Verses 1–8
Chapter 98: Al-Bayyinah (The Clear Proof) · Printed edition: Volume 40, from p. 291
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful
This sūrah was revealed in Medina and consists of 8 verses. It establishes the Prophet’s mission to the People of the Book and the polytheists. In other words, he was sent to both the followers of previous religions, and others. This effectively means a universal message for humanity at large. This is an expression of God’s custom to guide all humankind, as reflected in verses like: We have guided him to the path, whether he be grateful or ungrateful (); and there is not a people but a warner has gone among them. ().
This chapter proves the Prophet’s universal message by stating that it consists of the beliefs and actions which are necessary for the development of humankind. We shall see this below, by God’s will.
The sūrah could be either Meccan or Medinan, although it best resembles the Medinan chapters.
Commentary
لَمْ يَكُنِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ مُنفَكِّينَ حَتَّى تَأْتِيَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَةُ ١
(98:1) Those who disbelieved from among (min) the People of the Book and the polytheists were not to be let loose (munfakkīn from infikāk) until the clear evidence would come to them:
The theme of these verses is to argue against the People of the Book and the polytheists who rejected the call to Islam, and the People of the Book who fell into disarray. Given this context, the first verse is presenting the Prophet as a clear proof established for humanity. Establishing this proof is according to God’s everlasting custom among His servants. Divine custom necessitates: (1) sending a clear evidence [indicated in verse ]; and (2) sending this evidence before the people split into different faiths [indicated in verse ].
Therefore, Those who disbelieved refers to those who rejected the Prophet’s call to Islam, among both the People of the Book and the polytheists. The preposition min (from, of) is partitive, not descriptive. The contradistinction between the People of the Book and the polytheists—indicated by the conjunction “and”—shows that the latter includes all people other than the People of the Book, such as those who worshiped idols, and so forth.
Infikāk, which means “separation after being strongly attached.” Given the latter part of the verse—until the clear evidence would come to them—what is meant is being no longer liable to the divine custom of providing guidance and clarification to everyone. It is as though they were tightly held by the divine custom until clear evidence had come to them, at which point the divine custom released them to act as they will. This is according to the verse: It is not for Allah to lead a people astray after guiding them until clear guidance had come to them regarding what they should be wary of ().
… until the clear evidence (al-bayyinah) would come to them: This statement apparently describes a future event [compared to the previous part of the verse]. Bayyinah (clear evidence, manifest sign) is the outer proof. The meaning is: “Those who rejected—the Prophet’s mission, his message, or the Qur’an—were not going to be released and given a leash until after the clear evidence came to them. And that clear evidence is Muḥammad.”
There is a staggering variety of opinions among exegetes regarding the interpretation of this verse and its words, to the point that one of them has said, “This is among the most difficult verse of the Qur’an in terms of composition and meaning.” Our interpretation above is in accord with the theme and context of the chapter, and does not necessitate any inconsistency between the verses, nor any contradiction between the various sentences and words. Whoever wishes to learn more about the exegetical controversy around this verse should consult the extensive books of tafsīr.
رَسُولٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ يَتْلُو صُحُفًا مُّطَهَّرَةً ٢
(98:2) a messenger from Allah reciting pure scriptures (ṣuḥuf),
This verse and the next one interpret the clear evidence (). The context is quite clear that the messenger from God is Muḥammad. Ṣuḥuf is the plural of ṣaḥīfah, which is used for “things that are written on.” Here, it refers to the partial revelations of the Qur’an. Ṣuḥuf is used repeatedly in the Qur’an to refer to the revealed books, including the Qur’an: In honored scriptures (ṣuḥuf), exalted and purified, in the hands of envoys, noble and pious ()
The scriptures are called pure to indicate that they are not defiled by any mix of falsehood or by the touch of demons. God repeatedly points out that the Qur’an is a word of truth which is guarded from the meddling of devils: None touch it save the purified ().
فِيهَا كُتُبٌ قَيِّمَةٌ ٣
(98:3) wherein are upright (qayyimah) writings (kutub).
Kutub is the plural of kitāb, meaning “something written” (maktūb). There are several usages for the term: (1) tablets, paper, and anything with words engraved on it; (2) the words which are inscribed; (3) the meaning conveyed by the words; (4) judgments and decrees. For instance, it is said that something is “written upon” (kutiba ʿalá) someone when it is ordained that they must do it. God says: Prescribed for you (kutiba ʿalaykum) is fasting (); Warfare has been prescribed for you (kutiba ʿalaykum) ().
The verse talks about writings that are in the scriptures (). Therefore, what is meant by writings is divine teachings and ordinances regarding beliefs and acts. This is why the word is used with the adjective qayyimah (upright, upholding), because upholding a thing means to protect it, look after its well-being, and ensure its happiness. God says: He has commanded you to serve none except Him. That is the upright religion (). Certainly the revealed scriptures look after human society and protect its well-being through their decrees and ordinances concerning beliefs and actions.
The meaning of these two verses [] is: “The clear evidence that has come is a messenger from God, who is reciting the revealed scriptures that are purified from the defilement of falsehood. In these scriptures are ordinances and decrees which protect human society and looks after its well-being.”
