Al-Imran: (156) "O you who have believed, do not be like those who disbelieved..."

"And they are the hypocrites," such as Abdullah ibn Ubayy and his companions. This was stated by Al-Suddi and Mujahid. The mention of their disbelief at the beginning of the sentence serves to explicitly state the contrast between their condition and the condition of the believers, and to express aversion toward imitating them. This also provides evidence that faith is not merely a verbal declaration, as the Karramiyyah claim; otherwise, the hypocrite would not have been called a disbeliever. It is also said that the meaning of "those who disbelieved" is all disbelievers in general, meaning: Do not be like the disbelievers in reality.

"And said about their brothers"—in religion or lineage. The lam (in li-ikhwanihim) is causal, meaning they said it because of them. Ibn al-Hajib interpreted it as meaning "about" (an). It is not possible that the meaning is addressing the brothers, as the literal reading might suggest, because what follows indicates that they were absent when this statement was made. Some argue that it is valid to interpret the statement as being directed to the brothers, considering some of the brothers were present, and that the rest of the cases refer to others; however, this is an unnecessary affectation.

"When they traveled in the land"—meaning they journeyed for trade or to seek a livelihood and then died; this was stated by Al-Suddi. The origin of darb (traveling/striking) is the hitting of one thing against another, and it was used for traveling because it involves "striking" the earth with one's feet, until it became a literal term for it. It is also said that the origin of darb in the earth is distancing oneself in travel, but this is disputed. The land was specifically mentioned because most of their travels were on land. It is also said that mentioning "the land," intending land travel, suffices to cover sea travel. Or, the term "land" is meant to include both land and sea, which is not a far-fetched interpretation.

Idha (when) was used instead of idh (as they said: idh), because idh is for a past time, whereas idha is for a future time. This is intended to recount a past state, meaning: imagine yourself as if you were present in that past time, or imagine that time as if it were present now. This is like saying, "They said that when they travel," meaning when they traveled, but you used the present tense to visualize the scene of their traveling in the land.

Two objections are raised: First, recounting a state is usually done by using the present tense, yet this is a future tense formulation, as the meaning of "when they travel" is "at the time they will travel in the future." Second, their statement, "If they had been with us," is said only after their death, so how can it be conditioned by the traveling in the land?

The answer to the first: "When they travel" is in the sense of continuity, as in "And when they meet those who believe," but this voids the visualization in view of the present state. The answer to the second: "And said about their brothers" stands in the position of the consequence of a condition in terms of meaning. So the meaning is: Do not be like the disbelievers, and when their brothers travel and die—or are fighting—and are killed, they say, "If they had been with us, they would not have died, nor would they have been killed." So, traveling and being killed are both in the sense of the future, and the qualification of the statement by the travel is by consideration of the final part, which is death and killing. For even if it is not mentioned by word, it is indicated by the content of the statement, and what is considered is conventional simultaneity, as in the words of the Exalted: "So when you depart from 'Arafat, then remember Allah at the Mash'ar al-Haram," and like saying, "When the crescent of Muharram rises, I will come to you in its middle."

Al-Zajjaj said: Idha here stands for the past and the future, meaning it is merely for time or to signify continuity. The view that conforms to sound analysis is not to make "when they travel" a circumstance for "they said," but a circumstance for what happens to the brothers when this is said for them and about them. As if it were said: They said it because of the circumstances befalling the brothers "when they were traveling," as Al-Allamah the Second said. And you know that stripping idha of the meaning of the future and making it mean "time" absolutely is sufficient to guide the verse and remove its difficulty. Intending continuity from it does not repel the objection to that guidance, because if it is for continuity, it includes the past, so it would not be for recounting a state. Likewise, if "they said" were the response, it would become future, and the aforementioned recounting would not be possible in it either. It is said that proving such usage in Arabic is like "shaving off the thorns of a qatad bush"—very difficult.

