Tafsir of Al Imran 3:102

(O you who have believed) The address is repeated with this title to honor them. It is not hidden what refinement lies in its repetition after the repetition of the address to those who were given the Scripture. (Fear Allah as He should be feared) — meaning the right of fearing Him. More than one narrator reported from Ibn Mas'ud, in both marfu' and mawquf forms, that it is: "That He be obeyed and not disobeyed, that He be remembered and not forgotten, and that He be thanked and not shown ingratitude." Many have claimed that this verse is abrogated, and this is also reported from Ibn Mas'ud.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Sa'id ibn Jubayr that he said: "When it was revealed, the work became difficult for the people; they stood until their heels swelled and their foreheads became sore. Then Allah the Exalted revealed a mitigation for the Muslims: (So fear Allah as much as you are able), and the first verse was abrogated." Similar accounts are attributed to Anas, Qatadah, and one of the two narrations from Ibn Abbas. Ibn Jarir narrated from some sources that he (Ibn Abbas) said: "It is not abrogated, but the right of fearing Him is that they struggle for Allah with the struggle due to Him, that they do not fear the blame of any critic for Allah's sake, and that they stand up for Allah, the Glorified, with justice even if it be against themselves, their fathers, or their mothers."

Those who argue for abrogation lean toward the view that the meaning of "His right of fearing" is what is due to Him and befits His Majesty and Greatness, and that is not possible—and they have not appraised Allah with the truth of His appraisal. Those who argue against abrogation lean toward the view that haqq (right) comes from haqqa ash-shay’u, meaning it became necessary and established, and that the genitive construction is of the type of adding an attribute to its qualified noun. The original meaning is: "Fear Allah with a true fearing," meaning established and necessary, on the pattern of "I struck Zayd a severe striking," intending the severe striking. Thus, His saying: (So fear Allah as much as you are able) is an explanation of His saying: (Fear Allah as He should be feared).

Abu Ali al-Jubba'i claimed that the argument for abrogation is invalid because it entails the permissibility of some acts of disobedience. Ar-Rummani countered this by stating that if one interprets the saying of Allah the Exalted (Fear Allah as He should be feared) as fulfilling the truth in both fear and security, then what he mentioned does not apply, for it is not impossible that He obligated them to fear Allah, the Exalted, in all circumstances, and then permitted the omission of the mandatory act when there is fear for one's life, as He, the Glorified, said: (Except for one who is forced, while his heart is secure in faith).

You know that what al-Jubba'i mentioned only comes to mind to be answered if “His right of fearing”—on the assumption of abrogation—is interpreted as he interpreted it, namely, the abandonment of all acts of disobedience and the like. If it is not interpreted as such, but rather as those who argue against abrogation incline, then what he mentioned would hardly cross one's mind to require an answer. Yes, the argument for denying abrogation would then be based on the position of the Mu'tazilah regarding the impossibility of commanding what is beyond one's ability from the outset, as is not hidden.

The root of tuqah is waqiyah; its damma-vowelled waw was changed into a ta’ as in tuhmah and tukhmah, and its fatha-vowelled ya’ became an alif. Az-Zajjaj permitted three forms for it: tuqah, wuqah, and iqah.

(And do not die except while you are Muslims) — meaning, having devoted yourselves to Allah the Mighty and Majestic, not making any share in it for anyone else at all. Some researchers mentioned that Islam in such a context is not intended to mean actions, but rather heart-felt faith, because actions at the time of death can hardly be achieved. That is why it is related in the funeral prayer supplication: "O Allah, whoever among us You keep alive, keep him alive upon Islam, and whoever among us You take in death, take him in death upon faith." Thus, Islam was taken first and faith second, because for every situation there is an appropriate statement. The exclusion is from the most general of states, meaning: Do not die in any state of the states except in a state where your Islam is actualized and you are firm upon it, as the nominal sentence indicates. Had it been said "except as Muslims" (muslimin), it would not have held this position. The operator of the state is what comes before "except" after the negation. The intent is to forbid being in a state other than the state of Islam at the time of death, which leads to the obligation of remaining firm upon Islam until death. However, the prohibition is directed at death to emphasize the prohibition of the aforementioned constraint, and the intent is not to forbid death itself, as it is not within their power to be forbidden from it.

In At-Tahbir by Imam as-Suyuti: "Among the strange things popularized in the interpretation of 'Muslims' is the saying of the common folk: 'meaning married.' It is a saying for which no origin is known, and it is not permissible to proceed to interpret the word of Allah the Exalted merely by what occurs to the soul or is heard from someone who has no authority." End quote. Abu Abdullah, may Allah the Exalted be pleased with him, recited muslimun with a shaddah (doubling the lam), and it means those who have submitted to what the Prophet—may Allah the Exalted bless him and grant him peace—brought and are compliant to him. In this verse, there is a confirmation of the prohibition against obeying the People of the Scripture.