Tafsir of Al-Ma'idah 5:54

(O you who believe, whoever among you turns back from his religion) This is the beginning of an exposition regarding the state of the apostates in absolute terms, after the Almighty had previously forbidden taking the Jews and Christians as allies, explaining that their alliance necessitates apostasy from the religion, and after detailing the fate of those among the hypocrites who take them as allies. It is said: This is one of the future events that the Quran foretold before it occurred. It has been narrated that eleven groups apostatized from Islam:

Three during the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ):

1. Banu Mudlij, led by Dhu al-Himar, who was Al-Aswad al-Ansi. He was a soothsayer who claimed prophethood in Yemen and seized control of its lands, expelling the governors of the Prophet (ﷺ). The Prophet (ﷺ) wrote to Mu'adh ibn Jabal and the leaders of Yemen, and Allah the Exalted caused him to be destroyed in his own house by Fayruz al-Daylami, who killed him. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was informed of his killing on the night it occurred, which brought joy to the Muslims. The Prophet (ﷺ) passed away the following day, and news of the event arrived in the month of Rabi' al-Awwal.
2. Banu Hanifa, the people of Musaylimah the Liar, son of Habib, who claimed prophethood and wrote to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): "From Musaylimah, the Messenger of Allah, to Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): Peace be upon you. To proceed: I have shared the matter with you; we shall have half the earth, and Quraysh shall have half the earth, but Quraysh are a people who transgress." He sent two messengers to the Prophet (ﷺ) with this. When the Prophet (ﷺ) read his letter, he said to them: "What do you say?" They replied: "We say as he says." He (ﷺ) said: "By Allah, were it not that messengers are not killed, I would have struck off your heads." He then wrote back to him: "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to Musaylimah the Liar. Peace be upon those who follow the guidance. To proceed: The earth belongs to Allah; He bequeaths it to whom He wills of His servants, and the outcome is for the righteous." This occurred in the tenth year. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) fought them with the armies of the Muslims, and he was killed at the hands of Wahshi, the killer of Hamza (may Allah be pleased with them both). Wahshi used to say: "I killed the best of people in my Ignorance (Jahiliyyah), and the worst of people in my Islam." It is said that both he and Abdullah ibn Zayd al-Ansari took part in killing him—Wahshi stabbed him, and Abdullah struck him with his sword.
3. Banu Asad, the people of Tulayha ibn Khuwaylid, who claimed prophethood. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) sent Khalid ibn al-Walid against him; he fled after the battle to the Levant, then accepted Islam, and his Islam became sincere.

Seven groups apostatized during the time of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him):

1. Fazara, the people of 'Uyaynah ibn Hisn.
2. Ghatafan, the people of Qurrah ibn Salamah al-Qushayri.
3. Banu Sulaym, the people of al-Fuja'ah ibn 'Abd Yalil.
4. Banu Yarbu', the people of Malik ibn Nuwayrah.
5. Some of Banu Tamim, the people of Sajah bint al-Mundhir, the soothsayer, who claimed prophethood and married herself to Musaylimah in a famous story; it is authenticated that she later accepted Islam and her Islam became sincere.
6. Kindah, the people of al-Ash'ath ibn Qays.
7. Banu Bakr ibn Wa'il in Bahrain, the people of al-Hutam ibn Zayd. Allah protected the Muslims from their affair through Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him).

One group apostatized during the time of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): Ghassan, the people of Jabalah ibn al-Ayham, who converted to Christianity, fled to the Levant, and died in his state of apostasy. It is said he later accepted Islam. It is narrated that 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote to the scholars of the Levant when he fled to them: "Jabalah came to me with the notables of his people, and he accepted Islam, so I honored him. He then traveled to Makkah and circled the Ka'bah; a man from Banu Fazara stepped on his garment, and Jabalah slapped him, crushing his nose and breaking his teeth (in another version, he gouged out his eye). The Fazari man sought retribution from me against Jabalah, so I ruled either for pardon or for retaliation (Qisas). He said: 'Will you retaliate against me while I am a king and he is a commoner?' I said: 'Islam has made you and him equal; you have no superiority over him except through righteousness.' Jabalah asked for a delay until the next day, but in the night, he rode away with his cousins and fled to the Levant as an apostate." It is reported that he regretted what he did and recited: "I became a Christian after the truth, out of shame for a slap, yet there was no harm in it had I been patient. My stubbornness and pride led me to it, so I gave the healthy eye for the blind one. I wish my mother had not borne me, and I wish I had been patient with the words 'Umar said."