Though it is far-fetched, Abu Hayyan said it is possible to maintain idha as future by estimating the operator within it as a future addition, provided that the pronoun in "if they had been" refers to their brothers, not conceptually, similar to "I have a dirham and half of it." The estimation is: "And they said" (fearing the death of their brothers) "when they travel" or were fighting, "if they (our other brothers who previously died and were killed) had been with us, they would not have died, nor would they have been killed." This statement is meant to deter their remaining brothers from traveling and fighting so that what befell the former does not befall them. They did not interpret idha here as a state, as some said it is done after an oath (like "And by the night when it covers"), in order to preserve the claim of recounting the state from impurity, because that is not accepted by the researchers in those instances; they confirmed its remaining in the future tense without any problem.

It is also permitted in the verse that "they said" means "they say," as using the past in the sense of the future has appeared in their speech. From this is the saying: "And I come to you thanking what has passed of the matter and demanding what will be tomorrow." Likewise, it is permitted that it remains on its meaning and idha is carried to the past, as it comes for it just as it came for the future in the opinion of some. This is like the words of the Exalted: "And when they see a transaction or amusement, they disperse toward it," and the saying: "And a companion who adds kindness to the cup, I was served when the stars set." In that case, there is no contradiction between the two times of the qualification and the qualified. Reflect upon all of this.

The sentence assigned for the aspect of resemblance and similarity that they were forbidden from is the sentence conjoined to the relative clause. The meaning: Do not imitate the disbelievers in their saying about their brothers when they traveled or were fighting—collectively ghuzy, like ‘af and ‘afa—this is one of the rare plurals of the weak (defective) verbs. Some cited as evidence for it the saying of Imru' al-Qays: "And the horizon dusty, the milestones humble; it has a heart... the basins are stagnant." It is also pluralized as ghuzah (like qadi and qudah), and as ghuzy (like haj and hujjij), and as ghaza' (like fasiq and fussaq). They cited the line of Ta'abbata Sharran: "One day as a ghaza' and one day in a detachment, and one day with a rough, fierce man." And it is also like ghazun (like darib and daribun), and it is in the accusative case with a vowel estimated on the alif that was transformed from the waw (which was dropped due to the meeting of two vowel-less letters), for its origin was ghazawun. The waw moved and the preceding letter had a fatha, so it was transformed into an alif, then dropped. It was also read with a light zay. Abu al-Baqa' said: There are two aspects. First, its origin is ghazah, and the ta was dropped for ease, for the ta is a sign of the plural and has been achieved from the form itself. Second, that the reading of the majority was intended, so one of the two zays was dropped out of aversion to the doubling. This part is mentioned, though it is included in the previous one, because it is what is intended in the context, and the previous one is a preparation for it.

Furthermore, it is said that it may exist without "traveling in the land," based on the fact that the latter means long-distance travel. Thus, between "traveling" and "being fighters," there is a relationship of general and specific. It did not say "or fought" (ghazu) to signify their continuous characterization as fighters, or because that had already passed: "If they had been staying with us (by not traveling or fighting), they would not have died, nor would they have been killed; rather, they would have remained longer than they remained." The conditional sentence is in the place of an accusative as the object of "they said," and it is evidence that something was omitted in the preceding speech: "If they traveled in the land and died, or were fighters and were killed..." Estimating "and died or were killed" in both parts contradicts the manifest.

"To make Allah that a regret in their hearts"—this is connected to "they said," falling within the relative clause, and is part of the thing being compared. The reference is to the statement, but in consideration of the belief within it. The lam is the lam of consequence. The meaning is: Do not be like them in the false statement and corrupt belief, which lead to regret, remorse, and destruction in the end. This is what the words of Al-Zajjaj and Abu Ali point to. It is also said that it is connected to "do not be," on the grounds that it is the cause of the prohibition, so it is outside the thing compared. But the statement and belief are included in it, meaning: Do not be like them in uttering that statement and believing it, so that the absence of your being with them in that statement and belief is made a regret specifically in their hearts. Abu Hayyan objected to this, saying it is a statement without investigation, because making regret cannot be a cause for prohibition; it is only a cause for the fulfillment of the prohibition, which is the absence of similarity. Thus, the occurrence of that absence and contradiction in what they say and believe results in what angers and grieves them, for they did not agree with them in what they said and believed, so they leave traveling in the land and fighting. As if the speaker confused requesting the absence of similarity with the occurrence of the absence, and understanding this has subtlety and hiddenness.

