Verses 67–78
لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ جَعَلْنَا مَنْسَكًا هُمْ نَاسِكُوهُ ۖ فَلَا يُنَازِعُنَّكَ فِي الْأَمْرِ ۚ وَادْعُ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ ۖ إِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ هُدًى مُسْتَقِيمٍ ٦٧ وَإِنْ جَادَلُوكَ فَقُلِ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ ٦٨ اللَّهُ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فِيمَا كُنْتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ ٦٩ أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۗ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ فِي كِتَابٍ ۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ ٧٠ وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ سُلْطَانًا وَمَا لَيْسَ لَهُمْ بِهِ عِلْمٌ ۗ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ نَصِيرٍ ٧١ وَإِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُنَا بَيِّنَاتٍ تَعْرِفُ فِي وُجُوهِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا الْمُنْكَرَ ۖ يَكَادُونَ يَسْطُونَ بِالَّذِينَ يَتْلُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِنَا ۗ قُلْ أَفَأُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِشَرٍّ مِنْ ذَٰلِكُمُۗ النَّارُ وَعَدَهَا اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ۖ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ ٧٢ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ ضُرِبَ مَثَلٌ فَاسْتَمِعُوا لَهُ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ لَنْ يَخْلُقُوا ذُبَابًا وَلَوِ اجْتَمَعُوا لَهُ ۖ وَإِنْ يَسْلُبْهُمُ الذُّبَابُ شَيْئًا لَا يَسْتَنْقِذُوهُ مِنْهُ ۚ ضَعُفَ الطَّالِبُ وَالْمَطْلُوبُ ٧٣ مَا قَدَرُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ ٧٤ اللَّهُ يَصْطَفِي مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ رُسُلًا وَمِنَ النَّاسِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ ٧٥ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۗ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الْأُمُورُ ٧٦ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ارْكَعُوا وَاسْجُدُوا وَاعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمْ وَافْعَلُوا الْخَيْرَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ۩ ٧٧ وَجَاهِدُوا فِي اللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِ ۚ هُوَ اجْتَبَاكُمْ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ ۚ مِلَّةَ أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ۚ هُوَ سَمَّاكُمُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَفِي هَٰذَا لِيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ شَهِيدًا عَلَيْكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ فَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِاللَّهِ هُوَ مَوْلَاكُمْ ۖ فَنِعْمَ الْمَوْلَىٰ وَنِعْمَ النَّصِيرُ ٧٨
- To every nation We appointed an act of devotion which they observe, therefore they should not dispute with you about the matter and call to your Lord; most surely you are on a right way.
- And if they contend with you, say: Allah best knows what you do.
- Allah will judge between you on the Day of Resurrection respecting that in which you differ.
- Do you not know that Allah knows what is in the heaven and the earth? Surely this is in a book; surely this is easy for Allah.
- And they serve besides Allah that for which He has not sent any authority, and that of which they have no knowledge; and for the unjust there shall be no helper.
- And when Our clear signs are recited to them you will find denial on the faces of those who disbelieve; they almost spring upon those who recite to them Our signs. Say: Shall I inform you of what is worse than this? The fire; Allah has promised it to those who disbelieve; and how evil the resort!
- O people! A parable is set forth, therefore listen to it: surely those whom you call upon besides Allah cannot create a fly, though they should all gather for it, and should the fly snatch away anything from them, they could not take it back from it; weak are the seeker and the sought.
- They have not estimated Allah with the estimation that i due to Him; most surely Allah is Strong, Mighty.
- Allah chooses messengers from among the angels and from among the people; surely Allah is Hearing, Seeing.
- He knows what is before them and what is behind them and to Allah are all affairs returned.
- O you who believe! Bow down and prostrate yourselves and serve your Lord, and do good that you may succeed.
- And strive hard in (the way of) Allah, (such) a striving as is due to Him; He has chosen you and has not laid upon you any hardship in religion; the faith of your father Abraham; He named you Muslims before and in this, that the Messenger may be a bearer of witness to you, and you may be bearers of witness to the people; therefore keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate and hold fast by Allah; He is your Guardian; how excellent the Guardian and how excellent the Helper!
