Tafsir of At-Tawbah 9:31

(They took their rabbis): This is an additional confirmation of their previous disbelief in Allah, the Exalted. The aḥbār (rabbis) are the scholars of the Jews. There is a difference of opinion regarding the singular form of this word. Al-Asma‘i said: "I do not know if it is ḥibr or ḥabr." Abu al-Haytham said: "It is only with a fatḥah [ḥabr]." Ibn al-Athir mentioned that it is used with both fatḥah and kasrah, which is the position of most linguists. The correct view is that it applies to any scholar, whether dhimmi or Muslim; it was said of Ibn Abbas—may Allah be pleased with both of them—that he was "the ḥibr." It is pluralized, as stated in al-Qāmūs, as ḥubūr as well. It seems to be derived from taḥbīr (embellishment) of meanings through eloquent exposition of them.

(And their monks): They are the scholars of the Christians, the dwellers of the ṣawāmi‘ (monasteries). It is the plural of rāhib (monk). Sometimes it is applied to a single person, and it is pluralized as rahābīn and rahābinah. In Majma‘ al-Bayān, it states that the rāhib is the one who is khāshī (reverent), in whom reverence is visible. It became widely applied to the ascetics of the Christians. It is derived from rahbah, meaning fear. For this reason, they would detach themselves from the preoccupations of the world, abandon its pleasures, practice asceticism, isolate themselves from its people, and intentionally endure hardships, to the point that some would castrate themselves, put chains around their necks, and undergo other types of self-torture. It is from this context that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "There is no monasticism in Islam."

The intended meaning in the verse is that each of the two groups took their scholars—not everyone [of the group]—(as lords instead of Allah): by obeying them in prohibiting what Allah, the Exalted, had permitted, and permitting what He, the Glorified, had prohibited. This is the interpretation narrated from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Al-Tha‘labi and others narrated from ‘Adi ibn Hatim who said: "I came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while there was a cross of gold around my neck. He said: 'O ‘Adi, cast away this idol from yourself.' I heard him reciting in Surah Barā’ah: 'They took their rabbis and their monks as lords instead of Allah.' I said to him: 'O Messenger of Allah, they did not worship them.' He said, peace and blessings be upon him: 'Do they not prohibit what Allah has permitted, and so you prohibit it? And do they permit what Allah has prohibited, and so you permit it?' I said: 'Yes.' He said: 'That is their worship of them.'" Hudhayfah, may Allah be pleased with him, was asked about this verse and he replied exactly as the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had stated. Analogous to this is the saying: "So-and-so worships so-and-so" when one obeys him excessively. It is a metaphor, likening obedience to worship, or it is a majāz mursal (synecdoche) where the term "worship," which denotes a specific type of obedience, is applied to obedience in general. The former is more emphatic.

It has been said: "Taking them as lords" means by prostrating to them and similar acts that are not befitting anyone except the Lord, the Mighty and Majestic. In that case, there is no metaphor. However, no one has any room to argue after the authenticity of the report from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The verse censures many of the deviant sects who abandoned the Book of Allah, the Exalted, and the Sunnah of His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in favor of the words of their scholars and leaders. Truth is more deserving of being followed; whenever it becomes manifest, it is incumbent upon the Muslim to follow it, even if the one he imitates missed it through his personal reasoning (ijtihād).

(And the Messiah, son of Mary): This is conjoined to "(their) monks" [meaning: they took them as lords], either by taking him as a lord who is worshipped, or by designating him as the son of God, as the context of the verse implies, according to what has been said. In this there is scrutiny. Specifying the act of taking as lords to him, peace be upon him, indicates that the Jews did not do that with Uzayr. Mentally deferring him in the mention—even though taking him [the Messiah] as a lord is more extreme than mere obedience in matters of prohibition and permission—is because it is specific to the Christians. Attributing him, peace be upon him, to his mother is to signal the utter weakness of their opinion and to judge them as having reached the ultimate limit of ignorance and foolishness.

(And they were not commanded): meaning, while the case is that those disbelievers were not commanded in the divine scriptures on the tongues of the prophets, peace be upon them, (except to worship one God): Who is majestic in station, and He is Allah, the Glorified, and to obey His command and not obey the command of anyone else in opposition to Him, for that is contrary to worshipping Him, the Glorified. As for obeying the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and all those whom Allah has commanded to be obeyed, it is, in reality, obeying Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. Alternatively: "Those whom the disbelievers took as lords—the Messiah, the rabbis, and the monks—were not commanded except to obey Allah or to profess the Oneness of Allah, the Exalted." So how could it be valid for them to be lords when they themselves are commanded and are servants just like them? It is not hidden that the specialization of worship to Him, the Exalted, cannot be realized unless obedience is also specialized to Him, the Exalted. Whenever it is not specialized to Him, the Glorified, then worship is not specialized to Him, the Glorified.

(There is no god but He): This is either a second description of "one God," or it is a new sentence. In both cases, it confirms the Oneness of Allah. It contains, as some have said, an added benefit: the previous [part of the verse] could potentially imply something other than Oneness—such as being commanded to worship one god from among many gods. When the One to be worshipped is described as being the "Unique in Divinity," the intended meaning is fixed. It is also permissible that it is an adjective explaining "One."

(Glorified is He above what they associate [with Him]): This is a declaration of His transcendence—that is, transcendence above associating others with Him in worship and obedience.