سُوْرَةُ الْحَدِيْدِ
Surah Al-Hadid (57) — Ayah 8
وَمَا لَكُمْ لَا تُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ ۙ وَٱلرَّسُولُ يَدْعُوكُمْ لِتُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِرَبِّكُمْ وَقَدْ أَخَذَ مِيثَـٰقَكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ﴿8﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And what is the matter with you that you believe not in Allâh! While the Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) invites you to believe in your Lord (Allâh); and He (Allâh) has indeed taken your covenant, if you are real believers.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَمَا
wamā
And what
لَكُمْ
lakum
(is) for you
لَا
lā
(that) not
تُؤْمِنُونَ
tu'minūna
you believe
بِٱللَّهِ ۙ
bil-lahi
in Allah
وَٱلرَّسُولُ
wal-rasūlu
while the Messenger
يَدْعُوكُمْ
yadʿūkum
calls you
لِتُؤْمِنُوا۟
litu'minū
that you believe
بِرَبِّكُمْ
birabbikum
in your Lord
وَقَدْ
waqad
and indeed
أَخَذَ
akhadha
He has taken
مِيثَـٰقَكُمْ
mīthāqakum
your covenant
إِن
in
if
كُنتُم
kuntum
you are
مُّؤْمِنِينَ
mu'minīna
believers
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 8) ➊ { وَ مَا لَكُمْ لَا تُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِاللّٰهِ … :} This address is also to the Muslims; its evidence is the last sentence of the verse {’’ وَ قَدْ اَخَذَ مِيْثَاقَكُمْ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُّؤْمِنِيْنَ ‘‘} (And indeed He has taken a firm covenant from you if you are believers). Similarly, the next verse (10): « لَا يَسْتَوِيْ مِنْكُمْ مَّنْ اَنْفَقَ مِنْ قَبْلِ الْفَتْحِ وَ قٰتَلَ » is also its evidence. Just as in the previous verse the believers are commanded to believe and to spend, in this verse too they are being shaken: what is the reason that you do not believe in Allah? That is, why do you not act upon the requirements of faith in Him and spend in His way, even though the Messenger himself is present among you and is personally inviting you to believe in your Lord and, having faith in Him, to spend in His way.
➋ The subject of {وَ قَدْ اَخَذَ مِيْثَاقَكُمْ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُّؤْمِنِيْنَ: ’’ اَخَذَ ‘‘} can be the pronoun of {’’ الرَّسُوْلُ ‘‘} or the pronoun of the word {’’ اللّٰهِ‘‘}, meaning that when you accepted faith, Allah took a firm covenant from you for obedience; similarly, with the declaration of Islam, you also gave the Messenger a firm covenant of your obedience. So now, why are you avoiding obedience and hesitating to spend in jihad in the way of Allah? The mention of Allah taking a covenant is in this verse: «وَ اذْكُرُوْا نِعْمَةَ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَ مِيْثَاقَهُ الَّذِيْ وَاثَقَكُمْ بِهٖۤ اِذْ قُلْتُمْ سَمِعْنَا وَ اَطَعْنَا وَ اتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ عَلِيْمٌۢ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُوْرِ » [ المائدۃ : ۷ ] "And remember Allah's favor upon you and His covenant which He bound upon you firmly, when you said, 'We have heard and we have obeyed.' And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Knowing of what is within the breasts." And the mention of giving a covenant to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is in this hadith narrated from 'Ubadah bin Samit (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: [ بَايَعْنَا رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَی السَّمْعِ وَالطَّاعَةِ فِي الْمَنْشَطِ وَالْمَكْرَهِ وَ أَنْ لاَ نُنَازِعَ الْأَمْرَ أَهْلَهُ، وَ أَنْ نَقُوْمَ أَوْ نَقُوْلَ بِالْحَقِّ حَيْثُمَا كُنَّا، لاَ نَخَافُ فِي اللّٰهِ لَوْمَةَ لاَئِمٍ ] [بخاري، الأحکام، باب کیف یبایع الإمام الناس؟ : ۷۱۹۹،۷۲۰۰ ] "We pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) that we would listen and obey in both active and disliked circumstances, and we would not dispute the authority of those in charge, and wherever we are, we will speak the truth, and we will not fear the blame of any blamer regarding Allah."
➌ Some commentators have taken {’’ وَ قَدْ اَخَذَ مِيْثَاقَكُمْ ‘‘} to mean the covenant of {’’ اَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ ‘‘}, which is mentioned in Surah Al-A'raf (172), but here the context of the verses does not support this, so the first interpretation is correct. Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) has also preferred this.
➋ The subject of {وَ قَدْ اَخَذَ مِيْثَاقَكُمْ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُّؤْمِنِيْنَ: ’’ اَخَذَ ‘‘} can be the pronoun of {’’ الرَّسُوْلُ ‘‘} or the pronoun of the word {’’ اللّٰهِ‘‘}, meaning that when you accepted faith, Allah took a firm covenant from you for obedience; similarly, with the declaration of Islam, you also gave the Messenger a firm covenant of your obedience. So now, why are you avoiding obedience and hesitating to spend in jihad in the way of Allah? The mention of Allah taking a covenant is in this verse: «وَ اذْكُرُوْا نِعْمَةَ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَ مِيْثَاقَهُ الَّذِيْ وَاثَقَكُمْ بِهٖۤ اِذْ قُلْتُمْ سَمِعْنَا وَ اَطَعْنَا وَ اتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ عَلِيْمٌۢ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُوْرِ » [ المائدۃ : ۷ ] "And remember Allah's favor upon you and His covenant which He bound upon you firmly, when you said, 'We have heard and we have obeyed.' And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Knowing of what is within the breasts." And the mention of giving a covenant to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is in this hadith narrated from 'Ubadah bin Samit (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: [ بَايَعْنَا رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَی السَّمْعِ وَالطَّاعَةِ فِي الْمَنْشَطِ وَالْمَكْرَهِ وَ أَنْ لاَ نُنَازِعَ الْأَمْرَ أَهْلَهُ، وَ أَنْ نَقُوْمَ أَوْ نَقُوْلَ بِالْحَقِّ حَيْثُمَا كُنَّا، لاَ نَخَافُ فِي اللّٰهِ لَوْمَةَ لاَئِمٍ ] [بخاري، الأحکام، باب کیف یبایع الإمام الناس؟ : ۷۱۹۹،۷۲۰۰ ] "We pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) that we would listen and obey in both active and disliked circumstances, and we would not dispute the authority of those in charge, and wherever we are, we will speak the truth, and we will not fear the blame of any blamer regarding Allah."
➌ Some commentators have taken {’’ وَ قَدْ اَخَذَ مِيْثَاقَكُمْ ‘‘} to mean the covenant of {’’ اَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ ‘‘}, which is mentioned in Surah Al-A'raf (172), but here the context of the verses does not support this, so the first interpretation is correct. Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) has also preferred this.
