“This Quran is not such as can be produced by other than Allah; on the contrary it is a confirmation of that went before it and a fuller  explanation of the Book- wherein there is no doubt- from the Lord of the worlds” Q10: 37.

Quoting several translations of Q19:37 which reads: “But the sects differ among themselves and woe to the unbelievers because of the judgment of an awful Day”

Mr. Katz, after criticizing and wrong interpretation concluded: “The only thing that is clear about this verse is the fact that is thoroughly unclear as to what it is talking about”. For his like in Christendom, we would make it clear to them even from their book- Bible, in response to some of the questions raised:

1. Which sects is the verse talking about?

2. What did they differ about?

3. How is their difference related to infant Jesus’ miraculous speech from the cradle?

Answer to Question 1:

The verse is no doubt talking about the sects among faithful before the birth, during the life and after the death of true Christ. It is not referring to all sects in all religions at anytime, but only to the Jews and Gentiles who have contrary beliefs about who true Christ is. The Quran is said to be an exposition about the books that came before it (Q5: 48) and this very verse Q19: 37 in question is of such function.

We have in the bible, sects during the very lifetime of biblical Jesus as we have it today in wider range. During his lifetime, some followers saw Jesus as great Prophet (Luke 24: 19; Matthew 21: 10-11) while some saw him as lord (Matthew 17: 15); Among his disciples Thomas and Philip saw him as lord (John 14: 5; John 14: 8) while the same Philip and Paul later found reasons to take him as a man (John 1:45, 1 Timothy 2: 5). And unlike the unambiguous IsaAS statement in the Quran, the biblical Jesus wars against himself through the Bible writers who reported him not knowing what actually to call himself such as: ‘am lord’- Matthew 22: 43-45 and ‘I am servant of God’- John 17:3. Some people saw him as son of man he called himself- Mark9: 31, Matthew 22: 42 while some called him son of God- Luke 22: 70.

The difference and dispute about Jesus of the Bible among his disciples and the people remains till he disappeared from among them. This is testified to: “And when they saw him (Jesus) they worshiped him but some doubted!” Matthew 28:17.

Whether ‘the group’, ‘the parties’, ‘the sects’ who doubted as above were known or unknown before Christ birth, the fact remains clear that, there exist different beliefs about true Christ during and after his lifetime and these may have possibly existed before his birth if we consider the worries of the Jews that made them approach John the Baptize asking him about the expected Prophet (John 1: 19-25). Thus the Quran is not talking about any mysterious sects but what is there in the Bible which many Christians failed to see!

Answer to Question 2: 

The facts they differ about was of course the right teaching of true Christ and his status especially as found in the Quran. When talking about belief, minor difference can lead to greater consequence in faith if not checked, reason why Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) warned Muslims against minor shirk saying: “What I fear most for you is minor shirk”. When asked what is minor shirk, he said “Disguised shirk” (Ahmed). Drops of water they say became great sea of today. The excess of followers of Christ of today calling Jesus, lord and god started unchecked long before and after his birth. Therefore in Islam any group with such so called minor wrong belief/differences which is against mainstream of the Prophet is bid’a (innovation) and according to our Prophet, ‘every bid’a  is disbelief and every disbelief  leads to Hell’. Thus we say yes! to Mr. Katz question that: “does this mean any difference with the group believing correctly is turning somebody into an unbeliever?’ Yes! So what they differ about are Quranic qualities of Isa and his teaching stated in the Quran 19: 30-36 and elsewhere, the elements of which can still be found in the Bible.

The disbelievers mentioned in the second part of the verse refers to the sects with wrong belief about the true teachings and status of true Christ and this refer to some of them with such wrong notion of true Christ as quoted above from the Bible, after all nothing was knowing as Christianity or Christian until his demise (Act 11: 25-26). Anybody who disagrees with what true Christ called himself at infant and his teachings at adulthood became sect and has disbelieved. 

Answer to Question 3: 

The statement in Quran 19:37 may probably have an element of spontaneous disagreement among the people at the scene if we consider the mind of the people who went to John the Baptize. It is not difficult to discern that many opinions were formed around the expected Messiah and this would only not generate dispute if only they received what they were expecting from Jesus. But the fact that most Jews do not accept Jesus is an indication of possible spontaneous dispute among those who likely present at the scene.

Meanwhile, most important and accurate we are bold to say, that the statement in Q19: 37 has little or nothing to do with the infant Jesus miraculous speech because there has been a break to his infant speech by Allah in verses 34-35 with conclusive words. But verse 36 though Jesus’ statement does not indicate continuation of earlier speech but of what he taught in his later life upon which some people formed sects. This conclusion is easily discovered when we open to Q43: 64-65, it reads exactly the same thing found in Q19: 36-37 and the former reveal IsaAS to have made it during his teachings at adult life. More so, the prediction made about IsaAS in the Quran matches both his speech in the cradle with that of adult life: “And he shall speak to the people in the cradle and in maturity, and he shall be of the righteous.” Q3: 46. Therefore, if the statement of his cradle age is now followed by that of his adult life to which verse 37 in question is actually connected, yet with two verses of distinct conclusion in between the periods, I don’t think that is any anachronistic statement in the Quran! 

“He it is Allah who has sent down to you the Book (AL-Quran). In it are verses that are decisive in meaning, they are the basis of the Book, and there are other verses that are susceptible of different interpretations. But those whose hearts is perversity pursue that are susceptible of different interpretation, seeking discord and wrong interpretation of it…”Q3: 7

May Allah make acceptance of the truth easy for you!