Tafsir of Al-Hajj 22:67

(To every nation): A resumed speech brought forth to rebuke the contemporaries of the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—from among the people of the revealed religions, for disputing with him. This is done by clarifying the state of the religious laws they adhered to and exposing their errors in judgment. That is, for every specific nation of the past and remaining nations, (We have appointed): We have established and ordained (a rite): meaning a specific religious law. The prepositional phrase is placed before the verb for the purpose of exclusivity (hasr), not for any other nation among them. The speech is analogous to your saying, "To each of Fatima, Zaynab, Hind, and Hafsa, I have given a specific garment," if you had given Fatima a red garment, Zaynab a yellow one, Hind a black one, and Hafsa a white one. It implies: To Fatima I gave a red garment, not to another of her sisters; and to Zaynab I gave a yellow garment, not to another of them, and so on. The essence of the meaning here is: We have designated a religious law for every specific nation among the nations, in such a way that no nation among them oversteps its designated law toward another, neither independently nor by participation.

His saying, Exalted is He, (they are to observe it): This is an adjective for "a rite," reinforcing the exclusivity. The pronoun "they" refers to "every nation" considering its particularity, meaning: that specific nation are the ones observing it and acting upon it, not another nation. Thus, the nation that existed from the mission of Musa to the mission of ‘Isa—peace be upon them both—their rite was what was in the Torah; they were the ones acting upon it, not others. And the nation that existed from the mission of ‘Isa to the mission of our Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—their rite was what was in the Gospel; they were the ones acting upon it, not others. As for the nation present at the time of the Prophet’s mission—peace and blessings be upon him—and those who come after them until the Day of Resurrection, they are one nation, and their rite is nothing but what is in the Quran.

The fa (so) in His saying, Exalted is He, (so do not let them dispute with you in the matter): i.e., the matter of religion, is for linking the prohibition to what preceded it. For His—Exalted is He—appointment for every nation—among which is his own nation—of an independent religious law, such that no nation oversteps what was appointed for it, necessitates that these [people] should obey him—peace and blessings be upon him—and not dispute with him regarding the matter of religion, under the pretext that their religious law is what was appointed for their forefathers in the Torah and the Gospel; for that was a law for those who passed away before it was abrogated, and these are an independent nation whose law is only what is in the Quran. The apparent meaning is that they are literally prohibited from disputing about that. Some have chosen the interpretation that it is a metonym for prohibiting him—peace and blessings be upon him—from paying heed to their dispute, which is based on their aforementioned claim, because that is more appropriate to His saying, Exalted is He, coming later: (And invite...) etc. The appropriateness of this is evident, though in itself it is contrary to the literal meaning.

Al-Zajjaj said: It is a prohibition for him—peace and blessings be upon him—from disputing them, just as one says, "Let not Zayd fight you," meaning "Do not fight him." This is done by way of metonymy. This is permissible, as it is said, and it is discussed in the chapter of mufa‘ala (reciprocity) due to [the necessity of] mutual action. Thus, it is not permissible in [a phrase like] "Let not Zayd harm you" to mean "Do not strike him." This was countered by the fact that the context does not support it. It has been recited as (fala yunazi‘annaka) with the light nun. Abu Mijlaz and Lahiq ibn Humayd recited (fala yanzi‘annaka) with a kasra on the za', as being from naz', meaning "to pull" or "to extract," as in al-Bahr. The meaning, as Ibn Jinni said, is "do not let them pull you away from your religion to their religions," so you would be in the state of one being pulled away from something toward another.

In al-Kashshaf, the meaning is: "Remain firm in your religion with a firmness that they do not hope to pull you away from in order to remove you from it." The intent is an increase in the firm establishment of him—peace and blessings be upon him—by that which stirs his zeal and ignites his anger for Allah the Exalted and His religion, and there is much of this in the Quran. Al-Zajjaj said: It is from "I disputed with him and defeated him," i.e., I overcame him. So the meaning is: "Do not let them overcome you in the dispute," and what is intended is the dispute of argumentation. This means it is from the category of mughalaba (overcoming). You know that according to the majority, it is used for every action where one [person] performs an action with another, and the second performs it [back], and the vowel is damma on the middle letter and is not kasra except as an anomaly. Al-Kisa'i claimed—and the scholars refuted him—that if the middle or final letter is a guttural letter, it is not given a damma but is left as it was. Thus, the word here, based on Al-Zajjaj's interpretation, would be anomalous according to the majority.

