Al-Imran: (91) Indeed, those who disbelieve...

(Indeed, those who disbelieve and die while they are disbelievers): That is, while they are in a state of disbelief.

(Then it will not be accepted from any of them the fullness of the earth): From its east to its west in gold. Mil’a (the fullness) is in the accusative case as a tamyiz (specifier). Al-A’mash recited dhahabun (gold) in the nominative, which is explained as being in substitution (badaliyyah) for mil’a (fullness), or as an explanatory phrase (‘atf al-bayan), or as the predicate of an omitted subject. It has been argued against this that a description (wasf) must be estimated for the substitution to be sound, for which there is no evidence, and it is not customary to explain a definite noun with an indefinite one. Making it the predicate is only sound if the sentence is treated as an adjective or a state (hal), and this is not free from weakness. Mil’u (fullness) of a thing, with a kasra, is the measure of what fills it. As for mil’a with a fatha, it is the verbal noun of mala’ahu. As for al-mil’a’ah with a damma and an elongated vowel, it is a derived form.

There is a famous question here: Why did the fa (then/so) enter the predicate of inna here, but did not enter it in the previous verse (i.e., 3:91), even though both verses are identical in the validity of inserting the fa due to the appearance of causality? Many have answered that the silah (relative clause) in the first verse is disbelief and its increase, and the non-acceptance of repentance does not result from that, but rather from dying upon it; for if it had occurred [as it should have], it would have been accepted. This is unlike dying in a state of disbelief in this verse, for that [consequence] does result from it. This is why if one says, "Whoever comes to me, he gets a dirham," it is an admission, unlike if he links it with the fa, as is well-known among the jurists. It is not a valid objection that the attribution of a ruling to a description is proof of causality, because we do not concede its necessity. The expression using a relative pronoun (mawṣūl) may be for purposes such as prompting the realization of the predicate, as in the poet's saying: "Indeed, she who struck her tent as a migrant in Kufa...". This has been explained in al-Ma’ani. It is read falan yuqbalu (it shall not be accepted) in the passive voice, and it is read as the active voice, meaning Allah the Exalted. The mil’a of the earth and the mil’a of the earth are read with the shortening of both hamzahs.

(And if he were to ransom himself with it): Ibn al-Munir said in al-Intisaf: This waw (and), which accompanies the condition, requires another condition to which the condition it is joined to is necessarily linked. The convention in such cases is that the stated condition alerts one to the unstated one by way of a fortiori (awla). For example, your saying: "Honor Zayd even if he does evil." This waw joins the mentioned clause to an omitted one, estimated as: "Honor Zayd if he does good, and even if he does evil." You alert, by making it obligatory to honor him even if he does evil, that honoring him if he does good is a fortiori more obligatory. From this is: (Be maintainers of justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves). Its meaning, and Allah knows best, is: Even if the right is against others, and even if it is against you. But He mentioned what is more difficult for them and made it obligatory, alerting that what is easier is more worthy of obligation.

Since this verse contradicts this pattern of usage—because His saying, "Even if he were to ransom himself with it," requires another omitted condition for which this mentioned one would be an alert by way of a fortiori—and since the mentioned state (i.e., the state of ransoming with the fullness of the earth in gold) is the most worthy of states to have a ransom accepted, and there is no state beyond it more worthy of acceptance, the exegetes have struggled with its interpretation.

Al-Zamakhshari mentioned three points: The result of the first: That not accepting the "fullness of the earth" is a metonymy for not accepting a ransom of any kind, because the context indicates that acceptance is sought for salvation, and it was diverted to a representation of abundance because it is the ultimate limit beyond which there is no aspiration in convention. In the pronoun ("with it"), the "fullness of the earth" is intended literally, so the meaning becomes: "No ransom will be accepted from him, even if he were to ransom himself with the fullness of the earth in gold." In the first, one looks at the generalization (acting as a ransom for anything), and in the second, to the reality or the intensity of the exaggeration without regarding it as a substitute.

