Tafsir of Al-Hujurat 49:7

"And know that among you is the Messenger of Allah" is a conjunctive clause attached to what precedes it. The anna (that), along with its governed noun and predicate, occupies the place of the two objects of i'lamu (know). This is based on the condition mentioned in the state (hal) described in His saying, the Almighty: "If he were to obey you in much of the matter, you would surely suffer" (la-'anittum), meaning: you would fall into hardship and ruin. This is a hal (state) for one of the two pronouns in fikum (among you): either the implied, nominative pronoun—which is the pronoun of the Messenger—or the explicit, genitive pronoun—which is the pronoun of the addressees.

The fronting of the predicate of anna is for the sake of the presence of the Messenger, which entails an increase in reproach. The use of the imperfect verb form indicates continuity; thus, the "if" (law) signifies the impossibility of the continuity of his obedience, peace and blessings be upon him, to them in much of what they might desire, and the fact that the intended meaning is the continuity of impossibility—similar to what was said regarding the Almighty's saying: "nor will they grieve," in that the intended meaning is the continuity of the negation—is not quite sound.

The discourse implies that they sought, in the presence of the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, to inflict harm upon al-Harith and his people. The intention was to censure them for this by placing them in the position of one who does not know that he, peace and blessings be upon him, is among them. Thus, it was said: "And know that he is among you," and not among others, as if they, due to their lack of decorum and what transpired from them, had calculated that he was among other people, in a state that you must change, or that you are in such a state—namely, desiring to make his opinion follow your opinion and for him to obey you—even though that is a reversal of roles and a cause for your falling into hardship.

There is exaggeration here from several aspects:

1. The preference for law (if) to indicate a hypothetical premise, implying that what transpired of their embellishment (of the idea) ought to be treated as a premise, just as impossibilities are treated.
2. The shift to the imperfect verb, which serves to depict what they were engaged in and to highlight its ugliness along with the reproach, by intending the continuity of what should only be a hypothetical, let alone an occurrence.
3. What is in the term al-'anatu (hardship) in terms of signifying the most severe of calamities, for it is a fracture after having been set. It is a subtle hint that this was not the first instance of such behavior.
4. The generalization of the address and the employment of the imperfect to describe those who are not perfected in faith, so that it might be more of a deterrent to the one who commits it and a greater warning to others. It is as if it were said: "O you who have believed, investigate if a transgressor brings you information," and do not be like these people who were provoked by news before verifying its truth, and then are not satisfied with that until they want to make follow their opinion the one who is followed absolutely, thereby causing themselves and others to fall into hardship and destruction. Know the majesty of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and avoid such improprieties.

His saying, the Almighty: "But Allah has endeared to you the faith and has made it pleasing in your hearts and has made hateful to you disbelief, defiance, and disobedience," is a rectification of what the discourse necessitates. For "If he were to obey you" is an address—as you have heard—to those who are not perfected in faith, generalized for the mentioned benefits. Those to whom faith is endeared are the perfect ones. It is as if it were said: "But Allah has endeared faith to some of you." He refrained from stating it explicitly due to the naming of the attribute itself. Upon this is the saying of some exegetes: "They are those whose hearts Allah has tested for piety," and the indication is in His saying, "Those are the rightly guided."

The address in "to you" is directed to the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, as if the Almighty is showing him the state of "correct guidance" (the attainment of the straight path) that they are upon. The summary of the meaning is: You are in a state that you should change, and what transpired from you has transpired; but there are those among you who are innocent of what you are upon regarding the belief of a liar, the embellishment of inflicting harm upon an innocent person, and the desire to make the Truth follow your whims, because Allah, the Almighty, has endeared faith to them, etc.

This is more appropriate than making "If he were to obey you" carry the meaning of what follows, for the sake of severity, because one who sets out to inflict harm upon an innocent person in the presence of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and dares to commit such a grave matter, would not be one to whom faith is endeared—even if that interpretation is also sound, given the common usage of such transitions in similar contexts. Some have made it an explanatory rectification, excusing them for what transpired from them; the outcome of the meaning being: What caused you to act as you did was not following whims and the love of making the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, follow your opinions, but rather, it was the love of faith and the hatred of disbelief that prompted this. The latter is more suitable for what follows what we have mentioned.

Many grammarians allowed that "If he were to obey you" is an initiation, on the meaning that when it was said, "Know that among you is the Messenger of Allah," indicating that they were ignorant of his status, peace and blessings be upon him, and negligent in the regard that is due to his high standing (may Allah exalt his status), it was appropriate for them to ask: What have we done to be accused of negligence, and what results from that? So they were answered with what clarifies the result because of its concealment, and points to the shame it contains due to their falling into hardship by trying to make follow their opinion one who is in a high position, an imitation that exceeds the galaxy. This is good, were it not for the fact that "And know" is a continuation of the first clause, as the conjunction suggests, not a standalone reprimand. Thus, this estimation is rejected because the cause of the negligence is fixed. Furthermore, the implication of the allusion—that this was an impulsive act by some of them in the story of Ibn Uqbah—would be lost, and the discourse would become incoherent.

The verb kariha (to hate) usually takes one object directly, but when intensified (kawwaha), it takes another. However, in this verse, it is imbued with the meaning of tabghid (making something hateful to someone), so it is treated accordingly. Its elegance lies in its opposition to habbaba (to endear), or "to you" (ilaykum) is placed in the position of a second object. Al-kufr (disbelief) is covering the favors of Allah Almighty through denial. Al-fusuq (defiance) is departing from the intended path, and its etymology is as mentioned previously. Al-'isyan (disobedience) is refraining from compliance; its origin is from 'asat an-nawah (the date pit became hard and firm).

The discourse—that is, His saying, "But Allah..." etc.—is a praise for them, following the mentioned endearment and the making of hateful, implying the performance of pleasing deeds and acts of obedience, and the avoidance of ugly deeds and sins, by way of metonymy, so that the antithesis may be positioned as it was previously. It is said: The reason for this is what is necessitated by the apparent meaning of praising someone for the actions of another, even though the discourse is intended to praise them for their preference for faith and their turning away from disbelief and its two counterparts, not for Allah's act of endearing faith to them or making disbelief hateful to them. You know that praising someone for a quality of perfection, whether it is voluntary or otherwise, is common in the customs of the Arabs and Persians, and the objector is stubborn; furthermore, this also occurs in relation to inanimate objects. The necessary truth is that a man is not praised for what he has not done as if he had done it; the indication of this is in His saying, "And they like to be praised for what they have not done." As for not being praised for a quality that one possesses, that is not an accepted position, so do not be heedless.