وَمَا تَفَرَّقَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ إِلاَّ مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَةُ ٤
(98:4) And those who were given the Book did not divide, except after the clear evidence had come to them.
The first verse—Those who disbelieved from among the People of the Book… ()—refers to their rejection of the Prophet and his book which contained the true call. This verse refers to their internal disagreements prior to the advent of Islam. This is mentioned in various places in the Qur’an, such as: and those who were given the Book did not differ except after knowledge had come to them, out of envy among themselves ().
… except after the clear evidence had come to them: This refers to the divine message which was clarified to them by their books and prophets. The Qur’an says: When Jesus brought the manifest proofs, he said, “I have certainly brought you wisdom, and [I have come] to make clear to you some of the things that you differ about. So be wary of Allah and obey me. Indeed Allah is my Lord and your Lord; so worship Him. This is a straight path.” But the factions differed among themselves ().
Objection: Why should the verse highlight the sectarian splits among the People of the Book? If some split is to be pointed out, should it not be the divergence of the polytheists from the religion of monotheism and their rejection of the divine messengers?
Response: It is not far-fetched to say that the verse’s expression—those who were given the Book did not divide—also includes the polytheists. This is based on a subtle difference between this verse and the first verse. The first verse mentions “the People of the Book” (ahl al-kitāb), which, in the Qur’anic nomenclature, is used for Jews and Christians, and perhaps also Sabeans and Zoroastrians. But this verse uses the phrase “those who were given the Book” (alladhīna ūtū al-kitāb). God has clarified that He sent down the Book—meaning a divine code for governing worldly disputes—to all people as soon as their differences set in. But once the truth was made clear to the nations and they no longer had any excuse, they started differing in God’s religion. Hence, all humanity received a book from God; then they fell into disagreement. Some forgot what they were given; others distorted it; and others maintained it and believed in it. God says: Humankind were a single community; then Allah sent the prophets as bearers of good news and as warners, and He sent down with them the Book with the truth, that it may judge between the people concerning that about which they differed, and none differed in it except those who had been given it, after the manifest proofs had come to them, out of envy among themselves (). The reader should refer to our discussion on this verse.
Another similar verse is: These are the messengers, some whom We favored with greater excellence above others… and had Allah willed, those who came after them would not have fought after the clear evidence had come to them. But they disagreed, so some of them believed, and some of them disbelieved ().
In short, those who were given the Book is more general than the People of the Book. Therefore, the verse encompasses the polytheists as well as the People of the Book.
وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلاَّ لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَاء وَيُقِيمُوا الصَّلاةَ وَيُؤْتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَذَلِكَ دِينُ الْقَيِّمَةِ ٥
(98:5) Yet they were not commanded except to worship Allah, dedicating their faith to Him as men of pure faith (ḥunafāʾ), and to maintain the prayer and pay the zakāt. That is the upright religion.
The pronoun “they” refers to Those who disbelieved from among the People of the Book and the polytheists (). The meaning is: “The mission of God’s Messenger and the upright decrees in the revealed scripture only consisted of the command to serve God, on the condition of being sincere in their religion and not associating anything with Him.”
Ḥunafāʾ describes the condition of the subject of the sentence (called ḥāl). It is the plural of ḥanīf, which is derived from ḥanaf. Ḥanaf means “to incline away from the two extremes of doing too much and too little, to the balanced center.” God has called Islam the ḥanīf (upright) way because, in all matters, it calls to moderation and guarding against excess or negligence.
… and to maintain the prayer and pay the zakāt…: The prayer and the zakāt (poor-rate, prescribed religious tax) are pillars of Islam, where one orients oneself in worship toward God specifically, and gives away one’s wealth for the sake of God. This is a case of stating the specific after the general, or the part after the whole, in order to show emphasis and importance.
… That is the upright religion: What is meant here, according to exegetes, is “the religion of the upright scriptures.” And there are two possible interpretations for upright scriptures: (1) It refers to all revealed books, starting from Noah’s onwards. The meaning would be: “What they were called to by the Prophet Muḥammad is the same religion that was put on their shoulders in the upright scriptures of all times. It is not a new innovation, for God’s religion is one. They must follow it since it is upright.” (2) It refers to the upright teachings and rulings in purified scriptures, recited to them by the Prophet []. The meaning would be: “The Islamic message to which they were called to only commanded them to ordinances and rulings that would protect the well-being of human society. Hence, they have no alternative but to believe in it and follow it.”
In any case, the verse refers to the religion of divine monotheism, which is contained within the Qur’an, confirming what was before it of the Book and as a guardian over it (). It enjoins what is upright for human society and what will promote their true interests in life. God has stated this most articulately in the verse: So set your heart on the religion as a people of pure faith, the origination of Allah according to which He originated humankind. There is no altering Allah’s creation. That is the upright religion ().
This verse completes the chapter’s objective of establishing the universal message of the Prophet. The first verse—Those who disbelieved from among the People of the Book and the polytheists… ()—refers to the divine custom of guidance, which necessitates the completion of proof against the disbelievers, and leaving them without any excuse. This equally applies to the People of the Book, as well as the polytheists. The clear evidence in question here [that is, Prophet Muḥammad] came to only some of the people, but God’s general principle of guidance necessarily applies to everyone. Hence, if it is applicable to some people, it is also applicable to others.