The result of the second: That the meaning is "even if he were to ransom himself with the like of it with it," as is explicitly stated in another verse, and because it is known that the first is also a ransom. It is as if it were said: "The fullness of the earth is not accepted as a ransom even if it were doubled." This reverts to making the ba mean "with," and estimating "the like of it" after it.

The result of the third: That he estimates a description specified by the context, such as "if he were to give it as charity." In this case, the mentioned condition is not of the type intended to confirm the previous ruling, but rather a condition with an omitted response. The meaning would be: "The fullness of the earth in gold will not be accepted from him if he were to give it as charity, and even if he were to ransom himself with it, it would not be accepted from him." The pronoun "it" refers to the wealth without considering the description of charity. The speech is of the type: "No one who has a life is given long life, nor is anything cut from his life," and "I have a dirham and its half." (End quote). The hiddenness and affectation in this are obvious.

Close to this is what was said: That the waw is extra (za'idah). This is supported by the fact that it was read in the irregular (shadh) readings as idunaha. Likewise, the saying that "if" (law) is not wasliyyah (connective) but conditional, and the answer is what comes after "or" and stands in its place.

Ibn al-Munir mentioned in response, claiming that applying the verse to it is easier and closer. Indeed, he claimed it is of the "easy-impossible" (something that seems easy but is hard to replicate) that the acceptance of a ransom which is "the fullness of the earth in gold" occurs in several states: Sometimes it is taken by force, like taking blood money. Sometimes the ransomer says, "I will ransom myself with such and such," and it is not done. Sometimes he says that, and the ransom is prepared and he hands it over to someone he hopes will accept it from him. The one mentioned in the verse is the most eloquent and worthy of acceptance: that he ransoms himself with the fullness of the earth in gold with a confirmed ransoming, in that he has power over this great matter and hands it over voluntarily, and yet it is not accepted from him. Therefore, that his mere saying, "I offer wealth," or what runs in that vein, should not be accepted is a fortiori more certain. Thus, the waw in this state is in its proper place, alerting that there are other states in which acceptance does not occur a fortiori relative to the mentioned state. His saying, (Even if they had all that is in the earth and the like thereof with it to ransom themselves), makes this explicit. The intended meaning is that they have no escape from the threat; otherwise, it is known that on that day they are bankrupt, unable to do anything. Similar to this is your saying: "I will not sell you this garment for a thousand dinars, even if you put it in my hand." (End quote).

Close to this is what Abu Hayyan mentioned, saying: What this structure requires and what it should be carried upon is that Allah the Exalted informed that whoever dies a disbeliever, what would fill the earth with gold will not be accepted from him in any case he intends, even in the state of his ransoming himself from the torment. For the state of ransoming does not allow the ransomer to exert power over the one from whom he is ransoming, since it is a state of being overpowered by the one from whom he is ransoming. We have established in the likes of this structure that law (if) comes as an alert that what came before it was by way of investigation, and what comes after it is by way of specification for the state that one might think is not included in what came before it. Like his saying—peace and blessings be upon him: "Give to the beggar even if he comes on a horse," and "Turn away the beggar even if it is with a burnt hoof." It is as if these things are such that one should not be given to, because the beggar being on a horse implies his wealth, so it is not appropriate to give to him; and likewise, the burnt hoof has no wealth in it, so it would be appropriate not to turn the beggar away with it. Likewise, the state of ransoming is appropriate for "the fullness of the earth in gold" to be accepted from him, but it is not accepted. Its parallel is: (And you are not a believer to us, even if we were truthful), because they denied that he would believe them in any case, even in the case of their truthfulness, which is the state in which he should believe them, if only to generalize the negation and emphasize it.

Furthermore, the two Sheikhs and Ibn Jarir, with his own wording, narrated from Anas that the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, said: "The disbeliever will be brought on the Day of Resurrection, and it will be said to him: 'Do you see, if you had the fullness of the earth in gold, would you ransom yourself with it?' He will say: 'Yes.' It will be said: 'You were asked for something easier than that, and you did not do it.' That is His saying, the Exalted: (Indeed, those who disbelieve and die while they are disbelievers, then it will not be accepted from any of them the fullness of the earth in gold, even if he were to ransom himself with it)."

