Āl 'Imrān: (102–103) O you who believe...

Know that when the Almighty warned the believers against the misguidance and deceptions of the disbelievers in the previous verse, He commanded the believers in these verses with the core of obedience and the foundations of good deeds.

He commanded them, firstly: to fear Allah, which is His saying: {Fear Allah as He ought to be feared} (Āl 'Imrān: 102). Secondly: to hold fast to the rope of Allah, which is His saying: {And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together} (Āl 'Imrān: 103). Thirdly: to remember the favor of Allah upon them, which is His saying: {And remember the favor of Allah upon you} (Āl 'Imrān: 103).

The reason for this ordering is that a person's action must be motivated, either by fear (Raha) or by desire/hope (Raghbah). Fear precedes desire because averting harm takes precedence over attracting benefit.

Thus, His saying {Fear Allah as He ought to be feared} points to being fearful of Allah's punishment. Then, He made this the cause for commanding adherence to the religion of Allah and holding fast to the rope of Allah. After that, He followed it with desire, which is His saying: {And remember the favor of Allah upon you}.

It is as if He said: The fear of Allah's punishment necessitates this, and the abundance of Allah's favors necessitates this. Thus, no aspect that necessitates action remains unaddressed regarding the obligation of submitting to Allah's command and obeying His judgment. Therefore, the three matters mentioned in this verse are ordered in the most excellent manner.

Let us return to the exegesis:

Regarding His saying, the Almighty: {Fear Allah as He ought to be feared}

There are several issues concerning this:

Some scholars said this verse is abrogated. This is based on what is narrated from Ibn 'Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) that when this verse was revealed, it weighed heavily on the Muslims, because "fearing Allah as He ought to be feared" means: to be obeyed and never disobeyed even for the blink of an eye, to be thanked and never ungratefully rejected, and to be remembered and never forgotten. Humans lack the capacity for this. Therefore, Allah revealed afterward: {So fear Allah as much as you are able} (At-Taghābun: 16), abrogating the first part of this verse, but not its latter part, which is {and die not except as Muslims} (Āl 'Imrān: 102).

The majority of verified scholars assert that this claim of abrogation is false, and they argue against it on several grounds:

1. What is narrated from Mu'ādh, that the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked him: "Do you know the right of Allah upon His servants?" He replied: "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said: "It is that they worship Him and associate nothing with Him." This cannot be abrogated.
2. The meaning of {Fear Allah as He ought to be feared} is: as it is fitting to fear Him, which is by avoiding all sins. Such a command cannot be abrogated because it would imply permission for some sins. If so, the meaning of this verse becomes identical to His saying: {So fear Allah as much as you are able} (At-Taghābun: 16), because whoever fears Allah as much as he is able has indeed feared Him as He ought to be feared. It is not permissible for {as He ought to be feared} to mean a level of piety that is beyond capacity, because Allah (Exalted is He) informed us that He does not burden a soul beyond its capacity, and capacity is less than absolute ability. A parallel to this verse is His saying: {And strive in Allah's cause as is the striving due to Him} (Al-Hajj: 78).

If it is asked: Did not the Almighty say: {And they have not appraised Allah with His true appraisal} (Al-An'ām: 91)?

We reply: We will clarify in the exegesis of that verse that it appears in the Qur'an in three places, and all of them concern the description of the disbelievers, not the Muslims. As for those who said the meaning is "to be obeyed and never disobeyed," this is correct. What proceeds from a person by way of inadvertence or forgetfulness is not held against him, as accountability is lifted during those times. Likewise, regarding "to be thanked and never ungratefully rejected," this is obligatory upon the remembrance of Allah's favors, but not during forgetfulness. Similarly, regarding "to be remembered and never forgotten," this is only obligatory during supplication and worship. All of this is beyond human capacity, so there is no basis for the assumption that it is abrogated.

