Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

CHAPTER 3 (Surah Āl ‘Imrān), VERSES 19 -25

فَإِنْ حَاجُّوكَ فَقُلْ أَسْلَمْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّـهِ وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَنِۗ وَقُل لِّلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ وَالْأُمِّيِّينَ أَأَسْلَمْتُمْۚ فَإِنْ أَسْلَمُوا فَقَدِ اهْتَدَواۖ وَّإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَاغُۗ وَاللَّـهُ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ ﴿٢٠﴾ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّـهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ النَّبِيِّينَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ وَيَقْتُلُونَ الَّذِينَ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْقِسْطِ مِنَ النَّاسِ فَبَشِّرْهُم بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ ﴿٢١﴾ أُولَـٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّاصِرِينَ ﴿٢٢﴾ أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا نَصِيبًا مِّنَ الْكِتَابِ يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَىٰ كِتَابِ اللَّـهِ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَتَوَلَّىٰ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمْ وَهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ ﴿٢٣﴾ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا لَن تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ إِلَّا أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَاتٍۖ وَغَرَّهُمْ فِي دِينِهِم مَّا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ ﴿٢٤﴾ فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جَمَعْنَاهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ لَّا رَيْبَ فِيهِ وَوُفِّيَتْ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ ﴿٢٥﴾

Surely the religion with Allāh is Islam; and those to whom the. Book had been given did not differ but after knowledge had come to them, out of envy among themselves; and whoever disbelieves in the signs of Allāh then surely Allāh is quick of reckoning (19). But if they dispute with you, say: ‘‘I have submitted myself (entirely) to Allāh and (so has) every one who follows me.’’ And say to those who have been given the Book and the unlearned people: ‘‘Do you submit yourselves?’’ So if they submit then indeed they follow the right way; and if they turn back, then upon you is only the delivery of the message; and Allāh sees the servants (20). Surely (as for) those who disbelieve in the signs of Allāh and slay the prophets unjustly and slay those among men who enjoin justice, announce to them a painful chastisement (21). Those are they whose works shall become null in this world as well as the hereafter, and they shall have no helpers (22) . Have you not considered those who are given a portion of the Book? They are invited to the Book of Allāh that it might decide between them, then a part of them turn back and they withdraw (23). This is because they say:‘‘The fire shall not touch us but for a counted number of days’’, and what they have forged deceives them in the matter of their religion (24). Then how (will it be) when We shall gather them together on a day about which there is no doubt, and every soul shall be fully paid what it has earned, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly? (25).

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COMMENTARY

The verses refer to the People of the Book. They are the last - and most important - of the three groups commented upon in this chapter. It was about the. People of the Book - the Jews and the Christians - that a major part of this chapter was revealed.

QUR’ĀN: Surely the religion with Allāh is Islam: We have already described the literal meaning of ‘‘al-Islām’’( ا َلْاِسْلَامُ = to submit, to surrender oneself to Allāh). Apparently this is the meaning intended here, because it is followed by description of the difference of the People of the Book - the difference which they created after knowing the truth, because of envy among themselves.

The explanation of the verse, therefore, would be as follows: The religion with Allāh is only one; there is no difference or discrepancy in it; He has commanded His servants to follow only this religion; it was this religion which was described in the Books revealed to His prophets, and to which the Divine signs pointed. It is theIslam, that is, surrender to the truth, with correct belief and sincere deeds; Islam is to accept willingly all the knowledge and commandments sent down by Allāh. Admittedly, the commandments varied in quality and quantity in various laws brought by various prophets - and Allāh Himself mentions this fact in His Book - but in reality there was only one religion. The difference between various laws was in the degree of perfection, it was not because of any discrepancy or contradiction. All were one inasmuch as all called the people to surrender and submit themselves to the will of Allāh, to His commandments sent through His prophets.

It is this religion which Allāh expects His servants to follow, which He has sent down for them. It necessarily follows that man should accept all the knowledge which has been clearly explained to him, and should stop at doubtful matters - submitting himself to the will of Allāh, without trying to interpret it according to his desire and thinking.

As for the difference of the People of the Book, (the Jews and the Christians) in the matter of religion, it was not because they did not know the truth; they certainly knew it; they were aware that the religion was only one, because Allāh had revealed the Book which clearly explained that religion to them. Nevertheless, they differed among themselves because they were envious and unjust. Although they continued to believe in Allāh, their envy and injustice made them disbelieve in the signs of Allāh, in the Book of Allāh, which had clearly explained to them the reality of religion. And whoever disbelieves in the signs of Allāh then surely Allāh is quick of reckoning; He will quickly call them to account in this world as well as in the hereafter. They shall be recompensed in this life with disgrace and ignominy, and in the hereafter with painful chastisement of the Fire.

