Tafsir of Al-Hadeed 57:8

{And what is the matter with you that you do not believe in Allah} This is an initiation (isti’naf). It is said to be intended to rebuke them for abandoning faith after they were commanded to embrace it, by denying that they have any excuse whatsoever for that. In the sentence, the phrase "do not believe" (la tu’minun) is a circumstantial qualifier (hal) of the pronoun in "with you" (lakum), and the governing agent (amil) is the sense of establishment (istiqrar) contained therein. That is: "What state has befallen you, while you are not believing?" This directs the negation and the denial solely to the cause, while the effect—the content of the circumstantial clause, namely the lack of faith—is already realized. Thus, the denial is of the cause of the reality, not the negation of the reality itself. A parallel is the Almighty’s saying: {What is the matter with you that you do not ascribe to Allah due majesty?}. Sometimes, in such a construction, the denial and negation are directed at the cause of the occurrence, and thus they extend to the effect as well, as in the Almighty’s saying: {And why should I not worship [Him] who created me?} etc. However, it is not possible to apply that here, because the lack of faith is a realized fact. This meaning is beyond doubt.

His saying, {while the Messenger invites you to believe in your Lord}, is a circumstantial qualifier (hal) of the pronoun in "you do not believe," serving, as it is said, to rebuke them for disbelief when that which necessitates its absence is present, following the rebuke for it when there was nothing to necessitate it. The lam in "to believe" (li-tu’minu) is a particle of connection (sila) for "invites," which takes it as an object (as well as the particle ila). That is: What excuse is there for abandoning faith, while "the Messenger invites you" to it and alerts you to it? It is also possible that the lam is for causality.

His saying, the Exalted, {though He has taken your covenant}, is a circumstantial qualifier from the agent of "invites you" or its object. That is: He has taken your covenant to believe from before, as is indicated by the discrepancy between the two verbs, one being imperfect and the other perfect. It is also permissible for it to be a state (hal) conjoined to the state before it; thus, it would be a state after a state concerning the pronoun in "you do not believe." However, the discrepancy between the nominal and verbal forms makes that unlikely in the sentence. Regardless, the taking of the covenant is an allusion to what the Exalted has done in setting up the evidence in the universe and within the self, and providing the opportunity for them to consider it. Thus, his saying, {the Messenger invites you}, is an allusion to the auditory (revealed) evidence, and this {though He has taken your covenant} is an allusion to the rational evidence. In this order—the preceding and the following—there is what supports the view of the superiority of the auditory over the rational.

Al-Baghawi said: It is that which occurred when He brought them forth from the loins of Adam and made them witness that He, the Exalted, is their Lord, and they testified. Upon this, there is no metaphor. The first view is the choice of al-Zamakhshari, but Ibn al-Munir pursued him, saying: There is no objection to interpreting it as the covenant in its literal sense—that which was taken on the Day of the Atom (Yawm al-Dharr)—and everything that reason permits and the Law (Shari’ah) has brought, and in which faith is required. This has been reported from Mujahid, ‘Ata, al-Kalbi, and Muqatil. The Imam criticized this by saying that the intent is to obligate the addressees to have faith and to deny that they have any excuse for abandoning it, yet they do not know of this covenant except through the Messenger. Therefore, before confirming the Messenger, it cannot be a cause for obligating them to believe in him.

Al-Tibi said: It is possible to say that if the pronoun in "taken" refers to Allah, the Exalted, then it is appropriate that "covenant" refers to what the Almighty’s saying indicates: {We said, "Go down from it, all of you. And when guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows My guidance..."}, etc., because the meaning is: "And when guidance comes to you from Me" through a Messenger I send to you and a Book I reveal to you. The first is supported by the Almighty's saying, {and the Messenger invites you to believe in your Lord}, and the second by {It is He who sends down upon His Servant [Muhammad] verses}, etc. If it refers to the Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), then the apparent meaning is what is in the Almighty’s saying: {And [recall] when Allah took the covenant of the prophets, [saying], "Whatever I give you of scripture and wisdom and then there comes to you a messenger confirming what is with you, you [must] believe in him and you [must] support him."} This is on the basis that the covenant is attributed to the prophets as the ones who are bound by it, not as those who bind others. That is: The covenant which the prophets bound their nations to. This is the correct view, because the address is to the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), as is indicated by what follows. Perhaps the covenant is what we narrated from Imam Ahmad from ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit: "We pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) to hear and obey in activity and laziness, to spend in hardship and ease, to enjoin good and forbid evil, and to speak in Allah, not fearing the blame of any critic."

The first view is weakened in the same way the Imam weakened interpreting the covenant as that which occurred on the Day of the Atom, and the weakness of the second is more apparent than to require alerting.

The address: The author of al-Kashf said it is general, rebuking those of them who did not believe for their lack of faith, and then those who believed [for their actions] after spending in His cause.

The statement of Abu Hayyan is apparent in that it is for the believers, and he made "believe" (aminu) a command to be steadfast in faith and continue in it, and "What is the matter with you that you do not believe," etc., means: How is it that you do not remain steadfast in faith when the motives for that are present?

The apparent meaning of some others' words is that it is for the disbelievers, which is what we pointed out earlier. Perhaps what the author of al-Kashf mentioned is more appropriate, except that it was objected to: if "believe" was an address to those characterized by faith and those not characterized by it, it would necessitate using the command to request the origin of the act regarding those not characterized by it, and to request steadfastness regarding those who are characterized by it. This is problematic, and to evade it, one would need to intend a general meaning for both orders. It may be said that he intended a group of people differing in their states, so they were commanded with various commands and addressed with multiple addresses, and each command and address was directed to those for whom it was appropriate. This is as if a ruler were to say to the people of his city: "Call the Adhan, pray, study, spend on the poor, and give full measure and weight," etc., for each command turns to those for whom it is appropriate. So reflect on this.

It was recited: {What is the matter with you that you do not believe in Allah and His Messenger}. Abu ‘Amr recited {though He has taken your covenant} in the passive voice, and in the nominative case for "covenant" (mithaqukum).

{if you are believers} This is a conditional clause whose response is omitted, indicated by what precedes it. The meaning is: "If you are believers due to some requirement, then here is a requirement that has no requirement beyond it." It is also possible that the meaning is: "If you are of those who believe, then what is the matter with you that you do not believe while in this state?" Al-Wahidi said: That is, if you are believers by rational or revealed evidence, it has been made clear and manifested to you at the hands of Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) by his mission and the revelation of the Qur’an to him. Regardless, there is no contradiction between this and the Almighty’s saying, {And what is the matter with you that you do not believe}. Al-Tabari said regarding this: The meaning is, if you are believers in any state whatsoever, then believe now. It is also said: The meaning is, if you are believers in Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them), then believe in Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), for their law requires belief in him (peace be upon him). Or, if you are believers in the covenant taken from you in the world of the Atom, then believe now. It is also said: The meaning is, if you continue in faith, you are in noble ranks and high degrees. All of this is as you see.

The appearance of the latter [interpretation] is that the address is to the believers, and this is what al-Tibi chose. He said regarding this condition: It is possible to proceed by way of causality, as in the Almighty’s saying: {O you who have believed, fear Allah and give up what remains [due to you] of interest, if you should be believers}, because the speech is with the believers by way of rebuke and reprimand, which points to what follows.