Saying · Shortly after Badr, 2 AH
I ask you by Allah! Which of the two religions is closer and more beloved to Allah: our religion, or the religion of Muhammad ﷺ?
Quote · Shortly after Badr, 2 AH
You are more rightly guided than them.
~Shortly after Badr, 2 AH (c. 624 CE) · 2 AH
After the Muslim victory at Badr, Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf led a secret delegation of Banu Nadir to Makkah and formed an alliance with Abu Sufyan against the Prophet ﷺ; the exact terms are not recorded in the seerah sources. During the visit, Abu Sufyan asked Ka'b which religion (the Quraysh's or Muhammad's ﷺ) was more rightly guided; Ka'b answered that the Quraysh were more rightly guided.
This secret alliance, formed in open violation of the Constitution of Madinah, is given as the main reason later cited for Ka'b's assassination. Allah quoted and condemned Ka'b's answer to Abu Sufyan in the Qur'an [4:50-51].
Other events recorded in 2 AH. Their order within the year is not established; use the storyline above for the sequence.
I ask you by Allah! Which of the two religions is closer and more beloved to Allah: our religion, or the religion of Muhammad ﷺ?
You are more rightly guided than them.
انظُرْ كَيْفَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ ۖ وَكَفَىٰ بِهِ إِثْمًا مُّبِينًا
“See how they fabricate lies against Allah — this alone is a blatant sin.”
This is the specific asbab al-nuzul: classical tafsir (e.g. Ibn Kathir) records Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf's words to the Quraysh -- quoted in the post -- as the occasion for this ayah's revelation, condemning those who call disbelievers "more rightly guided" than the believers.
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا نَصِيبًا مِّنَ الْكِتَابِ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْجِبْتِ وَالطَّاغُوتِ وَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا هَٰؤُلَاءِ أَهْدَىٰ مِنَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا سَبِيلًا
“Have you [O Prophet] not seen those who were given a portion of the Scriptures yet believe in jibt and taghut and reassure the disbelievers that they are better guided than the believers?”
This is the specific asbab al-nuzul: classical tafsir (e.g. Ibn Kathir) records Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf's words to the Quraysh -- quoted in the post -- as the occasion for this ayah's revelation, condemning those who call disbelievers "more rightly guided" than the believers.