This statement—that this is one of the things the Almighty informed us of before it happened—has been challenged on the basis that the "man" (whoever) is conditional, and a condition does not necessitate occurrence, as it is fundamentally used for hypothetical matters. It was answered that a condition may also be used for proven matters to signal that their occurrence is inappropriate; rather, it should have been included in the hypothetical. This is frequent, and since it is known that this occurred after the verse, it is clear that this is the intended meaning.

Nafi' and Ibn 'Amir read "man yartadid" (whoever turns back) by separating the doubled letters (i.e., not using idgham), which is the original form due to the quiescence of the second of the two identical letters. It is written this way in some of the Imam's (Uthman's) codices.

His saying, (Allah will bring) is the response to the condition, which acts as the subject, and there is disagreement regarding its predicate. It is said the predicate is the combination of the condition and the response; it is also said it is only the response. According to the first, the response alone does not require a pronoun to connect it; according to the second, it is required, and here it is implied, meaning: "Allah the Almighty will bring in their place, after destroying them, (a people He loves) with a love befitting His Majesty according to the meaning He intended, (and who love Him), meaning: they incline toward Him, Exalted is His Majesty, with a sincere inclination, so they obey Him in carrying out His commands and avoiding His prohibitions." This is conjoined to "He loves them." It is also permissible for it to be a state (hal) of the objective pronoun in "He loves them," meaning: "while they love Him."

In al-Kashshaf, it states: The love of the servants for their Lord is His obedience and seeking His pleasure, and not doing what requires His anger and punishment. The love of Allah the Almighty for His servants is that He rewards them with the best reward for their obedience, honors them, praises them, and is pleased with them. As for what the most ignorant of people, the greatest enemies of knowledge and its people, the most hateful toward the Sharia, and the worst in methodology believe—even if their method is something to their peers among the ignorant and foolish—namely, the group fabricated and affected from the Sufis, and what they profess of love, passion, and singing on their platforms—may Allah destroy them—and in their dancing halls—may Allah render them desolate—with lyrics of flirtation meant for beardless youths... Those they call martyrs, and their fainting spells, which Musa (peace be upon him) could not withstand—for he fell unconscious when the mountain crumbled—exalted is Allah far above that. Among their sayings is: "Just as He loves them, they love His Essence," for the pronoun refers to the Essence rather than the attributes and qualities. And: "The condition of love is that it be accompanied by the intoxications of love; if that is not present, there is no reality to it." Thus ends his words.

I say: He has mixed the bad with the good in this. He spoke with vulgar criticism of the Sufis and attributed to them what no one who commits it would care for, nor would it be counted among beasts, let alone the elite of humanity. It is not necessary that because a group calls themselves by this name—usurping it from its rightful people—and then commits what is reported of them (and even many times more, as we know of this group in our time, which contradicts the state of those truly named by it), that we should hold the righteous accountable for the wicked and strike the head of one with another. "No bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another."

