Al-Hujurat · Madani · ayah 17 of 18

Al-Hujurat 49:17

يَمُنُّونَ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ أَسْلَمُوا۟ ۖ قُل لَّا تَمُنُّوا۟ عَلَىَّ إِسْلَـٰمَكُم ۖ بَلِ ٱللَّهُ يَمُنُّ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ هَدَىٰكُمْ لِلْإِيمَـٰنِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـٰدِقِينَ

“They consider it a favor to you that they have accepted Islām. Say, "Do not consider your Islām a favor to me. Rather, Allāh has conferred favor upon you that He has guided you to the faith, if you should be truthful."”

Saheeh International

Essence

Your religion is not a favour you did for Allah or His Messenger; being guided to faith is His favour to you.

A reflection

The volunteer who kept the hours

A man has volunteered at his local mosque for six years. He sets up for Friday prayers, fixes the heating, runs the car park in Ramadan. He has also, without quite meaning to, kept count. In committee meetings he mentions the hours. When a decision goes against him, he reminds them who has done the most.

The tribesmen in this ayah did something similar on a larger scale. Yamunnūna ʿalayka an aslamū: they count it as a favour to you that they accepted Islam. The reports say they reminded the Prophet ﷺ that they had come with their families and goods. They had not fought him, they said, as other tribes had. They wanted that recognised.

The reply turns the whole account around. Bali Allāhu yamunnu ʿalaykum an hadākum lil-īmān: rather, Allah confers a favour on you, in that He guided you to faith.

Two commentators explain the word. A minna is a favour for which the giver seeks no return. One derivation takes it from a root meaning to cut. The favour is given simply to cut off the other's need, with no reward in view. That describes Allah's gift exactly. He gains nothing from our faith. He gives it only for our sake.

This is where the ego has to put down its ledger. The volunteer is not wrong to serve; his service is good. The mistake is in the direction of the debt. Every hour he gave was itself made possible by a gift he did not earn: the faith that made him want to give it.

One commentator writes that a servant is always between a favour from Allah and a proof against him. The volunteer's hours can be either. It depends on which way he believes the debt runs.

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.