Tafsir of Al-Hujurat 49:17

Surah Al-Hujurat (49): Verse 17

{يَمُنُّونَ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ أَسْلَمُوا ۖ قُل لَّا تَمُنُّوا عَلَيَّ إِسْلَامَكُمْ بَلِ اللَّهُ يَمُنُّ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ هَدَاكُمْ لِلْإِيمَانِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ}

The First Subtle Point:

Regarding His saying: {يَمُنُّونَ عَلَيْكَ} (They count it as a favor to you): This further clarifies the ugliness of their action. Faith (Iman) possesses two honors:

1. In relation to Allah: It involves purifying Allah from polytheism (Shirk) and affirming His uniqueness in majesty.
2. In relation to the believer: It purifies the soul from ignorance and adorns it with truth and sincerity.

They do not seek the honor related to Allah through their Islam, nor do they seek the honor for themselves. Rather, they claim favor! If they knew that it contained honor for them, they would not claim favor over it; instead, they would be grateful.

The Second Subtle Point:

His saying: {قُل لَّا تَمُنُّوا عَلَيَّ إِسْلَامَكُمْ} (Say: Do not count your Islam as a favor to Me). This implies that what they possess is merely Islam (submission), not true Iman (faith). This is why the Almighty said: {وَلَٰكِن قُولُوا أَسْلَمْنَا} (But say, "We have submitted"), and did not say: "You have not believed, but you have submitted." This is to avoid confirming their claim of Iman just as they were not confirmed in their claim of Iman.

If one asks: Why can they not be confirmed in their Islam? Islam is submission, which they exhibited in word and deed, even if belief and knowledge were absent. Is that not sufficient for their claim to be true?

We reply: Denial (of truthfulness) occurs in two ways:

1. The thing being reported does not exist at all.
2. The thing exists, but not in the manner reported.

Allah the Almighty denied them regarding their claim of Iman in the first sense—they did not believe at all. They are not confirmed in their Islam in the second sense, because their submission was due to necessity (seeking charity/spoils) and not genuine conviction.

The Third Subtle Point:

His saying: {بَلِ اللَّهُ يَمُنُّ عَلَيْكُمْ} (Rather, Allah confers favor upon you). This means: You have no favor to claim. Furthermore, you do not even balance the ledger (i.e., you are not equal to Him in obligation). Rather, the favor is upon you.

The phrase {بَلِ اللَّهُ يَمُنُّ عَلَيْكُمْ} is excellent etiquette, as He did not say, "Do not favor Me," but rather, "The favor belongs to Me, as I have clarified the straight path for you." In response to this etiquette, Allah the Almighty later says: {وَإِنَّكَ لَتَهْدِي إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ} (And indeed, you guide to a straight path) (Ash-Shura: 52).

The Fourth Subtle Point:

He did not say, "Allah favors you because you submitted," but rather, {أَنْ هَدَاكُمْ لِلْإِيمَانِ} (that He guided you to faith). This is because their Islam was misguidance (hypocrisy). Thus, the favor He conferred was guidance.

If one asks: How can He favor them with guidance to Iman when He just clarified that they did not believe?

The answer comes in three ways:

1. He did not say, "Rather, Allah favors you because He provided you with Iman," but rather, {أَنْ هَدَاكُمْ لِلْإِيمَانِ} (that He guided you to faith). Sending Messengers with clear signs is guidance.
2. Allah favors them concerning what they claim. It is as if He is saying: You claim, "We have believed." That claim itself is a blessing for you, as it saves you from the Fire. So, He guided you according to your claim.
3. The soundest view: Allah clarifies a condition immediately afterward: {إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ} (if you are truthful).

{إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ غَيْبَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ} (18)

Indeed, Allah knows the unseen [aspects] of the heavens and the earth. And Allah is Seeing of what you do.