ﲇ ﲈ ﲉ ﲊ ﲋ ﲌ ﲍ ﲎ ﲏ ﲐ ﲑ ﲒ ﲓ ﲔ ﲕ ﲖ ﲗ ﲘ ﲙ ﲚ ﲛ ﲜ ﲝ ﲞ ﲟ ﲠ ﲡ ﲢ ﲣ ﲤ
The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." And they say, "We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination."
Tafsir
Verse range: 2:285
There are several perspectives on the structural coherence of this verse:
First View: Since Allah (Exalted is He) previously established His perfect Sovereignty, perfect Knowledge, and perfect Power—which necessitate the perfection of His Lordly attributes—He followed this by demonstrating the utmost submission, obedience, and humility of the believers, which represents the perfection of servitude ('ubūdiyyah). When the perfection of Lordship and the perfection of servitude are made clear, it is hoped that, by His vast grace and benevolence, He will manifest the perfection of care, mercy, and kindness toward us on the Day of Resurrection. May Allah realize this hope.
Second View: When Allah said, {And whether you disclose what is within yourselves or conceal it, Allah will bring you to account for it} (Al-Baqarah: 284), He clarified that nothing of our hidden or manifest, internal or external secrets is hidden from Him. Immediately following this, Allah mentioned what serves as praise and commendation for us, saying: {The Messenger believes in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so do] the believers...}. It is as if He is saying, out of His grace: "My servant, although I know all your states, I only reveal and mention what is praiseworthy of you, so that you may know that just as I am perfect in Sovereignty, Knowledge, and Power, I am also perfect in generosity, mercy, in manifesting good deeds, and in concealing sins."
Third View: The Surah began by praising the pious who believe in the Unseen, establish prayer, and spend from what they have been provided. At the end of the Surah, it is clarified that those praised at the beginning are the Ummah of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), as He says: {The Messenger believes in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so do] the believers—all believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His Messengers. [They say], "We make no distinction between any one of His Messengers"} (Al-Baqarah: 285). This is what was meant by the statement at the beginning of the Surah: {Those who believe in the Unseen} (Al-Baqarah: 3).
Then, here He says: {And they say, "We hear and obey"}—this corresponds to what was said at the beginning: {and establish prayer and spend from what We have provided for them} (Al-Baqarah: 3).
Then He says here: {Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination}—this corresponds to what was said at the beginning: {and they are certain of the Hereafter} (Al-Baqarah: 4). Then, He recounts their manner of supplication to their Lord here, saying: {Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we forget or err} (Al-Baqarah: 286) until the end of the Surah. This corresponds to what was said at the beginning: {Those are upon a guidance from their Lord, and it is those who are the successful} (Al-Baqarah: 5). Observe the harmony between the beginning and the end of the Surah.
Fourth View: When the Angel comes to the Messenger from Allah and tells him, "Allah has sent you as a Messenger to mankind," the Messenger cannot know the truthfulness of that Angel except through a miracle that Allah manifests to confirm the Angel's claim. Without that miracle, the Messenger might suspect the informant to be a misleading devil. Similarly, when the Angel hears the word of Allah, he requires a miracle to confirm that what he heard is truly the word of Allah and nothing else. These stages are considered:
Therefore, since the Messenger knew he was a Messenger from Allah, the community could know it too. When Allah mentioned the types of laws and rulings in this Surah, He said: {The Messenger believes in what...}, clarifying that the Messenger knew that this was revelation from Allah, conveyed to him, and that the one who informed him was an Angel sent from Allah, infallible from distortion, and not a misleading devil. Then, He mentioned the belief of the Prophet (PBUH) in that (the preceding stage), and immediately after, He mentioned the belief of the believers in that (the subsequent stage), saying: {and [so do] the believers—all believe in Allah...}. Whoever contemplates the subtleties of the arrangement of this Surah and the wonders of its ordering will know that the Qur'an, while miraculous in the eloquence of its words and the nobility of its meanings, is also miraculous in the arrangement and structure of its verses. Perhaps those who said it is miraculous in its style meant this, but I have observed that the majority of commentators neglect these subtleties and are not attentive to these matters. The situation in this regard is not as the poet said:
*The eye perceives the star as small,* *The fault lies with the gaze, not the star's smallness.*
We ask Allah (Exalted is He) to benefit us with what He has taught us, and to teach us what benefits us, by His grace and mercy.
