Tafsir of Al-A'raf 7:29

(Say, "My Lord has commanded justice.") This is a clarification of what has been commanded, following the negation of the prohibited matters previously ascribed to His command.

Al-Qist (justice), according to many, is equity, which is the mean in all things, removed from the two extremes of excess and deficiency. Al-Raghib stated: It is the allotment of justice, like al-nisf (the half) and al-nusfah (fairness). It is said qasata (to take another's share), which is injustice, and aqsata (to give another's share), which is fairness. Thus, it is said: "A man committed qist" (acted unjustly), and "A man committed iqsat" (acted justly). This is preferred over what al-Tabrisi said, which is that its root is "inclination"; if it is toward the side of truth, it is justice, like His saying (Exalted is He): "Indeed, Allah loves those who are just (al-muqsitin)." If it is toward the side of falsehood, it is tyranny (jawr), like His saying (Exalted is He): "But as for the qasitun (the deviators/tyrants), they will be fuel for Hell."

The intended meaning here, according to what is narrated from Abu Muslim, is all acts of obedience and closeness to God. It is narrated from Ibn Abbas and al-Dahhak that it is monotheism and the statement La ilaha illa Allah. Mujahid, al-Suddi, and most commentators hold that it is rectitude and justice in all matters.

("And set your faces...") i.e., turn toward His worship, Exalted is He, while being upright and not deviating toward anything else. ("...at every mosque...") i.e., at the time of every prostration, as al-Jubba'i said, or in every place of prostration, as others said. Thus, "at" ('inda) carries the meaning of "in" (fi), and "mosque" (masjid) is a noun of time or place in the linguistic sense. It should properly have been masjad (with a fathah on the 'ayn) because it is a verb of the form yaf'ulu in the present tense, but it is an exception to the rule. Some claimed it is a masdar mimi (gerund with an 'm' prefix) and that "time" is implied before it, and "prostration" (sujud) is a metaphor for prayer. Many have said: The meaning is, "Turn toward the direction which Allah, Exalted is He, has commanded you to face in your prayers, which is the direction of the Kaaba." The command in both interpretations is for obligation.

Al-Maghribi chose the view that the meaning is: "If you reach prayer in any mosque, pray and do not delay it until you return to your own mosques." The command here is for recommendation (nadb), and "mosque" is taken in its conventional sense. The distance of this interpretation is evident. Similar to it is the claim that the meaning is, "Head to the mosque at the time of every prayer," taking it as a command for congregational prayer, which some consider recommended and others mandatory.

The waw (and) is for conjunction. What follows it is said to be conjoined to the command derived from the meaning of the verbal noun (in amara), meaning "be just." The verbal noun can be resolved into the past, present, or imperative. Al-Jurjani said it is conjoined to the previous statement spoken to "Say," being a performative utterance. If you reject this, the speech is a form of narration. It is also possible that there is an implied "Say" conjoined to its counterpart, and "set your faces" is what is said to it. Or, it may be conjoined to an omitted element, implying: "Say, 'Draw near and set your faces.'"

("And call upon Him...") i.e., worship Him. ("...sincere to Him in religion...") i.e., in obedience. Thus, "calling" (du'a) is in the sense of worship because it includes it, and "religion" (din) is in its linguistic sense. It is also said that this is a command to supplicate and beseech Him, the Almighty, with sincerity; i.e., seek Him in supplication after you have been sincere to Him in religion.

("As He began you...") i.e., brought you into existence from the beginning ("...you will return") to Him, the Exalted, so He will recompense you for your deeds. So, obey His commands, or make your worship sincere to Him; thus, it is connected to the command before it. Al-Zajjaj said it is connected to His saying (Exalted is He): "In it you will live, and in it you will die, and from it you will be brought forth." Its remoteness is evident. He did not say "He will return you" (yu'idukum), which would have been more consistent with the preceding context, to indicate that the return is less significant than the beginning, being without material, such that the need for the Creator is even more pronounced; it is like His saying (Exalted is He): "And that is easier for Him." This applies whether the return is creation after total non-existence or the gathering of scattered parts. He likened it to the beginning only to confirm its possibility and the power over it.

Qatada said the meaning is: "Just as He began you from dust, you will return to it," as He said (Exalted is He): "From it We created you, and into it We will return you." It is said the meaning is: "Just as He began you owning nothing, likewise you will be resurrected on the Day of Judgment."

From Muhammad bin Ka'b: The intended meaning is that whoever God, Exalted is He, began his creation upon wretchedness will end up there, even if he performs the deeds of the people of happiness. And whoever He began his creation upon happiness will end up there, even if he performs the deeds of the people of wretchedness. This is supported by what al-Tirmidhi narrated from Amr ibn al-As: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came out to us with two books in his hand and said, 'Do you know what these two books are?' We said, 'No, Messenger of Allah.' He said of the one in his right hand, 'This is a book from the Lord of the Worlds, containing the names of the people of Paradise and the names of their fathers and tribes. Then it was finished at the last of them, so no one will be added to them or subtracted from them ever.' Then he said of the one in his left, 'This is a book from the Lord of the Worlds, containing the names of the people of Hell and the names of their fathers and tribes. Then it was finished at the last of them, so no one will be added to them or subtracted from them ever.' His companions said, 'Then why perform deeds, O Messenger of Allah, if the matter is already finished?' He (peace and blessings be upon him) said, 'Act uprightly or come as close as you can, for the person of Paradise will be sealed with the deeds of the people of Paradise, no matter what he did, and the person of Hell will be sealed with the deeds of the people of Hell, no matter what he did.' Then he said—meaning he signaled with his hands—and cast them aside, saying, 'Your Lord has finished with the servants; a group in Paradise and a group in the blazing fire.'"

Similar to this is what is narrated from Ibn Jubayr: The meaning is "Just as it was written for you, you will be." It is narrated from the Scholar (Ibn Abbas) that the meaning is: "Just as He began you—believer and disbeliever—He will return you on the Day of Judgment." This is like His saying (Exalted is He): "It is He who created you, and among you is the disbeliever and among you is the believer." According to this, His saying (Exalted is He)...