(Those – for them is a painful torment): The demonstrative pronoun is the subject, and the prepositional phrase is the predicate. Because it relies on the subject, it raises the subject. It is permissible for "for them" to be a fronted predicate and "torment" to be a delayed subject, and the sentence is the predicate for the demonstrative pronoun; the first is better. In following up what was mentioned with this sentence, there is an exaggeration in warning and despairing, because one from whom a ransom is not accepted might be pardoned out of generosity.

(And they will have no helpers): Regarding the removal or lightening of the torment. "Min" (any) is extra after a negation for totalization, and it is added after it whether it enters on a singular or a plural, contrary to those who claimed that this is restricted to the singular. The plural form is for the sake of observing the pronoun, and in it is the harmony of the endings. The meaning is: Not one of them has a single helper.

(Say: O People of the Scripture, come to a word common between us and you): It is the word of Tawhid, and abandoning the following of desire and turning to other-than-Allah, for no prophet or book has ever differed on that.

(Abraham was not), the Friend, a Jew, attached to anthropomorphism, nor a Christian, speaking of the Trinity, but he was a Hanif, turning away from the cosmos by seeing the Maker, a Muslim, submitting when His decree and predestination occur, or following what the chosen Muslims followed, who said: (There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing).

(Indeed, the closest of people to Abraham are those who followed him), on the condition of stripping away the two worlds and preventing the souls from turning toward the worlds, for when the Friend reached the Presence of Holiness, his gaze turned away from the brides of the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. (He said: Indeed, I am free from what you associate... Indeed, I have turned my face toward He who originated the heavens and the earth).

(And this Prophet), the great, meaning Muhammad, upon him from Allah the Exalted be the best prayers and most perfect salutations, is also most worthy of following his father the Friend and walking his majestic path, because he is the butter of the churn of his love and the essence of his reality. (And those who believe) in him, may Allah the Exalted bless him, and his lights have shone upon them and his secrets have ripened in the gardens of their hearts. (And Allah is the protector of the believers) all of them; He guards them from the disasters of overpowering, admits them into the domes of infallibility, and permits them the abodes of honor.

(And do not believe except for those who follow your religion): The people of Allah, the Exalted, made this an address to the believers, as some of the literalists have said; meaning, do not reveal the secrets of the Truth except to their people, and do not acknowledge the meanings of reality to the veiled people, lest they fall upon you and intend to shed your blood.

(Say: Indeed, the guidance), meaning the guidance of Allah, (is that one is given the like of what you were given) of the knowledge of the inner (batin), or the like of what they argue with you about in their claim, in your Lord’s presence, which is the knowledge of the outer (zahir). The essence of the meaning: Guidance is the combination of the outer and the inner. As for limiting oneself to the knowledge of the outer and denying the inner, that is not guidance.

(Say: Indeed, the bounty is in the hand of Allah), He disposes of it according to His will, which follows His knowledge, which follows what is known in the eternity of eternities. (And Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing); how then can He be restricted by restrictions? Rather, He manifests as wisdom requires in the appearances for the people of witnessing.

(He selects for His mercy), the specific one, (whom He wills of His servants), and it is the knowledge of Him, which is above the unveiling of the unseen of the kingdom of the heavens and the witnessing of the secret of the sovereignty (jabarut). (And Allah is the possessor of great bounty), which cannot be fathomed.

(Yes, whoever fulfills his covenant), which is the covenant of the spirit with the attribute of unveiling, the covenant of the heart with receiving the address, and the covenant of the intellect with complying with the commands and prohibitions, (and fears) the stirrings of the souls and the striking of desires, (then Allah loves the righteous), meaning he has attained the station of the reality of love.