The meaning is that the Messenger knew, through overwhelming proofs and clear miracles, that this Qur'an and all its laws and rulings were revealed from Allah (Exalted is He), and not from the whispers of devils, nor a type of magic, soothsaying, or sleight of hand. The Messenger knew this because of the overwhelming miracles manifested through the hands of Gabriel (peace be upon him).
As for {and [so do] the believers}, there are two possibilities:
First Possibility: The statement concludes at {and [so do] the believers}. The meaning is: The Messenger and the believers all believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord. Then, a new statement begins: {All believe in Allah...}, meaning every one of those mentioned previously—the Messenger and the believers—believes in Allah.
Second Possibility: The statement concludes at {in what was revealed to him from his Lord}. The meaning is: The Messenger believed in everything revealed to him from his Lord. As for the believers, they believed in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His Messengers.
The first view suggests that the Prophet (PBUH) was not previously a believer in his Lord and then became one. This lack of belief could be contingent upon the time of seeking proof. The second view suggests that what occurred was his belief specifically in the revealed laws, as stated: {You did not know what the Book was, nor [what] faith [was]} (Ash-Shura: 52). However, his general belief in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His Messengers was present from the moment Allah created him. How can this be deemed unlikely when Jesus (peace be upon him), upon emerging from his mother's womb, said, "Indeed, I am a servant of Allah. He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet"? If it is not unlikely for Jesus to be a Messenger from Allah while an infant, how can it be unlikely that Muhammad (PBUH) knew his Lord from the moment he was created with a complete intellect?
This verse indicates that the Messenger believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and the believers believed in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His Messengers. The Messenger was singled out because what was revealed to him from his Lord might be recited text that others can hear and recognize, allowing them to believe in it. Or, it might be a private revelation known only to him, making his belief in it unique, as others cannot attain belief in that specific revelation. For this reason, the Messenger is distinguished in the matter of belief in something unattainable by others.
Then Allah (Exalted is He) said: {and [so do] the believers—all believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His Messengers}. Regarding this, there are further issues:
This verse indicates that knowledge of these four ranks is essential for faith (īmān):
First Rank: Belief in Allah (Exalted and Glorified is He). This is because unless the existence of a Creator—capable of all possibilities, knowing all things knowable, and independent of all needs—is established, the truthfulness of the Prophets (peace be upon them) cannot be known. Thus, knowledge of Allah is the foundation, which is why Allah mentioned it first.
Second Rank: Belief in Angels. Allah reveals to the Prophets (peace be upon them) through the mediation of angels, as He says: {He sends down the angels with the Spirit of His command upon whom He wills of His servants} (An-Nahl: 2), and {It is not for a human [prophet] that Allah should speak to him except by revelation or from behind a veil or that He sends a messenger to reveal, by His permission, what He wills} (Ash-Shura: 51). He also said regarding the Qur'an: {He sent it down upon your heart} (Al-Baqarah: 97), and {The Trustworthy Spirit brought it down * Upon your heart} (Ash-Shu'ara: 193-194), and {Taught by the one of severe strength} (An-Najm: 5). Since it is established that Allah's revelation reaches humans via angels, the angels act as the intermediary between Allah and humans. This is why the mention of angels follows the mention of Allah, and for this secret, He also said: {Allah testifies that there is no deity except Him, and [so do] the angels and those who have knowledge, [He is] the Maintainer of justice} (Al 'Imran: 18).
Third Rank: Belief in Books. This refers to the revelation that the Angel receives from Allah and conveys to humans. In an analogy, this is like the moon reflecting sunlight. The essence of the Angel is like the moon, and the essence of the revelation (the Books) is like the moon's illumination. Just as the essence of the moon precedes its illumination, the essence of the Angel precedes the occurrence of that revelation expressed as these Books. Therefore, the Books are ranked after the Angels, and Allah rightly placed the mention of the Books after the mention of the Angels.
Fourth Rank: Belief in Messengers. They are those who receive the lights of revelation from the Angels, thus ranking after the Books. This is why Allah placed the mention of the Messengers in the fourth rank. Know that the ordering of these four ranks in this manner contains subtle secrets and great wisdom that should not be fully disclosed in books; what we have mentioned is sufficient for honoring them.
Belief in Allah means belief in His existence, His Attributes, His Actions, His Rulings, and His Names.