The author (may Allah be pleased with him) says: The earlier scholars can support their view in two ways:

1. The essence of Divinity is not known to creation; thus, the perfection of His overwhelming power, might, and glory is not known to creation. If knowledge of that is not attained, the appropriate fear is not attained, and consequently, the appropriate fear (Taqwā) is not attained.
2. They were commanded with both the stringent and the relaxed form of fear (Taqwā). The stringent command was abrogated, and the relaxed one remained. This view is refuted, because what is obligatory upon him is to fear to the extent possible. Abrogation only enters into obligations, not into negations, because abrogation implies lifting the restriction from something that should remain restricted, which is impermissible.

{Fear Allah as He ought to be feared} means: as it is fitting to fear Him. This is supported by His saying: {the Truth of Certainty} (Al-Wāqi'ah: 95). It is also said: "That man is truly [a man]" (huwa ar-rajulu haqqan), and from this is the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him): "I am the Prophet, no lie; I am the son of 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib." And from 'Alī (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "I am 'Alī, no lie; I am the son of 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib." At-Taqwā is the verbal noun derived from Ittaqa (to fear), just as Al-Hudā (guidance) is the verbal noun derived from Ihtadā (to be guided).

Regarding His saying, the Almighty: {and die not except as Muslims}

The prohibition is placed upon death, but the intent is the command to remain steadfast in Islam. This is because when it is possible for them to remain firm in Islam until death comes to them while they are Muslims, dying upon Islam becomes equivalent to something within their capability. The discussion on this point has already passed when we discussed His saying: {Indeed, Allah has chosen for you the religion, so never die except while you are Muslims} (Al-Baqarah: 132).

Then the Almighty said: {And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together}.

Know that when He commanded them to avoid prohibitions, He then commanded them to adhere to the foundation of all goodness and obedience, which is holding fast to the rope of Allah.

Know that anyone walking on a narrow path fears his foot slipping. If he holds onto a rope whose ends are tied to both sides of that path, he is safe from fear. There is no doubt that the path of Truth is a narrow path, and many people have slipped from it. Whoever holds fast to Allah's guidance and clear proofs is safe from that fear.

Therefore, the meaning of the "rope" here is everything by which one can reach the Truth on the path of religion. This encompasses many types, so each commentator mentioned one of those things:

• Ibn 'Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) said the rope here means the covenant mentioned in His saying: {and fulfill My covenant, I will fulfill your covenant} (Al-Baqarah: 40), and in {except by a rope from Allah and a rope from people} (Āl 'Imrān: 112), meaning a covenant. The covenant is called a rope because it removes the fear of going wherever one wishes, like a rope that, whoever holds it, fear is removed from him.
• It is said to be the Qur'an. It is narrated from 'Alī (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he said: "Indeed, there will be trials (Fitnah)." It was asked: "What is the way out of them?" He replied: "The Book of Allah, in it is the news of those before you, the news of those after you, and the judgment between you. It is the strong rope of Allah."
• It is narrated from Ibn Mas'ūd from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he said: "This Qur'an is the rope of Allah."
• It is narrated from Abū Sa'īd al-Khudrī from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he said: "I am leaving among you two weighty things: the Book of Allah, a rope extended from the heaven to the earth, and my family, the people of my household."
• It is said to be the religion of Allah.
• It is said to be obedience to Allah.
• It is said to be sincerity in repentance.
• It is said to be the community (al-Jamā'ah), because He immediately followed this with {and do not become divided}.

All these opinions are close in meaning. The reality is what we mentioned: just as someone falling into a well holds onto a rope to guard against falling into it, the Book of Allah, His covenant, His religion, obedience to Him, and conformity with the community of believers serve as a safeguard for its holder against falling into the depths of Hellfire. Therefore, this was made the rope of Allah, and they were commanded to hold fast to it.

