Al-Baqarah: (136) Say, "We believe in Allah..."

Know that when the Almighty first responded with a dialectical argument, He subsequently presented a demonstrative proof in this verse. This proof is that the path to knowing the prophethood of the Prophets (peace be upon them) is the appearance of miracles through them. Since the miracle appeared at the hand of Muhammad (PBUH), acknowledging his prophethood and believing in his message is obligatory. For singling out some for acceptance and others for rejection necessitates a contradiction in the evidence, which is rationally impossible. This is what is meant by His saying: {Say, "We believe in Allah and what has been revealed to us"} until the end of the verse. This is the primary purpose of mentioning this verse.

If it is asked: How is it permissible to believe in Abraham, Moses, and Jesus while asserting that their laws are abrogated? We reply: We believe that each of those laws was true in its own time, so no contradiction is incumbent upon us. However, the Jews and Christians, by acknowledging the prophethood of some upon whom miracles appeared, yet denying the prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH) while the miracle was manifest through him, are then necessarily contradicting themselves. Thus, the difference is clear.

Then, we discuss several issues concerning the verse:

Issue 1: The Addressees of the Command

When Allah recounted their saying: {Be Jews or Christians} (Al-Baqarah: 135), He responded to the Messenger (PBUH) by saying: {Say, "Rather, [we follow] the religion of Abraham"} (Al-Baqarah: 135). Then He commanded His Ummah: {Say, "We believe in Allah"}.

• View of Al-Hasan (Al-Basri): He held that the command is directed only to the Prophet (PBUH).
• View of Al-Qadi (Al-Baqillani): His view is that {Say, "We believe in Allah"} encompasses all accountable persons, meaning the Prophet (PBUH) and his Ummah.

The evidence for the latter view is twofold:

1. The command {Say} is a general address, thus encompassing everyone.
2. The phrase {and what has been revealed to us} is only fitting for the Prophet (PBUH), so at the very least, he must be included.

Al-Hasan based his view on two points:

1. The Prophet (PBUH) was previously commanded by the saying: {Say, "Rather, [we follow] the religion of Abraham"}.
2. The Prophet (PBUH) is at the pinnacle of honor, and it is apparent that he should be singled out for the address.

The Reply: Although these contextual clues are possible, they do not possess the strength required to restrict the generality of the statement {Say, "We believe in Allah"}.

The reason {Say, "We believe in Allah"} was mentioned first is that belief in Allah is the foundation of belief in the divine laws. Whoever does not know Allah, it is impossible for him to know a prophet or a book. This indicates the falsehood of the doctrine of the Ta'limiyyah (those who claim knowledge must be taught) and the Muqallidah (those who follow blindly), who assert that the path to knowing Allah is solely through the Book and the Sunnah.

Issue 2: The Meaning of "The Descendants" (Al-Asbāṭ)

Regarding {and the Descendants}:

• Al-Khalil (Ibn Hazm): As-Sibt among the Children of Israel is like Al-Qabīlah (tribe) among the Arabs.
• The Author of Al-Kashshāf (Al-Zamakhshari): As-Sibt means the grandchildren (Al-Hāfid). Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn were the Sibṭayn (two descendants/grandsons) of the Prophet (PBUH). Al-Asbāṭ refers to the grandchildren, specifically the grandchildren of Jacob (peace be upon him) and the progeny of his twelve sons.

Issue 3: The Meaning of "We make no distinction between any one of them"

There are two interpretations for {We make no distinction between any one of them}:

1. Interpretation 1: We do not believe in some and disbelieve in others. If we did so, contradiction would be necessitated by the evidence, which is impermissible.
2. Interpretation 2: We do not distinguish between any one of them, meaning we do not claim that they were disparate in the fundamentals of religion. Rather, they were united upon the fundamentals, which is Islam, as Allah the Almighty says: {He has ordained for you of religion what He enjoined upon Noah and what We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what We enjoined upon Abraham and Moses and Jesus: Establish the religion and do not divide therein} (Al-Baqarah: 11).

The first interpretation is more fitting for the context of the verse.

Issue 4: The Meaning of "And we are Muslims to Him"

The meaning is that our submission (Islam) is for the sake of obedience to Allah, not for the sake of mere desire (Hawā). If this is the case, it necessitates that whenever a miracle appears, belief in it becomes obligatory. However, singling out some bearers of miracles for acceptance and others for rejection indicates that the intention behind that belief is not obedience to Allah and submission to Him, but rather following desire and inclination.

{ 137 } If they believe in the like of what you believe in, then they are guided. But if they turn away, then they are only in opposition. So, Allah will suffice you against them, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.