Introduction
These verses order the Prophet to propagate his message and discuss a few points about the truthfulness of this call and the falsehood of polytheism. They then charge the believers with a summary of religion, which consists of worshiping God and doing good. Finally, they finish by ordering the believers to fight in God’s way as He deserves, and that marks the end of this chapter.
Commentary
لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ جَعَلْنَا مَنْسَكًا هُمْ نَاسِكُوهُ ۖ فَلَا يُنَازِعُنَّكَ فِي الْأَمْرِ ۚ وَادْعُ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ ۖ إِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ هُدًى مُسْتَقِيمٍ ٦٧
(22:67) To every nation We appointed an act of devotion (mansakan) which they observe (nāsikūhu), therefore they should not dispute with you about the matter and call to your Lord; most surely you are on a straight guidance.
Mansak here means nusuk (to worship). Some exegetes have interpreted it as a noun of place (ism makān) [meaning “place of worship”], but it is meant as a verbal noun (maṣdar) here because the verse refers to it as something that is performed and observed: nāsikūhu [from the same root, meaning “they perform that worship”].
“Every nation” means one nation after another throughout history, until the last nation [that is, Islam]. It does not refer to the different nations and races at the time of the Prophet—like the Arabs, the Persians and the Romans—because the Prophet’s message was universal and his religion was for all nations at his time.
… therefore they should not dispute with you about the matter: This sentence forbids those who do not believe in the Prophet’s call from disputing with him over the acts of worship that he brought. Now, forbidding someone who does not accept or acknowledge the authority of the commander is pointless. However, this prohibition is applicable to them even though they did not believe in the Prophet’s message and had no regard for the commands and prohibitions that the Prophet brought. This is because the prohibition is based on a rational argument given at the beginning of the verse; hence it is not pointless or ineffective.
Apparently this verse concerns the reaction of some non-Muslims (from the People of the Book or the polytheists) to certain Islamic rituals that had no precedent or equivalent in previous religions such as Judaism. They disputed with the Prophet concerning these rituals and said: “Where have these come from? Why was there nothing like them in the previous codes of law? If this were a prophetic legislation, then the followers of the previous prophets would recognize it.”
The verse is saying that every nation had certain acts of devotion and worship that they observed. But these were not transmitted to the next nation because God would replace them with a set of rituals that was better and more suitable for the new nation due to their higher level of thought and their capacity for something more perfect and complete. Since the rituals of the previous nations were abrogated for the later nations, they should not dispute with the Prophet for bringing rituals that differ from those of the previous nations.
Saying that “they should not dispute with you” is equivalent to comforting the Prophet and telling him to remain in good spirit and not mind their criticism. Thus God continues by telling him: and call to your Lord. It is as if the Prophet was told: Relax! Care not for their disputes! Instead, busy yourself with what you have been ordered to do, which is to call to your Lord.
This command is then justified by saying: most surely you are on a straight guidance. “Straight” is an attribute of a path, but it is mentioned as an attribute of “guidance” metaphorically, in the sense that guidance leads to the right path.
وَإِنْ جَادَلُوكَ فَقُلِ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ ٦٨
(22:68) And if they contend with you, say: Allah best knows what you do.
The last verse drew on the abrogation of laws to justify the difference between the rituals of the Prophet’s religion and those of the previous religions. Given this context, “contention” here means dispute about this difference after its justification. The verse orders the Prophet to refer them to God’s judgment, without reciprocating their disputes and engaging in debate with them.
Some exegetes have said that the clause, if they contend with you includes any contention about religion. Others have said that it means contention about offering sacrifice. These interpretations, however, are not supported by the context of these verses.
… say: Allah best knows what you do: This prepares and sets the ground for referring them to God’s judgment [in the next verse].
اللَّهُ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فِيمَا كُنْتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ ٦٩
(22:69) Allah will judge between you on the Day of Resurrection respecting that in which you differ (takhtalifūna, from ikhtilāf).
That is: God best knows about your acts, and He will judge as One Who knows the fact of the matter. However, He will judge about your differences concerning the truth and your disagreements with its people only on the Day of Resurrection. Ikhtilāf and takhāluf are synonymous(meaning: to differ with one another), just like istibāq and tasābuq (meaning: to race with one another).
أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۗ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ فِي كِتَابٍ ۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ ٧٠
(22:70) Do you not know that Allah knows what is in the heaven and the earth? Surely this is in a book; surely this is easy for Allah.
This verse proves and justifies God’s knowledge about the actions of the people [stated in verse ]. The implied argument is: (1) Anything that you do is a part of what is in the heaven and the earth. (2) God knows everything that “is in the heaven and the earth.” (3) Therefore: Allah best knows what you do ().
… Surely this is in a book: This emphasizes the first part of the verse. That is, what God knows is inscribed in a book, so it is not lost, God does not forget it, and He does not make mistakes. Their actions are preserved as they are when He judges between them.
… surely this is easy for Allah: That is, inscribing what He knows in a preserved book is an easy task for God.
وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ سُلْطَانًا وَمَا لَيْسَ لَهُمْ بِهِ عِلْمٌ ۗ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ نَصِيرٍ ٧١
(22:71) And they serve besides Allah that for which (bihi) He has not sent any authority (sulṭānan), and that of which they have no knowledge; and for the unjust there shall be no helper.
The particle bihi here literally means “with” (maʿa). Sulṭān means “proof, argument.” The meaning is: The polytheists have no evidence to justify their practice of associating partners with God and worshiping other gods because: (1) God has not sent any proof to approve their gods; and (2) they have no knowledge of their truth.
In addition to talking about an authority or proof sent by God, the verse also talks about the people’s knowledge: that for which He has not sent any authority, and that of which they have no knowledge. This is because there are certain things that people know without any proof or argument, such as self-evident propositions.
Some exegetes have interpreted the “sending of authority” as transmitted arguments that one hears and adopts from another source, and “having knowledge” as rational and intellectual arguments. The meaning would be: “They worship besides God things that are not supported by any argument either from the religion or from the intellect.” However, there is no evidence for this interpretation. Moreover, “sending authority” is something general: it includes both the sending of revelations upon a prophet and the sending of rational arguments upon hearts.
… and for the unjust there shall be no helper: This is a warning and threat to the polytheists. It says that they have no helper who can help them and keep them away from God’s chastisement.
However, this sentence should be interpreted in line with the theme of the verse, which is the polytheists not having any proof or knowledge for their worship of idols. Therefore, “helper” (naṣīr) here means some proof or knowledge, because a proof assists one who employs it in his argument, and knowledge helps the knower. The verse’s argument is that: (1) they are unjust; (2) and for the unjust there shall be no helper [where “helper” includes proof and knowledge]; (3) therefore there is no proof or knowledge in favor of the unjust. This is one of the most elegant and subtlest of Qur’anic arguments.
وَإِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُنَا بَيِّنَاتٍ تَعْرِفُ فِي وُجُوهِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا الْمُنْكَرَ ۖ يَكَادُونَ يَسْطُونَ بِالَّذِينَ يَتْلُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِنَا ۗ قُلْ أَفَأُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِشَرٍّ مِنْ ذَٰلِكُمُ ۗ النَّارُ وَعَدَهَا اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ۖ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ ٧٢
(22:72) And when Our clear signs are recited to them you will find denial (al-munkar) on the faces of those who disbelieve; they almost spring upon (yasṭūna) those who recite to them Our signs. Say: Shall I inform you of what is worse than this? The fire; Allah has promised it to those who disbelieve; and how evil the resort!
Munkar is an infinitive, meaning inkār (to deny, to disavow, to disown).“Finding denial on one’s face” means telling the signs of denial and reluctance in one’s face. Yasṭūna is derived from saṭwah.
Majmaʿ al-bayān says: Saṭwah means displaying a scary mood and a frightening state. It is used with prepositions bāʾ and ʿalā as: saṭā, yasṭū, saṭwah. One who has been shown a frightening mood is called: masṭuwwun bihi. Saṭwah is synonymous with baṭshah (to seize, to grab).