The investigation of this station, according to what Ibn al-Munir mentioned, is that there is no doubt that interpreting the servant's love for Allah the Almighty as His obedience is contrary to the apparent meaning; it is a type of metaphor (majaz) where the effect is named after the cause. One should not turn to metaphor away from the literal meaning unless the latter is impossible. Let us examine the literal meaning of "love" linguistically according to the rules to see if it is established for the servant in relation to Allah the Almighty or not. Linguistically, love is the inclination of the one who possesses it toward a pleasurable thing. Pleasures that trigger love are divided into: that which is perceived by the senses, such as the pleasure of taste in food and the pleasure of looking at beautiful images; and that which is perceived by the intellect, such as the pleasure of status, leadership, knowledge, and the like. It is proven that among the pleasures that cause love are those that only the intellect perceives, not the senses. Then, love necessarily varies according to the variation of the incentives for it. The pleasure of one's leadership over a village is not like the pleasure of leadership over vast regions. If the incentives vary, then the pleasures of knowledge also vary according to the variation of the known objects. There is no known object more perfect or more glorious than the True Worshipped One. Therefore, the pleasure derived from knowing Him and knowing His majesty and perfection is greater, and the love stemming from it is more firmly rooted. When this love is obtained, it incites obedience and compliance. It follows that the servant's love for his Lord is possible; indeed, it occurs in every believer, as it is among the requirements and conditions of faith. People vary in it according to the variation of their faith. If this is so, it is necessary to interpret the servant's love for Allah the Almighty according to its literal linguistic meaning, and obedience and compliance are like the effect of it and distinct from it. Do you not see the Bedouin who asked about the Hour, and the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "What have you prepared for it?" He said: "I have not prepared much work for it, but I love Allah the Almighty and His Messenger (ﷺ)." The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "A person is with those whom he loves." This clearly indicates that the concept understood from "love for Allah the Almighty" is different from deeds and adherence to commands, for the Bedouin denied the former (deeds) and affirmed the love, and the Prophet (ﷺ) approved of him in that.

Then, he established that the servant's love for Allah the Almighty should be treated according to its literal meaning. Love, when confirmed, is called "Ishq" (passionate love), which is love that has reached its peak. The saying that it is love beyond the capacity of the beloved, such that he who says "I am a lover (ashiq) of Allah or His Messenger" becomes a disbeliever—as some of our Hanafi masters have said—is in the realm of prohibition in my view. Those who acknowledge the conceivability of the servant's love for Allah the Almighty in its literal meaning attribute the denial of the deniers to their ignorance, just as a child denies that someone could believe there is a pleasure behind playing—like marital intimacy or other things—and one who is immersed in desires and passion for women thinks there is no pleasure beyond that, such as leadership, status, or the like. Each group mocks those above them and believes they are occupied with nothing.

The Proof of Islam, al-Ghazali—may Allah sanctify his soul—said: "The lovers of Allah the Almighty say to those who deny them this: 'If you mock us, we mock you just as you mock (us).'" Thus ends his words with a slight addition. He did not speak on the meaning of Allah's love for the servant. You know that this is among the ambiguous (mutashabih) matters, and the schools of thought regarding it are famous. We have previously presented a portion of the discussion on this station, so remember it.

The intent by these people, in the famous opinion, is the people of Yemen. Ibn Abi Shaybah in his Musnad, al-Tabarani, and al-Hakim (who authenticated it) extracted from the hadith of 'Iyad ibn 'Amr al-Ash'ari that when the Prophet (ﷺ) recited this verse, he pointed to Abu Musa al-Ash'ari—who is from the core of Yemen—and said: "They are the people of this man." From al-Hasan, Qatadah, and al-Dahhak, it is said they are Abu Bakr and his companions (may Allah be pleased with them) who fought the apostates. From al-Suddi, it is said they are the Ansar. It is also said: They are those who fought on the day of al-Qadisiyyah: two thousand from Nakha', five thousand from Kindah and Bajilah, and three thousand from the rest of the people; Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas fought there against Rustam the miserable, the commander of Yazdegerd's army. The Imamiyyah said: They are 'Ali (may Allah honor his face) and his Shia on the day of the Battle of the Camel and Siffin; they also claim they are the Mahdi and those who follow him, but they have no evidence for that except their false narrations. It is said: They are the Persians, because the Prophet (ﷺ) was asked about them, and he struck his hand on the shoulder of Salman al-Farisi (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: "This and his people." Al-'Iraqi rebutted this, saying: "I have not found a report containing this; it was only mentioned regarding His saying: 'And if you turn away, He will replace you with another people,' as extracted by al-Tirmidhi from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him). Whoever mentions it here is mistaken."