(Indeed, those who purchase with the covenant of Allah and their oaths a small price): The verse is a reference to one who turned toward the greenness of the world and preferred it over witnessing the presence of the Master, and adorned his outer self with the worship of those brought near, but mixed it with the love of leadership. That is the one who fell from seeing the Meeting and addressing the Truth in this world and the Hereafter.

(It is not for a human that Allah should give him the Book, authority, and prophethood, and then he would say to the people: Be servants to me rather than Allah): Because prophethood only comes after annihilation in Tawhid. Whoever Allah has wiped out his humanity by annihilating him from himself, and rewarded him with a luminous, true existence capable of receiving the Book and intellectual wisdom, it is impossible for him to call to himself, for the one who calls to himself is only veiled by himself. Between the two matters there is a contradiction. Rather, he says: (Be Rabbaniyyun), meaning attributed to the Lord. The intended meaning is worshippers who are exercised by knowledge and action and persistence in acts of obedience so that the lights of the Lord may overcome your secrets. There are many expressions for Rabbani: Al-Shibli said: The Rabbani is the one who does not take sciences except from the Lord and does not refer in anything except to Him. Sahl said: The Rabbani is the one who does not choose any state over his Lord. Al-Qasim said: He is the one who is characterized by the attributes of the Lord in knowledge and wisdom. It was said: He is the one who is verified in his existence and is verified from his witnessing. It was said: He is the one who is not affected by the changes of destiny on their differences... and all the sayings return to one source.

(And He does not command you to take the angels and the prophets as lords), for they are some of His manifestations, and He, the Exalted, is absolute even from the restriction of absoluteness.

(Does He command you to disbelief after you have become Muslims?): Meaning, does He command you to be veiled by seeing shapes and looking at semblances after the lights of Tawhid have appeared in your secrets and the suns of individuation have risen in your hearts?

(And when Allah took the covenant of the prophets): The verse contains an indication that He, the Exalted, took the covenant from the deputies of the Muhammadan reality in eternity for submission, obedience, and belief in it. He specified them by mention for being the people of the first rank and the men of the Presence. It was said: Allah the Exalted took from them the covenant of mutual recognition among them, the establishment of religion, not differing, testifying to one another, calling creation to Tawhid, specifying worship to Allah the Exalted, obedience to the Prophet, and each of them introducing the other to their nations. This is other than the general covenant referred to by His saying: (And when your Lord took from the children of Adam), etc.

(So whoever turns away after that), meaning after he learned the covenant of Allah the Exalted with the prophets and the prophets conveyed to him what was covenanted to them, (then those are the defiantly disobedient), meaning those who exited the religion of Allah the Exalted, and there is no religion other than His to be considered in reality, except by way of illusion.

(So is it other than the religion of Allah they seek, while to Him have submitted all who are in the heavens and the earth?): Meaning, those in the world of spirits and the world of souls, or those in the world of the kingdom of the heavens and the world of the visible realm, (voluntarily) by their choice and awareness, (and by compulsion) from where they do not know, nor do they know that they do not know, due to their being veiled by seeing the others (al-aghyar). For this reason, he fell from the degree of acceptance. (And to Him you will be returned) in the outcome when the leg is bared.

(And whoever seeks other than Islam), which is Tawhid, (as a religion) for himself, (then it will never be accepted from him) because of his failure to reach the Truth due to the place of the veil, (and he in the Hereafter), and on the Day of the Great Resurrection, (will be among the losers) who lost their souls.

(How shall Allah guide a people...): The verse is a rejection of the guidance of those whom Allah created without a predisposition for knowledge and judged as disbelievers in the previous eternity. For whoever has no predisposition does not fall into the lights of manifestation, and whoever waded into the sea of overpowering and remained at the bottom of the distance of the distance, there is no way for him to the shore of the closeness of closeness. (And Allah is predominant over His affair). How excellent is the one who said: If a person is not created happy, The thoughts of his upbringing are confused, and the aspirant is disappointed. For Moses, whom Gabriel raised, is a disbeliever, And Moses, whom Pharaoh raised, is a messenger. This is it, and Allah the Exalted is the Guide to the straight path.