Sibawayh said, as in al-Mufassal: Not everything is of this type (the category of mughalaba). Do you not see that you say: "He disputed with me, and I defeated him," where one is dispensed with by "overcoming." Furthermore, the meaning of "do not let them overcome you in the dispute" is "do not fall short in disputing them until they overcome you in it." In this there is exaggeration in [the Prophet's] firm establishment, so there is no prohibition here for him—peace and blessings be upon him—from the act of another. This is the case.

The interpretation we mentioned of "rite" (mansak) as "religious law" (shari‘a) is the narration of ‘Ata' from Ibn Abbas, and al-Qaffal chose it, and the Imam said: "It is the closest." It was also said: It is a verbal noun meaning "the act of worship" (nusk). Ibn ‘Atiyya said: The phrase "(they are to observe it)" supports that. It was also said: It is a noun of time, or a noun of place. The apparent meaning would be "observing it within it," but it has been broadened. Mujahid said: It is "slaughter." This was narrated by Al-Hakim, who authenticated it, and Al-Bayhaqi from Ali ibn al-Hasan—may Allah the Exalted be pleased with them both—and Ibn Abi Hatim from Ibn Abbas—may Allah be pleased with them both—and ‘Abd ibn Humayd from ‘Ikrimah. He made the pronoun in (dispute with you) refer to the polytheists, and the matter being disputed is the matter of sacrificial animals, according to what was mentioned that the verse was revealed due to the statement of the Khuza‘i men, Badil ibn Warqa' and Bishr ibn Sufyan and Yazid ibn Khunays, to the believers: "Why do you eat what you have killed, and do not eat what Allah the Exalted has killed?"

Some limited the scope of the dispute to the matter of rites, making it an expression of the aforementioned statement of the Khuza‘i men. Shaykh al-Islam countered this by saying it is something that has no way [of being correct] at all. How so, when it would require that eating carrion and all other falsehoods that the polytheists practice be among the rites that Allah the Exalted appointed for some nations? And no rational person doubts the falsehood of that. It was answered that the meaning is: "Do not let the polytheists dispute with you regarding the matter of rites, for every nation has a religious law We have legislated and informed them of. So how can they dispute over what has no origin or trace in it?"

It was said: The meaning is "Do not pay attention to the dispute of the polytheists regarding the matter of sacrificial animals, for We have appointed for every nation of the people of religion their own [mode of] slaughter, and they are its slaughterers." Its essence: Do not pay attention to that, for slaughter is an ancient law for nations, not exclusive to your nation. This is something whose correctness is not doubted. Whoever holds the authenticity of the traditions and clings to them with his molars will hardly find a better clarification of the essence of the verse than what is required by it. And whoever is not like that, and sees that whenever the verse admits a sound meaning in which there is no hindrance, it is adopted—even if none of the predecessors mentioned it—then he should follow what we mentioned first regarding the interpretation of the verse.

