Reply #28: classical Tafsir, for example al-Tabari,

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debated whether such verses were addressed to all humans, or exclusively to Muslims. In general, the classical exegetes said that they were addressed to all. The "exclusivist" interpretation is the modern one. Most 20th and 21st century Islamists do not really know their own religious and legal tradition. They started out as middle-class professionals (journalists, doctors, etc.) who filled the void created after Western colonizers discouraged traditional Islamic learning. So many/most self-proclaimed Islamic "clerics" are phonies--in the sense that they have little understanding of their religious tradition. Some good stuff on this has been written by Khaled Abou El Fadl (among his many books, I would suggest "The Place of Tolerance in Islam," "Speaking in God's Name," and "The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists").

FYI, Maulana Muhammad Ali is a problematic figure. His main cause was as a "freedom fighter" for India's Muslims against Hindus, and so his interpretations were obviously contemporary and political