The meaning is: When Our verses are recited to them, you can see and recognize signs of denial in the faces of those who disbelieve, even though these verses are clear and evident signs. They are almost about to attack those who read and recite Our verses to them because of the rage that has overcome them.
… Say: Shall I inform you of what is worse than this?: This builds on their denial and how they avoid listening to the Qur’an. That is, say to them: You consider this Book to be bad, you keep away from it, and you avoid hearing it. But shall I inform you of what is worse? Perhaps I shall inform you of it so that you abstain from that—if you want to abstain from anything!
… The fire; Allah has promised it to those who disbelieve; and how evil the resort: This is an exposition of the “worse thing.” It means: Worse than this [the Qur’an] is the fire. It is worse because: Allah has promised it to those who disbelieve; and how evil the resort!
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ ضُرِبَ مَثَلٌ فَاسْتَمِعُوا لَهُ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ لَنْ يَخْلُقُوا ذُبَابًا وَلَوِ اجْتَمَعُوا لَهُ ۖ وَإِنْ يَسْلُبْهُمُ الذُّبَابُ شَيْئًا لَا يَسْتَنْقِذُوهُ مِنْهُ ۚ ضَعُفَ الطَّالِبُ وَالْمَطْلُوبُ ٧٣
(22:73) O people! A parable (mathal) is set forth, therefore listen to it: surely those whom you call upon besides Allah cannot create a fly, though they should all gather for it, and should the fly snatch away anything from them, they could not take it back from it; weak are the seeker and the sought.
The verse addresses all people, with particular attention to the polytheists. A mathal (parable, example, likeness) is a description or story that resembles and illustrates something in some aspect. This could be either a real description, or an imaginary and fictional one like allegories with animal characters and talking objects. A parable is set forth in order to be pondered upon, just as a tent is raised in order to be inhabited.
The parable is: Surely those whom you call upon besides Allah cannot create a fly, though they should all gather for it, and should the fly snatch away anything from them, they could not take it back from it. It means: Let us assume that your gods decide to create a fly—which is the weakest of animals to you: they will never be able to do so! Furthermore, if a fly snatches away anything from them, they cannot take it back from it.
This parable illustrates the power of the gods that they served besides God in creating and directing the affairs. They are incapable of creating even a fly. They are unable to conduct the easiest of affairs, which is recovering what a fly has taken from them and the damage caused by it. So how can one be justified in calling upon and worshiping such gods?
… weak are the seeker (al-ṭālib) and the sought (al-maṭlūb): Given the context of the verse, al-ṭālib (the seeker, the invoker) is the idols that they worship. This is because the parable involves a hypothetical case where their gods fail at two things: (1) the attempt to create a fly; and (2) the attempt to take back what a fly snatches away from them. Al-maṭlūb (the sought, the invoked) is the fly, in the sense that its creation and the recovery of what it has taken are sought.
This sentence shows the utter weakness of their gods, because they are weaker than what the people consider to be the weakest of animals out of those that have some share of power and intelligence.
مَا قَدَرُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ ٧٤
(22:74) They have not estimated Allah with the estimation that is due to Him (qadrihi); most surely Allah is Strong, Mighty.
The qadr of something is its “size and measure.” It metaphorically refers to the due position and status of something according to its attributes and qualities. “Estimating something with the estimation that is due to it” means giving it the position that it deserves and treating it as it is worthy of. Estimating God with due estimation is to abide by what His exalted attributes necessitate, and to treat Him as He deserves. It means to take Him alone as one’s Lord, and to serve Him alone and no one else. However, the polytheists did not estimate God with the estimation that is due to Him, for they did not accept Him as their Lord and refused to worship him. Instead, they took up idols as lords besides Him and worshiped them besides Him. This is while they could see that these idols were incapable of creating even a fly, and that even a fly could render them helpless and humiliated. Thus, these idols are at the utmost degree of weakness and abasement, while God is the One Who is Strong, Mighty, and the ultimate source of creation and direction. He has created the universe and conducts all affairs.
Thus, the first part of the verse (They have not estimated Allah with the estimation that is due to Him) refers to their noncompliance with God’s Lordship, their refusal to worship Him, and their substitution of idols for Him. They assumed the idols to be their lords instead of God, and they worshiped them in fear and hope instead of Him.
