Know that when the Almighty described the Messenger and mentioned that humanity is obligated to follow him, He then mentioned that among the people of Moses, peace be upon him, there were those who followed the truth and were guided to it. He clarified that they were a group, because the term *Ummah* (nation/community) implies a multitude.

They differed regarding when this *Ummah* came into being and in which era they existed: 1. **Opinion 1:** They were the Jews who lived during the time of the Prophet (PBUH) and embraced Islam, such as Abdullah ibn Salam and Ibn Suriya. * **Objection:** They were few in number, whereas the term *Ummah* suggests a large quantity. * **Response:** Since they were diverse in religion, it is permissible to apply the term *Ummah* to them, as in the verse: {Indeed, Abraham was a nation} (An-Nahl: 120). 2. **Opinion 2:** They were the people who adhered to the true religion brought by Moses, called others to it, and protected it from distortion and alteration during the time when the Israelites were scattered and introducing innovations. It is possible they maintained this until the coming of Christ and then entered his religion, or they may have perished before that. 3. **Opinion 3 (Al-Suddi and a group of commentators):** When the Israelites disbelieved and killed the Prophets, one tribe remained among the twelve. They prayed to God to save them from the others. God opened a tunnel for them in the earth, through which they traveled until they emerged beyond China. * Regarding these people, there is disagreement: Some say they remained committed to Judaism until now. Others say they are now upon the religion of Muhammad (PBUH), facing the Kaaba, having abandoned the Sabbath and adhering to Friday, neither oppressing nor envying one another. They also say no one from us reaches them, nor anyone from them to us. * **Critique by some verifiers:** This view is weak. We must ask: Did the news of Muhammad (PBUH) reach them, or not? * If we say the news reached them, yet they insisted on Judaism, then they are disbelievers. How can they be described as an *Ummah* that guides by the truth and judges justly by it? * If we say the news of Muhammad (PBUH) did not reach them, this is remote. If their news reached us—despite the lack of strong incentives to transmit their accounts—how can it be conceived that the news of Muhammad (PBUH) did not reach them, when the world was filled with his news and mention? * **Counter-argument:** Do not the accounts of Gog and Magog (Yajuj and Majuj) reach us, while our news does not reach them? * **Response:** This is debatable. How do you know that our news has not reached them?

This covers the main points discussed regarding this issue.

Knowing this, we turn to the meaning of His saying: **{they guide by the truth}** (Yahdūna bi-l-haqq), meaning they call people to guidance by the truth. **{and by it they judge justly}** (wa bihi ya'dilūn). Al-Zajjaj said: Justice (*al-'adl*) is judging by the truth. It is said: He judges by the truth and acts justly (*ya'dilu*); he is a just judge. This is derived from His saying: {And you will never be able to be just between wives} (An-Nisa': 129) and {And when you speak, be just} (Al-An'am: 152).