As-salamu alaikum wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakatuhA Christian who is interested in Islam asked me once why do we curse Jews and Christians in sura 1:6-7. What should I answer?

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

Indeed, in the sixth and seventh verses of Chapter Al-Faatihah there is reference to the Jews and Christians by description and not by name, but its wording does not include cursing them, but it includes a supplication of the believers to their Lord to spare them from the way of the Jews and Christians and their like.

Allah Says (what means): {Guide us to the straight path. The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray.} [Quran 1:6-7]

Al-Sa’di said in his Tafseer (interpretation of the Quran) regarding the above verse: "{The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor} of the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous. {Not} the path {of those who have evoked [Your] anger} who knew the truth and abandoned it, like the Jews and others. And not the path {of those who are astray} who abandoned the truth out of ignorance and misguidance, like the Christians and others." [End of quote]

In any case, the curse of Allah to the disbelievers is general, and to the disbelievers of the people of the Book is in particular, and this is confirmed in the Quran.

If the question is: Why did Allah curse the disbelievers? The answer is clear, it is because of their disbelief in Allah Almighty, who created them and bestowed on them His Blessings, and sent to them Messengers, and sent down Books, and established the evidence against them, but they persisted on disbelief –we seek refuge in Allah from it!!

It is enough (as evidence) to read Chapter Al-Bayyinah, in which Allah Says (what means): {Those who disbelieved among the People of the Scripture and the polytheists were not to be parted [from misbelief] until there came to them clear evidence. A Messenger from Allah, reciting purified scriptures. Within which are correct writings. Nor did those who were given the Scripture become divided until after there had come to them clear evidence. And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give Zakah. And that is the correct religion. Indeed, they who disbelieved among the People of the Scripture and the polytheists will be in the fire of Hell, abiding eternally therein. Those are the worst of creatures. -} [Quran 98:1-6]

Allah cursed them because of disbelief and stubbornness after the evidence has become evident, and after this evidence is established against them, and the Messengers have been sent, and the Books were sent down.

Allah Says (what means): {[We sent] messengers as bringers of good tidings and warners so that mankind will have no argument against Allah after the messengers.} [Quran 4:165]

The question to be asked now is: Does Kufr require the curse? The answer is also clear; if disbelief does not require the curse of Allah, what else would require it?

The most apparent and confirmed rights of Allah is to believe in Him Alone and not associate with Him partners, and to believe in His Books and Messengers, then if someone denies this after the evidence is established against him, then he deserves to be excluded from the Mercy of Allah, and this is the meaning of Allah cursing him.

Even the believers in Allah, one of them may do what requires some curse despite his faith, because of a great sin by which he deserves some kind of curse, such as severing ties with the kinship and accusing a chaste woman of fornication or adultery.

Allah Says (what means): {Indeed, those who [falsely] accuse chaste, unaware and believing women are cursed in this world and the Hereafter; and they will have a great punishment.} [Quran 24:23]

Allah Says (what means): {So would you perhaps, if you turned away, cause corruption on earth and sever your [ties of] relationship? Those [who do so] are the ones that Allah has cursed, so He deafened them and blinded their vision.} [Quran 47:22-23]

It should be noted that the curse of the disbelievers is more complete and greater. It necessitates being eternally in Hellfire, unlike the curse of one of the believers, even if it causes him punishment and delay in entering Paradise, but it does not make him remain eternally in Hellfire.

For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 286132, 30761 and 84149.

Allah knows best.