Al Imran: (110 - 111) You were the best nation...

Context and Structure

There are two main interpretations regarding the connection of this verse:

1. Encouragement through Status: After commanding the believers in certain matters, forbidding others, and warning them against resembling the People of the Book in rebellion, and after mentioning the reward for the obedient and the punishment for the disbelievers, the purpose of all these verses was to compel the accountable believers toward obedience and prevent them from rebellion. Following this, God added another means to compel obedience by saying, {You were the best nation}. This means you were recorded in the Preserved Tablet as the best and most excellent of nations. It is fitting for this status that you do not nullify this virtue for yourselves, nor remove this praiseworthy characteristic, but rather remain obedient to all the obligations placed upon you.

2. Explanation of Happiness: After mentioning the extreme state of the wretched (those whose faces are blackened) and the extreme state of the fortunate (those whose faces are whitened), God clarified the reason for the warning to the wretched by saying, {And Allah wills no injustice to the worlds} (3:108)—meaning they deserved it due to their evil deeds. In this verse, He clarifies the reason for the promise to the fortunate: {You were the best nation brought forth for mankind}. That is, those rewards, perfections, and honors in the Hereafter were attained because they were, in this world, {the best nation brought forth for mankind}.

Issues in the Verse

The word kāna (was/were) can be complete (tāmma), incomplete (nāqisa), or superfluous (zā’ida). Commentators differ on its usage here:

1. Kāna as Complete (Tāmma): It means occurrence or existence, requiring no predicate. The meaning is: "You came into being as the best nation," or "You were created as the best nation." In this case, {the best nation} functions as a circumstantial adverb (ḥāl). This is the view of many commentators.

2. Kāna as Incomplete (Nāqisa): This raises a question: Does this imply they were described by this quality but are no longer so?
   • Answer: The word kāna indicates existence in a past time vaguely, without necessarily implying cessation. Evidence for this is found in verses like: {Ask forgiveness of your Lord, indeed, He was ever Forgiving} (Noah: 10) and {And Allah was ever, to the believers, Forgiving and Merciful} (Al-Fath: 14).
   • If kāna is incomplete, commentators offer several interpretations:
     • They were the best nation in God's knowledge.
     • They were mentioned among previous nations as being the best nation, similar to {harsh against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves} (Al-Fath: 29), where their harshness involved enjoining good and forbidding evil.
     • They were described as the best nation in the Preserved Tablet.
     • They were the best nation since they believed.
     • Abū Muslim's view: This phrase follows {As for those whose faces will be whitened} (3:107). The implication is: It will be said to them in Paradise, "In your worldly life, you were the best nation, thus you deserved the mercy and the white faces you now possess." The intervening verses are parenthetical, as often occurs in the Qur'an.
     • Some say if God had willed, He would have said Antum (You are), making the honor universal. However, {You were} specifies certain companions of the Prophet (PBUH)—the early pioneers—and those who acted like them.
     • They were the best nation since they believed, indicating the description applied from the moment of their faith.

3. The Third Possibility: Kāna is Superfluous (Zā’ida): Some argue it is like {Remember when you were few and were made numerous} (Al-A'raf: 86) or {Remember when you were few and oppressed} (Al-Anfal: 26), where omitting kāna or including it makes little difference, with the inclusion serving for emphasis.
   • Ibn al-Anbārī's Critique: This view is clearly flawed. Kāna can be omitted when placed in the middle or end of a sentence, but not at the beginning. Arabs say, "‘Abdullāh kāna standing" or "‘Abdullāh standing kāna," but not "Kāna ‘Abdullāh standing" while treating kāna as nullified, because the focus should start with what is being attended to. Furthermore, kāna cannot be nullified here because its predicate (khabar) is in the accusative case (mansūb); if it governs the predicate, it is not nullified.

4. The Fourth Possibility: Kāna means Ṣāra (Became): {You were the best nation} means "You became the best nation brought forth for mankind, enjoining good, forbidding evil, and believing in God."

Following this, {And if the People of the Book had believed, it would have been better for them} means that just as you earned this excellence through these qualities, the People of the Book would have attained the quality of excellence had they believed. (God knows best.)

Our scholars use this verse to prove that the consensus of the Ummah is authoritative, based on two points:

1. Superiority to Previous Nations: God mentions the community of Moses: {And among the people of Moses is a nation that guides by the truth} (Al-A'raf: 159). Then, in this verse, He says, {You were the best nation}. By necessity, this Ummah must be superior to those who guided by truth among the people of Moses. If this Ummah were permitted to rule by falsehood, they could not be superior to a nation that guides by truth, as the falsehood-doer cannot be better than the truth-doer. Thus, this Ummah must rule only by truth, proving their consensus is authoritative.

2. Scope of Enjoining Good/Forbidding Evil: The definite articles (al-) in {the good} (al-ma‘rūf) and {the evil} (al-munkar) imply totality (Istighrāq). This requires them to enjoin all good and forbid all evil. If they do this, their consensus must necessarily be true and correct, thus serving as proof. (Extensive discussion on this is found in Usūl al-Fiqh.)

