Mubahalah between the Messenger (peace be upon him) and the Christians


Question:

During the lifetime of the Messenger (peace be upon him), Mubahalah (the occasion when two contending parties mutually invoke Allah’s Curse on the lying party) took place between him and the Christians upon which the following Ayah (Qur’anic verse) was revealed: “Then whoever disputes with you concerning him [‘Isâ (Jesus)] after (all this) knowledge that has come to you [i.e. ‘Isâ (Jesus) being a slave of Allâh, and having no share in Divinity], say: (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) “Come, let us call our sons and your sons” [Aal Imran: 61]

Is this event exclusive to the Prophet (peace be upon him)? If not, should Mubahalah only be used with the Christians?

Answer:

Mubahalah is not exclusive to the event that took place between the Messenger (peace be upon him) and the Christians. In fact, its ruling is general and it can be used by the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Ummah (nation) with the Christians and non-Christians. This is because the basic rule of legislation is generality.

The event of Mubahalah that the Prophet (peace be upon him) called to during his lifetime against the Christians of Najran 1, is an actual application of the meaning of the Ayah that does not signify that the ruling is exclusive to that event only.

  1. Al-Tabary mentionted the event of Mubahalah against the Christians of Najran in his Tafsir book, p. 7161; and Al-Bayhaqi in Al-Dala’il, vol. 5, p. 385. ↩