Commentary on the Quran (Chapter 3:83-84)

Commentary on the Quran (Chapter 3:83-84)

By: Mohammad Sobhanie

Islam, the Divine Religion

بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

أَفَغَيْرَ دِينِ اللَّهِ يَبْغُونَ وَلَهُ أَسْلَمَ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا وَإِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُونَ ‎﴿٨٣﴾‏ قُلْ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالْأَسْبَاطِ وَمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَالنَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ ‎﴿٨٤﴾‏ وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ ‎﴿٨٥﴾‏

3:83 So is it other than the religion of Allah (SWT) they desire, while to God have submitted (all) those within the heavens and earth, willingly or by compulsion, and to God they will be returned?

3:84 Say: “We have believed in Allah (SWT) and in what was revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Descendants, and in what was given to Moses and Jesus and to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims (submitting) to God.”

3:85 And whoever desires other than Islam as religion – never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.

Commentary: Verses 3:83-84 start with the question: “Is there any religion other than the religion of Allah (SWT) that the People of the Book desire?” This question encourages us to truly reflect on the religion of Allah (SWT).

Islam, referred to as “the Religion of God,”[1] is a faith that transcends the boundaries of time and space. Islam is defined as submission to God’s will and command, and a Muslim is a person who has accepted submission to the Will of God. In this context, the Verses declare that everything in nature is Muslim. This is explained in the following paragraphs:

All creations must follow their governing laws without exception. For example, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west; it cannot reverse its course by rising in the west and setting in the east.

In Surah Yasin, the Quran indicates that the moon completes a cycle every month (through its waxing and waning phases). At the same time, the sun takes an entire year to complete its cycle, resulting in the different seasons: Spring, summer, fall, and winter. The sun cannot complete its cycle in one month, just as the moon cannot complete its cycle in one year. Verse 36:40 of Surah Yasin states:

لَا الشَّمْسُ يَنبَغِي لَهَا أَن تُدْرِكَ الْقَمَرَ وَلَا اللَّيْلُ سَابِقُ النَّهَارِ ۚ وَكُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ ‎﴿٤٠﴾‏

36:40 It is not for the sun to catch up with the moon,¹ nor does the night outrun the day. Each is travelling in an orbit of their own.

With the definition for Muslim, the sun and the moon can be seen as “Muslim,” meaning it submits to the will of Allah (SWT).

Allah (SWT) revealed His commands to human beings through His messengers. Those who followed the Shariah (religious law) of the Prophet of their time are Muslims, and those who defied it acted against the will of Allah (SWT).

For example, Allah (SWT) sent Prophet Musa (AS) to the Children of Israel. Those among the Children of Israel who followed Prophet Musa (AS) were considered Muslims. When Prophet Isa (AS) arrived, it was God’s will for the Children of Israel to follow him. Consequently, the followers of Prophet Isa (AS) were regarded as Muslims, while those Israelites who did not follow him opposed God’s Will.

The teachings of Prophet Isa (AS) centered on two main points: 1) The affirmation of the Torah, the revitalization of the Law of Musa (AS), and the reform of the Children of Israel based on the principles found in the Torah, [2] and 2) the announcement of the impending arrival of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). [3]

God conveyed Divine Will to humanity through the arrival of the Prophet of Islam (PBUH). Therefore, Muslims are those who follow him. The People of the Book who rejected the Prophet (PBUH) not only disobeyed God’s Command but also ignored the glad tidings that Prophet Isa shared about the coming of the Prophet of Islam (PBUH).

Verses 3:83 reads: “Is it other than the religion of Allah (SWT) they (People of the Book) desire (أَفَغَيْرَ دِينِ اللَّهِ يَبْغُونَ)?”  While they know that they are returned to God on the Day of Judgment (وَإِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُونَ).  “To God have submitted (all) those within the heavens and earth, (وَلَهُ أَسْلَمَ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ), either voluntarily (طَوْعًا) or involuntarily (وَكَرْهًا).

In Verse 3:84, God instructs the Prophet (PBUH) to inform the People of the Book that he and his followers believe in Allah (SWT) (قُلْ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ), as well as in what has been revealed to them (وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا) and the teachings of all the preceding prophets and messengers such as Prophet Ibrahim (AS), Ismail (AS) and Ishaq (AS) and Yaqoub (AS), Musa (AS), and Isa (AS). The Verse states:

قُلْ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالْأَسْبَاطِ وَمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَالنَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ ‎﴿٨٤﴾‏

3:84 Say: “We have believed in Allah (SWT) and in what was revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Descendants, and in what was given to Moses and Jesus and to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims (submitting) to God.”

The Verse concludes that Divine Messengers came to steer their nations to truth and prosperity. Hence, we make no distinction between any of them – they are Allah’s (SWT) messengers (لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ); and we are Muslims (submitting) to God (وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ).

Verse 3:85, as a general conclusion, states: “whoever desires other than Islam as religion (وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا) – never will it be accepted from him (فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ), and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers (وَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ).”

The religion of Islam versus Sharia of Islam: In the commentary of Verse 3:67, I stated that all prophets submitted to the Will of Allah (SWT). Hence, they are referred to as Muslims. However, each followed the Sharia that was revealed to them. The Sharia of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) differed from that of Prophet Musa (AS) and Prophet Isa (AS).

If one were to claim that Prophet Ibrahim (AS) was a Christian, it would imply that he followed the Sharia of Prophet Isa (AS), which is incorrect. The same argument applies to the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), a Muslim who followed the Sharia revealed to him.

Divine Commands: God has established two types of commands in the universe. The first consists of a series of natural and supernatural laws that govern the various beings in this world. All creations of Allah (SWT) are compelled to obey these laws and cannot disobey them, even for a moment. If they do, they risk destruction and annihilation.

Natural laws represent one form of submission to God’s Command. For example, the sun’s rays shine on the seas, causing water vapor to rise from the ocean. This vapor forms clouds, eventually producing raindrops falling to the ground, nourishing the growing trees.

All these elements can be seen as ‘Muslims’ in the sense that they each submit to the laws of their creation. Another example is the sun that rises in the east and sets in the west. The sun cannot alter its course; it will always rise in the east and set in the west.

The other type of God’s Commandment is known as the legislative command. This class of law includes Divine Laws and the teachings of the prophets. Believers willingly submit to and obey these laws, understanding that disobedience can lead to serious consequences in this world and the Hereafter.

[1] Aal-e-Imran, 3:19 (إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللَّهِ الْإِسْلَامُ)

[2] Aal-e-Imran, 3:50-52

[3] As-Saff, 61:6 (وَمُبَشِّرًا بِرَسُولٍ يَأْتِي مِن بَعْدِي اسْمُهُ أَحْمَدُ)