SURAH AL-E-IMRAN: 181-183

TRANSLATION:

[3:181]
Allah has surely heard the words of those who said, "Allah is poor, and we are rich". {62} We shall write down what they said, and their killing of the prophets unjustly; and We shall say, "Taste the punishment of the flaming fire.

[3:182]
This is due to what your hands sent ahead and that Allah is not cruel to His servants". 


[3:183]
(There are) those who have said, "Allah has directed us that we should not believe in a messenger unless he comes to us with an offering to be eaten up by the fire". {63} Say, "A number of messengers have come to you, before me, with clear signs and with what you have said. So, why did youkill them, if you are true?"

INTERPRETATION:

{62} When the commandments around Zakat were revealed some People of the Book had made such derogatory comments while making fun of these commandments. Obviously, they didn’t really believe that Allah Ta’alah is (God forbid) poor. They had just meant to make fun of the commandments about Zakat. Therefore, Allah Ta’alah has not responded to their specific comments, but rather has warned them about the punishment for making such comments.

{63} In the Shariah of previous Prophets, when a person sacrificed an animal to obtain Allah Ta’alah’s blessing it was not Halal for them to eat the meat of that animal. After sacrificing that animal, they put their meat on the ground or a hill. If their sacrifice was accepted by Allah Ta’alah then a fire came from the heavens and consumed that sacrifice. This was called sacrifice by burning. In the Shariah of the Holy Prophet ﷺ this method of sacrifice was abolished and the meat of sacrifice was declared Halal for people. Some People of the Book at the time had objected that because the Holy Prophet ﷺ had not brought the same method of sacrifice, therefore, they would not accept him as true Messenger of Allah. Because this was just an excuse and the true intent was not to accept faith, they were reminded that in the past even though such signs had been revealed but even then, they had killed Prophets rather than embrace true faith.