Surah Al-Hadid (57) — Ayah 28

(Ayah 28) ➊ { يٰۤاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ وَ اٰمِنُوْا بِرَسُوْلِهٖ …:} The commentators have interpreted this verse in two ways. One is that the words of {’’ يٰۤاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا ‘‘} are addressed to the People of the Book, who previously claimed faith in their own prophet. They are being commanded to fear Allah and believe in His Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him), so Allah will grant them a double portion of His mercy. This is supported by the verses (52 to 54) of Surah Al-Qasas and also by the hadith narrated from Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: [ ثَلاَثَةٌ لَهُمْ أَجْرَانِ رَجُلٌ مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ آمَنَ بِنَبِيِّهِ، وَآمَنَ بِمُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَالْعَبْدُ الْمَمْلُوْكُ إِذَا أَدّٰی حَقَّ اللّٰهِ وَحَقَّ مَوَالِيْهِ، وَ رَجُلٌ كَانَتْ عِنْدَهُ أَمَةٌ يَطَؤُهَا فَأَدَّبَهَا، فَأَحْسَنَ تَأْدِيْبَهَا وَعَلَّمَهَا فَأَحْسَنَ تَعْلِيْمَهَا ثُمَّ أَعْتَقَهَا فَتَزَوَّجَهَا فَلَهُ أَجْرَانِ ] [ بخاري، العلم، باب تعلیم الرجل أمتہ وأہلہ : ۹۷ ] "There are three people who will have a double reward: one from the People of the Book who believed in his prophet and then believed in Muhammad (peace be upon him); a slave who is owned by someone, when he fulfills Allah's right and the rights of his masters; and a man who had a slave-girl, he had relations with her, then taught her good manners and taught her well, then set her free and married her, so for him also there are two rewards."

What has been stated in this interpretation is correct in its own place, but here to take {’’ يٰۤاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا ‘‘} as referring to those from the People of the Book who became Muslim is against the context, because from the beginning to the end the address is to those who have believed in the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and it is they who are being commanded to purify their faith, to fight and spend in the way of Allah. In this verse too, they are being commanded to fear Allah and to believe in His Messenger as is His due, and as a reward, the glad tidings of a double portion of His bounty and a great light are mentioned. Therefore, the correct interpretation is that of those scholars who say that the address with {’’ يٰۤاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا ‘‘} is to those who have believed in Muhammad (peace be upon him), whether they have come to Islam from the People of the Book or from the polytheists, or were born into Islam. All of them are being told not to be content with mere verbal declaration and claim of faith, but to believe with a sincere heart, fulfill its rights and requirements, so Allah will grant you a double portion of His mercy.

By this double portion is meant the special characteristic of this Ummah, that Allah, out of His grace, has promised them double the reward compared to previous communities. The Prophet (peace be upon him) clarified this with an example. He (peace be upon him) said: [ مَثَلُكُمْ وَمَثَلُ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابَيْنِ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلٍ اسْتَأْجَرَ أُجَرَاءَ، فَقَالَ مَنْ يَّعْمَلُ لِيْ مِنْ غُدْوَةَ إِلٰی نِصْفِ النَّهَارِ عَلٰی قِيْرَاطٍ؟ فَعَمِلَتِ الْيَهُوْدُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ مَنْ يَعْمَلُ لِيْ مِنْ نِصْفِ النَّهَارِ إِلٰی صَلاَةِ الْعَصْرِ عَلٰی قِيْرَاطٍ؟ فَعَمِلَتِ النَّصَارٰی، ثُمَّ قَالَ مَنْ يَّعْمَلُ لِيْ مِنَ الْعَصْرِ إِلَی أَنْ تَغِيْبَ الشَّمْسُ عَلٰی قِيْرَاطَيْنِ؟ فَأَنْتُمْ هُمْ، فَغَضِبَتِ الْيَهُوْدُ وَالنَّصَارٰی، فَقَالُوْا مَا لَنَا أَكْثَرَ عَمَلاً، وَأَقَلَّ عَطَاءً؟ قَالَ هَلْ نَقَصْتُكُمْ مِنْ حَقِّكُمْ؟ قَالُوْا لاَ قَالَ فَذٰلِكَ فَضْلِيْ أُوْتِيْهِ مَنْ أَشَاءُ ] [بخاري، الإجارۃ، باب الإجارۃ إلٰی نصف النہار : ۲۲۶۸، ۳۴۵۹، عن ابن عمر رضی اللہ عنھما ] "Your example and the example of the people of the two Books (the Torah and the Gospel) is like a man who hired several laborers and said: 'Who will work for me from morning till midday for one qirat?' So the Jews worked. Then he said: 'Who will work for me from midday till Asr for one qirat?' So the Christians worked. Then he said: 'Who will work for me from Asr till sunset for two qirats?' So you are those people. Upon this, the Jews and Christians became angry and said: 'What is the matter with us that we worked more and got less wages?' He said: 'Have I wronged you in any way?' They said: 'No!' He said: 'Then this is My grace, I give it to whom I will.'"

➋ { وَ يَجْعَلْ لَّكُمْ نُوْرًا تَمْشُوْنَ بِهٖ …:} That is, due to fearing Allah and believing in the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), Allah will grant you such a great light in the form of revelation—Book and Sunnah—by which you will be able to walk easily everywhere in this world and the Hereafter, and you will not face any confusion or darkness in any matter, as He said: « اَللّٰهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا يُخْرِجُهُمْ مِّنَ الظُّلُمٰتِ اِلَى النُّوْرِ» [ البقرۃ : ۲۵۷ ] "Allah is the friend of those who believe; He brings them out of darkness into light." And on the Day of Resurrection, He will grant you a light in the darkness of that Day, by which you will walk and reach Paradise, as has been mentioned earlier in {’’ يَوْمَ تَرَى الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ وَ الْمُؤْمِنٰتِ يَسْعٰى نُوْرُهُمْ بَيْنَ اَيْدِيْهِمْ ‘‘}, and He will forgive you, and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

28-1. This double reward will be given to the believers who had faith in a previous messenger before the Prophet, and then also believed in the Prophet, as mentioned in the hadith (Sahih Bukhari). According to another interpretation, when the People of the Book expressed pride that they would receive double reward, Allah revealed this verse in favor of the Muslims. (For details, see Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

28. O you who believe! Fear Allah and believe in His Messenger. He will grant you a double reward from His mercy [51], and He will give you a light [52] by which you will walk, and He will forgive you. And Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.

[51]
Double Reward is Not Exclusive to Believing People of the Book:

It is explicitly mentioned in the Book and Sunnah that those among the People of the Book who believe in the Messenger of Allah ﷺ will receive a double reward: one reward for believing in their own prophet and the second for believing in the Last Prophet. Now, those among the People of the Book who had believed began to boast over other Muslims, saying, "We have two rewards and you have only one," which caused some inferiority complex among the general Muslims. So Allah Almighty comforted them by saying that if you sincerely become obedient to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ, you too will receive a double reward. There is no shortage of reward with Allah.

[52] By "light" is meant, firstly, the light of divine revelation and the knowledge of Shariah. The believers determine their way of life and perform righteous deeds in this light. Secondly, it refers to that light which the believers will receive on the Day of Resurrection as a result of their righteous deeds, which has already been mentioned in verse 12 of this Surah.