Belief in His Existence: Knowing that behind the physical bodies (corporeal entities) there exists a Creator who created them, who knows all knowables, and is independent of all needs. On this basis, the Anthropomorphist (Mujassim) does not truly affirm the existence of God, as he does not affirm anything beyond the physical bodies; thus, his disagreement with us is regarding the Essence itself. As for the Philosophers and Mu'tazilites, they affirm a being beyond the physical bodies that originated them, so the disagreement with them is concerning the Attributes, not the Essence.
Belief in His Attributes: Attributes are either negative or affirmative.
Belief in His Actions: Knowing that everything other than Him is contingent and created. By the necessity of your intellect, you know that a contingent, created thing does not exist by itself; it must have an originator, which is the Eternal One. This proof compels you to affirm that everything else came into being only through His creation, origination, and formation. However, an issue arises concerning contingent events, which are the voluntary actions of animals. The first ruling—that they are contingent and created, thus requiring attribution to the Necessary Being—applies universally.
Belief in His Rulings: One must know four things regarding His rulings:
Fifth Rank: Belief in His Names. As stated in Al-A'raf: {And to Allah belong the best names} (7:180), and in Al-Isra: {Say, "Call upon Allah, or call upon the Most Merciful. Whichever [name] you call - to Him belong the best names"} (17:110), and in Taha: {Allah! There is no deity except Him; to Him belong the best names} (20:8), and at the end of Al-Hashr: {To Him belong the best names. All that is in the heavens and on earth declares His praise} (59:24). The best names are those mentioned in the revealed Books on the tongues of His infallible Messengers. This points to the foundations of belief in Allah.
Belief in Angels: This involves four aspects:
Belief in the Books: This requires four things:
Belief in the Messengers: This requires four things:
Scholars respond that the meaning of this statement is different: the way to establish the prophethood of the Messengers, if they are present, is through the manifestation of a miracle corresponding to their claims. If this is the path, then everyone upon whose claim a miracle appears must be truthful. If this path were not valid, then no miracle would prove the رسالة (prophethood) of any of them, and saying it proves some but not others is a corrupt, contradictory statement. The purpose is to refute the methodology of the Jews and Christians who affirm the prophethood of Moses and Jesus but deny the prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH). This is the intent of {We make no distinction between any one of His Messengers}; it does not mean that some cannot be superior to others. This points to the foundations of belief in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers.
Hamzah recited it as {wa kitābihi} (singular), while the rest recited it as {wa kutubihi} (plural).
The reciters unanimously agreed on pronouncing the sīn in {wa rusulihi} with a ḍammah (vowel), except for Abu 'Amr, who used a sukūn (vowel-less). Nafi' also read {wa kutubihi wa rusulihi} with abbreviation (omitting the ḍammah on the sīn). The majority's proof is that the root word is fa'ūl with a ḍammah on the ayn. Abu 'Amr's proof is that four consecutive vowels are disliked, which is why this sequence does not occur in poetry unless it is metrically irregular. The first group responded that this is disliked within a single word, but not necessarily across two words, evidenced by the fact that assimilation (idghām) is not mandatory in {wa ḍāllīn}, where five vowels occur consecutively. Furthermore, when a pronoun is attached to a word, it constitutes two words, not one.
There is an ellipsis here. The meaning is: [They say], "We make no distinction between any one of His Messengers," similar to {And the angels extend their hands, [saying], "Bring out [your souls]"} (Al-An'am: 93), meaning [they say], "Bring out [your souls]." And {And those who take other than Him as allies, [saying], "We worship them only that they may bring us nearer to Allah"} (Az-Zumar: 3), meaning [they say] this.
Abu 'Amr recited it as {yufarriqu} (using the yā'), implying the verb refers to everyone (Allah). Abdullah recited it as {lā yafriquna} (plural verb).
Ahad here means plural, like in {And there is none of you who can prevent [Him] from Him} (Al-Haqqah: 47). The meaning is: "We make no distinction between all of His Messengers." This is what they said. However, I believe ahad cannot mean plural here, as the meaning would be: "We make no distinction between all of His Messengers." This does not contradict the possibility that they do distinguish between some Messengers, which is precisely what is intended by the negation. The Jews and Christians did not distinguish between all the Messengers; rather, they distinguished against some—Muhammad (PBUH). Thus, the interpretation they offered is false. Rather, the meaning of the verse is: "We make no distinction between any one of the Messengers and anyone else regarding prophethood." When interpreted this way, the purpose of the statement is achieved. And Allah knows best.