(Humble toward the believers), meaning: affectionate toward them and submissive to them. It is the plural of dhalil (humble), not dhalul (submissive/tractable), for its plural is dhulul. The apparent form would have been "adhillah lil-mu'minin" (humble for the believers), as one says "tadhallala lahu" (he humbled himself for him); one does not say "tadhallala 'alayhi" because of the contradiction between humility and highness. However, it was connected with 'ala (upon) to imply the meaning of affection and tenderness, which is usually connected by it. It is also said: it is to alert that despite their high status and superiority over the believers, they are lowly toward them, lowering their wings.

Perhaps the intent is that 'ala was borrowed for the meaning of lam (for) to signify that they overcame others among the believers in humility until they attained this quality. However, deriving this from that is subtle. That the intent is that it implies the meaning of virtue and highness—meaning that their being humble is not because they are inherently lowly, but to combine the virtue of humility with their high status and honor—is also not hidden from its weakness, for the speaker who says this contrasts it with the implication, necessitating that it is another angle without implication. That the preposition is attached to an omitted descriptor that acts as another adjective for "people," and "despite their high status" etc., being an explanation of His saying "upon the believers," and "lowering their wings" etc., being an explanation of "humble," is something that should not be looked upon. It is said: "Humble" was connected with 'ala because "might" in His saying, (Mighty toward the disbelievers) was connected with it, as its usage requires, and since it is compared with it, conformity was observed. They have stated that in this, the precedence and postponement are permissible. It is also said: because "might" is connected with 'ala, and "humility" is its opposite, so it was treated with the same treatment, for the equal is treated like the equal, and the opposite is treated like the opposite, as Ibn Jinni and others have stated.

Adhillah (humble) and A'izzah (mighty) were put in the genitive case (majrur) as two adjectives for "a people," like the previous sentence. The conjunction was omitted between them to indicate their independence in being characterized by each of them. In this is evidence for the correctness of postponing a direct adjective after an indirect one, and this has come in more than one verse. Those who did not permit it considered the sentence here to be parenthetical, which is clearly a forced interpretation. The meaning of their being "mighty toward the disbelievers" is that they are harsh and victorious over them, from "azzahu" (he overcame him). The scholar al-Tibi noted that this description was brought for completion, because the description before it might imply that they are lowly and despised in themselves, so this illusion was dispelled by bringing it, along the lines of the saying: "Sitting in their gatherings, they are dignified, but if the guest is terrified, they are light (agile)."

It is read adhillatan and a'izzatan in the accusative as a state (hal) from "people" to specify it with the quality.

(They strive in the way of Allah) by fighting to elevate His word, Exalted is He, and to honor His religion, Exalted is His Majesty. This is another description for the "people," consequential to what preceded it, and explaining, along with what follows, the manner of their might. Abu al-Baqa' permitted it to be a state from the pronoun in a'izzah, meaning: they are mighty while striving. It may also be a new sentence (ist'naf).

(And they do not fear the blame of any critic) regarding what they perform of Jihad, or in all that they do and leave. This is conjoined to "they strive," meaning they combine striving and firmness in the religion. In this is an allusion to the hypocrites. It is permitted to be a state from the subject of "they strive," meaning: they strive while their state is other than the state of the hypocrites; in that case, the allusion is more apparent. It is said: in the first case, there is no allusion, but it is a completion of the meaning of "striving," useful for hyperbole and encompassing. But that is of no weight. The saying that it is a state was challenged because they stated that the present tense negated with la or ma is like the affirmative in that the waw (and) is not permitted to enter it. It was answered that this is based on the school of al-Zamakhshari, who says it is permissible for the present tense negated by la and ma to be coupled with waw, for the grammarians permitted it in the negation by lam and lamma, and there is no difference between them.