The next verse—a messenger from Allah… ()—indicates that this clear evidence is Muḥammad. The verse, And those who were given the Book did not divide… () further clarifies that even before the advent of Islam, they had received clear evidence, yet they disagreed and disbelieved. Finally, the current verse—Yet they were not commanded except to worship Allah… ()—shows that what they were called to and commanded to follow was the upright religion that promotes the well-being of society. Therefore, it is incumbent on them to believe in it and not reject it.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أُوْلَئِكَ هُمْ شَرُّ الْبَرِيَّةِ ٦
(98:6) Indeed the faithless from among the People of the Book and the polytheists will be in the fire of hell, to remain in it [forever]. It is they who are the worst of creatures (al-bariyyah).
The previous verses clarified a few points: (1) God’s custom of divine guidance necessitates sending a clear evidence to the people. (2) This clear evidence ordered them to follow the upright religion. (3) Despite receiving this clear evidence, they rejected it. Thus this verse and the ones after it embark on giving warnings and glad tidings to the disbelievers and the believers, respectively. Bariyyah is synonymous with khalq (creation, creatures, people). The meaning of the verse should be clear.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ أُوْلَئِكَ هُمْ خَيْرُ الْبَرِيَّةِ ٧
(98:7) Indeed those who believe and do righteous deeds—it is they who are the best of creatures.
This verse confines goodness to believers who act righteously, just as the previous verse confines evil to the disbelievers.
جَزَاؤُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّاتُ عَدْنٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا رَّضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ خَشِيَ رَبَّهُ ٨
(98:8) Their reward, near their Lord, is the Gardens of Eden (ʿadn), with streams running in them, to remain in them forever. Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. That is for those who fear their Lord.
ʿAdn means “stability, establishment, permanence.” Therefore, Gardens of Eden are eternal and everlasting gardens.
… to remain in them forever…: This phrase emphasizes the meaning of ʿadn.
… Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him…: God’s pleasure is one of His attributes of action. It manifests in the form of the reward which He gives to these people for their faith and righteous deeds.
… That is for those who fear their Lord: This a trademark that assures eternal happiness. God says: Only those of Allah’s servants having knowledge fear Him (). Knowing God leads to holding Him in awe, which leads to having faith in Him, which means: (1) subscribing to God as one’s lord and object of worship; (2) performing righteous deeds.
Commentators have differed widely on their interpretations of the terms in these verses. They have offered myriad views that are not worth presenting here. Whoever wishes to learn more about their discussions should consult the extensive books of tafsīr.
Examining Narrations
- Imam al-Bāqir said: The clear evidence (, ) is Muḥammad, God’s Messenger.
- ʿĀʾishah said: Once I asked, “Messenger of God, who are the worthiest of people to God?”
He said, “ʿĀʾishah, have you not read: Indeed those who believe and do righteous deeds—it is they who are the best of creatures ()?”
- Jābir b. ʿAbd-Allāh said: Once we were with the Prophet, when ʿAlī came in. The Prophet said, “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, he and his followers (lit. shīʿah) will be the successful on the Day of Resurrection.” Then it was revealed: Indeed those who believe and do righteous deeds—it is they who are the best of creatures (). Then whenever ʿAlī came by, the Companions of the Prophet would say, ‘The best of creation has come.’”
- Imam ʿAlī said: The Messenger of God told me while leaning on my chest, “ʿAlī! Haven’t you heard the words of God, Indeed those who believe and do righteous deeds—it is they who are the best of creatures ()? They are your followers. Our rendezvous shall be al-ḥawḍ (the Prophet’s Fountain on the Day of Judgment). When all nations are gathered for reckoning, you [plural] will be summoned with bright radiating faces.”
- Regarding it is they who are the best of creatures () Ibn ʿAbbās said: This was revealed about ʿAlī and his household.
That is, the verse does not imply that all People of the People have disbelieved, but some of them. (Ed.) ↩︎
See volume 3, pp. 147ff of the English translation. (Ed.) ↩︎
See volume 4, pp. 117-119 of the English translation. (Ed.) ↩︎
See verse and the threefold division of people in Chapter 56 (al-Wāqiʿah) for both the merits and the limits of the middle path. (Ed.) ↩︎
Tafsīr al-Qummī, on the authority of Abū al-Jārūd. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Mardawayh. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAsākir. The same idea is also narrated in the following sources: (1) From Ibn ʿAbbās, in al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAdī. (2) From ʿAlī, in al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Mardawayh. (2) From ʿAlī, in Tafsīr al-burhān, on the authority of Muwaffaq b. Aḥmad’s al-Manāqib, on the authority of ʿAlī’s scribe: Yazīd b. Sharāḥīl al-Anṣārī. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān, on the authority of al-Ḥākim’s Shawāhid al-tanzīl, on the authority of Yazīd b. Sharāḥīl. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān, on the authority Muqātil b. Sulaymān, on the authority of al-Ḍaḥḥāk. ↩︎