Tafsir of Al-Ma'idah 5:69

( Indeed, those who have believed ) – This is a newly commenced discourse, intended to encourage faith and righteous deeds.

The difference of opinion regarding the intended meaning of "those who have believed" has already been discussed in the verse of Al-Baqarah. It is reported from al-Thawri that they are those who believed with their tongues, namely the hypocrites; this is the view chosen by al-Zajjaj. The Judge (al-Qadi) chose the view that they are those who profess the religion of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), whether they are sincere or hypocrites. Others have held different opinions.

( And those who are Jews ) – meaning, those who entered into Judaism.

( And the Sabians ) – As Hassan Chalabi and others have stated, they are a people who departed from the religion of the Jews and the Christians and worshipped the angels. The discussion regarding this has already preceded. In Husn al-Muhadarah fi Akhbar Misr al-Qahirah by Jalal al-Suyuti, it is stated: "The masters of history mentioned that Adam (peace and blessings be upon him) bequeathed to his son Seth—in whom and in whose descendants were prophecy and religion—and revealed to him twenty-nine scrolls. He came to Egypt, which was then called Babylon, and settled there with his brother's children. Seth lived atop the mountain, and the children of Qabil (Cain) lived in the bottom of the valley. Seth appointed his son Anush as his successor, then Anush appointed his son Qunan, and Qunan appointed his son Mahla'il; Mahla'il appointed his son Yared, gave him the bequest, taught him all sciences, and informed him of what would occur in the world. He studied the stars and the book revealed to Adam (peace and blessings be upon him). Yared fathered Akhnukh, who is Idris (peace and blessings be upon him), also called Hermes. The king at that time was Mahwil bin Akhnukh bin Qabil. Idris (peace and blessings be upon him) became a prophet at the age of forty. The king intended evil toward him, but Allah the Exalted protected him. Thirty scrolls were revealed to him, and his father gave him the bequest of his grandfather and the sciences he possessed. He was born in Egypt, left it, and traveled the entire earth, then returned and called people to Allah the Exalted. They answered him until his religion covered the earth. His religion was the Sabian faith, which is the oneness of Allah the Exalted, purification, fasting, and other rituals of worship. During his journey to the East, all its kings obeyed him, and he built one hundred and forty cities, the smallest of which was al-Ruha. He then returned to Egypt, its king obeyed him and believed in him..." to the end of what he said and narrated from al-Tifashi. One may derive from this an opinion regarding the Sabians different from the preceding ones.

In Shadharat al-Dhahab by Abd al-Hayy ibn Ahmad ibn al-Imad al-Hanbali, in the biography of Abu Ishaq al-Sabi, it is stated: "Al-Sabiy, with a hamza at the end, is said to be attributed to Sabi bin Mutushlakh bin Idris (peace and blessings be upon him), who was upon the first Hanifiyyah (monotheism). It is also said: Sabi bin Mawi, who lived in the era of the Khalil (Abraham, peace be upon him). It is also said: A Sabian, according to the Arabs, is one who departs from the religion of his people."

( And the Christians ) – plural of Nasrani. Its detail has already passed.

"Al-Sabiyun" is in the nominative case (raf') as an initial (ibtida'), and its predicate is omitted due to the indication provided by the predicate of inna regarding it. The intent behind it is to delay it from what is in the predicate of inna. The estimation is: "Indeed, those who believed, those who are Jews, and the Christians—their judgment is such and such; and the Sabians are likewise." This is based on the rule that the omitted element in "Indeed, Zayd and Amr are standing" is the predicate of the second, not the first, as is the school of some grammarians. Evidence for this is the verse of Sabi bin al-Harith al-Burjumi: Whoever’s mount spends the night in the city, then I and Qayar are strangers there. For his statement "stranger" is the predicate of inna, which is why the lam (in la-gharib) is attached to it, for it enters upon the predicate of inna, not the predicate of the initial, except in rare instances. It is said that "stranger" here is a predicate for both nouns together, because the form fa'il applies equally to the singular and others, like "The angels thereafter are supporters." Al-Khalkhali refuted this by saying it does not apply to the dual, even if it applies to the plural. Ibn Hisham answered this by stating that they said regarding the verse, "On the right and on the left, a sitter," that the meaning is "two sitters," which indicates its application to the dual as well. Thus, it is correct to forbid this view because it necessitates two agents acting upon one object, which is not correct according to the most valid view, contrary to the Kufans.

The discussion continues regarding the grammatical structure, including the precedence of the predicate or the coordination, and whether the sentence acts as an interpolation. Some investigators directed the aforementioned predicate to the statement of Allah, "And the Sabians," making the predicate of inna omitted, which is the other view of the grammarians regarding such a construction. This is consistent with usage, as in the statement: "We are satisfied with what we have, and you are satisfied with what you have, and opinion is divided," where "satisfied" is the predicate of "you," and the predicate for "we" is omitted.

( Whoever has believed in Allah and the Last Day and did righteousness ) – This is either in the position of the nominative as an initial, whose predicate is the statement of Allah ( no fear will there be upon them, nor will they grieve ). The fa is present due to the initial containing the meaning of a condition, and the pronouns are gathered in the latter part in consideration of the meaning of the relative noun, just as the singular is used in its relative clause in terms of its wording. The entire sentence is the predicate of inna or the predicate of the initial. In either case, the estimation of a returning pronoun is necessary, i.e., "whoever of them believed."

Alternatively, it is in the position of the accusative as a substitute (badal) for the noun of inna and what is coordinated with it, or only what is coordinated with it; it is a partial substitute (badal ba'd), and a pronoun is necessary as established in Arabic grammar, so it is estimated as well. The statement of Allah, "no fear...", is the predicate, and the fa is like His statement, "Indeed, those who have tortured the believing men and believing women and then did not repent, then for them is the punishment of Hell."

The meaning, as more than one has stated, assuming the intended meaning of "those who have believed" is those who believe with their tongues—the hypocrites—is: whoever among these factions brings forth sincere faith in the Origin and the Return in the manner befitting, not as the People of the Scripture claim—for that is far removed from it—and does righteous deeds as faith necessitates, then no fear will be upon them when the disbeliever fears punishment, nor will they grieve when those who fell short regret wasting their lives and missing out on the reward. The intent is to declare the absence of both states, not the absence of their permanence, as indicated more than once. As for the assumption that the intent is those who profess the religion of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), whether sincere or hypocrites, then the intent by "whoever has believed" is whoever among them is characterized by sincere faith... regardless of whether that is by way of constancy and permanence, as with the sincere, or by way of initiation and creation, as is the state of the others among the hypocrites and the rest of the sects. There is no combining of the literal and the metaphorical here, as is not hidden, for constancy in faith and the initiation of it are two individuals of absolute faith.