(20) الَّذِينَ آتَيْناهُمُ الْكِتابَ يَعْرِفُونَهُ كَما يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْناءَهُم الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ فَهُمْ لا يُؤْمِنُونَ

20. " Those whom We have given The Book (the Jews and Christians) recognize him (Muhammad) as they recognize their sons. Yet those who have lost their own selves, they will not believe."

Commentary :

The content of this verse is similar to that of Sura Al-Baqarah, No. 2, verse 146.

Not only the name and qualities of the Prophet of Islam were mentioned in the Turah and the Evangel and the scholars of the People of the Book had informed their people of him under the title of ' the promised prophet', but also the characteristics of this holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and his companions were recorded in their Books. The Qur'an says: " Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and those with him are the firm (of heart) against the unbelievers, compassionate among themselves, ... that is their description in the Turah and their description in the Evangel (1) ; ..."

In this verse, the Qur'an clearly answers to those who claimed that the People of the Book had no evidence upon the prophethood of the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) , when it says :

And, at the end of the verse, as a final conclusion, the Qur'an announces that, with all these clear signs, only those people do not believe in this Prophet who have lost all their things and the capital of their own selves in the bargaining market of commercial transactions of lives. It says :

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