Al-Lawmah is the noun of instance (marrah) from al-lawm (blame), i.e., objection, and it is in the genitive case because of its agent. The original form of la'im (critic) is lawim, an active participle like qa'im. In al-lawmah along with the indefiniteness of la'im, there are two hyperboles, as it is said. The scholar al-Tibi explained this by saying that by the negation of fear of a single instance of blame, the fear of all instances of blame is negated, because the indefinite in the context of negation is general. Yes, then when the indefiniteness of its agent is added to it, it encompasses the negation of fear of all blamers. Thus, this is completion upon completion, meaning: they do not fear anything of blame from any of the blamers. It was objected: "How is lawmah more eloquent than lawm, with the meaning of unity it contains? If it were said: 'lawmu la'im,' it would be more eloquent." It was answered that it is originally for the instance, but the intent here is the genus (category), and the ta (the circular t) was brought to indicate that the genus of blame is in their sight as one. This was rebutted because it does not dismiss the question, for there is no evidence for this metaphorical usage while the ambiguity remains. It may be said that the context of praise is strong evidence for it.

(That) is a reference to the descriptions that preceded, not some of them as it is said. The singular form is for what preceded, as is the meaning of distance it contains.

(Is the favor of Allah), meaning His kindness and bounty, (He bestows it upon whom He wills), his bestowing it upon him, not that they are independent in being characterized by it. (And Allah is All-Encompassing), of vast bounty, or generous who does not fear the exhaustion of what is with Him, Almighty is He, (All-Knowing).

(54) Exaggerated in the connection of knowledge to all things, among which is who is worthy of favor and its place. This sentence is a parenthetical conclusion (tadhil) confirming the content of what preceded it. Expressing the Majestic Name is to signify the cause and to emphasize the independence of the parenthetical sentence, as passed more than once.

This is from the "sign-based" (ishari) interpretation of the verses, according to what some of the knowers have said: "We have sent down the Book with the truth, confirming what is before it of the Book." It is possible that the first Book is a reference to the science of the Criterion (al-Furqan) and the second is a reference to the science of the Quran. The first is the manifestation of the details of perfection, and the second is the summary knowledge fixed in the capacity. The meaning of it being a guardian over it is that it preserves it through manifestation. It is also possible that the first is a reference to the Quran in our hands, and the second is a reference to the genus including the Torah—which is an invitation to the outer—and the Gospel—which is an invitation to the inner. Our Book encompasses both matters and preserves each of the two books. So judge between them by what Allah has revealed of justice, which is the shadow of the Unity that was unveiled to you. And do not follow their whims in prioritizing one of the two sides, either the outer or the inner.

"For each of you, We have made a law (shir'ah) and a path (minhaj)." A resource (mawrid) like the resource of the soul, the resource of the heart, and the resource of the spirit. And a path (minhaj)—a road, like the science of rulings and knowledge related to the soul, and walking the path of the inner which leads to the Garden of Attributes, and the science of Monotheism and Witnessing which relates to the spirit, and walking the path of annihilation which leads to the Garden of Essence. Some of them said: "Indeed, Allah the Almighty has seas for the spirits, rivers for the hearts, and streams for the intellects, and for each one of them is a law in that from which it draws, such as the law of Knowledge, the law of Power, the law of Self-Sufficiency (Samadiyyah), and the law of Love, among others." And He, Almighty and Exalted is He, has paths according to the number of the breaths of the creatures, as Abu Yazid—may his secret be sanctified—said. The intent is personal paths, not absolute ones, and all of them lead to Him, Almighty is He. This is an indication of the difference in the drinking places (masharib) of the people and the lack of unity in their paths. The Almighty has said: "Each people have known their drinking place." He distinguished between the righteous and those brought near in that, and rarely do two agree on a drinking place and a path. From here, the difficulty is resolved in what is recounted about the presence of the Grey Falcon, our master, the Sheikh, the Muhyi al-Din Abd al-Qadir—may his secret be sanctified—that he said: "I kept walking in the wilderness of Holiness until I cut off the traces, then the trace of a foot appeared to me from afar, and my spirit nearly perished, then the call came: 'This is the trace of the foot of your Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).'" Its apparent meaning implies his precedence over the prophets and messengers, the masters of legislation—peace be upon them—and others like them among the perfect ones, and it is as you see. The way to resolve it is that he—may his secret be sanctified—cut off the traces in the path in which he was, and that requires precedence over those traveling that path only, and not others. So it is possible that he was preceded by those we mentioned among the travelers of a different path. This is the best answer that occurs to me to resolve that difficulty, looking at my own drinking place, for the drinking places of the people are diverse.

