Say: “We believe in The God, and in what was sent down to us, and what was sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes, and what was given to Moses and Jesus, and what was given to the prophets by their Lord. We do not discriminate between any of them, and to Him we surrender.”
The previous verse addressed Muhammad:
“Say: Rather, the way of Abraham, devoted to God alone.”
Now the address changes from singular to plural:
“Say”—addressed to all of you.
This is no longer Muhammad’s answer alone; the community of believers must also state its position. They are not to establish a new sectarian identity against Jews and Christians and enter the same competition for superiority. They must say:
“We believe in The God.”
The Qur’an then brings together once more the line of continuity traced through the preceding verses:
“And in what was sent down to us, and what was sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes.”
Ishmael and Isaac are again placed beside each other. In verse 133, Jacob’s children themselves said that they worshiped the God of Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac—“one God.” Now the community of believers, too, is commanded to exclude none of these branches from the inheritance of revelation.
But the verse goes beyond the division between the branches of Ishmael and Isaac:
“And what was given to Moses and Jesus.”
The mention of Jesus here is particularly significant. Some of the Children of Israel did not accept him as God’s messenger. Muhammad and those who believe in the Qur’an, however, are not permitted to continue that discrimination. Moses is accepted, and Jesus is accepted too, just as Isaac is accepted and Ishmael is accepted too.
Even these names do not mark the limits of faith:
“And what was given to the prophets by their Lord.”
The names are many, the times differ, and prescribed ways may take different forms, but the source is one:
“By their Lord.”
From this truth emerges the verse’s great principle:
“We do not discriminate between any of them.”
This does not mean that all prophets hold the same rank in every respect. The Qur’an itself says:
“Those messengers: We favored some of them above others.”
Al-Baqarah 2:253
But the distinctions God grants among His messengers do not give us permission to accept some and set others aside. The Qur’an condemns precisely this conduct in An-Nisa 4:150, describing those who say:
“We believe in some and reject others.”
Thus, “We do not discriminate” rules out discrimination in faith. Prophets must not be turned into rival banners for rival tribes and sects.
The verse’s ending brings us back to the same thread that began with Abraham:
“And to Him we surrender.”
Abraham said, “I have surrendered to the Lord of all worlds.” Jacob told his children, “So do not die except in a state of surrender.” Jacob’s children said, “And to Him we surrender.” Now that same statement is placed on the lips of the community of believers.
The community the Qur’an calls for therefore does not inherit a new name to set against earlier names. It inherits the same commitment: faith in the one God, acceptance of His revelation, no discrimination between His messengers, and surrender to Him.
This verse also continues the approach the Qur’an teaches in dialogue with the People of the Book. It does not compel them, dismiss their entire past as false, or turn dialogue into a conflict of identities. It begins with a truth that can provide common ground for discussion: one Lord, revelation, and prophets who came from Him.
Al-‘Ankabut 29:46 provides a complementary witness, expressing this approach more explicitly:
“Do not dispute with the People of the Book except in the best manner, apart from those among them who have done wrong. And say: We believe in what was sent down to us and what was sent down to you. Our God and your God are one, and to Him we surrender.”
The similarity in the language of the two verses is clear: “We believe,” revelation sent down, one God, and finally, “And to Him we surrender.” Differences are not denied, but the starting point for dialogue is shared truth, not a contest for superiority. Discussion, too, must be conducted “in the best manner.”
The lesson for us is clear as well. If we regard ourselves as followers of the Qur’an, we cannot make Moses “their” prophet, Jesus “their” prophet, and Muhammad exclusively “our own,” then use that division to assert superiority. The Qur’an places them all under one Lord and asks for our commitment: not to discriminate between His messengers, and to surrender to Him. The same approach must be visible in our dialogue with followers of other religions: discussion grounded in knowledge, fairness, and the best manner, rather than humiliation and coercion.
The meaning of faith is explored further in Faith in the Qur’an, and Islam as surrender is examined in Dīn, Islām, and Sharīʿah in the Qur’an.