The second part of the verse (most surely Allah is Strong, Mighty) justifies the previous negation [they have not estimated…]. “Strong” and “Mighty” are mentioned in an unconditional form, implying that He is absolutely Strong and Mighty. That is: His power is never mixed with any weakness, and His ʿizzah (might, honor) is never defeated or disgraced. This matches what God says elsewhere: The power is wholly Allah’s (), and: Surely all honor is for Allah (). These two names (Strong and Mighty) are specifically mentioned here because they are the opposites of two main attributes of their idols in the above parable []: weakness and humiliation. They disparaged and degraded God by making Him equal to their gods and idols, while He is the Strong God that can create anything that He wants, and the Mighty God that nothing can defeat or humiliate Him. Their gods, on the other hand,are unable to create even a fly, rather they are defeated and humiliated by one. The polytheists did not even stop at making God equal to their idols, but they went so far as giving priority and precedence to the idols over God. Thus, they chose them as their lords and worshiped them instead of God.
اللَّهُ يَصْطَفِي مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ رُسُلًا وَمِنَ النَّاسِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ ٧٥
(22:75) Allah chooses (yaṣtafī, from iṣtifāʾ) messengers from among the angels and from among the people; surely Allah is Hearing, Seeing.
Iṣtifāʾ is “to select the purest, choicest and best part of something.” Al-Rāghib says:
Iṣtifāʾ is to get the ṣafw (pure part) of something, just as ikhtiyār is to get the khayr (good part) of it, and ijtibāʾ is to get the jibāyah (accumulated part) of something.
Thus, God’s iṣtifāʾ of messengers from among the angels and men is his selection of those who are the fittest and choicest for being His emissaries.
This verse and the next one show the necessity of assigning messengers [by God] and how this is done. They also describe a necessary attribute of these messengers: infallibility. This verse is somewhat related to verse (to every nation We appointed an act of devotion which they observe) since it talks about messengership.
The verse consists of two points: (1) God has messengers from among angels and from among men. (2) Their messengership is not haphazard; they are not selected randomly. Rather, only those who are suitable for this task are chosen and appointed.
… surely Allah is Hearing, Seeing: This justifies why God sends messengers. It is because human beings, just like any other species, have a natural and inherent need for God’s guidance toward the felicity and perfection that mark the goal of their creation. Having and displaying this need for guidance is something universal in all species. One can say that displaying this need is effectively a call and request for its fulfillment, and God is Hearing and Seeing. He sees their innate need for guidance through His sight, and He hears their request for guidance through His hearing.
His hearing and sight require Him to send a messenger to them to guide them to the happiness that they have been created for, but is concealed from them. The thing is that not all people are fit to connect to the realm of transcendence, because people consist of both pure and impure, righteous and unrighteous. There are two classes of messengers:
(1) Angelic messengers who take God’s revelation from Him and impart it to the human messengers.
(2) Human messengers who receive the revelation from angelic messengers and convey it to the people.
Overall, surely Allah is Hearing, Seeing proves the necessity for the dispatch of some messengers. However, the verse also implies that these messengers must be chosen. This is explained and justified in the next verse.
يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۗ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الْأُمُورُ ٧٦
(22:76) He knows what is before them and what is behind them and to Allah are all affairs returned.
The pronoun “them” at face value refers to angelic and human messengers. The same idea has been mentioned about them in other verses, like where God quotes from the angels of revelation: And we do not descend but by the command of your Lord; to Him belongs whatever is before us and whatever is behind us and whatever is between these, and your Lord is not forgetful (). He also says: The Knower of the unseen! So He does not reveal His secrets to any,except to him whom He chooses as a messenger; for surely He makes a guard to march before him and after him,so that He may know that they have truly delivered the messages of their Lord, and He encompasses what is with them and He records the number of all things ().
As one can see, the verse talks about God’s knowledge of“what is before and behind them” in order to show that He watches over the path of revelation between Him and the people. He preserves His revelation from any distortion, alteration or corruption that may be caused by a messengers’ forgetfulness or by the devils’ temptations and machinations. God’s revelation is safe from all of these because its carriers (the messengers) are under the eyes of God. He witnesses them, knows what is before and behind them, and He is ever on the watch.