Al-Sifaqsi criticized him, saying that this objection would entail that expressions like "Do not disobey so that you enter Paradise" would not be valid, because the prohibition is not the cause for entering Paradise. Likewise, "Obey Allah so that you enter Paradise" would not be valid, because the command is not the cause for entering it. Then he said: The truth is that the lam is connected to the forbidden or commanded action, meaning that refraining from the action or performing the commanded action is a cause for entering Paradise and the like. This has no difficulty. It is also said it is connected to "do not be," and the reference is to what the prohibition indicated, and everything is outside the thing being compared. The meaning: Do not be like them so that Allah may make the absence of your being like them a regret in their hearts. Based on this, "And they said" is the start of a new speech, conjoined to various omitted elements as required by the sayings, conditions, and actions of the hypocrites. The aspect of its connection to the preceding is that when the warning was given against being like them, it covered all the vices connected to them, and the mentioned part was specified because it is more hideous and clearer of their hypocrisy—meaning that they are enemies of religion who did not stop at harm and opposition, but did such and such and said such and such. From this, one knows what is in those omitted elements. In any of the three views, the genitive pronoun in "their hearts" refers to the disbelievers. The hearts are mentioned, even though regret occurs only in them, to signify firmness and to indicate that it will not depart.

Ibn Tamjid allowed the pronoun to return to the believers, and the lam is connected to "they said" in that case, and none other. He interpreted the verse in a way that is wondrous.

"And Allah gives life and causes death"—a rejection of their false statement after explaining its harm. Meaning: Allah is the true effector of life and death alone, not staying or traveling. For He, the Exalted, may give life to the traveler and the fighter despite their rushing into the places of doom, and cause death to the one who stays and sits, even if they are under the shades of comfort. The meaning is not that He, the Exalted, creates life and death, even if that is the manifest meaning, because the speech is not about it, and it would not provide a rejection. The speech is about the creation of what effects them. It is also said the meaning is that He, the Exalted, gives life and causes death in travel and at home when the term arrives; and there is no delayer for what He has advanced, no advancer for what He has delayed, no repeller for what He has decreed, and no escape from what He has predestined. In this is a prohibition of the believers from lagging in Jihad for fear of being killed. The waw is for the state, so the objection that it is not valid to conjoin reports to an initiation does not apply.

"And Allah is Seeing of what you do"—an inducement to obedience and an intimidation against disobedience, or a threat to the believers against imitating the disbelievers. Because the sight of Allah, like His knowledge, is used in the Quran for recompense for what is seen, like the known. Even if the believers do not imitate them in what was mentioned, their regret for leaving Medina requires it. Ibn Kathir and the people of Kufa other than ‘Asim read "they do" with a ya, and the plural pronoun in that case is for the disbelievers. The action is general, covering the mentioned statement and its creator, which is the corrupt belief, and what followed that of actions. For this reason, He referred to the title of sight, not the title of hearing. The mention of the Majestic Name is for what has passed more than once, as is the precedence of the adverbial phrase.