Then Allah (Exalted is He) said: {And they say, "We hear and obey. Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination."}
There are several perspectives on the coherence of this verse:
First View: Human perfection lies in knowing the Truth for its own sake, and knowing the Good for the sake of acting upon it. This involves perfecting the rational faculty through knowledge, and perfecting the practical faculty through performing good deeds. The rational faculty is nobler than the practical faculty. The Qur'an is full of references to both, on the condition that the rational faculty precedes the practical. Abraham said: {My Lord, grant me judgment and join me with the righteous} (Ash-Shu'ara: 83). Judgment (ḥukm) is the perfection of the rational faculty, and {join me with the righteous} is the perfection of the practical faculty. We have elaborated on the evidence for this meaning from the Qur'an previously in this book.
Knowing this, we say: The matter in this verse is likewise. His saying: {All believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His Messengers. [They say], "We make no distinction between any one of His Messengers"} points to the perfection of the rational faculty through these noble forms of knowledge. His saying: {And they say, "We hear and obey"} points to the perfection of the human practical faculty through these excellent and complete actions. Whoever grasps this subtle point knows that the Qur'an contains wonderful secrets that most people overlook.
Second View: Man has three days: yesterday, the inquiry into which is called knowledge of the Originator; today, the inquiry into which is called knowledge of the intermediary state; and tomorrow, the inquiry into which is called knowledge of the Return. The Qur'an encompasses the care of these three stages. At the end of Surah Hud, He says: {And to Allah belongs the unseen [knowledge] of the heavens and the earth, and to Him is returned all matter} (Hud: 123). This points to the knowledge of the Originator. Since true perfections are only knowledge and power, He rightly mentioned them in this verse: {And to Allah belongs the unseen [knowledge] of the heavens and the earth} points to the perfection of Knowledge, and {and to Him is returned all matter} points to the perfection of Power. This is the reference to the knowledge of the Originator.
As for the knowledge of the intermediary state—what one must be occupied with today—it also has two stages: the beginning and the end. The beginning is preoccupation with servitude ('ubūdiyyah), and the end is cutting off reliance on secondary causes and entrusting all matters to the Cause of causes, which is called reliance (tawakkul). He mentioned these two stations, saying: {So worship Him and rely upon Him} (Hud: 123). As for the knowledge of the Return, it is His saying: {And your Lord is not unaware of what you do} (Al-An'am: 132), meaning, your tomorrow will bring you the results of your deeds. Thus, this verse encompasses the perfection of what is sought in these three stages. Similarly, His saying: {Exalted is your Lord, the Lord of might, above what they describe} (As-Saffat: 180), points to the knowledge of the Originator. Then He said: {And peace upon the messengers} (As-Saffat: 181), pointing to the knowledge of the intermediary state. Then He said: {And praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds} (As-Saffat: 182), pointing to the knowledge of the Return, as stated regarding the description of the people of Paradise: {Their call therein will be, "Exalted are You, O Allah," and their greeting therein will be, "Peace"} (Yunus: 100).
Knowing this, we say: The definition of these three stages is mentioned at the end of Surah Al-Baqarah. His saying: {The Messenger believes...} up to {We make no distinction between any one of His Messengers} points to the knowledge of the Originator. His saying: {And they say, "We hear and obey"} points to the knowledge of the intermediary state—knowledge of the conditions one must be aware of and occupied with while in this worldly life. His saying: {Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination} points to the knowledge of the Return. Grasping these secrets illuminates the heart and draws it from the narrowness of the corporeal world to the expanse of the celestial world and the lights of the heavens' joy.
Third View: Matters sought are of two types: researching the realities of existing things, and researching the rulings of actions regarding obligation, permissibility, and prohibition. The first type is derived from reason, and the second from revelation. The first type is meant by {and [so do] the believers—all believe in Allah...}, and the second type is meant by {And they say, "We hear and obey"}.
Al-Wahidi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: {We hear and obey} means "We heard His word and we obey His command." However, the object was omitted because the context praises them for it.
I say: This falls under the category mentioned by Al-Qahir Al-Nahwi (may Allah have mercy on him), where omitting the object, both explicitly and implicitly, is superior. If you assume the implied meaning is "We heard His word and we obey His command," then there must be another word to be heard and another command to be obeyed besides His word and His command. If the object is not implied, it conveys that there is no word in existence that must be heard except His word, and no command that must be obeyed except His command. Thus, omitting the object is superior in form and meaning in this context.