Based on the above, what is before them refers to what is between the messenger and the recipients of their message. What is before angelic messengers is what they convey to human messengers, and what is before human messengers is what they convey to the people. Likewise, what is behind them refers to what is between them and God. All of these [stages] compose a stream that flows from God toward the people.
This means that God’s revelation is under divine protection from the point where it originates from God until it reaches the people. An implication of this is that the messengers are infallible in their reception, preservation and transmission of God’s revelation to people.
… and to Allah are all affairs returned: This justifies God’s knowledge of: what is before them and what is behind them. In other words, how can any of these things be unknown to Him while He is the point of return and reference of all affairs? The “return of all affairs to God” is not something temporal so that one may imagine a period of ignorance for God before the return of affairs to Him. Instead, it means that all affairs belong to God by their being and essence. They are absolutely dependent on Him, and that is why nothing is hidden from Him. Reflect upon this.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ارْكَعُوا وَاسْجُدُوا وَاعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمْ وَافْعَلُوا الْخَيْرَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ۩ ٧٧
(22:77) O you who believe! Bow down and prostrate yourselves and serve your Lord, and do good that you may succeed.
Bow down and prostrate yourselves is equivalent to commanding, Perform the prayer (al-ṣalāh). The verse then adds: and serve your Lord, which refers to other acts of worship that have been legislated in Islam, such as pilgrimage and fasting. Thus, what remains for and do good is all other laws and rules in the shariah, since performing and attending to them involves the good of the society, the felicity of the individuals, and the [true] life of all. He says: O you who believe! Answer (the call of) Allah and His Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life (). Hence, the verse enjoins everything that has been legislated in Islam, including rituals and other laws.
وَجَاهِدُوا فِي اللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِ ۚ هُوَ اجْتَبَاكُمْ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ ۚ مِلَّةَ أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ۚ هُوَ سَمَّاكُمُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَفِي هَٰذَا لِيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ شَهِيدًا عَلَيْكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ ۚ فَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِاللَّهِ هُوَ مَوْلَاكُمْ ۖ فَنِعْمَ الْمَوْلَىٰ وَنِعْمَ النَّصِيرُ ٧٨
(22:78) And strive hard in (the way of) Allah, (such) a striving (jihād) as is due to Him; He has chosen you and has not laid upon you any hardship in religion; the faith of your father Abraham; He named you Muslims before and in this, that the Messenger may be a bearer of witness to you, and you may be bearers of witness to the people; therefore keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate and hold fast by Allah; He is your Guardian; how excellent the Guardian and how excellent the Helper!
Jihād means “exerting one’s maximum effort (juhd) and ability in order to ward off the enemy.” Its most common usage is warding off through fighting. However, sometimes the “enemy” is defined more broadly as anything that can pose danger, such as Satan who misleads humankind, or the evil-commanding soul [within every individual]. In this sense, jihad would apply to opposing one’s base desires and disobeying Satanic temptations. The Prophet referred to opposing one’s nafs (self, soul, ego) as al-jihād al-akbar (the greater or greatest struggle).
The apparent meaning of jihad in this verse is its most general and comprehensive sense, especially because it says in (the way of) Allah, which includes anything that pertains to God. This sense is confirmed by the verse: and (as for) those who strive hard for Us, We will most certainly guide them in Our ways ().
Therefore, what is meant by striving for God (or in God) is to strive and struggle only for His sake and sincerely for Him, without associating anyone else in this struggle. This is similar to being wary of God as is due to Him: Be careful of (your duty to) Allah with the care which is due to Him ().
… He has chosen you and has not laid upon you any hardship in religion; the faith of your father Abraham: This is a favor by God to the believers, because were it not for His grace, the believers could not ever reach this religion and be blessed by it on their own and through their own power. It was God Who chose them, gathered them for this religion, and made them succeed. He removed all hardship in religion from them by His grace—including laws that are difficult in and of themselves,and laws that sometimes becomes difficult in certain cases and circumstances. He has blessed them with an easy and gentle shariah which is the faith of Abraham, the upright, who submitted to his Lord.