"And had Allah willed, He would have made you one community," in agreement on the drinking place and the path. "But He may test you in what He has given you," meaning: to manifest upon you what He has given you according to your capacities, according to the ability of each one of you to accept. "So race to the good deeds," meaning: the matters that lead you to your perfection that has been decreed for you according to the capacities that bring you near to Him by bringing it out into action. "To Allah is your return," in the essence of the gathering of existence according to ranks, "and He will inform you of that in which you used to differ," by showing the effects of what that difference necessitates.

"And judge between them according to what wisdom necessitates and capacity accepts, by what Allah has revealed to you of the Quran, which encompasses the outer and the inner. And do not follow their whims, and beware of them lest they tempt you away from some of what Allah has revealed," by restricting yourself to the pure outer or the pure inner and denying the other. "But if they turn away, then know that Allah only intends to afflict them with some of their sins," such as the sin of being veiled by actions for the Jews, and the sin of being veiled by attributes for the Christians. "And indeed, many of the people are defiantly disobedient," and the types of disobedience vary. The disobedience of the Jews is their departure from the judgment of Divine manifestations of actions by the soul seeing its own actions. The disobedience of the Christians is their departure from the judgment of the Divine manifestations of attributes by the soul seeing its own attributes. The disobedience that strikes some of this nation is the turning toward their own selves and departing from the judgment of Essential Unity. "Do they then seek the judgment of the time of Ignorance?" Which is the judgment issued from the station of the soul due to ignorance, not from Divine knowledge.

"O you who believe, whoever among you turns back from his religion of truth," and is veiled by some of the veils, "Allah will bring a people He loves," in pre-eternity without a cause, "and who love Him," likewise. The return of the love that does not change—according to the Sufis—is the Essence, not the attributes, as al-Wasiti said, and al-Zamakhshari criticized it as we have previously mentioned. Since He loved them when they did not exist except in His knowledge, the Lover was One in the essence of the gathering.

Al-Sulami said: "Indeed, it is by the grace of His love for them that they loved Him, otherwise, from where would they have the love for Allah the Almighty? And what is soil compared to the Lord of Lords?" The condition of love, as he said, is that it be accompanied by the intoxications of love, otherwise it is not love in reality. A Bedouin woman said in describing love: "It is hidden so as not to be seen, and fearful of being revealed; it is latent like the latency of fire in a stone; if you strike it, it flares, and if you leave it, it hides. And if it were not a branch of madness, it would be the essence of magic." This is the condition of the love of a created being, so how is it for the love of the Eternal, Exalted is His Majesty? The discussion on that is long.

"Humble toward the believers," because of the essential similarity and the bond of pre-eternal love and the innate affinity between them. "Mighty toward the disbelievers," who are veiled, the opposite of what was mentioned. "They strive in the way of Allah," by erasing their attributes and annihilating their selves, which are the veils of witnessing. "And they do not fear the blame of any critic," because of the excess of their love, which is the greatest guidance for the one characterized by it: "When the youth knows the guidance for himself, The blame of the censurers becomes light upon him." Rather, when love is sincere, the lover finds pleasure in blame, as it is said: "I find blame in your love delicious, Because of the love of remembering you; So let the blamers blame me." "That is the favor of Allah," which its limits cannot be reached, "He bestows it upon whom He wills" of His servants who have been preceded by Divine providence. "And Allah is All-Encompassing" in bounty, "All-Knowing" where He places His favor. We ask Allah the Almighty to bestow upon us His vast favor and His generosity, which has no barrier.