not say "Three") is the state of the major sects among
Christians in which they were divided at the time of the revelation of
the.Qur'an. The doctrine of Trinity they adhered to was base on three
separate principles. One sect maintained that Masih is God and it is
God Himself who has appeared in the world in the form of Masih. The
second sect believed that Masih is the son of God while the third sect
claimed unity in trinity - the father, the son and Mary. Even this
group was split in two. The second group said that the Holy Spirit (Ruhul-Quds)
and not Sayyidah Maryam (Mary) was the third person (hypostasis).
So, these people acknowledged Sayyidna Masih (A.S) as the third of the
three. Therefore, all the three sects have been addressed, separately
and jointly in the Holy Qur'an whereby the Christians have been clearly
told that there is just one truth and that truth is that Masih (A.S)
is a human being born to Maryam (A.S), and a true Messenger of God.
Whatever is said beyond that is all false and ineffectual - whether it
be loaded with the excess of under-estimation, as believed by the Jews,
viz., God forbid, he was an imposter and fabricator: or, be a case of
the excess of over-estimation as believed by the Christians, viz., God
forbid, he is God or the son of God or the third of the three.
In many of its verses, the Holy Qur'an has, on the one hand, pointed out to the strayings of the Christians and Jews while, on the other, it has focused brightly on the exalted station of Sayyidna 'Isa (A.S) in the sight of Almighty Allah so that the true path of moderation could emerge clearly from out of the mazes of excess and deficiency.
Those interested in detailed information
about various aspects of Christian beliefs vis-a-vis the veracity of
Islam may wish to study the world-famous book, Izharul-Haqq by Maulana
Rahmatullah Kiranawi. This original work in Arabic has been
translated and published by Darul-Uloom, Karachi, Pakistan in three
volumes with detailed annotations. [An
English translation of this work has been recently completed by Maulana
Muhammd Wali Raazi, son of Hadrat Mufti Muhammad Shafi 
and is presently under the process of publication under the auspices of the translator himself.]
Towards the end of the verse, it was declared: 
(To
him belongs what is in the heavens and what is in the earth. And Allah
is enough to trust in.). The drive of the meaning is: When everything
has been created by Him, when everything falls under the domain of His
mastery and when everyone is a servant ofAllah, who and how could
anyone become His partner or associate or son? The fact is that
Almighty Allah is the dispenser of all our needs and the sole caretaker
of everyone's wants - He is universally and perennially sufficient, all
by Himself. He needs nobody. How, then, could He need to have a
partner or son?
To sum up, we can say that no created being has the ability or qualification to become His partner, nor does His most sacred Being have the room or need for it. This much is enough to tell us that suggesting a partner to God or ascribing a son to Him can be accomplished by none but the one who is deprived of faith and reason both.
Excess in Faith
Let us now go back to the opening statement of the verse: 
.
In this verse, the People of the Book have been asked not to indulge
in excess in matters relating to their Faith. Lexically, the Qur'anic
word: 
: al-Ghuluww means to cross the limits or transgress. In Ahkam al-Qur'an, Imam al-Jassas says:
Excess in Faith is crossing the limit set therein.
The People of the Book, that is, the Jews and the Christians were both made addressees of this injunction because excess in Faith is the common factor between them. Both groups have fallen victims to nothing but excess in matters of Faith. The Christians committed excess in believing and honouring Sayyidna 'Isa (A.S) when they went on to the extreme of taking him to be God or son of God or the third God. As for Jews, they committed excess in disbelieving and rejecting him - not simply that they did not accept him even as a prophet, they were audacious enough to, God forbid, impute a false accusation to his revered mother, Sayyidah Maryam (A.S) and to cast a slur against her parentage.
Since the disasterous deviation of
Jews and Christians in matters of Faith was a common scene of the time,
the Holy Prophet especially instructed his community to be very careful about it. According to a report from Sayyidna 'Umar 
appearing in the Musnad of Ahmad, the Holy Prophet said:
Do not exaggerate in my praise as was done by Christians in the case of 'Isa son of Maryam (A.S). Beware, I am only a servant. So, call me a servant of Allah and His messenger. (This narration has also been reported by al-Bukhari and Ibn al-Madini rating it as sound and authentically reported)
In brief, the sense of what he said is: I am one
with everyone in being a servant of Allah and a human being. The
highest rank I have is that I am a Messenger of Allah. Raising it
higher to the limit that you go about taking me as partner in the
attributes of Almighty Allah is excess and I do not want you to fall
into this excess like the Christians. This excess in Faith practiced by
the Jews and Christians did not remain limited to prophets only. Once
used to it, they extended this attitude of theirs to the apostles,
followers and deputies of the prophets. They had already assigned
Godhood to their prophet, now they invested the followers of the
prophet with immunity from sin. While doing so, they did not even take
the trouble of investigating and making sure if such followers were
genuine followers of the prophet and who correctly and firmly adhered
to his teachings, or they were no more than hereditary religious
scholars and guides. This resulted in the emergence of a leadership
which was astray in itself and could do nothing but keep adding to the
strayings of others. So, they ruined their Faith by practicing it
erroneously from within. The Holy Qur'an has described this very
condition of these people in the verse: 
(that is, these people took their religious leaders as objects of
worship, other than Allah). It means that they had already been
excessive in making their prophet a God, then, they started worshipping
later-day religious leaders in the name of following the prophet!
The lesson to be learnt is that excess in Faith is a dangerous attitude which has destroyed the Faiths of earlier religious communities all in the fair name of Faith. So serious were the implications that our noble master devised perfect defences to keep his community safe against this terrible epidemic.
It appears in Hadith that the Holy Prophet asked Sayyidna'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas on the occasion of Hajj that he should go and collect pebbles which he could use to throw at the Jamarat. He returned with average-sized pebbles and presented them to the Holy Prophet who liked them very much and said twice: 
(like these, like these) which means that one should do his or her ramy at Jamarat using average-sized pebbles litfe these. Then, he said:
It is your duty to avoid excess in Faith for communities before you were destroyed because of being excessive in their Faith.
The Ideal Solution
The Shari'ah of Islam has wisely shielded Muslims from falling into the trap of excess. The middle course in between the two extremes it has suggested is: Learn the Book of Allah (Kitabullah) from the Men of Allah (Rijalullah) and recognize the Men of Allah from the Book of Allah. In other words, one should first recognize those who are engaged in learning and communicating the true knowledge of the Qur'an and Sunnah through the all too well-known teachings of these twin sources of Islamic Faith. Once this is settled, no intricate problem relating to Qur'an and Sunnah will ever bother you - if you give precedence to their explanation above your own opinion, and follow them.
