Tafsir of Ar-Rum 30:30

Surah Ar-Rum (30): So set your face toward the religion...

Then the Almighty said: {So set your face toward the religion, inclining to truth} (30:30).

This means: Once the truth and the Oneness of God have become clear, and the polytheists have not been guided, then {so set your face toward the religion}—meaning, turn your entire being toward the religion. The self is expressed by the face, just as the Almighty said: {Everything will perish except His Face} (Al-Qasas: 88), meaning His essence with His attributes.

{Inclining to truth (ḥanīfan)} means turning away from everything other than Him. So, turn toward the religion and turn away from everything else, lest something else remain in your heart to which you might return. This is close in meaning to His saying: {And do not be among the polytheists} (Ar-Rum: 31).

Then God Almighty said: {The religion of Allah, which He has created all mankind upon}. This means adhere to the innate disposition (fitra) of Allah, which is monotheism (Tawhid), as Allah created all people upon it when He took them from the loins of Adam and asked them: {Am I not your Lord?} (Al-A'raf: 172), and they replied: "Yes."

And regarding His saying: {There is no changing the creation of Allah} (30:30), there are several interpretations:

1. Some commentators say this is a consolation for the Prophet (peace be upon him) regarding his grief that his people did not believe. It means they were created for wretchedness, and whoever is decreed wretched will not become happy.
2. Another view is that {There is no changing the creation of Allah} means that the Oneness (of God) is deeply ingrained in them, and it cannot be altered. Even if you ask them who created the heavens and the earth, they will say, "Allah." However, this innate belief is not sufficient (for salvation).
3. It is also possible to say that Allah created creation to worship Him, and they are all His servants. {There is no changing the creation of Allah} means that their state of being servants is not like a slave belonging to a human, who can be transferred to another or freed from ownership. Rather, there is no escape for creation from worship and servitude. This refutes the claims of those who say that worship is for achieving perfection, and once the servant is perfected through worship, obligation ceases. It also refutes the polytheists who say that the imperfect (i.e., humans) are not fit for the worship of God, but rather humans are servants of the stars, and the stars are servants of God. It also refutes the Christians who claim that God incarnated in Jesus, making him a god. God replies: {There is no changing the creation of Allah}; rather, they are all servants, and they cannot exit this state.

Then the Almighty said: {That is the upright religion}—the religion in which there is no crookedness—{but most of the people do not know} that this is the straight path.

{turning back to Him, and fear Him, and establish the prayer, and do not be among those who divided their religion and became sects. Every party is exultant in what they have with them} (30:31-32).