Tafsir of Al-Baqarah 2:143

Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow): Verse 143

{And thus We have made you an Ummah (community) justly balanced (Wasat), that you may be witnesses over mankind and the Messenger (Muhammad) may be a witness over you.}

Issue 1: The Meaning of the Particle Kāf in {وكذلك} (And thus)

The Kāf (ك) here is one of similitude. What is it being compared to? There are several interpretations:

1. Comparison to Guidance: It refers to the meaning of guidance (mentioned previously). Just as Allah favored them with guidance, He favored them by making them a Wasat Ummah.
2. Comparison to the Qiblah (as per Abu Muslim): Just as He guided them to the most central/balanced Qiblah, He made them a central Ummah.
3. Comparison to Abraham's Selection: It refers back to the statement regarding Abraham (peace be upon him): {And We had chosen him in this world} (Al-Baqarah: 130). Just as Abraham was chosen in this world, so too were they made a central Ummah.
4. Comparison to Divine Favor (My View): Since all directions (East and West) belong to Allah, and He graciously designated one as the Qiblah, similarly, all people share in servitude, but He graciously singled out this Ummah for greater favor and worship, not out of obligation.
5. Implied Reference: The implied subject is well-known, even if not explicitly mentioned, like in {Indeed, We sent it down on the Night of Decree} (Al-Qadr: 1). It is universally known that Allah has the power to honor whom He wills and humiliate whom He wills. Thus, {And thus We have made you} means: By such a wondrous making, which no one else can achieve, We made you a central Ummah.

Issue 2: The Meaning of Wasat (Central/Balanced)

The word Wasat is used as a noun here (with the accusative case ending). The term Wasat has been interpreted in several ways:

1. Justice/Fairness (‘Adl):
   • Evidence from Scripture: Allah says regarding the people of the well: {Said the most just/moderate among them} (Al-Qalam: 28), meaning the most just.
   • Evidence from Hadith: Al-Qaffal narrated from Al-Thawri, from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, that the Prophet (PBUH) said regarding {an Ummah Wasat}: "He meant just." The Prophet (PBUH) also said: "The best of matters are the most central/moderate (i.e., the most just)." It is also said that the Prophet (PBUH) was the most central of Quraysh in lineage. He also said: "Adhere to the central path."
   • Evidence from Poetry: Zuhayr said:

     They are central, whose judgment the people accept, When one of the grave nights descends.

   • Evidence from Language (Lexicon): Al-Jawhari in Al-Sihah stated: {And thus We have made you an Ummah Wasat} means just. This was the view of Al-Akhfash, Al-Khalil, and Qutrub.
   • Evidence from Meaning:
     • Centrality: Wasat fundamentally means being far from the two extremes. Since the extremes of excess (Ifrat) and deficiency (Tafrit) are blameworthy, the one moderate in character is far from both extremes, hence virtuous.
     • Impartiality: Justice is called Wasat because it does not lean toward either litigant. The just person is moderate, not inclining to either side.
     • Praise: Since Allah mentions this description as the reason for making them witnesses, it must be praise. Allah would not praise them as witnesses unless they were just (‘udūl).
     • Physical Center: The center of a thing is its most balanced part, where the ruling is equal across all its sides. The extremities are prone to defect and corruption, while the center is protected. Thus, Wasat becomes an expression for the moderate that does not lean to one side.

2. The Best/Choice (Khiyārah): This interpretation is considered superior by some for two reasons:
   • The term Wasat is used for inanimate objects. The author of Al-Kashshāf mentioned that when he hired a camel, the Bedouin said: "Give me from its sattah," meaning the best of the dinars. The description of justice is not applicable to inanimate objects, making this interpretation preferable.
   • It aligns with Allah’s statement: {You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind} (Al 'Imran: 110).

3. Centrality in Lineage/Status: If a man says, "So-and-so is the awsaṭ (most central) of us in lineage," it means he is the most excellent among them, like the central bead of a necklace. The root idea is that followers surround the leader, placing him in their center.

4. Moderation in Religion: They are intermediate between those who exaggerate and those who fall short, between those who are extreme and those who are negligent. They did not exaggerate like the Christians who made Jesus a son and a god, nor did they fall short like the Jews who killed prophets and altered scriptures.

Conclusion on Meanings: These interpretations are close and not mutually exclusive.

Issue 3: Proof for Divine Creation of Human Actions

The Ash'arites use this verse to prove that human actions are created by Allah. They argue that the justice and excellence of this Ummah are by Allah's making (J'al), which explicitly points to creation.

• Mu'tazilite Response: They argue that this J'al refers to Allah performing the alṭāf (subtle favors/enabling acts) that He knew would lead this Ummah to choose correctness in speech and action.
• Ash'arite Rebuttals:
  1. This interpretation abandons the apparent meaning (ẓāhir), which is only permissible when clear rational proofs necessitate it. We have already established the clear rational proofs support our view. The Mu'tazilites rely only on the concepts of praise, blame, reward, and punishment, which we have repeatedly shown are inconsistent with their principles regarding Divine Knowledge and the concept of the Caller (Dā'ī).
  2. The preceding verse states: {whomsoever Allah wills, He guides to a straight path} (Al-Baqarah: 142), which proves Allah specializes guidance. This verse must be interpreted consistently with that one.
  3. If Allah performed all possible alṭāf for everyone, then specifying this for the believers would be pointless.
  4. Allah mentions this as a favor (Imtinān) to the Ummah. Obligatory acts cannot be mentioned as favors.

*Issue 4: Proof for the Authority of the Ummah's Consensus (Ijmā‘)*

The majority of Ash'arites and Mu'tazilites use this verse to argue that the consensus of the Ummah is authoritative evidence (ḥujjah). They argue that since Allah informed us of their justice and excellence, if they agreed upon anything forbidden, they would not be described as excellent. Therefore, their consensus must be authoritative.

• Objections to the Consensus Argument:
  1. Apparent Meaning Abandoned: If the description of justice applies to every individual, and the contrary is known by necessity (i.e., some individuals commit sins), then the verse must be interpreted non-literally. If we must interpret it non-literally, why not restrict it to the infallible Imams?
  2. Justice vs. Divine Making: If Wasat means justice, then the justice (‘adālah) is the act of the servant. But the verse states Allah made them Wasat. If being Wasat is the same as being just, this implies one act (justice) is created by two agents (Allah and the servant), which is impossible.
  3. Definition of Wasat: If Wasat means the best/choice, this implies a shared quality. Why should avoiding major sins suffice for excellence? It is possible they agreed upon something wrong that was a minor sin, which does not negate their excellence. Furthermore, Allah made them witnesses, and committing minor sins does not disqualify a witness.
  4. Timing of Justice: If they are just, this justice is required for their role as witnesses over people. This witnessing is only fully realized in the Hereafter. Justice for a witness is only considered at the time of testimony (performance), not at the time of bearing witness (reception). Thus, this verse only necessitates their justice in the Hereafter, not necessarily in this world.
  5. Scope of the Address: The address is to those present at revelation. If so, the verse only proves the consensus of those individuals is authoritative, not the consensus of later generations. Proving the consensus of the first generation is practically impossible, thus invalidating reliance on consensus.

• Rebuttal to Objections:
  1. On Abandoning the Apparent Meaning: We do not abandon it. {And thus We have made you an Ummah Wasat} implies that whenever they gather, Allah makes each one of them just in that matter. Even if they disagree, they might commit impropriety. We say this address is for them when they are gathered, as {We made you} addresses the collective, not each individual separately. Even if we grant it implies individual justice, if the ruling is set aside for some due to proof, it remains valid for the rest. This is what scholars mean: it is not required that all of them possess this quality, but that some among them must possess it. If we cannot identify the specific individuals, their collective agreement on a matter makes it authoritative, as the valid opinion must be present within that group. (Analogy: If the Prophet said one of a man's sons must be right in opinion, and we find all his sons agree on a view, we accept it, assuming the right one is included.)
  2. On Justice Implied by Excellence: We stated that Allah's report is true, and the report of excellence implies the absence of non-excellence (i.e., sin). Committing a minor sin is not excellence. (Counter-argument: Being excellent in some matters does not mean being excellent in all matters. Thus, this does not preclude minor sins.)
  3. On Timing: The address {And thus We made you...} is for the entire Ummah, from the first to the last, just as commands like fasting and qiṣāṣ apply to all subsequent generations. If this applies to all generations, why should we restrict the proof of justice to the first generation? Because if we waited for the consensus of the entire Ummah from beginning to end, the proof would cease to be relevant after the last one died. Therefore, it must refer to the people of each era. The term Ummah (singular) can refer to the people of a single era, as it means a group heading in one direction.

Issue 5: The Timing of the Witnessing

Did the witnessing mentioned in {that you may be witnesses over mankind} occur in the Hereafter or in this world?

• View 1: In the Hereafter:
  • Primary Opinion: This Ummah will testify against other nations that they rejected their prophets. Nations will deny the prophets' delivery of the message. Allah will ask the prophets for proof, and the Ummah of Muhammad (PBUH) will testify based on the Book and the Prophet. Then Muhammad (PBUH) will be asked about his Ummah, and he will vouch for their justice. This aligns with {And how will it be when We bring forth from every nation a witness and bring you against them as a witness?} (An-Nisā’: 41).
  • Critique by the Judge (Al-Qāḍī):
    1. This relies on the premise that people will deny their prophets on the Day of Judgment, which the Judge rejects.
    2. The testimony of the Ummah and the Messenger is ultimately based on Allah’s testimony of the prophets' truthfulness. Why doesn't Allah testify directly? Response: The wisdom is to distinguish the Ummah of Muhammad (PBUH) by having them be the first to affirm Allah and all prophets, acting as the just party against the unrighteous nations.
    3. Such reports are not called "testimony." Response: This is weak, as the Prophet (PBUH) said: "When you know something like the sun, then testify." What Allah informs us of is known like the sun.

• View 2: Witnessing in This World:
  • Interpretation: They testify against people regarding their deeds that contradict the truth. Ibn Zayd listed four types of witnesses:
    1. Angels recording deeds ({a driver and a witness} - Qāf: 21).
    2. Prophets testifying (e.g., Jesus: {And I was a witness over them as long as I was among them...} - Al-Mā’idah: 117).
    3. The Ummah of Muhammad (PBUH) testifying ({and the witnesses will stand up} - Ghāfir: 51).
    4. The limbs/organs testifying ({On the Day when their tongues... will testify against them} - An-Nūr: 24).
  • Argument for Worldly Performance: Witnessing (Shahāda) is fundamentally seeing (Rū’yah). Knowledge gained is sometimes called witnessing. The one who explains a matter acts as evidence, hence called a witness. Since Allah described this Ummah as witnesses, this must occur either in this world or the next. It cannot be only in the next, because Allah made them just (‘udūl) in this world so that they may be witnesses. Since {And thus We made you an Ummah Wasat} is a past tense statement (reporting a completed act in this world), their witnessing must also be established in this world. The justice required for testimony is performance (Adā’), not just reception (Taḥammul). Therefore, the verse implies they perform the testimony in this world, meaning their consensus is authoritative evidence.

• Reconciliation: The evidence for worldly performance does not negate the two previous views. They are witnesses in this world (via consensus) and also witnesses in the Hereafter as reported in the narrations. Their worldly consensus clarifies the truth, and their testimony in the Hereafter is based on what they established in this life.

Issue 6: Exclusion of Sinners from Consensus

The verse proves that those whose disbelief or corruption is manifest (like the Mushabbihah, Khawārij, and Rāwafiḍ) are not counted in the consensus, as Allah only made those described by justice and excellence the witnesses. This applies regardless of whether the disbelief stems from explicit denial or interpretive error.

Issue 7: Why "Witnesses Over People" and Not "For People"?

Their testimony implies imposing obligation, either by word or deed, which is against others, not for them, in the present context.

