Saying · Shortly after Badr, 2 AH
I ask you by Allah! Which of the two religions is closer and more beloved to Allah: our religion, or the religion of Muhammad ﷺ?
Quote · Shortly after Badr, 2 AH
You are more rightly guided than them.
~Shortly after Badr, 2 AH (c. 624 CE) · 2 AH
After the Muslim victory at Badr, Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf travelled secretly to Makkah with some men of his tribe, the Banu Nadir. There they made an alliance with Abu Sufyan, the leader of Makkah, against the Prophet ﷺ. The books of seerah do not record the terms of this alliance.
It is also reported that near the end of the meeting, Abu Sufyan asked Ka'b, by Allah, whether the religion of the Quraysh or the religion of Muhammad ﷺ was closer and more beloved to Allah. Ka'b answered that the Quraysh were more rightly guided.
This secret alliance broke the Constitution of Madinah, which bound the Jewish tribes not to help the Quraysh against the Muslims. It is given as the main reason for Ka'b's later assassination. Allah quoted Ka'b's answer to Abu Sufyan in the Qur'an and condemned it [4:50-51].
Other events recorded in 2 AH. Their order within the year is not established; use the storyline above for the sequence.
I ask you by Allah! Which of the two religions is closer and more beloved to Allah: our religion, or the religion of Muhammad ﷺ?
You are more rightly guided than them.
انظُرْ كَيْفَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ ۖ وَكَفَىٰ بِهِ إِثْمًا مُّبِينًا
“See how they fabricate lies against Allah — this alone is a blatant sin.”
This is the specific asbab al-nuzul: classical tafsir (e.g. Ibn Kathir) records Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf's words to the Quraysh -- quoted in the post -- as the occasion for this ayah's revelation, condemning those who call disbelievers "more rightly guided" than the believers.
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا نَصِيبًا مِّنَ الْكِتَابِ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْجِبْتِ وَالطَّاغُوتِ وَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا هَٰؤُلَاءِ أَهْدَىٰ مِنَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا سَبِيلًا
“Have you [O Prophet] not seen those who were given a portion of the Scriptures yet believe in jibt and taghut and reassure the disbelievers that they are better guided than the believers?”
This is the specific asbab al-nuzul: classical tafsir (e.g. Ibn Kathir) records Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf's words to the Quraysh -- quoted in the post -- as the occasion for this ayah's revelation, condemning those who call disbelievers "more rightly guided" than the believers.