QS 3:19 and the negation of religion

2:170 When it is said to them, "Follow what God has revealed", they say, "Nay! We will follow the ways of our ancestors.” What! Even though their ancestors (and the ancient Imams) were lacking in understanding and were not rightly guided?

In this article I posit there is a big difference between Deen and its common translation of "religion" - Deen is the basic "instruction set" natural Way that is already instilled in all human beings. Among others, it is inclusive and flexible, while religion is exclusive, and rigid (see Deen vs Religion).

فَأَقِمۡ وَجۡهَكَ لِلدِّینِ حَنِیفࣰاۚ فِطۡرَتَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّتِی فَطَرَ ٱلنَّاسَ عَلَیۡهَاۚ لَا تَبۡدِیلَ لِخَلۡقِ ٱللَّهِۚ ذَ ٰلِكَ ٱلدِّینُ ٱلۡقَیِّمُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا یَعۡلَمُونَ

So be steadfast in faith in all uprightness — the natural Way of Allah which He has instilled in ˹all˺ people. Let there be no change in this creation of Allah. That is the Straight Way, but most people do not know. (30:30)

So if Deen is not religion, let's see what 3:19 says, with references to the rest of the Qur'an

Verse	Translation	Comment
إِنَّ ٱلدِّینَ	Indeed, the Way of Life
عِندَ ٱللَّهِ	closest to God
ٱلۡإِسۡلَـٰمُۗ	is peace
وَمَا ٱخۡتَلَفَ ٱلَّذِینَ	and not differed those who	humans were created the same with the inherent goodness of God (30:30) and the capability to tell between right and wrong (91:7-8)
أُوتُوا۟ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ	were given the Book	why did they differ? were people given different messages? ref:2:136, 2:285, 4:1663-164, 43:13
إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعۡدِ	except from after	no - that happened after the message was given
مَا جَاۤءَهُمُ ٱلۡعِلۡمُ	came to them the knowledge	they split after the knowledge came to them - even though the messages were the same. WHY?
بَغۡیَۢا بَیۡنَهُ	out of envy among them	We and our prophet, our messenger and our religion... 23:53 But mankind have torn their affair of unity between them into religions, each religion rejoicing in what it has.
...

This division was also mentioned in other verses, for example

45:17 And We gave them a clear set of commandments. Yet, they fell for differences through rivalry among themselves after knowledge had come to them. Your Lord will judge between them on the Resurrection Day concerning all they differed.

It's clear from 2:236 and 2:285 we are not supposed to differentiate between messengers because the message was the same.

2:136 Say, “We believe in God, and the revelation that has been given to us, and in what was sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, as well as the Tribal Israelite Prophets and in what was given to Moses and Jesus and to all Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction among them (since all of them were one in purpose and they got their guidance from the One True God). And for Him, we are Muslimoon” (Muslims, submitters to God alone, guardians of peace

2:285 The Messenger has full conviction in what is revealed to him from his Lord and so do the believers. Each one of them believes in God, His angels, His Books and His Messengers. (They say), “We make no distinction between any of His Messengers.” And they say, “We hear and we obey, so grant us the protection of forgiveness, our Lord. The final destination of all journeys is unto You.”

The same message was given to all communities

42:13 He has ordained for you all, the same System of Life that He enjoined upon Noah - And We have revealed to you the same message as We enjoined upon Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: "Establish the Divine System of Life and make no divisions in it.” The unity you call to, it is hard upon the idolaters. God draws to Himself everyone who is willing, and guides to Himself everyone who turns to Him for guidance.”

Repercussions, Quranically speaking

First, let me be clear that the messengers and prophets were innocent of the divisions - they lived, delivered their message, and died. None of them started a new religion or deviated from the Way.

It was afterwards that the divisions happened when people devised interpretations of the message and created religious rules and prohibitions based on narrations around the messenger sent to them

23:53 But mankind have torn their affair of unity between them into religions, each religion rejoicing in what it has.

In the Qur'an, this is considered as association of the people who devised them - with God,

This is addressed in v9:31

9:31 They take their rabbis, priests and monks to be their Lords* besides God. And they take as their Lord, the Messiah son of Mary. Yet they were commanded to worship but One God. There is no god but He. Glorified is He from all that they ascribe to Him as partners.

[*Talmud shows the Jewish superstition of ascribing divinity to Ezra, rabbis, saints, doctors of law and learned men. And the doctrine of Papal infallibility, divinity of saints and praying to them are common in the Roman Catholic Church. Islam is not free from similar failings]

In no small terms, this is shirk, and explains why 12:106 comes about

12:106 The majority of people do not believe in God without remaining ‘Mushriks’.

[‘Shirk’ = Idol worship in different forms. ‘Mushrik’ = One who calls upon gods besides God, associates others with Him, or believes in false deities = One who ascribes partners to Him, submits to false authorities, or follows clergy instead of Divine Revelation = One who blindly follows his desires]

Resolution - a way out

Follow what God has revealed

What is revealed to you is God given fitrah - the inherent goodness in all humans (30:30), the ability to discern between right and wrong (91:7-8) - your intellect and conscience, and the sense of community to consult each other for checks and balances, and collective decisions.

How do we know this works?

This is what the Islamicity Index shows - when communities put aside their personal beliefs and decide based on their intellect, conscience, and consultation, the result is close to the ideal Way prescribed in the Qur'an.