Know that when Allah described the belief of these believers, He then described them by their saying: {We hear and obey}. The meaning of {We hear} is not mere physical hearing, as that does not warrant praise. Rather, it means: "We heard it with the ears of our intellects," meaning, we comprehended it, knew its truthfulness, and became certain that every obligation conveyed to us through the tongues of the Angels and Prophets (peace be upon them) is true, sound, and worthy of acceptance. Hearing in the sense of acceptance and understanding is used in the Qur'an, as Allah says: {Indeed, in that is a reminder for whoever has a heart or who gives attention while he is present [of mind]} (Qaf: 37), meaning, whoever hears the reminder with present understanding. The opposite is His saying: {as if he had not heard it, as if there were deafness in his ears} (Luqman: 7). Then He said after that: {and obey}. This indicates that just as their belief in these obligations was sound, they did not neglect any of them. Thus, Allah combined in these two phrases everything related to the chapters of obligation: knowledge and action.
Then He recounted that they said: {Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination}. Regarding this, there are issues:
A question arises: Since the people accepted the obligations and acted upon them, why did they need to seek forgiveness?
The answer has several aspects: First: Even though they exerted their utmost effort in fulfilling these obligations, they feared shortcomings might occur from them. Because they allowed for this possibility, they said: {Your forgiveness, our Lord}, meaning they requested forgiveness from Him for any shortcomings they might commit in what they do or leave undone. Second: It is narrated from the Prophet (PBUH) that he said: "Indeed, a veil is cast over my heart, and I seek forgiveness from Allah seventy times a day and night." Interpretations have been offered for this Hadith, one of which is that the Prophet (PBUH) was ascending through the ranks of servitude. Whenever he ascended from one station to a higher one, he viewed the previous one as insignificant, so he sought forgiveness from Allah for it. It is not unlikely that the request for forgiveness in the Qur'an in this verse is understood in this manner as well. Third: All acts of obedience, when measured against the rights of His Divinity, are considered transgressions. All forms of knowledge attained by creation, when measured against the lights of His Majesty, are shortcomings, deficiencies, and ignorance. This is why He said: {And they have not appraised Allah with true appraisal} (Al-An'am: 91). If this is the case, then the servant, no matter his station of servitude—even if he is extremely knowledgeable—when contrasted with the glory of Allah's Majesty, becomes the very essence of shortcoming for which seeking forgiveness is necessary. This is the secret behind His saying to Muhammad (PBUH): {So know that there is no deity except Allah, and ask forgiveness for your sin} (Muhammad: 19). Although his stations of servitude were high, it was revealed to him in his stages of unveiling that they were deficient compared to what is befitting the presence of the Self-Sufficient One, so he sought forgiveness for them. Similarly, the speech of the people of Paradise is narrated: {Their call therein will be, "Exalted are You, O Allah," and their greeting therein will be, "Peace"} (Yunus: 10). "Exalted are You, O Allah" points to transcendence (tanzīh).
Furthermore, He said: {Their call therein will be, "Exalted are You, O Allah," and their greeting therein will be, "Peace"} (Yunus: 10), meaning all praise belongs to Allah, even if we cannot comprehend that praise with our intellects or mention it with our tongues.
The implied meaning is: "Forgive [us] Your forgiveness." The verbal noun (maṣdar) is used in place of the verb in supplication, similar to saying suqyan (watering) or ra'yan (grazing). Al-Farra' said it is a verbal noun that takes the place of a command, hence it is in the accusative case. Similar examples are aṣ-ṣalāh aṣ-ṣalāh (Prayer, prayer!) and al-asad al-asad (The lion, the lion!). This is preferable to saying "We ask You for Your forgiveness," because this form, being originally designated for this meaning, is more indicative of it. Analogous to saying ḥamdan ḥamdan (Praise, praise!) or shukran shukran (Thanks, thanks!), meaning "I praise with praise," or "I thank with thanks."
Seeking this forgiveness is coupled with two things: First: Attributing it to Him: {Your forgiveness}. Second: Following it with: {our Lord}. These two qualifiers contain benefits:
As for the second qualifier: {our Lord}, it contains benefits:
Then Allah (Exalted is He) said: {and to You is the [final] destination}. This contains two benefits:
