**Ash-Shura: (15) For that, then, call and stand firm...**
"For that" (i.e., if the matter is as mentioned, then because of that fragmentation, and because of what occurred due to the branching of disbelief into sects among the previous nations), "call" (to unity and agreement upon the ancient Hanifite religion), "and stand firm as you have been commanded" (i.e., remain steadfast upon the call as it was revealed to you).
It is said: The reference is to His saying, "He has ordained for you the religion," and what is connected to it. It is reported from al-Wahidi that it means: for that recommendation in which you shared with Noah and those after him, and for that command to establish [the religion] and the prohibition against fragmentation, therefore call. The first interpretation is superior, because His saying, "that you establish [the religion]," included the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—and his followers, as you have heard. This is indicated by, "It is difficult for the polytheists that which you call them to." Thus, the phrasing "For that, then, call" does not result from their fragmentation in a way that manifests as repetition; rather, it is a derivation of a command from a command. As for it resulting from their fragmentation, it is apparent in the sense of: "Since they have caused fragmentation and introduced innovations, you remain firm upon the call which you were ordered to perform, and stand firm." This is clear to the one who reflects.
Some people hold that the reference is to the previous law and do not include the command to "establish" so as not to necessitate repetition. That is: because He has ordained for them the true, ancient, and upright religion, such that the competitors may compete in it, therefore call. It is said: it refers to the Book. It is said: it refers to the knowledge mentioned in His saying, "The knowledge came to them." It is said: it refers to the [aforementioned] "way." It is favored due to proximity, though that is not entirely convincing.
The lam (the 'l' in li-dhalika) in all the mentioned opinions is for causality. It is said that in some of them, it is in the sense of ila (to), as a connective for the verb "call," meaning that what follows it is that which is being called to. There is no need to translate it as ila, because the verb "call" (da'a) can take the lam as well, as in the statement: "I called to those who built me, joyful." This is reported from al-Farra' and az-Zajjaz.
Regardless, the first fa is in the response to an implied conditional, as we have indicated, and the second fa serves to emphasize the first.
It is said: After the Flood, people were one nation, monotheists, then their descendants differed after their deaths when Allah sent prophets as bringers of glad tidings and warners. The pronoun in "they differed" refers to the disagreement of those monotheists, and "those who were made to inherit the Book" remains as previously stated—the first [view] is more apparent.
It is said: The pronoun in "they differed" refers to the People of the Book; they differed after the knowledge came to them regarding the mission of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. This is like His saying: "And the ones who were given the Book did not differ except after the evidence came to them." They only differed out of envy for him—peace be upon him—not due to any ambiguity. The meaning of "those who were made to inherit the Book after them" refers to the polytheists of Mecca and their confederates, because they inherited the Quran; thus, the "Book" is the Quran, and the pronoun "from it" refers to it. It is said it refers to the Messenger, but this is contrary to what is apparent. The Shaykh al-Islam favored the view that the ones who differed were the People of the Book—the Jews and Christians—who inherited [the status of] those who doubt: the polytheists of Mecca and their confederates. He favored the view that the address in "Establish the religion and do not differ therein" is for the Ummah of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He criticized the view that the "differing" refers to every nation after its prophet, and the view that it refers to the heirs of the monotheists after the Flood, saying: This is refuted by His saying, "And were it not for a word that preceded from your Lord to a specified term, it would have been judged between them," for the famous nations mentioned were struck with the punishment of extermination without being granted delay or respite. Furthermore, the progression of the noble arrangement is to clarify the states of this Ummah, and those prophets mentioned were only cited to confirm that what was ordained for these [people] is an ancient religion upon which those luminaries—peace be upon them—agreed, emphasizing the obligation of establishing it and strictly forbidding fragmentation and disagreement therein. Thus, addressing the fragmentation of their nations might suggest a violation of that intent.