Why do we say that the reckoning spans both lives? It is because Allāh says after two verses:‘‘Those are they whose works shall become null and void in this world as well as the hereafter’’.

The above explanation makes two things clear:

First: The clause, ‘‘the religion with Allāh’’, refers to religion in the meaning of sharī‘ah; the verse says: There is only one religion ordained by Allāh, the difference between various prophets’ sharī‘ah being in the quality only; and the quality differed because of the capabilities of the various nations for which those rules were made.

In this verse, religion does not refer to the system of creation. In other words, it does not say that all people were created with a natural instinct to believe in God.

Second: The word ‘‘al-āyāt’’( ا َلْايَاتٌ = signs) refers to the verses of the Divine Books, sent to the prophets; it does not refer to the signs in the creation which lead one to the belief in one God.

The verse contains a threat to the People of the Book: They shall surely be punished for their envy and rebellion. It is similar to the threat addressed earlier to the polytheists and disbelievers: Say to those who disbelieve:‘‘You shall be vanquished and gathered together to hell . ’’ (3:11). Probably, that is the reason why the next verse joins the People of the Book and the polytheists together and says:‘‘And say to those who have been given the Book and the unlearned people: ‘Do you submit yourselves?’ ’’ There is a threat implied by the tone of this question too.

QUR’ĀN: But if they dispute with you, say: ‘‘I have submitted myself (entirely) to Allāh and (so has) every one who follows me’’: Obviously, the pronoun ‘‘they’’ refers to the People of the Book. The disputation points to their arguments about the difference. They would say: ‘‘Our difference does not emanate from any envy or injustice; we have tried our best to acquire the knowledge of the realities of religion; nevertheless, in this endeavour each one’s thinking process and wisdom has led him to a different conclusion. It does not mean that we have become arrogant or rebellious,nor that we are not submissive to Allāh. Even what you call us to, 0 Muhammad!similarly emanates from a different process of thinking. You too have differed from us in the same way ’’. Allāh demolishes such disputations in the next two sentences: ‘‘. . say: ‘I have submitted myself (entirely) to Allāh . .’ ’’ and ‘‘. . say to those who have been given the Book and the unlearned people: ‘Do you submit yourselves?’ ’’ These sentences are not an attempt to avoid the issue; they contain the clear rebuttal of the disputations of the People of the Book.

The connotation of the verse, read in conjunction with the preceding one, is as follows:

The religion with Allāh is submission to Allāh; the Books sent by Allāh are unanimous on this point, and the untainted wisdom accepts it. Nobody can, therefore, blame you, O Muhammad!for submitting to the will and command of Allāh. You are a Muslim. If the People of the Book dispute with you about the religion, then you should tell them clearly that you have submitted yourself entirely to Allāh and so have done all your followers. This is the real religion and no argument can be brought against this reality. Then you should ask them whether they too would submit themselves to Allāh. If they did so, then they would indeed proceed on the right path, they would accept what had been revealed to you and to those prophets who came before you; there would be no argument against them and your mutual difference would come to an end. On the other hand, if they turned back, then do not enter into any disputation or argument with them. It is a self-evident truth that religion is total surrender to Allāh, and there is no point in labouring to prove a self-evident reality. You should just convey the Divine message to them and that is all.

Allāh has joined the People of the Book and the unlearned polytheists together in this verse:‘‘And say to those who have been given the Book and the unlearned people: ‘Do you submit yourselves?’ ’’ It is because both believed in religion and in Allāh, although they differed because of their respective beliefs of monotheism and polytheism.

The phrase, translated here as ‘‘I have submitted myself (entirely) to Allāh’’, literally means, I have submitted my face to Allāh. ‘‘al-Wajh’’ (اَلْوَجْهٌ = face, front). Most of the senses and organs of perception are concentrated in the face; therefore, submitting one’s face to Allāh signifies total submission to Allāh’s will, willing obedience to His commandments.

The clause, ‘‘and (so has) every one who follows me’’, shows the excellence of the Prophet, and also enhances the rank of the followers by joining them to him (s.a.w.a.).

QUR’ĀN: And say to those who have been given the Book and the unlearned people . .: ‘‘the unlearned people’’ refers to the polytheists; it shows the contrast between them and the People of the Book; also the People of the Book used to call them unlearned, as Allāh quotes them as saying: There is not upon us in the matter of the unlearned people any way (to reproach) (3:75). ‘‘al-Ummiyy’’ مِّيُّ ) اَلْاُ = one who does not read or write).

