Tafsir of Al Imran 3:19

Al Imran: (19) Indeed, the religion [accepted] by Allah...

There are several issues concerning this verse:

All reciters agree on using the kasra (short 'a') for the hamza in أَنَّ (An), except for Al-Kisa'i, who used the fatha (long 'a') for أَنَّ (Anna).

1. The Majority Reading (Kasra): This is straightforward because the preceding clause ("Allah testifies that there is no god but He") is complete.
2. Al-Kisa'i's Reading (Fatha): Grammarians offer three interpretations for this reading:
   • Interpretation 1 (Implied أَنَّ): The implied structure is: "Allah testifies that there is no god but He, that the religion with Allah is Islam." This is because Allah's oneness necessitates that the true religion is Islam, as Islam encompasses this very monotheism.
   • Interpretation 2 (Conjunction): The implied structure is: "Allah testifies that there is no god but He, and that the religion with Allah is Islam."
   • Interpretation 3 (The Basrans' View - Badal): The second clause is a substitute (badal) for the first.
     • If we hold that the religion of Islam itself encompasses monotheism, this is like saying: "I struck Zayd, Zayd himself" (a repetition for emphasis).
     • If we hold that the religion of Islam contains monotheism, this falls under the category of Badal al-Ishtimal (substitutive apposition), like saying: "I struck Zayd on his head."

A potential objection: If the third interpretation is adopted, why is the name of Allah repeated (i.e., why not say: "I struck Zayd, the head of Zayd")?

Response: The name can be explicitly stated where a pronoun would normally suffice. The poet says: "I do not see death preceding death itself," and similar examples are numerous.

• If one reads with Fatha (أَنَّ - Anna): The structure implies: "Allah testified because there is no god but He, that the religion with Allah is Islam." This is because if Islam is the religion encompassing monotheism, and Allah testified to this oneness, the necessary consequence is that the religion with Allah is Islam.
• If one reads with Kasra (أَنَّ - An): The connection is that Allah clarified that monotheism is a matter that Allah testified to, and the Angels and those with knowledge also testified to it. When a matter has such testimony, it necessitates the statement: "Indeed, the religion with Allah is Islam."

The Linguistic Meaning of Ad-Dīn: Originally, dīn means recompense or reward. Obedience is called dīn because it is the cause of the recompense.

The Linguistic Meanings of Al-Islām:

1. Entering Submission: It means entering into submission and obedience. Allah says: "And do not say to those who offer you peace [or submission], 'You are not believers'" (An-Nisa: 94), meaning those who have become submissive to you.
2. Entering Peace (As-Salm): Aslama means entering as-salm (peace/safety), similar to saying asna (drought) or aqhata (famine). The root of as-salm is safety.
3. Sincerity: Ibn al-Anbari said that al-muslim means one who has purified his worship for Allah, from the saying: "The thing belonged purely to so-and-so" (salama shay'un li-fulan). Thus, Islam means purifying religion and creed for Allah Almighty.

The Legal/Sharia Meaning of Al-Islām: In the terminology of the Sharia, Islam is identical to Iman (Faith). The evidence for this is twofold:

1. This Verse: The statement "Indeed, the religion [accepted] by Allah is Islam" implies that the only religion acceptable to Allah is Islam. If Iman were different from Islam, then Iman would not be an acceptable religion to Allah, which is undoubtedly false.
2. The Verse of Rejection: Allah says: "And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him" (Al Imran: 85). If Iman were different from Islam, then Iman would not be an acceptable religion to Allah.

An Objection: The verse, "The desert Arabs say, 'We have believed.' Say, 'You have not believed; but say, 'We have submitted [Islam],' for faith has not yet entered your hearts'" (Al-Hujurat: 14), explicitly states that Islam is different from Iman.

Response: As established, Islam linguistically means submission. The hypocrites submitted outwardly out of fear of the sword, so Islam was established in terms of outward ruling. Iman was also established in terms of outward ruling because Allah says: "And do not marry polytheistic women until they believe" (Al-Baqarah: 221). The Iman upon which rulings can be based is the outward declaration. Therefore, Islam and Iman are sometimes considered in the outward sense and sometimes in the true, inner sense. The hypocrite achieved outward Islam but lacked inner Islam because his interior was not submissive to the religion of Allah. Thus, the meaning of the verse is: "You have not submitted in the heart and interior, but say: 'We have submitted' outwardly." And Allah knows best.

There are several issues concerning this statement:

Issue 1: Identifying Those Who Differed

The purpose of the verse is to clarify that Allah made the proofs clear and removed ambiguities, and the people only disbelieved due to negligence. There are several views on who "those who were given the Scripture" refers to:

1. The Jews: Their difference occurred after Moses (peace be upon him) appointed seventy scribes as custodians of the Torah and appointed Joshua as his successor. After generations passed, the descendants of those seventy differed concerning the Torah after knowledge had reached them, motivated by envy and rivalry for worldly gain.
2. The Christians: Their difference concerned Jesus (peace be upon him) after the knowledge came to them that he was the servant and messenger of Allah.
3. Both Jews and Christians: Their differences included the Jews saying Ezra was the son of Allah, and the Christians saying the Messiah was the son of Allah. They also denied the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him), claiming they, as People of the Book, were more deserving of prophethood than the illiterate Quraysh.

Issue 2: The Meaning of "After Knowledge Had Come to Them"

This means after the proofs had reached them—proofs which, had they reflected upon them, would have resulted in knowledge. If we interpret it strictly as "after they possessed knowledge," it implies they became obstinate, and attributing such obstinacy to the vast majority of the People of the Book (whom this verse addresses) is inappropriate.

Issue 3: The Grammatical Case of بَغْيًا (Out of Envy)

There are two views on its accusative case (nasb):

1. Al-Akhfash's View (Mفعول له - Object of Purpose): It is منصوب as an object indicating purpose, similar to saying: "I came to you seeking good and preventing evil."
2. Al-Zajjaj's View (Masdar from Meaning): It is منصوب as a verbal noun (masdar) derived from the meaning. The phrase "And those who were given the Scripture did not differ" stands in place of "And those who were given the Scripture did not act with envy." The difference between this and the Maf'ul Lahu is that the Maf'ul Lahu is the goal of the action, whereas this masdar is like the absolute object (maf'ul mutlaq) created by the actor.

Issue 4: The Relation of بَغْيًا to the Verb

1. Al-Akhfash's View: بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ (out of envy among them) is related to the verb "differed." The meaning is: "They did not differ out of envy among themselves except after knowledge had come to them, [and they differed] out of envy among themselves."
2. Others' View: The meaning is: "They did not differ except after knowledge had come to them, except for envy among them." This implies that their differing was solely due to envy. Al-Qaffal considered this second view superior because the first view might suggest they differed because of the knowledge that came to them, whereas the second view clarifies that their differing was only due to malice and envy.

This is a threat, and it has two interpretations:

1. Swift Reckoning in the Hereafter: He will swiftly arrive before Allah, who will quickly hold him to account and recompense him for his disbelief.
2. Swift Enumeration in This World: Allah will swiftly record all his deeds, sins, and types of disbelief, despite the multitude of actions.