The first [criticism] is answered by saying that the pronoun in "between them" refers to those who differed, and you know that they are the ones who differed after the death of their prophets, and they were not struck by the punishment of total extermination; rather, it struck those who did not believe during the era of their prophets. The absoluteness of the "differers" is not that apparent. It is said: the meaning of "judged between them" is while they were still fabricating, and they were not granted years of respite. It is said: the meaning is to judge between them by destroying the falsehood-mongers and rewarding the people of truth—rewarding them in the afterlife; this is as you see. As for the second [criticism], we do not concede that addressing the fragmentation of the [previous] nations suggests a violation of the intent, after clarifying that it only occurred after the knowledge came to them that it was error, corruption, and a matter warned against, and that it was out of transgression among themselves, not out of ambiguity regarding the truth of the religion.
It is said: The pronoun in "they differed" refers to the polytheists in His saying: "It is difficult for the polytheists..." Al-Bahr narrates from Ibn Abbas that he said: "And they did not differ," meaning Quraysh, and the "knowledge" is Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and they used to wish that he would be sent to them, as He, the Exalted, said: "And they swore by Allah their strongest oaths that if a warner came to them..." It may be said against this: The meaning of "those who were made to inherit the Book" is the People of the Book who were contemporaries of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and the meaning of "after them," according to Abu Hayyan, is after their predecessors. At-Tabarsi reports from as-Suddi that which indicates that the meaning is "after their news," and he interpreted the relative pronoun as the commoners among the People of the Book. It is said: the pronoun "after them" refers to the polytheists, and the "afterness" is one of rank, as said regarding His saying: "And the earth, after that, He spread out." It is not hidden from you that there is no harm in the pronoun of "they differed" returning to the polytheists if a direction [of interpretation] is found for "those who were made to inherit the Book" that falls within the scope of acceptability. Allah is the Grantor of success.
Making the object of "stand firm" the "call" is a connection whose appropriateness is not hidden. It is permitted to make it general, so "stand firm" becomes a command for steadfastness in all of his affairs—peace and blessings be upon him. Steadfastness is to be upon a straight line. Al-Raghib interpreted it as keeping to the straight path, so there is no need to interpret it as "continuing upon steadfastness"—i.e., continue upon steadfastness.
"And do not follow their desires" (i.e., any of their vain desires, assuming the genitive is for the genus).
"And say: I believe in what Allah has sent down of a Book" (i.e., in all the revealed Books, because "what" (ma) is one of the tools of generalization, and the indefinite nature of "a Book" supports that). In this statement is a verification of the truth, a clarification of the agreement of the Books in their foundations, a reconciliation of the hearts of the two People of the Book, and an allusion against them since they did not believe in all of them.
"And I have been commanded to judge justly between you" (i.e., Allah, the Exalted, has commanded me with what He has commanded me, so that I may be just in conveying the laws and rulings; thus, I do not single out one person over another with any of it). It is said: to judge justly between you in matters when you dispute. It is said: by conveying the laws and resolving the dispute—this was favored by more than one. It is said: [It means] I do not discriminate between myself and you, and I do not command you with what I do not know, and I do not contradict you in what I forbid you, and I do not differentiate between your subordinates and your dignitaries in executing the judgment of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. Thus, the lam is for causality, and the commanded action is omitted. It is said: the lam is an augmentative (extra), i.e., "I have been commanded that I judge justly," but it requires assuming the ba (i.e., that I judge justly), which is not free from distance [linguistically].
"Allah is our Lord and your Lord" (i.e., the Creator of all and the Guardian of their affairs; the meaning is not restricted to the speaker and the addressee).
"To us our deeds" (their recompense will not bypass us, whether it be reward or punishment), "and to you your deeds" (their effects will not bypass you so that we may benefit from your good deeds or be harmed by your bad deeds).
"There is no argument between us and you" (i.e., no disputation and no enmity, because the truth has become manifest, so there remains no need for argumentation and no room for opposition except through arrogance and stubbornness). The word hujjah (argument/proof) appears here in its original form, for it is originally a verbal noun meaning "disputation," as mentioned by al-Raghib, and it became widespread in the sense of "evidence," which is not intended here.
"Allah will gather us [together]" (on the Day of Resurrection), "and to Him is the [final] destination."
"And He, the Exalted, will judge between us and you." There is nothing in the verse that indicates leaving the disbelievers entirely alone to the extent that it would be abrogated by the Verse of the Sword. Abu Hayyan claimed that what appears from it is "making peace," which is abrogated by that verse.