Whatever the case, it is apparent that this sentence was not conjoined as His saying, Exalted is He, was conjoined—(And for every nation We have appointed a rite so that they may mention)—due to the weakness of the link between it and the preceding verses, unlike that one. In al-Kashf, there is a clarification of the statement of al-Kashshaf regarding the justification of the conjunction there and its omission here. The link there is strong and necessitates the conjunction, for His saying, Exalted is He, (In them for you)—i.e., in the rites—"there are benefits of religion and world," such as the obligation of slaughtering them, ending at the Ancient House, is like the repetition of what is in His saying, Exalted is He: (that they may witness benefits... and mention the name of Allah in known days). However, it has a specification to those addressed. Thus, He conjoined to it (And for every nation We have appointed a rite) for the sake of mention, so the repetition would be complete. The purpose of this style is to show that it is an ancient law and that it has never ceased to contain magnificent benefits in both abodes. As for what we are in, where is the talk of enumerating the signs and favors that indicate the perfection of knowledge, power, wisdom, and mercy? By my life, the legality of rites for every nation, even if it is from mercy and favor, the consideration of the homogeneity between the favors and what the speech was directed towards [indicates] the situation requires a break [in the flow]. Its mention here for this relevance is in a subtle, narrow way, and it is good. Its apparent meaning is the interpretation of "rite" as "slaughter."

Al-Tibi mentioned that what preceded is conjoined to His saying, Exalted is He: (And whoever honors the symbols of Allah), etc., and it is a completion of the speech with the believers. That is, the matter is that, and the requirement is to honor the symbols of Allah the Exalted, and this is not something exclusive to you, since every nation is specified with a rite and worship.

This verse is a prelude to the prohibition of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—from that which causes the dispute of the people, as a consolation for him and an exaltation of his affair, for his affair was made a rite and a religion. That is: your affair and the affair of those like you among the prophets and messengers—peace be upon them—is to abandon dispute with the ignorant, and to enable them to engage in the debate that leads to dispute, and to persist in the invitation to monotheism. Or [it means]: "To every nation of the past, stubborn nations, We have appointed a path and a religion they are to observe, so do not let these disputers dispute with you." He named their habitual practice a "rite" because of their obligation of that upon themselves and their persistence in it, as a mockery of them and a consolation for the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—from what he was encountering from them.

As for its connection to what preceded from the verses, His saying, Exalted is He: (And those who disbelieve will not cease to be in doubt about it), necessitates turning away from warning the people, despairing of them, and leaving them. The intervening verses are like an affirmation of the meaning of consolation. So He brought His saying, Exalted is He: (To every nation We have appointed a rite they are to observe, so do not let them dispute with you), as an incitement for him—peace and blessings be upon him—to take the prophets of the past as an example in leaving the people and refraining from debating them after despairing of their belief. This is supported by His saying, Exalted is He: (Allah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection). So the connection is by way of resumption, which is stronger than the verbal connection.

The subject around which the axis of this noble surah revolves is the discussion of the argumentation of the people and those who oppose them, and the condemnation of them for the intensity of their stubbornness. Do you not see how He opened it with His saying, Exalted is He: (And of the people is he who disputes concerning Allah), and repeated it, and made it an origin for the meaning being focused on? And just as He began a matter, He returned to it to affirm the heart of the Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and as a consolation for his noble breast—peace and blessings be upon him. So it should not be said that this verse is situated far from its meaning. [This is] finished. By my life, it is further from the realms of verification and has interpreted the noble verse in a way that is not appropriate. In al-Kashf, its connection to what was mentioned was countered by saying there is no basis for it, as there is an interruption by what is not fit for affirming the meaning of consolation mentioned, namely, His saying, Exalted is He: (And whoever retaliates), etc., especially based on what he preferred of placing it among those who fight in the Sacred Month. And even if it were conceded, there is no place for resumption, and it is a preparation for what follows, namely His saying, Exalted is He: (so do not let them dispute with you), etc. As for his saying "the subject around which... revolves," it is conceded, and it is against him, not for him. So reflect, and Allah the Exalted is the Guide to the truth.

(And invite): i.e., invite these disputants, or all of mankind, assuming they are included in them in a primary sense, (to your Lord): to His monotheism and worship, just as it was clarified in their rite and religious law. (Indeed, you are upon guidance): i.e., a path that leads to the truth. In it is a metaphorical allusion and an imaginative construction. And His saying, Exalted is He: (straight): i.e., level. Or one of them is an imaginative construction and the other is reinforcement. Then, the intent by this path is either the religion and the law or its proofs. The sentence is a resumption on the topic of causality.