“On the Day of Resurrection Allah will most certainly judge between those who believe, and those who became Jews, and the Sabaeans, and Christians, and Magians, and those who associate others with Allah in His Divinity. Surely Allah watches over everything.”
(Al-Qur’ān – 22:17)
‘Those who believe’ refers to all Muslims: that is, to those Muslims before the advent of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) who believed in the Messengers and Scriptures of their respective times, as well as to those who, in the days of Prophet Muhammad, believed in him in addition to believing in the earlier Messengers. These believers include those who are sincere in faith, as well as those on the periphery who waver between belief and unbelief.
Two communities were known as Sabaens – the followers of Prophet John who inhabited the upper region of Iraq called al-Jazirah. They practised baptism according to the way of Prophet John. The other community bearing this name consisted of star-worshippers who claimed to follow Prophets Shīth and Idrīs. They believed that planets held ascendency over elements, and angels over planets. They were scattered over different parts of Iraq.
The differences of opinion among the various communities concerning God will not be definitively resolved in the present world. It can only be settled for good on the Day of Judgement. It is then that it will be decided beyond all doubt as to who is in error and who is in the right. In a sense, the Scriptures have already decided this question in the present world.