[From the dimension of spiritual allusion:] "And how many a prophet"—lofty in rank, glorious in affair, and it is in the souls, the Holy Spirit—"fought along with him"—an enemy of Allah the Exalted, meaning the self-commanding evil—"many devout people"—who are colored by the attributes of the Lord, and they are the spiritual powers. "So they did not weaken for what befell them in the way of Allah"—and the path of reaching Him through the exhaustion of struggles—"nor did they weaken" in seeking the Truth, "nor did they submit" and did not humble themselves to other than Him. "And Allah loves the patient"—in enduring hardships in the jihad of the self. "And their saying was only that they said, 'Our Lord, forgive us our sins'"—conceal our existences by shedding the lights of true existence upon us—"and our excess in our affair"—meaning we exceeded the limits of the outward law at the shocks of manifestations—"and plant our feet" in the places of the wars of our selves, "and give us victory over the disbelieving people"—the ones who veil Your Lordship. "So Allah gave them" because of their supplication with the tongues of readiness and devotion to Him, the Exalted, "the reward of this world"—which is the rank of unifying actions and unifying attributes—"and the good reward of the Hereafter"—which is the station of unifying the Essence. "And Allah loves the doers of good" in seeking, who do not turn to others. "O you who have believed"—the true faith—"if you obey those who disbelieved"—who are the disbelieving selves and their attributes—"they will turn you back on your heels"—to the lowest of the low, and that is the dungeon of bestiality—"so you become"—you return in retreat—"losers" of your selves. "But Allah is your Protector"—your helper—"and He is the best of helpers" for whoever relies upon Him and cuts his sight from all besides Him. "We will cast into the hearts of those who disbelieved terror"—meaning fear—"because they associated with Allah that for which He had not sent down" meaning with His existence "any authority"—meaning any proof, as there is no proof for His existence until He sends it down, for His non-existence is realized by His Essence. He, the Exalted, made the casting of terror into their hearts caused by their polytheism, because courage and all other virtues are states of balance in the powers of the self when it is illuminated by the light of the heart, which is illuminated by the light of Oneness. So it is not truly perfect except for the monotheist who is certain. As for the polytheist, he is veiled from the source of power by what he associated, which has no existence or essence in truth, so he is weak, taking refuge in a spider's web. "And their abode will be the Fire"—and it is the fire of deprivation—"and wretched is the abode of the wrongdoers"—who placed things in other than their proper place and worshipped names they named, for which Allah did not send down any authority. "And Allah had certainly fulfilled His promise to you"—conditioned by patience and piety—"when you were killing them"—meaning you were slaying the soldiers of human attributes, a severe slaying—"by His permission"—and His command, not according to nature—"until when you failed"—became cowardly at the manifestation of Majesty—"and disagreed about the command"—and differed in the order of seeking—"and disobeyed the instructor who nurtures, after He had shown you what you love"—of victory with the lights of the Presence—"among you are some who wanted the world" due to the deficiency of his ambition and the weakness of his opinion, "and among you are some who wanted the Hereafter" due to the length of his reach and the strength of his intellect. "Then He diverted you from them"—meaning from the enemies of your selves and their soldiers—"to test you"—meaning to examine you by veiling after manifestation with the lights of witnessing, and sobriety after intoxication with the cups of incoming gifts, and weaning after suckling the milk of kindnesses, as Majesty requires that. "And He has already forgiven you after that"—so you turned to Him, as is the requirement of Beauty—"and Allah is possessor of great bounty" upon the believers in the stages of drawing near and pushing away. How subtle is the saying of one who said: "He was harsh so that they would be deterred, and whoever is resolute should sometimes be harsh with those he shows mercy to." "When you were ascending" the mountain of turning toward the Truth, "and you were not looking back" at either of the two things: the world and the Hereafter, "and the Messenger" meaning the messenger of incoming gifts "was calling you from behind you." "So He repaid you with distress upon distress"—so He compensated you instead of the distress of the world and the Hereafter with the distress of seeking the Truth—"so you would not grieve over what you missed" of the decorations of the world, "nor for what befell you" of the shocks of the manifestation of Force. "And Allah is Acquainted with what you do," because He, the Exalted, is nearer to you than you are to yourselves. "Then He sent down upon you after distress security, slumber," meaning an incoming gift of His kindnesses appearing in the form of sleep, and it is the Rahmanic tranquility, "overcoming a party of you"—and they are the truthful in seeking—"and a party [who] were concerned for themselves"—and they are the masters of the selves, for they have no concern but the share of their selves and the fulfillment of their pleasures—"thinking about Allah other than the truth"—by the requirement of their poor readiness—"saying, 'Is there anything for us in the matter?'" meaning the creation came between us and the planning, and if they had not come between, we would have done what would have been our well-being. "Say, 'Indeed the matter belongs entirely to Allah,'" so He is the disposer alone according to what the readiness requires, so there is no planning with His planning and no existence for anyone besides Him. "They conceal within their" malicious "selves what they do not reveal" to you, O perfect instructor, "saying, 'If there had been anything for us in the matter, we would not have been killed'" by the sword of doubts "right here"—meaning in this existence. "Say, 'If you had been in your houses'"—and they are the dwellings of original non-existence before the appearance of these distinctions—"those on whom death was decreed" in the Preserved Tablet "would have gone out" according to knowledge "to their beds"—which are the desert of desires. He, the Exalted, has said: "No disaster strikes upon the earth or among yourselves except that it is in a register before We bring it into being"—meaning manifest it with this distinction. And He, the Exalted, only did what He did for various wisdoms: "And that Allah may test what is in your chests"—meaning to examine what is in your readiness of truthfulness, sincerity, trust, and similar morals, and bring them from potentiality into action—"and that He may purify what is in your hearts"—meaning to cleanse what appeared from the repository of the chest into the storage of the heart from the filth of whispers and the thoughts of the self. For tribulation is a whip with which Allah the Exalted drives His servants to Him. For this reason, it was reported: "The most severely tested of people are the prophets, then the saints, then the best and the best." How excellent is the one who said: "To Allah belongs the merit of tribulations, for they are the rust of the base and the polisher of the free. I was nothing but a lump of iron, so they molded me into a sword, and their changing nature brought out my edge." That is because at that time, they cut themselves off to the Truth, and nothing appears on each of them except what is in the repository of his readiness, as it is said: "At the time of testing, a man is either honored or disgraced." The address in both places is to the believers. It is also said that the first address is to the hypocrites and the second to the believers, and that He, the Exalted, specified the chests for the former because the chest is the mine of malice and whispering, so it is more appropriate for the condition of the hypocrites. And He specified the hearts for the latter because the heart is the seat of faith and tranquility, and it is more appropriate for the condition of the believers, and that the ratio of Islam by the tongue to faith by the heart is like the ratio of the chest to the heart. It is said: For this reason, He, the Exalted, said: "And Allah is Knowing of that within the chests," based on the fact that the intent is intimidation and warning against connecting with what is not pleasing of those attributes for which the chest is a repository. "Indeed, those who turned back from you the day the two armies met"—the army of the spirit and its powers, and the army of the self and its powers—"it was only Satan who caused them to slip because of some what they had earned" of sins, because they bequeath darkness, and Satan has no scope over the son of Adam through beautification and whispering unless he finds darkness in the heart. And you may keep the two armies to their literal meaning and the rest of the allusion to its state. "But Allah has already forgiven them," when their hearts were illuminated with the light of remorse and repentance. "Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Forbearing." By the requirement of that, contradictions appeared and were followed by repentance so that this might be a mirror for the appearance of the attributes of Allah the Exalted.