The clauses ‘‘and if they turn back, then upon you is only the delivery of the message; and Allāh sees the servants’’ signify three things:

First: Undesirability of unnecessary disputations; entering into arguments with someone who denies a self-evident truth would inevitably lead to obstinacy and obtrusiveness.

Second: The total authority concerning the people and their affairs is of Allāh; the Prophet is an Apostle and a conveyer of the Divine message, he is not a guard to watch over men. Allāh says: You have no concern in the affair (3:128);You are not a watcher over them (88:22).

Third: The clauses contain a threat to the People of the Book and the polytheists; the connotation cannot be lost to one who reads the clauses. The verses, in their theme and the threat, are similar to the verses: Say:‘‘We believe in Allāh . and to Him do we submit’’. If then they believe as you believe, they are indeed on the right course, and if they turn back, then they are only in great opposition; so Allāh will suffice you against them, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing (2:136 - 137). According to this verse if the People of the Book turn back, then it means that they are obstinate in their opposition and heedless to the truth; then it comforts the Prophet in a way that contains a threat to his adversaries. Likewise, the verse under discussion tells the Prophet, ‘‘and if they turn back, then upon you is only the delivery of the message’’; it is a hint that the Prophet should leave them to their Lord Who sees His servants and Who would deal with them in a suitable way, and punish them as they deserve.

Some exegetes have written that the verse gives the people freedom of religious belief and that there is no compulsion in religion. But the explanation given above manifestly shows that it implies the opposite of freedom; it threatens the disbelievers with chastisements if they did not submit themselves to Allāh.

‘‘Allāh sees the servants’’: It could have been.phrased as ‘‘Allāh sees the men’’ or ‘‘Allāh sees them’’; instead Allāh chose the epithet, ‘‘the servants’’, to remind them that they are His servants and slaves; His order against them will certainly be carried out in its entirety, because they are totally dependant on Him, whether they consciously submitted to Him or not; they can never escape His judgment.

QUR’ĀN: Surely (as for) those who disbelieve in the signs of Allāh . andthey .shall have no helpers: The verse deals with another aspect of the subject; nevertheless, it has a threatening overtone, not unlike the last parts of the preceding verse. This verse too speaks about the People of the Book, especially the Jews.

‘‘Those who disbelieve . and slay the prophets . and slay those among men who enjoin justice.’’: The verbal form used in these sentences implies persistence and continuity. It conveys the idea that it was their ingrained habit, a characteristic trait, to disbelieve in divinely sent communications, to reject the revealed truth out of envy and arrogance, to murder the prophets - and such a slaying was undoubtedly against justice and to kill those of their compatriots who called them to justice and tried to keep them away from injustice and rebellion. And the history of the Jews confirms that these things were a part of their national character; they had murdered a multitude of their prophets and good believers who enjoined the good and forbade the evil. The Christians too followed in their footsteps and killed countless good Christians.

‘‘announce to them a painful chastisement’’; It announces that the wrath of Allāh had descended upon them. The chastisement was not confined to the hereafter only; they were to be punished in this life too. Read for the proof the next‘‘Those are they whose works shall become null in this world as well as the hereafter’’. In the hereafter they shall have to endure the painful chastisement of the Fire; in this world, they were punished with mass murders, dispersion, loss of lives and properties, and Allāh has inflicted them with enmity and hatred among themselves which is to continue upto the Day of Resurrection, as the Qur’ānic verses have said (e.g., 5:14).

This verse (3:22), moreover, proves two things:

First: If a man killed someone just because the latter used to enjoin the good and forbid the evil, the killer’s good deeds would become null and void, would be forfeited.

Second: On the Day of Resurrection, intercession shall not avail such a killer, because Allāh says: ‘‘and they shall have no helpers’’.

QUR’ĀN: Have you not considered . and they withdraw: It further shows how steeped the People of the Book are in their envy and rebellion. They rebel against Allāh by creating disputes and frictions in religion. When they are invited to the Book of Allāh in order that it might decide between them they do not agree to it, they turn away and withdraw from it. This tendency of theirs emanates from their self-delusion that the Fire shall not touch them but for a few days; they are deceived by their own forgery!

The words, ‘‘those who are given a portion of the Book’’, refer to the People of the Book.This changed phrasing points to a well-known historical fact: The Jews and the Christians do not have in their hands the complete Books; what they have got is only some portions of the revealed Scriptures. They have altered, changed and edited the Books so extensively that the major part of the original has been lost for ever. The last sentence too alludes to this fact: ‘‘and what they have forged deceives them in the matter of their religion’’.