Then the Almighty said: {and do not become divided}. There are two issues concerning this:

There are several interpretations:

1. It is a prohibition against disagreement in religion, because the Truth can only be one, and anything else is ignorance and misguidance. Since this is the case, disagreement in religion must be prohibited, as indicated by His saying: {And what is there after truth except error?} (Yūnus: 32).
2. It is a prohibition against enmity and contention, as they were accustomed in the pre-Islamic era to fighting and disputing, so Allah forbade them from that.
3. It is a prohibition against what necessitates separation and removes affection and love.

Know that it is narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he said: "My Ummah will divide into seventy-odd sects; the saved one among them is one, and the rest are in the Fire." It was asked: "Who are they, O Messenger of Allah?" He replied: "The community (al-Jamā'ah)." It is narrated: "The great majority (as-Sawād al-A'ẓam)." And it is narrated: "That which I and my Companions are upon."

The rational basis for this is that the prohibition of disagreement and the command for unity indicate that the Truth can only be one, and if so, the saved one must be singular.

The deniers of analogy (Qiyās) used this verse as evidence, arguing: The legal rulings (Ahkām) are either established by definitive proofs (Yaqīniyyah) or by presumptive proofs (Ẓanniyyah).

• If they are established by definitive proofs, it is impossible to suffice with analogy, which yields only presumption, because a presumptive proof cannot be used where certainty is required.
• If they are established by presumptive proofs, then commanding recourse to those presumptive proofs implies that disagreement and dispute will occur. In that case, division and contention should not have been prohibited, yet they are prohibited by His saying: {and do not become divided} and {and do not dispute} (Al-Anfāl: 46).

However, one could argue that the proofs indicating the validity of using analogy specify the generality of {and do not become divided} and the generality of {and do not dispute}. And Allah knows best.

Then the Almighty said: {And remember the favor of Allah upon you}.

Know that the favors of Allah upon creation are either worldly or related to the Hereafter, and He mentioned both in this verse.

As for the worldly favor, it is His saying: {when you were enemies, and He put affection between your hearts, so you became, by His favor, brothers} (Āl 'Imrān: 103). There are issues concerning this:

It is said that when that Jew cast discord between the Aws and the Khazraj—each tribe intending to fight the other—the Messenger (peace be upon him) came out and kept dealing gently with them until the strife subsided. The Aws and the Khazraj were full brothers (father and mother). Enmity arose between them, and wars lasted for 120 years until Allah extinguished it with Islam. Thus, the verse refers to them and their condition: before Islam, they fought and hated each other, but when Allah honored them with Islam, they became compassionate, sincere brothers in Allah. A parallel to this verse is His saying: {And if you had spent all that is on earth, you could not have brought their hearts together, but Allah brought them together} (Al-Anfāl: 63).

Know that whoever faces the world is hostile toward most people, but whoever faces the service of Allah is not hostile toward anyone. The reason is that he looks at creation through the lens of Truth and sees everyone captive in the grip of Divine Decree and Predestination, so he bears no enmity toward anyone. This is why it is said: When the Gnostic is commanded, he commands gently and is sincere, never harsh or reproachful, because he is enlightened by the secret of Allah in destiny.

Al-Zajjāj said: The root of Akh (brother) in language is from Tawakhkhī (seeking/intending). Thus, the brother intends the intention of his brother. Ṣadīq (friend) is derived from each of the two friends affirming the truthfulness of the other regarding what is in his heart, hiding nothing from him. Abū Hātim said: The people of Basra say Ikhwah is for lineage, and Ikhwān is for friendship. He said this is incorrect, citing Allah's saying: {The believers are but brothers} (Al-Ḥujurāt: 10), where lineage was not intended, and {or the houses of your brothers} (An-Nūr: 61), which refers to lineage.

His saying {so you became, by His favor, brothers} indicates that the good dealings that occurred among them after Islam were entirely from Allah, because Allah created that inclination in their hearts, and that inclination was a favor from Allah necessitating the occurrence of the action. This refutes the position of the Mu'tazilah regarding the creation of actions. Al-Ka'bī said this occurred through guidance, explanation, warning, knowledge, and subtle aids (Luṭf).