Issue 8: Order of the Objects of Witnessing

Why is the object of witnessing (‘alā an-nās) mentioned first, and the Messenger’s witnessing (‘alaykum) mentioned last? The purpose of the first part is to establish their testimony over nations; the second part emphasizes the Messenger being a witness over them.

Surah Al-Baqarah: Verse 144

{We see the turning of your face toward the heaven, so We will surely turn you to a Qiblah you will approve. So turn your face toward the Sacred Mosque. And wherever you [believers] are, turn your faces toward it. And indeed, those who were given the Scripture well know that it is the truth from their Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what they do.}

Meaning of Terms:

• {And We have not made...}: Means "We have not legislated" or "We have not decreed," similar to {Allah has not made...} (Al-Mā’idah: 103).
• {the Qiblah you were upon}: Means the direction you were convinced of facing, like saying, "So-and-so owed such-and-such to so-and-so." This phrase is not a description of the Qiblah itself, but the second object of the verb Ja'ala (made/appointed).

Interpretation of the Context:

1. Explanation of the Wisdom (Most Likely): The Prophet (PBUH) prayed toward the Ka'bah in Mecca, then toward Jerusalem (Bayt al-Maqdis) after the Hijra to reconcile the Jews, and then was commanded to return to the Ka'bah. {And We have not made the Qiblah you were upon} (Jerusalem) {except to test people} and try them.
2. Alternative Interpretation: The phrase {the Qiblah you were upon} refers to Jerusalem. It means: Your original command was the Ka'bah, and your facing Jerusalem was a temporary measure for a specific purpose. We only made the Qiblah you were facing (Jerusalem) temporarily, so that We might test people and see who follows the Messenger and who turns back.
3. Third View (Abu Muslim): Without relying on narrations, the verse could mean: {And We have not made the Qiblah that you have always been upon} (i.e., the Ka'bah) except for this purpose. The word kāna can mean "to become" (as in {You were the best nation}) or "to perpetually be" (as in {And Allah was ever All-Mighty, Wise} - An-Nisā’: 158). Thus, it could mean: We did not make the Qiblah you were perpetually upon (the Ka'bah) except for this reason (the test).

Issue 1: The Purpose Clause (Lām)

The Lām in {except that We may know} is the Lām al-Gharad (the Lām of purpose). Whether purpose can be attributed to Allah is a matter already discussed.

Issue 2: The Apparent Contradiction of Divine Knowledge

The structure {We did not make X except that We may know Y} suggests that the knowledge of Y was not present before the action X occurred, implying Allah did not know these outcomes beforehand. This is similar to verses like {and We will surely test you until We know those who strive among you and are patient} (Muhammad: 31).

• Rebuttals:
  1. Knowledge of Our Agents: It means "so that Our party—the prophets and believers—may know," similar to a king saying, "We conquered the city," meaning, "Our allies conquered it."
  2. Making the Non-Existent Exist: It means "so that the non-existent becomes existent." {that We may know} means "so that We may know it as existent." (A debate exists on whether knowledge of a future event is the same as knowledge of it when it occurs.)
  3. Distinction/Manifestation: It means "so that We may distinguish these from those by revealing what is in their hearts (sincerity vs. hypocrisy)." Distinction is sometimes called knowledge because it is one of knowledge's fruits.
  4. Metaphor for Seeing: It means "so that We may see." Arabs often use knowledge as a metaphor for sight, and vice versa (e.g., {Have you not seen...}).
  5. Knowledge of the Addressees (Al-Farrā’): The occurrence of knowledge refers to the addressees. Example: If a knowledgeable person and an ignorant person disagree on a fact, one might say, "We will gather them to know who is right," meaning, "to know which one is the ignorant one." Similarly, {that We may know} means "that you may know." This style is used for gentle address and softening the discourse.
  6. Treating them as if Unknown: We deal with them as an examiner deals with a student, as if he does not know, because justice requires this treatment.
  7. Knowledge as Superfluous Clause: {that We may know...} means "so that the following of the followers and the turning back of the turners-back may occur." It is like saying, "Allah did not know this from me," meaning, "It would not have happened if Allah knew it."

Issue 3: The Test: Change of Qiblah or Appointment of the First Qiblah?

• View 1 (The Change): The test occurred due to the change from Jerusalem back to the Ka'bah. This was difficult for the Arabs (leaving their tradition) and difficult for the Jews (leaving their tradition).
• View 2 (The Majority/Stronger View): The test occurred due to the abrogation (change from Jerusalem to Ka'bah). Those who doubted said: If Muhammad (PBUH) were certain of his command, his direction would not change. Some Muslims who died facing Jerusalem worried about their fate. Hypocrites claimed confusion. The polytheists claimed he was lost in his religion. This view is stronger because the doubt surrounding abrogation is greater than the doubt surrounding the initial appointment of a direction. Allah described the matter as a {great thing} (heavy/difficult), which fits the issue of abrogation better.

Issue 4: Meaning of {turning back on one's heels} (yanqalibu ‘alā ‘aqibayhi)

This is a metaphor for disbelief in Allah and His Messenger. The one turning back abandons what is in front of him. When they abandon faith and evidence, they are likened to someone turning their back on what lies ahead.

Issue 1: The Meaning of In (If)

The light, quiescent In (إن) has four meanings: conditional, a relaxed form of the heavy Inna, denial, or superfluous.

• Conditional: Links two clauses (if you come, I will honor you).
• Relaxed Inna (Emphasis): Confirms the meaning, like {Indeed, every soul has over it a guardian} (At-Ṭāriq: 4). The Lām is required as compensation for the omitted heavy Inna.
• Denial: Equivalent to Mā (not), as in {The judgment is not but for Allah} (Al-An'ām: 57).
• Superfluous: Used after Mā (e.g., Mā in ra’aytu Zaydan).

In {And indeed, it was a great thing, except for those whom Allah guided} (143), the In is the relaxed emphatic form, requiring the Lām.

Issue 2: The Referent of the Pronoun in {kānat} (It was)

1. The Qiblah: It refers back to the Qiblah mentioned previously.
2. The Turning Away (Tawliyah): It refers to the act of turning away from the previous Qiblah (Jerusalem), as the context implies the change. The feminine form is used because the preceding context implies the act of turning away (as in {And do not eat of that over which the name of Allah has not been mentioned, and indeed, it is defiance [of Allah’s command]}).
3. This Action/Matter: It refers to the entire affair/act mentioned. This connects to Issue 3 above: if the test was the change (abrogation), then the difficulty lies in the abrogation itself, which is a heavy matter, especially concerning the issue of abrogation and the resulting doubts.

Issue 3: Meaning of Kabīrah (Great/Heavy)

It means weighty, difficult, and reprehensible, like {Grave is the word that comes out of their mouths} (Al-Kahf: 5).

• If the test was the appointment of the Qiblah, it was heavy because it required abandoning habit, custom, and the way of ancestors.
• If the test was the abrogation (change), it was heavy because one cannot know this is true until they grasp the concept of abrogation and resolve the attendant questions—a difficult matter unless guided by Allah to see that changing a direction is no more strange than changing states (health/sickness, wealth/poverty).

Issue 4: Meaning of {except for those whom Allah guided}

Ash'arites use this to argue for Divine Creation of actions:

• Guidance here cannot mean invitation (Da'wah) or setting forth evidence, because these are general to everyone. If they were general, the difficulty should not be lifted from anyone. Since the difficulty was lifted only from those guided, guidance must mean the creation of knowledge/cognition within them—which is the Ash'ari position.
• Mu'tazilite Response:
  1. Allah mentioned them this way as praise, singling them out.
  2. It means those who benefited from Allah's guidance.
  3. It means those who truly benefited, while others are disregarded.
• Rebuttal: Abandoning the apparent meaning is contrary to the principle.

Issue 1: The Context and Reason for Revelation

Some Muslims died facing the first Qiblah (Jerusalem), such as Abu Umamah, Sa'd ibn Zurārah, and Al-Barā’ ibn ‘Āzib. Their relatives asked the Messenger (PBUH) about their status. This verse was revealed in response.