Al-Zajjāj said that although the address is directed to the companions of the Prophet (PBUH) in form, it is general for the entire Ummah. This is analogous to {Fasting has been prescribed for you} (Al-Baqarah: 183) and {Prescribed for you is retaliation} (Al-Baqarah: 178). Though the words address those present, the ruling applies universally.

Al-Qaffāl said the root of Ummah is a group united by one thing. The Ummah of our Prophet (PBUH) is the community characterized by belief in him and affirmation of his prophethood. Anyone called by his message can be called his Ummah, but when the term Ummah is used absolutely, it refers to the first group. As the Prophet (PBUH) said, "My Ummah will not unite upon error," and he will call out, "My Ummah, My Ummah," on the Day of Judgment. In these contexts, Ummah implies affirmation of his prophethood. Those who are merely invited to the message are called the Ummah of the Invitation (Ummat al-Da‘wah).

Regarding {Brought forth for mankind} (Ukhrijat li-n-nās)

There are two interpretations:

1. They were the best of nations brought forth for mankind across all eras. {Brought forth for mankind} means they were manifested and distinguished from others.
2. {For mankind} is connected to {You were}: "You were the best nation for mankind." Some say {Brought forth} is an adjective modifying Ummah: "You were the best nation for mankind."

{Enjoining good, forbidding evil, and believing in God}

This is a new, independent clause intended to explain the reason (‘illah) for that excellence. Just as one says, "Zayd is generous because he feeds and clothes people and attends to their welfare," the verse establishes the quality of excellence, followed by these acts of worship (enjoining good, forbidding evil, and belief). Therefore, that excellence must be caused by these acts.

Question 1: How do these three qualities—enjoining good, forbidding evil, and belief—cause this Ummah to be the best, when these attributes existed in previous nations?

• Answer (Al-Qaffāl): Their preference over previous nations is due to their enjoining good and forbidding evil in the strongest manner, which involves fighting (qitāl). Enjoining good can be done by heart, tongue, or hand; the strongest is by hand (fighting), as it involves risking one's life. The greatest good is the true religion and belief in monotheism and prophethood; the greatest evil is disbelief in God. Thus, Jihad in religion involves undertaking the greatest harm to convey the greatest benefit to others and save them from the greatest harm. Therefore, Jihad must be the greatest act of worship. Since the command for Jihad is stronger in our Sharia than in previous ones, it necessitates the superiority of this Ummah. This aligns with the narration from Ibn Abbas: "You were the best nation brought forth for mankind" means you command them to testify that there is no god but Allah, affirm what God revealed, and fight them for it. Lā ilāha illā Allāh is the greatest good, and denial is the worst evil.
• Al-Qaffāl adds that the benefit of fighting for religion is undeniable to any just person. Most people love their inherited religions due to habit and do not contemplate the evidence presented to them. If they are compelled into the religion through the threat of death, they enter it. Gradually, the love for the false religion weakens in their hearts, and the love for the true religion strengthens, leading them from falsehood to truth, and from deserving eternal punishment to deserving eternal reward.

Question 2: Why was enjoining good and forbidding evil mentioned before belief in God, even though belief must precede all acts of obedience?

• Answer: Belief in God is a common element shared by all righteous nations. Since God favored this Ummah over other righteous nations, the cause for this specific excellence cannot be belief (the common factor). Rather, the cause for this increase in status is that this Ummah is stronger in enjoining good and forbidding evil than other nations.
• Therefore, the effective cause (mu’aththir) for this excellence is enjoining good and forbidding evil. Belief in God is a condition (sharṭ) for the effectiveness of this cause. If belief does not exist, no act of obedience will affect the quality of excellence. Thus, the cause is enjoining good/forbidding evil, and belief is the condition for that cause to operate. The cause is more intrinsically linked to the effect than the condition, which is why God mentioned enjoining good/forbidding evil first.

Question 3: Why was belief in God mentioned, but not belief in the Prophethood, even though it is necessary?

• Answer: Belief in God necessitates belief in Prophethood. Belief in God cannot be achieved unless one believes God is truthful. Belief in His truthfulness cannot occur unless the one who displayed the miracle (the Prophet) is truthful in his claim, as the miracle stands in place of affirming the statement. Since we witnessed the miracle appearing in accordance with Muhammad's (PBUH) claim, belief in his prophethood is a necessary consequence of believing in God. Thus, mentioning only belief in God points to this subtle implication.

{And if the People of the Book had believed, it would have been better for them}

There are two interpretations:

1. If the People of the Book had believed in this religion—the religion that earned the status of excellence for the followers of Muhammad (PBUH)—that excellence would have been attained by them too. The purpose is to encourage the People of the Book toward this religion.
2. The People of the Book preferred their own religion over Islam due to their love for leadership and control over knowledge. If they had believed, they would have attained this leadership in this world along with immense reward in the Hereafter, which would have been better than what they settled for.