We reply: All of that was present during the time when fighting and conflict occurred. The specialization of one of the two times for the occurrence of affection and love must be due to an additional factor beyond what you mentioned.

Then the Almighty said: {and you were on the edge of a pit of Fire, and He saved you from it}.

Know that when the Almighty explained the worldly favor, He followed it with the Hereafter favor, which is what He mentioned at the end of this verse. There are issues concerning this:

The meaning is that you were standing on the brink of Hell due to your disbelief, because Hell is likened to a pit containing fire. Thus, their deserving of the Fire due to their disbelief was likened to their standing on the edge of the Fire and their destination toward its pit. The Almighty clarified that He saved them from this pit while they were close to falling into it.

The Mu'tazilah say the meaning is that Allah was subtle toward them through the Messenger (peace be upon him) and all His subtle aids until they believed. Our companions say: All subtle aids are shared between the believer and the disbeliever. If the creator and originator of faith were the servant, then the servant would have saved himself from the Fire. But Allah stated that He is the One who saved them from the Fire. This indicates that the Creator of the servants' actions is Allah (Exalted is He).

Shifā (edge) of a thing is its narrow border, like the edge of a well (shafā al-b'ir). The plural is Ishfā' (edges). From this, it is said: Ashfā 'alā shay' (he looked over something) as if he reached its shafāh (lip/edge).

Regarding {and He saved you from it}: Al-Azhari said: It is said naqadh-tuhu and anqadh-tuhu and istanaqadh-tuhu, meaning: I rescued him and delivered him.

There is a question regarding {and He saved you from it}: Allah only saves them from the place they were in, and they were on the edge of a pit. The edge of a pit (shafā al-ḥufrati) is masculine, so why did He say minhā (from it—feminine)?

They answered this in several ways:

1. The pronoun refers back to the pit (al-ḥufrati), and since He saved them from the pit, He saved them from its edge, because the edge is part of it.
2. It refers back to the Fire, because the objective was deliverance from the Fire, not from the edge of the pit. This is the view of Al-Zajjāj.
3. Shifā al-ḥufrati and Shafatuhā both mean its edge/border, so it is permissible for it to be referred to with both masculine and feminine pronouns.

If they had died upon disbelief, they would have fallen into the Fire. Their life, after which falling into the Fire was expected, was likened to the few remaining moments on the edge of a thing. This serves as a reminder of the insignificance of the duration of life, as there is nothing between life and the death that necessitates falling into the pit except what is between the edge of a thing and that thing itself.

Then He said: {Thus Allah makes clear to you His signs}. The Kāf (in Kadhālik) is in the accusative case, meaning: Just as this explanation mentioned, Allah makes clear to you the rest of the signs so that you may be guided by them.

Al-Jubbā'ī said: The verse indicates that Allah desires their guidance. Al-Wāḥidī answered him in Al-Basīṭ by saying: Rather, the meaning is so that you may be in hope of guidance.

I say: This answer is weak because, under this assumption, it implies that Allah desires that hope from them, and it is known that according to our doctrine, Allah may not desire that hope. Therefore, the correct answer is to say that the word la'alla (so that/perhaps) implies hope, and the meaning is: We have done an action resembling the action of one who hopes for that. And Allah knows best.

{And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful. And do not be like those who became divided and disagreed after clear proofs had come to them. And for those is a great punishment. On the Day when [some] faces will turn white and [some] faces will turn black. As for those whose faces will turn black, [it will be said], "Have you disbelieved after your belief? Then taste the punishment for what you used to disbelieve." But as for those whose faces will turn white, [they will be] in the mercy of Allah, wherein they will abide eternally. These are the verses of Allah; We recite them to you in truth. And Allah wills no injustice to the worlds. And to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And to Allah all matters are returned.} (Āl 'Imrān: 104–109)