ﳎ ﳏ ﳐ ﳑ ﳒ ﳓ ﳔ ﳕ ﳖ ﳗ ﳘ ﳙ ﳚ ﳛ ﳜ ﳝ ﳞ ﳟ ﳠ ﳡ ﳢ ﳣ ﳤ ﳥ ﳦ ﳧ ﳨ
There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.
Tafsir
Verse range: 2:256
There are two points concerning this verse:
Issue 1: The Lām (preposition) in {الدِّينِ} (the religion)
There are two opinions regarding the lām here:
Issue 2: Interpretations of the Verse
There are several ways to interpret this verse:
Similar evidence includes: * {فَمَنْ شَاءَ فَلْيُؤْمِنْ وَمَنْ شَاءَ فَلْيَكْفُرْ} (So whoever wills - let him believe; and whoever wills - let him disbelieve) (Al-Kahf: 29). * {وَلَوْ شَاءَ رَبُّكَ لَآمَنَ مَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ كُلُّهُمْ جَمِيعًا أَفَأَنْتَ تُكْرِهُ النَّاسَ حَتَّى يَكُونُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ} (And if your Lord had willed, all who are on earth would have believed. So, are you [intending] to compel the people until they become believers?) (Ash-Shu‘arā’: 29-30). * {لَعَلَّكَ بَاخِعٌ نَفْسَكَ أَلَّا يَكُونُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ * إِنْ نَشَأْ نُنْزِلْ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ آيَةً فَظَلَّتْ أَعْنَاقُهُمْ لَهَا خَاضِعِينَ} (Perhaps you, [O Muhammad], will kill yourself with grief over their disbelief, if they do not believe in this message. If We willed, We could send down upon them from the sky a sign, and their necks would submit to it in humility) (Ash-Shu‘arā’: 3-4).
This interpretation is further confirmed by the subsequent verse: {قَدْ تَبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ} (The right course has become distinct from the wrong). This means the proofs have appeared and the clear signs have manifested; nothing remains except the path of force, compulsion, and coercion, which is invalid because it contradicts accountability (taklīf). This establishes the validity of this interpretation.
There are two issues concerning this:
Issue 1: Linguistic Meaning
The verb bāna, istabāna, and tabayyana mean to become clear and manifest. An example is the proverb: "The morning has become clear to the one with eyes." I hold that clarification (īḍāḥ) and making known (ta‘rīf) are called bayān because they establish separation and distinction between the intended object and what is not intended.
Linguistically, Rushd means attaining good. It has two forms: rushd and rushd. Rushād is also a verbal noun like rushd. Ghayy is the opposite of rushd. One says ghawiya yaghwī ghayyan wa ghawāyatan if one follows a path other than the path of rushd.
Issue 2: Theological Meaning
It means that truth has been distinguished from falsehood, faith from disbelief, and guidance from misguidance, through the abundance of arguments and indicative signs.
The Qadi [Al-Qadi ‘Abd al-Jabbār] stated that {قَدْ تَبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ} means it has become evident and clear through proofs, not that every accountable person has grasped it, as that is known to be untrue.
I say: We have previously established that the meaning of tabayyana is "to become separated and distinguished." Therefore, the intent is that separation has occurred between rushd and ghayy due to the strength of the proofs and the confirmation of the evidence. In this sense, the wording operates according to its apparent meaning.
Grammarians state that Tāghūt has the pattern fa‘lūt, like jabarūt. The tā’ is extra, and it is derived from taghā (to transgress), meaning taghwūt. However, the lām of the verb was transposed to the position of the ‘ayn, as is their custom in transposition (e.g., ṣā‘iqah and ṣa‘iqah). Then the wāw was changed to an alif because it occupied a position of vowelization and the preceding letter was open.
Al-Mubarrad said regarding Tāghūt: "The most correct view for me is that it is a plural." Abū ‘Alī al-Fārisī disagreed, stating: "This is not our view, because Tāghūt is a verbal noun (maṣdar) like raghbūt, rahbūt, and malakūt. Just as these nouns refer to singular entities, this noun is singular, not plural."
Evidence that it is a singular verbal noun is His saying: {أَوْلِيَاؤُهُمُ الطَّاغُوتُ} (Their allies are Tāghūt), where it is singular in a position requiring a plural, just as one says, "Their satisfaction is justice" (ruḍāhum ‘adl). They argue that this word applies to both the singular and the plural.
They also state that its origin is masculine. The feminine form {أَنْ يَعْبُدُوهَا} (that they worship it/them) in {وَالَّذِينَ اجْتَنَبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ أَنْ يَعْبُدُوهَا} (And those who avoid Tāghūt lest they worship it) (Az-Zumar: 17) is feminine because it refers to the deities (ālihah).
Once this is established, the commentators mention five opinions:
The soundest view is that since transgression occurs through association with these things, these things are made the causes (asbāb) of transgression, just as in His saying: {رَبِّ إِنَّهُنَّ أَضْلَلْنَ كَثِيرًا مِنَ النَّاسِ} (My Lord, indeed they have misguided many people) (Ibrāhīm: 36).
This indicates that the disbeliever must first repent from disbelief and then believe afterward.
It is said: istamsaka bi-shay’in if one holds fast to something. ‘Urwah is the plural of ‘arwah, like the handle of a bucket or jug. It is so named because the ‘urwah is the thing one holds onto. Al-wuthqā is the feminine form of al-awthaq (most trustworthy).
This is a case of using a tangible concept to represent an abstract one (isti‘ārat al-maḥsūs li-l-ma‘qūl). Just as one who wishes to hold something tangible grasps its handle, so too here, whoever wishes to grasp this religion must hold onto the proofs that indicate it. Since the proofs of Islam are the strongest and clearest proofs, it is fitting that they are described as the most trustworthy handhold.
There are two issues concerning this:
Issue 1: Linguistic Meaning
Fasm is breaking something without completely separating it. Infisām is the passive form of fasm (I broke it, and it broke apart). The intent of this wording is emphasis (mubālaghah), because if it has no infisām (breaking apart), then it certainly has no inqiṭā‘ (severing).
Issue 2: Grammatical Structure
Grammarians state that the verse is connected to al-‘urwah al-wuthqā (the most trustworthy handhold). Arabs often omit the relative pronouns (allatī, alladhī, man) and use the following clause as the predicate.
Salāmah ibn Jandul said:
And the running ones [horses] are names for blood, As if their necks were markers for welcome.
He means the running ones (al-‘ādiyāt) that God mentioned, implying: "And none of us [angels] is there except that he has a known station" (Aṣ-Ṣāffāt: 164), meaning one who has a known station.
There are two opinions:
(God is the protector of those who believe. He brings them out from darknesses into the light. But those who disbelieve, their protectors are Tāghūt; they take them out from the light into darknesses. Those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally.)