The verse refers to Abraham as “the father of Muslims” (lit. “submitters”) because he was the first to submit to God, as God says: When his Lord said to him, “Submit,” he said: I submit myself to the Lord of the nations (). He also quotes from him, Whoever follows me, he is surely of me (), whereby Abraham ascribed his followers to himself. Elsewhere he says: And save me and my sons from worshiping idols (). Now, he would surely not pray for the polytheists, which means that what he meant by “my sons” were the Muslims [that is, those who believe in God and submit to him]. God also says: Most surely the nearest of people to Abraham are those who followed him and this Prophet and those who believe ().
… He named you Muslims before and in this: This is a second grace by God upon the believers, after the first one (He has chosen you).Therefore, the pronoun “He” refers’ to God. “Before” means before the descent of the Qur’an, and “in this” means in this Book. The fact that He has blessed them by naming them“Muslims” shows that He has accepted their islām.
… that the Messenger may be a bearer of witness to you, and you may be bearers of witness to the people: This is about witnessing the acts of people. We discussed this under verse and other similar verses.This sentence explains and justifies for what was mentioned before: He has chosen you and has not laid upon you any hardship in religion…He named you Muslims.
… therefore keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate and hold fast by Allah; He is your Guardian (mawlākum); how excellent the Guardian and how excellent the Helper: The word “therefore” (the letter fāʾ) shows that what is said here is a conclusion that is drawn from all of the above mentioned blessings of God upon the believers. That is, because He has blessed you with these things, it is incumbent upon you to keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate and hold fast by Allah in all affairs. “Prayer” and “poor-rate” represent devotional and financial rituals, respectively. “Holding fast to God” means that you should abide by all that He has commanded, and abstain from all that He has prohibited, without cutting off from Him under any circumstances. This is because He is your Guardian (mawlā), where mawlā can mean either “master” or “helper.” A servant does not have the right to disconnect from his master under any circumstances; nor can a weak person sever his relationship with his helper. In other words, He is your Guardian is the reason and justification for the previous commands (keep up prayer…).
… how excellent the Guardian and how excellent the Helper: This is a praise of God. It also consoles the believers and strengthens their hearts, for their guardian and helper is God, besides Whom there is no other guardian or helper.
Note that our interpretation of the verse—including what is meant by being chosen, islām, and so on—is what the majority of the exegetes have suggested. It is based on the notion that the verse applies to all believers and the entire Muslim nation because it starts with: O you who believe ().
However, we have clarified time and again [in this book] that the real meaning of God’s selection of a servant (ijtibāʾ) is making that servant mukhlaṣ (lit. “chosen”), meaning that the servant is entirely and exclusively for God, and no one else has any share in him. This is the attribute of only a few people and not the entire Muslim population. Likewise are the meanings of submission (islām) and holding fast to God (iʿtiṣām). Certainly what is meant by these terms here is their real meanings.
Therefore, the verse involves a sense of generalization in using these terms for the entire Muslim nation. The entire nation is described as “being chosen,” “being submitters” and “being witnesses” on the account that it includes individuals who are really characterized by these qualities. This is similar to many such descriptions of all Israelites in the Qur’an, such as: [He] made you kings (); and: We made them excel the nations ().
Examining Narrations
- Concerning verse (therefore they should not dispute with you about the matter), Jawāmiʿ al-jāmiʿ says: It has been said that Budayl b. Warqāʾ and other non-believers of Khuzāʿah [a tribe in Mecca] asked the Muslims, “Why do you eat what you have killed, but you do not eat what God has killed?” by which they meant carrion.
Author’s comment: The context of the verse does not support this narration.
- Imam al-Ṣādiq said: The people of the Quraysh used to apply musk and ambergris on the idols that were positioned around the Kaʿbah. The idol Yaghūth was in front of the door, Yaʿūq was on the right, and Nasr on the left. When they entered [the Sacred Mosque], they used to prostrate to Yaghūth, then turn while in prostration toward Yaʿūq, and then do the same toward Nasr to the left. Then they would say as their talbiyah: “Here I come, O God, here I come! Here I come; there is no partner for You except a partner that is Yours: You own him and what he owns.”