Subsequent Clauses

God followed this with two independent sentences, without a conjunction:

1. {Among them are believers, but most of them are defiantly disobedient} (3:110).
2. {They will never harm you except for a slight injury. And if they fight you, they will turn their backs to you; then they will not be aided} (3:111).

Al-Kashshāf states these are parenthetical remarks (istiṭrād) made while discussing the People of the Book, similar to saying, "Speaking of so-and-so, he is known for such-and-such," which explains why the conjunction (wāw) is omitted.

*Question 1: Does the definite article (al-) in {the believers} refer to totality or to previously known individuals?*

• Answer: It refers to previously known individuals—like ‘Abdullāh ibn Salām and his group among the Jews, and the Negus and his group among the Christians.

Question 2: Since description is usually for emphasis, what emphasis is gained by describing a disbeliever as fāsiq (defiantly disobedient)?

• Answer: A disbeliever might be considered righteous within his own religion, or he might be fāsiq within his religion. If he is fāsiq in his own religion, he is rejected by all groups: Muslims reject him due to his disbelief, and his own people reject him due to his immorality. It is as if God is saying: The People of the Book are two factions: some are believers, and those who do not believe are fāsiq in their own religions, meaning they are not worthy of emulation by any rational person.

When God encouraged the believers to remain firm in their faith and ignore the words and deeds of the disbelievers by saying {You were the best nation}, He encouraged them from another angle: they lack the power to harm the Muslims except with minor verbal abuse that is insignificant. If they fight the Muslims, they will be routed and disgraced. Since this is the case, their words and deeds should not be heeded. This reinforces the preceding statement: {If you were to obey a faction of those who were given the Scripture} (3:100). This is the structure (naẓm).

Regarding {They will never harm you except for a slight injury}: The harm from the disbelieving People of the Book will not exceed verbal abuse. This abuse might involve:

• Slandering Muhammad (PBUH) or Jesus (PBUH).
• Uttering words of disbelief, such as saying ‘Uzayr is the son of God (9:30), the Messiah is the son of God (9:30), or God is the third of three (5:73).
• Distorting the texts of the Torah and the Gospel.
• Casting doubts into people's ears.
• Intimidating the weak among the Muslims.

Some scholars suggest {except for a slight injury} (illā adhā) is an exception of exclusion (istithnā’ munqaṭi‘), but this is weak, as all the mentioned harms cause distress in the hearts of Muslims, and distress is harm. Therefore, the meaning is: "They will not harm you except for harm, which is adhā (injury/abuse)," making it a valid exception. The meaning is: "They will only harm you with a minor harm." Adhā is used here in place of ḍarar (harm). Adhā is the verbal noun of adhaytu al-shay’ adhā.

{And if they fight you, they will turn their backs to you; then they will not be aided}

This is a prophecy that if they fight the Muslims, they will be routed and disgraced. {Then they will not be aided} means that after being routed, they will have absolutely no strength or power remaining. This is similar to: {And if they fight you, they will turn their backs to you; then they will not be aided} (Al-Hashr: 12), and {The two hosts will soon be defeated, and they will turn their backs in flight} (Al-Qamar: 45). All these are promises of victory and triumph.

This verse contains knowledge of many unseen matters:

1. The believers are safe from their harm.
2. If they fight the believers, they will flee.
3. After fleeing, they will not regain strength or power.

All these prophecies materialized exactly as God informed. The Jews only fought when they were defeated, and whenever they sought dominance, they were disgraced. This constitutes a miracle based on foretelling the unseen.

Question 1: This applies to the Jews, but not to the Christians. Does this invalidate the verse?

• Answer: These verses are specific to the Jews, based on the context of revelation (asbāb an-nuzūl), which resolves this issue.

Question 2: Why was the phrase {then they will not be aided} stated definitively (with a jzm form)?

• Answer: It shifts from the conditional consequence to an independent statement. It is as if God said: "I inform you that they will not be aided." If it were strictly conditional, the denial of aid would be tied to their turning their backs. By raising the tense (making it a general statement), the denial of aid becomes an absolute promise: "Then, their established state and story, which I inform you of after their retreat, is that they will never find aid afterward, remaining in humiliation and disgrace forever."

Question 3: What is {then they will not be aided} connected to?

• Answer: It is connected to the conditional sentence (the condition and the result). It is as if He said: "I inform you that if they fight you, they will flee, and then I inform you that they will not be aided." The word {then} (thumma) is used to indicate a sequence in rank, as informing them of their subsequent disgrace is a greater matter than informing them of their initial flight.

7. {Abasement has been stamped upon them wherever they are found, except for a rope from Allah and a rope from the people, and they have drawn upon themselves the wrath of Allah. And abasement has been stamped upon them. That is because they used to disbelieve in the verses of Allah and kill the prophets without right. That is because they disobeyed and were transgressing.}