They say, "Be Jews or Christians [so] you will be guided." Say, (2:135)

Almuntakhab Fi Tafsir Alquran Alkarim

Yet once more Ahl Al-Kitab explicitly say: Be Jews or Christians, and thus be guided into all truth. Say to them, O Muhammad: But rather the religion of Ibrahim as the true and straightforward, and his system of faith and worship; never did he incorporate with Allah other deities

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(2:135) The Jews say, "Become Jews and you will be rightly guided" ;the Christians say, "Become Christians and you will have the true guidance." Say to them, "Nay, we turn away from every other way and accept the way of Abraham, and Abraham did not associate other gods with Allah." *135

They say, "Be Jews or Christians [so] you will be guided." Say, meaning

*135). In order to grasp the subtlety, of this remark two things should be borne in mind. First, that in comparison to Islam, the primordial religion, both Judaism and Christianity are later products. The name Judaism, as well as the characteristic features and elaborate body of laws and regulations associated with it. emerged during the third or fourth century, B.C. As for Christianity. in the sense of the body of dogmas and theological doctrines which characterize it, it came into existence long after Jesus (peace be on llim). The question that naturally arises is that, if man's guidance depends on following Judaism or Christianity, how can Abraham and other Prophets and righteous people who are accepted as having been rightly-guided even by the Jews and Christians be considered so when they were born several centuries before the birth of Judaism and Chrstianity? If they were rightly-guided from whom did they receive their guidance? Obviously their source of guidance and inspiration was neither Judaism nor Christianitv since, in their times, these did not exist. So man's rectitude does not depend on those characteristics which led to the rise of Jewish and Christian particularisms; it rather depends on adopting that universal way to Truth which has guided and inspired men throughout the ages.
Second. the Scriptures of the Jews and Christians attest that Abraham believed that worship, adoration, service and obedience were due to God alone, and that it was his mission to have none associated with God in His attributes and rights. Since polytheistic elements had made inroads into Judaism and Christianity it was obvious that both had strayed from the way of Abraham.
 

They say, "Be Jews or Christians [so] you will be guided." Say, meaning in Urdu

یہودی کہتے ہیں: یہودی ہو تو راہ راست پاؤ گے عیسائی کہتے ہیں: عیسائی ہو، تو ہدایت ملے گی اِن سے کہو: "نہیں، بلکہ سب کو چھوڑ کر ابراہیمؑ کا طریقہ اور ابراہیمؑ مشر کو ں میں سے نہ تھا"