The verse, in short, says - and Allāh knows better - that the Jews and the Christians turn back from the judgment of the Book of Allāh, being deceived by their own claim, and misled by what they have themselves forged; they demonstrate, by their behaviour, that they do not need the Book of Allāh.

QUR’ĀN: This is because . matter of their religion: Its meaning is quite clear. Usually a man is not deceived by his own deception; then how did those people fall prey to their own forgery? It was because the deceived people had not forged it themselves; it was forged by a past generation. Then why did the Qur’ān ascribe that deception and forgery to those Jews and Christians who were contemporaries of the Prophet? It was because they were one nation - the later generations were (and are) pleased with what their ancestors had done.

Moreover, it was not improbable for the People of the Book, and especially the Jews, to be carried away by their own delusion - knowing well that it was a delusion - or to boast of their exploits in this field. Allāh has described their involvement in an even more astonishing deception: And when they meet those who believe they say:‘‘We believe’’; and when they are alone one with another they say: ‘‘Do you talk to them of what Allāh has disclosed to you that they may argue with you by this before your Lord? Do you not then understand?’’ What! Do they not know that Allāh knows what they conceal and what theyproclaim. (2:76 - 77)

Also, man’s actions emanate for the most part from the traits ingrained in his psyche; he always returns to the things which his psychological build up has made attractive to him. When he is attracted by that pull, knowledge is left behind, and becomes ineffective. For example, the drug addicts, the chainsmokers and the people like them use those things although they know that they are extremely harmful and ruinous to their health, and they are fully aware that such things must be avoided. But the ingrained habit becomes the second nature, and the addict is irresistibly pulled to those ‘‘pleasures’’, without giving his knowledge or thinking power any chance to influence his decision.

Likewise, the People of the Book, as a result of their perennial indiscipline, had acquired the traits of arrogance, envy and rebellion, and were overcome by the irresistible urge to base desires. This had become a second nature to them. And under its influence they forged many things - the forgeries that were disastrous to their religion. And they repeated those forgeries - knowing fully well that they were lies - so often and so long that they themselves began believing in them, and the repeated falsehood replaced the truth in their mind; theyfell prey to their own devices. Psychologists know that such phenomenon does occur from time to time. The continuously repeated and diligently taught forgeries got hold of the whole nations to such an extent that they became deceived in the matters of their religion, and refused to submit themselves to Allāh and accept the truth revealed in His Book.

QUR’ĀN: Then how (will it be) when . shall not be dealt with unjustly: The phrase governed by the interrogative ‘‘how’’ was omitted because it could be understood from the context; it could be something like, how will it be, or, how will they fare.

The verse continues the threatening mode of the preceding verses. It shows that those, who turn back and withdraw when called to the Book of Allāh, cannot defeat the Divine judgment. The Day of Reckoning is approaching fast; how will they behave on that Day about which there is no doubt? Then they will be quite submissive, in clear contrast with their arrogance and haughtiness of this world! It was to show this contrast that Allāh used the word,‘‘We shall gather them together’’, and did not say, We shall raise them, or, We shall make them alive.

The meaning of the verses is as follows - and Allāh knows better: When the People of the Book are invited to the Book of Allāh in order that it might decide between them, then a part of them turn back and withdraw; it is because they are deceived by what they have forged in the matter of their religion, and also because they arrogantly refuse to submit to the truth. Well, what will they do whenWe shall gather them together on the day about which there is no doubt, the day when the judgment will be decisively, truthfully and justly pronounced, and every soul shall be fully paid what it had earned, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly, because the judgments will be based on justice? As they know this fact, it is necessary for them not to turn away from the Book of Allāh, not to withdraw from it, as though they could defeat the purpose of Allāh or could overrule His decrees! Do not they know that every power belongs to Allāh, and that this life is but a trial?

TRADITIONS

Muhammad ibn Muslim said: ‘‘I asked the Imām about the word of Allāh, Surely the religion with Allāh is Islam. And he said: ‘that (Islam) which contains (true) belief’ ’’. (al-‘Ayyāshī )

Ibn Shahrāshūb narrates from al-Bāqir (a.s .) about the word of Allāh: Surely the religion with Allāh is Islam, that he said: ‘‘Submitting to ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib in (his) mastership.’’

The author says: The explanation is based on the principle of the ‘‘flow’’ of the Qur’ān. And probably the preceding tradition too has the same connotation.

