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Surah 16. An-Nahl, Ayah 124

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إِنَّمَا جُعِلَ ٱلسَّبْتُ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ ٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ فِيهِ ۚ وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَيَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ فِيمَا كَانُوا۟ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ
Innam a juAAila a l ssabtu AAal a alla th eena ikhtalafoo feehi wainna rabbaka laya h kumu baynahum yawma alqiy a mati feem a k a noo feehi yakhtalifoon a
[and know that the observance of] the Sabbath was ordained only for those who came to hold divergent views about him;147 but, verily, God will judge between them on Resurrection Day with regard to all on which they were wont to differ."148
  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., about Abraham. The implication is that the majority of the Jews had deviated from the true creed of Abraham (which is the meaning of the phrase, "those who came to hold divergent views about him") inasmuch as most of them became convinced that they were "God's chosen people" simply because of their physical descent from that great Prophet: an assumption which obviously runs counter to every truly religious principle. As the Qur'an repeatedly points out, this spiritual arrogance was punished by God's imposition on the children of Israel - and on them alone - of all manner of severe restrictions and rituals, of which the obligation to refrain from all work and even travel on the Sabbath was one. In its widest implication, this passage is meant to stress the fact that all God-imposed rituals are only a means towards the achievement of spiritual discipline, and never a religious goal in themselves.

I.e., He will judge between those who are convinced of their ultimate salvation on the basis of their alleged status of "God's chosen people", and those who believe in man's individual responsibility before God: and thus the discourse returns to the problem of God-consciousness and righteous living.

As for the Sabbath, it was ordained for those who differed about its observance. Surely your Rabb will judge between them on the Day of Judgment about that over which they differ.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
'Honouring' the Sabbath was ordained only for those who disputed about Abraham.1 And surely your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Judgment regarding their disputes.
  - Mustafa Khattab

 This verse refers to the Jews who claimed that Abraham was Jewish. See 3:65-68.

The Sabbath was appointed only for those who differed concerning it, and lo! thy Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that wherein they used to differ.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
The Sabbath was only made (strict) to those who disagreed (as to its observance); but Allah will judge between them on the Day of Judgment as to their differences. 2159 2160
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. ii. 113.

If Abraham's Way was the right way, the Jews were ready with the taunt, "Why don't you then observe the Sabbath?" The answer is twofold. (1) The Sabbath has nothing to do with Abraham. It was instituted with the Law of Moses because of Israel's hardness of heart (ii. 74); for they constantly disputed with their Prophet Moses (iii 108), and there were constantly among them afterwards men who broke the Sabbath (ii. 65, and n. 79). (2) Which was the true Sabbath Day? The Jews observe Saturday. The Christians, who include the Old Testament in their inspired Scripture, observe Sunday, and a sect among them (the Seventh Day Adventists) disagree, and observe Saturday. So there is disagreement among the People of the Book. Let them dispute among themselves. Their dispute will not be settled till the Day of Judgment. Meanwhile, Muslims are emancipated from such stringent restrictions. For them there is certainly the Day of United Prayer on Friday, but it is in no sense like the Jewish or the Scotch Sabbath!

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