Then God sent a green fly with four wings to eat all of the musk and ambergris [on the idols]. Thus God revealed: O people! A parable is set forth, therefore listen to it… ().
- Once Imam al-Bāqir was asked about these verses: O you who believe! Bow down and prostrate yourselves and serve your Lord, and do good that you may succeed. And strive hard in (the way of) Allah, (such) a striving as is due to Him… (). He said: This verse [] is about us [Ahl al-Bayt]. We are the chosen ones, and God has not laid any ḥaraj (hardship) upon us in religion. Ḥaraj (hardship) is more severe than ḍīq (constriction). The faith of your father Abraham: this is specifically about us [Ahl al-Bayt]. He named you Muslims: God named us Muslims; “before”: in the previous scriptures; “and in this”: in the Qur’an. That the Messenger may be a bearer of witness to you, and you may be bearers of witness to the people: the Messenger of God is a witness to us that he conveyed God’s message to us. And we shall be witnesses to the people on the Day of Resurrection. We will acknowledge on the Day of Resurrection whoever acknowledges [us], and we will deny anyone who denies [us].
Author’s comment: There are numerous Shia narrations by the Imams in this regard. Our exposition of the verse should clarify what is meant by these narrations.
- Once ʿĀʾishah asked the Prophet about the meaning of ḥaraj (hardship) in the verse: [He] has not laid upon you any hardship (ḥaraj)in religion (). The Prophet said: It means ḍīq (constriction, tightness, pressure).
- Once Imam al-Ṣādiq was asked,“I slipped and broke a nail. So I have put a bandage of sheep gall bladder on my finger. Now, how should I make ablution (wuḍūʾ)?” The Imam replied, “This question and the likes of it can be inferred from the Book of God, where he says:[He] has not laid upon you any hardship in religion (). Wipe [your hand] over the bandage.”
Author’s comment: There are also other narrations that quote this verse in order to annul laws that involve hardship. Using this verse for these rulings also confirms our interpretation of the verse [that it applies to all Muslims].
- The Prophet said: There are two names that God has used to name Himself as well as my nation: (i) He is al-Salām (the Peaceable), and has named my nation al-islām (submission); and (ii) He is al-Muʾmin (the Trusty), and has named my people al-muʾminīn (the believers, the faithful).
See verse . (Trans.) ↩︎
What makes it elegant and subtle is that the verse expresses two meanings by using the word naṣīr (helper) in this context: (1) there is no person or force to help the unjust against God’s punishment; and (2) there is no proof or knowledge to help the unjust in argumentation and intellection. (Trans.) ↩︎
The verb form iftiʿāl is used when someone does an act with intention and deliberation. Iṣtifāʾ, ikhtiyār and ijtibāʾ can all be translated as “to pick and choose, to cherry-pick.” (Trans.) ↩︎
Chronologically he is the first person whom the Qur’an describes as a submitter to God. See the author’s exposition of verse , in volume 2, pp. 124ff of the English translation. ↩︎
Islām here can mean either submission or Islam. The two possible meanings would be: (1) He has accepted their act of submission; or (2) He has accepted their subscription to the religion of Islam. (Trans.) ↩︎
See volume 2, pp. 153ff of the English translation. (Trans.) ↩︎
For example, see verses , 9:9:94, , and . (Trans.) ↩︎
Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Bayyāʿ al-Anmāṭ. ↩︎
Ḥaraj and ḍīq are synonymous. The Imam’s distinction shows that God has lifted severe hardship and obstacles from the religion, which does not contradict having some difficulty and pressure. (Trans.) ↩︎
That is, “our truth and wilāyah (guardianship, authority).” (Trans.) ↩︎
Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Burayd al-ʿIjlī. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Jarīr, Ibn Mardawayh, al-Ḥākim (who has authenticated it). ↩︎
Tahdhīb al-aḥkām, via its chain of narration, on the authority of ʿAbd al-Aʿlā Mawlā Āl-i Sām. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Abī Shaybah’s al-Muṣannaf and Isḥāq b. Rāhawayh’s Musnad, on the authority of Makḥūl. ↩︎