The same narrator reports that ‘Alī (a.s .) said: ‘‘I shall define Islam as no one has defined before me, and no one shall do after me. Islam is submission, and submission is conviction, and conviction is affirmation, and affirmation is acknowledgement, and acknowledgement is discharge (of obligation), and discharge (of obligation) is action. The believer has taken his religion from his Lord.Certainly. The belief of a believer is recognized in his deed, and the disbelief of an unbeliever is recognized in his denial. O people! (look after) your religion, (look after) your religion, because a sin in it is better than a good (deed) in other (religions); the sin (committed while believing) in this (religion) will be forgiven, and the good (deed) in other (religions) will not be accepted.’’

The author says: The words of the Imām, ‘‘I shall define Islam’’: ‘‘an-Nisbah’’( ا َلنِّسْبَةُ = literally, relation, to relate) here means to define; Chapter 112 (the Unity) has been named in some traditions as the chapter of an-nisbah of Allāh.

The Imām has defined all the terms with the help of their concomitants, except the first word, ‘‘al-Islām’’( = اَلْاِسْلَامُ submission) which has been explained with its more clearly understood synonym ‘‘at-taslīm’’ ( اَلتَّسْلِيْمُ = submission). We may also possibly take the word, Islam, to signify the religion brought by Muhammad (s.a.w.a.); in that case the first phrase too (Islam is submission) would be a definition with a concomitant.

However, the Imām means to say: This religion known as Islam entails submission of man, in his person and his action, to Allāh; he surrenders his soul and all his activities to Allāh’s command and will; it is called at-taslīm (submission); at-taslīm in its turn entails firm conviction and certainty about Allāh, in a way as not to allow any doubt whatsoever about Him; conviction entails affirmation of the religion’s truth; and affirmation entails acknowledgement of its firmness, that is, the fact that religion is firmly rooted and unshakable; and this acknowledgement leads the believer to discharge all his obligations accordingly, and the discharge of obligations necessitates acting according to the dictates of religion.

‘‘and the good (deed) in other (religions) will not be accepted’’, that is, the doer will not be given its reward in the hereafter. Or it may mean: It will not create any good impression with Allāh either in this world or in the hereafter. As we have explained the sentence, it is not in conflict with other traditions which say that the unbelievers are rewarded for their good deeds with the good provisions of this world. Allāh has said: So he who has done an atom’s weight of good shall see it (99:7).

Abū ‘Ubaydah al-Jarrāh said: ‘‘I said: ‘O Apostle of Allāh!which people shall suffer the severest punishment on the Day of Resurrection?’ He said: ‘A man who killed a prophet or (murdered) a man who enjoinedgood and forbade evil.’ Then he recited: ‘(those who) slay the prophets unjustly and slay those among men who enjoin justice . .’Then he said: ‘O Abū ‘Ubaydah!the Israelites killed forty-three prophets in one hour. Then stood up one hundred and twelve persons from among the devout Israelites and enjoined those killers to dogood and forbade them (to do any) evil. Thereupon, they killed all those (devout persons) by the end of the same day. And it is this (massacre) which Allāh has mentioned (in this verse).’ ’’ (Majma‘u ’l-bayān)

The author says: The same explanation has been narrated in ad-Durru ’l-manthūr, through Ibn Jarīr and Ibn Abī Hātim, from Abū ‘Ubaydah.

It is reported in ad-Durru ’l-manthūr: Ibn Ishāq, Ibn Jarīr, Ibnu ’l-Mundhir and Ibn Abī Hātim have narrated from Ibn ‘Abbās that he said: ‘‘The Apostle of Allāh (s.a.w.a.) went to a group of the Jews in (their) house ofmidrash , and invited them to Allāh.al-Nu‘mān ibn ‘Amr and Harth ibn Zayd asked him: ‘On which religion are you? O Muhammad!’ He said:‘‘On the faith and religion of Ibrāhīm.’ They said: ‘But Ibrāhīm was a Jew!’ Thereupon the Apostle of Allāh (s.a.w.a.) told them: ‘Then bring to me the Torah; it is (the judge) between you and us.’ They rejected his (proposal). Then Allāh revealed: Have you not considered those who are given a portion of the Book? .deceived them in the matter of their religion.’’

The author says: Some people have narrated that the verse, ‘‘Have you not considered . .’’, was revealed in connection with the episode of stoning. We shall give its detail under the verse: O People of the Book!indeed has come to you Our Apostle making clear to you much of what you concealed of the Book . (5:15).

However, these two traditions are from ahād,7 and are not so strong.