Ali 'Imran · Madani · ayah 18 of 200

Ali 'Imran 3:18

شَهِدَ ٱللَّهُ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَأُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمِ قَآئِمًۢا بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۚ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ

“Allāh witnesses that there is no deity except Him, and [so do] the angels and those of knowledge - [that He is] maintaining [creation] in justice. There is no deity except Him, the Exalted in Might, the Wise.”

Saheeh International

Essence

Allah bears witness to His oneness, calls the angels and the people of knowledge beside Him, and invites you to add your name.

A reflection

The One who needs no testimonials

A start-up's home page carries forty logos under 'As featured in', and a rotating carousel of glowing quotes from customers. Under all of it is a small, anxious company hoping someone will believe it.

Most of us live like that page. We collect endorsements: the reference, the degree, the follower count, the friend with the right surname who will vouch for us. The ego cannot stand on its own word. It needs others to witness for it.

Shahida llāhu annahu lā ilāha illā huwa: Allah bears witness that there is no god but He. The first witness in this ayah is the One whose word needs no corroboration. One classical commentary pauses on it: Allah suffices as a witness, the most truthful of witnesses and the most just. Everything else is His creation and in need of Him, and He is free of need of all of it.

Set our anxious home pages beside that. We are endorsed for a season by people who will also die. He testifies about Himself, and the testimony is simply the truth. Pride is a creature acting as its own witness and inflating the evidence. For Allah, there is nothing to inflate.

Why would God bear witness to Himself? Is it vanity? Vanity is claiming more than is true in order to be admired. Allah is the truth, and He needs no admirer; 'Allah is free of need, praiseworthy' (14:8). His testimony is given so that we know where reality stands.

So the ego can stop collecting logos. The question is not who will vouch for you. It is whether you will stand with the One whose witness is enough.

The full entry has 5 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.