• The Problem: Those who believed abrogation required Badā’ (a change in Allah's decree) felt that when the ruling changed, the previous ruling must have been invalid or corrupt. Thus, they feared the prayers performed toward Jerusalem were lost.
• The Answer: Allah clarified that abrogation transfers from one benefit to another, and from one obligation to another. Both are valid acts of adherence to the religion, and the reward for the one performing them is not lost. (Similar to the question about those who drank wine before its prohibition was fully established.)

• Why would Companions doubt?
  1. The doubt originated from a hypocrite, and Allah mentioned it so Muslims could answer him.
  2. Perhaps they thought facing the Ka'bah was superior, and they wished their deceased brethren had lived to perform it.
  3. Allah mentioned this to preemptively address the question should it cross their minds.

• Alternative View (Ibn Zayd): If Allah knew that moving to the Ka'bah was better, allowing them to continue facing Jerusalem would have been a loss of their prayers because they would have been devoid of the intended benefit.
• Third View (Al-Hasan): After mentioning the hardship they endured, Allah followed it by mentioning the reward they would receive, assuring them their deeds would not be lost.
• Fourth View: Allah enabled them to accept this new command so that their faith would not be lost. If they had rejected it, they would have disbelieved, and their faith would have been lost.

Issue 2: The Addressee of the Verse

1. The Believers: This is the view of Al-Qaffal, who provided four points:
   • It addresses the living believers who asked about themselves.
   • It addresses the living who asked about the dead: If Allah does not lose the past faith of the living, He certainly won't lose the faith of those who died before the abrogation.
   • The living might have assumed the new prayer at the Ka'bah was expiation for the past. They asked about the dead who could not perform expiation. Thus, {your faith} refers to the faith of your community (living and dead).
   4. The question concerned both the living and the dead, as Arabs often use the plural address when speaking about a present group and an absent group.

2. The People of the Book (Abu Muslim): This was his view to avoid the implication that abrogation occurred in our Shari'ah. He suggests the faith mentioned refers to their obedience before the Prophet's mission.

Issue 3: Meaning of Īmān (Faith)

The Mu'tazilites argue that Īmān here means performing acts of obedience, specifically the prayer, because Allah would not lose the prayer.

• Rebuttal: Īmān means affirmation and acknowledgment. Allah is saying He will not lose the acknowledgment that the previous prayer was obligatory. Even if Īmān means prayer, prayer is the noblest fruit of faith, so the name can be metaphorically applied to it.

Issue 4: Meaning of "Not Lose"

It means Allah will not lose the reward for their faith, as the act itself (the prayer facing Jerusalem) has passed and ceased to exist. The entitlement to reward remains, so it can be preserved or lost.

Issue 1: Difference between Ra’fah (Kindness/Compassion) and Raḥmah (Mercy)

Al-Qaffal stated that Ra’fah is an intensification of a specific mercy, involving the removal of harm or aversion (e.g., {and do not let pity for them take you in the religion of Allah} - An-Nūr: 2). Raḥmah is a comprehensive term including favor and bounty (e.g., rain is called mercy). Allah mentioned Ra’fah first (not losing their deeds/easing their hardship), then Raḥmah to be more general, encompassing both removing harm and bringing benefit.

Issue 2: Connection to the Preceding Text

1. Since Allah stated He would not lose their faith, He follows up by saying: How could such a Being lose their deeds?
2. Because He is Kind and Merciful, He moves them from one legislation to another that is more beneficial for them in this world and the next.
3. Since He stated the difficulty was only lifted from those He guided, it implies: He guided them because He is Kind and Merciful.

Issue 3: Recitation Variants

There are variants in the pronunciation of Ra’ūf (Kind), some pronouncing the hamza clearly and others softening it.

Issue 4: Proof Against Divine Creation of Evil

The Mu'tazilites use this verse to argue that Allah does not create disbelief or corruption. Since Allah is Kind and Merciful to people, and disbelievers are people, He must be kind to them. This kindness necessitates that He does not create the disbelief that leads them to eternal punishment, nor does He burden them beyond their capacity. (This argument has been addressed previously.)