Tafsir

Allah said, if they, the disbelievers among the People of the Book and other disbelievers, believe in all of Allah's Books and Messengers and do not differentiate between any of them, فَقَدِ اهْتَدَواْ(then they are rightly guided) meaning, they would acquire the truth and be directed to it. وَإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ(but if they turn away) from truth to falsehood after proof had been presented to them, فَإِنَّمَا هُمْ فِى شِقَاقٍ فَسَيَكْفِيكَهُمُ اللَّهُ(then they are only in opposition. So Allah will suffice you against them) meaning, Allah will aid the believers against them, وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ(And He is the Hearer, the Knower). Allah said, صِبْغَةَ اللَّهِ(The Sibghah of Allah). Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn `Abbas commented, "The religion of Allah." This Tafsir was also reported of Mujahid, Abu Al-`Aliyah, `Ikrimah, Ibrahim, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, `Abdullah bin Kathir, `Atiyah Al-`Awfi, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, As-Suddi and other scholars. The Ayah, فِطْرَةَ اللَّهِ(Allah's Fitrah (i.e. Allah's Islamic Monotheism)) (30:30) directs Muslims to, "Hold to it."

The Colour of Allah

Verse 138 delineates Islam as the "colouring of Allah", and explains this "colouring" as the unalloyed worship of Allah and total submission to Him. Verse 135 has identified Islam with "the religion of Ibrahim." If we put Verse 135 and 138 together, it becomes clear that essentially Islam - or any authentic religion, for that matter – is the religion of Allah, and that the association of a religion with the name of a prophet can only be symbolised.

Verse 138 presents religion as "colouring" صبغہ (Sibghah). The expression carries within itself several levels of meaning. But the immediate allusion is to a certain ceremony of the Christians. On the seventh day of its birth, they used to bathe an infant in coloured (probably yellow) water, which was supposed to be a substitute for circumcision, and a sufficient guarantee for the external and internal purification of the infant - the fast and indelible "colouring" of Christian faith, so to say. The verse suggests that this colour is wasted away with the water, without leaving a trace outside or inside, nor does this kind of baptism serve the purpose of circumcision and cleanse a man of physical impurity. And the verse declares that the only colouring worth the name is the colouring of a genuine and unabrogated religion - that is, Islam اسلام۔ the only colouring which can guarantee physical and spiritual purification, and the only one which shall remain. Then, the word Sibghah صِبْغَةَ or "colouring" has a deeper meaning too.

Just as a certain colour is openly and clearly visible to the beholder, the signs of genuine and pure 'Iman ایمان should shine through the face, the movements, the habits and the behaviour of a Muslim. In this sense, the verse is a commandment, asking Muslims "to dye" themselves in the "colouring of Allah", outwardly and inwardly by offering unalloyed worship to Him alone, by submitting themselves totally to His commandments, and by gladly accepting His will.

الزموا دين الله الذي فطركم عليه، فليس هناك أحسنُ مِن فطرة الله التي فطر الناس عليها، فالزموها وقولوا نحن خاضعون مطيعون لربنا في اتباعنا ملَّة إبراهيم.

وقوله : ( صبغة الله ) قال الضحاك ، عن ابن عباس : دين الله . وكذا روي عن مجاهد ، وأبي العالية ، وعكرمة ، وإبراهيم ، والحسن ، وقتادة ، والضحاك ، وعبد الله بن كثير ، وعطية العوفي ، والربيع بن أنس ، والسدي ، نحو ذلك .وانتصاب ( صبغة الله ) إما على الإغراء كقوله ( فطرة الله ) [ الروم : 30 ] أي : الزموا ذلك عليكموه . وقال بعضهم : بدل من قوله : ( ملة إبراهيم ) وقال سيبويه : هو مصدر مؤكد انتصب عن قوله : ( آمنا بالله ) كقوله ) واعبدوا الله ) [ النساء : 36 ] .وقد ورد في حديث رواه ابن أبي حاتم وابن مردويه ، من رواية أشعث بن إسحاق عن جعفر بن أبي المغيرة عن سعيد بن جبير ، عن ابن عباس أن نبي الله قال : " إن بني إسرائيل قالوا : يا موسى ، هل يصبغ ربك ؟ فقال : اتقوا الله . فناداه ربه : يا موسى ، سألوك هل يصبغ ربك ؟ فقل : نعم ، أنا أصبغ الألوان : الأحمر والأبيض والأسود ، والألوان كلها من صبغي " . وأنزل الله على نبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم : ( صبغة الله ومن أحسن من الله صبغة ) .كذا وقع في رواية ابن مردويه مرفوعا ، وهو في رواية ابن أبي حاتم موقوف ، وهو أشبه ، إن صح إسناده ، والله أعلم .