From here came: "If you did not sin, Allah the Exalted would bring people who would sin, so they would seek forgiveness, and He would forgive them."

It is narrated that Ibrahim ibn Adham, may Allah be pleased with him, said often while circumambulating at night: "O Allah, protect me from sins." So he heard a caller from his heart saying: "O Ibrahim, you ask Him for protection, and all His servants ask Him for protection; so if He protects you, whom will He favor and whom will He be generous to?"

"O you who have believed, do not be like those who disbelieved"—by seeing others and believing in the influence of others. "And said about their brothers when they traveled in the land"—when they departed from them by leaving what they were upon and traveled in the land of their selves and walked the path of guidance—"or were fighters"—meaning striving with their greatest enemies, which are the selves that are between their sides and their powers and soldiers of desire and Satan—"if they had been staying with us"—agreeing with us—"they would not have died" by enduring discipline "nor would they have been killed" by the sword of struggle, and they would have rested from this hardship. "To make Allah that"—meaning the non-being like them—"a regret" on the Day of Resurrection "in their hearts" when they see what Allah the Exalted has prepared for you. "And Allah gives life to whom He wills" with eternal life, "and causes death to whom He wills" by the death of ignorance and distance from the Presence. "And Allah is Seeing of what you do"—a warning against inclining to the statement of the deniers and their belief.