Tafsir of Yunus 10:84-86

Surah Yunus (10:84-86)

[84] And Moses said, "O my people, if you have believed in Allah, then rely upon Him, if you are [truly] Muslims."

Issue 1: The Structure of the Conditional Statement

The statement: "If you have believed in Allah, then rely upon Him" involves two conditions: one preceding and one following.

Jurists have noted that in such constructions, the element that appears later in the wording must be conceptually prior, and the element that appears earlier in the wording must be conceptually later.

Example: A man says to his wife: "If you enter the house, you are divorced, if you speak to Zayd."

The reason for this is that the entire statement, "If you enter the house, you are divorced," becomes conditional upon the subsequent clause, "if you speak to Zayd." The consequence (divorce) is conceptually subsequent to the condition (speaking to Zayd). This necessitates that what is later in phrasing is earlier in meaning, and what is earlier in phrasing is later in meaning.

The implied meaning is as if he said: "At the time you speak to Zayd, if you enter the house, you are divorced." If this conditionality were established before he spoke to Zayd, the divorce would not occur.

Application to the Verse:

The statement, "If you have believed in Allah, then rely upon Him," implies that their being Muslims is the prerequisite for them being addressed with the command: "If you have believed..."

It is as if the Almighty is saying to the Muslim upon his acceptance of Islam: "If you are among those who believe in Allah, then rely upon Allah." This is indeed the case, because:

1. Islam signifies submission (Istislām), indicating compliance with the divine commands issued by God, showing humility, and abandoning rebellion.
2. Iman (Faith) signifies the heart's recognition that the Necessary Existent (Wājib al-Wujūd) is One, and everything else is created, subject to His management, power, control, and decree.

Once these two states are achieved, the servant delegates all his affairs entirely to Allah, and the light of reliance upon Allah (Tawakkul) fills the heart. This verse contains subtle secrets. Tawakkul upon Allah is the complete delegation of affairs to Him and dependence upon Him in all circumstances.

Know that whoever relies upon Allah in all important matters, Allah suffices him for all difficulties, based on His saying: {And whoever relies upon Allah – then He is sufficient for him} (At-Talaq: 3).

Issue 2: The Rank of Moses Compared to Noah

The reliance upon Allah commanded by Moses to his people is the same thing Allah recounted about Noah (peace be upon him), who said: {And I have relied upon Allah} (Yunus: 71).

Here, the difference in rank between the two Prophets becomes apparent:

• Noah (peace be upon him) described himself as relying upon Allah (a state of perfection).
• Moses (peace be upon him) commanded his people to do so (a state surpassing perfection).

Issue 3: The Emphasis of Confinement (Hasr)

Moses said: "Then upon Him rely" (fa-ʿalayhi tawakkalū), rather than simply "Rely upon Him" (tawakkalū ʿalayh).

The first phrasing implies confinement (Hasr), as if Moses commanded them to rely only upon Him and forbade reliance upon others. This is necessary because once it is established that everything other than Allah is His property, under His control, subject to His will, governance, and management, it becomes rationally impossible for a person to rely on anyone else. This is why the wording was chosen this way.

Subsequently, when they followed this command, Allah revealed that they accepted it: "And they said, 'Upon Allah we have relied,'" meaning, we rely upon Him and pay no attention to anyone besides Him.

Then, after they did this, they became occupied with supplication, asking Allah for two things:

First Request: {Our Lord, do not make us a trial (fitnah) for the wrongdoing people.} (Yunus: 85)

There are several interpretations for this:

1. Meaning 1: Do not let Pharaoh and his people gain dominance over us, because if You allowed them power over us, it would lead them to think that if we were truly on the Right Path, You would not have allowed this dominance. This would become a strong doubt causing them to persist in disbelief, making their dominance over us a fitnah (trial/misguidance) for them.
2. Meaning 2: If You allow them power over us, they will deserve severe punishment in the Hereafter, and this outcome will be a fitnah for them.
3. Meaning 3: Do not make us a mawḍiʿ fitnah (a place/source of trial) for them, meaning a place of punishment for them.
4. Meaning 4: The word fitnah here means the one afflicted (al-maftūn), as using the verbal noun for the passive participle is permissible (like al-khalq meaning al-makhlūq). The meaning is: "Do not let us be afflicted," meaning, do not allow them the power, through oppression and coercion, to force us to abandon this true religion we have accepted. This interpretation is strongly supported by the preceding verse where Allah states: {But none believed in Moses except a youth from his people, out of fear for Pharaoh and his chiefs, lest he should persecute them [yفتنهم]}.

Second Request: {And save us by Your Mercy from the disbelieving people.} (Yunus: 86)

Know that this sequence indicates that their concern for their religion surpassed their concern for their worldly affairs.

• If we interpret their statement, "Our Lord, do not make us a trial for the wrongdoing people," to mean that if the disbelievers gained power over the Muslims, it would create doubt in the disbelievers about the validity of this religion, then their supplication to protect the disbelievers from this doubt preceded their request for their own salvation. This demonstrates that their concern for the religious welfare of their enemies exceeded their concern for their own welfare.
• If we interpret it to mean that Allah should not allow the disbelievers to force them to abandon their religion, this also proves that their concern for the welfare of their faith surpassed their concern for the welfare of their bodies. In all interpretations, this is a noble subtlety.

[87] And We inspired to Moses and his brother, "Settle your people in Egypt in houses and make your houses places of worship (Qiblah), and establish the prayer. And give good tidings to the believers."