"Say: O People of the Scripture, why do you avert from the way of Allah"—meaning: Islam—"those who believe, seeking to make it crooked?"—that is, you seek crookedness in it. "And you are witnesses"—to that, regarding what you acknowledge in the Book of Allah, that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and that Islam is the religion of Allah.
Muhammad said: It is said regarding an abstract matter: (i'waj) with a kasra (vowel 'i'); if it is regarding religion. And it is said...
﴿قل يَا أهل الْكِتَابِ لِمَ تَصُدُّونَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ الله﴾ يَعْنِي: الْإِسْلَام ﴿مَنْ آمَنَ تَبْغُونَهَا عوجا﴾ أَي: تطلبون بهَا العوج. ﴿وَأَنْتُمْ شُهَدَاء﴾ على ذَلِك فِيمَا تقرون من كتاب الله أَن مُحَمَّدًا رَسُول الله، وَأَن الْإِسْلَام دين الله.
قَالَ مُحَمَّد: يُقَال فِي الْأَمر: (عِوَج) بِالْكَسْرِ؛ إِذا كَانَ فِي الدّين، وَيُقَال
