His saying, exalted and majestic is He:

﴿Allah bears witness 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.﴾

The root of "witnessed" in the speech of the Arabs means "to be present." From it is His saying, exalted is He: ﴿So whoever witnesses [the month] among you, let him fast it.﴾ [Al-Baqarah: 185] Then the word was modified until it was said in performing what is established in one's knowledge in the self, in whatever way it is established; whether by presence or otherwise: "witnessed" means "he knows." So the meaning of "Allah witnessed" is that He informed His servants of this true matter and clarified it. Abu Ubaidah said: "Allah witnessed" means "Allah decreed," and this is rejected from several angles.

All the reciters read: "that there is no deity" with the opening of the alif of "that" and with its kasrah from His saying: "Indeed, (p-179) the religion" and the beginning of the speech. Only Al-Kisai read: "that the religion" with the opening of the alif. Abu Ali said: "that" is a substitute for the first "that," and if you wish, you can make it a substitute of something for something, and it is the same, because Islam is the oneness and justice. If you wish, you can make it a substitute of inclusion, because Islam includes oneness and justice. If you wish, you can make "Indeed, the religion" a substitute for "justice" because it is in meaning. Al-Tabari directed this reading by estimating in the speech a conjunction that was then omitted, as if he said: "and indeed the religion," and this is weak. Abdullah ibn Abbas read: "Indeed, there is no deity except Him" with the kasrah of the alif of "Indeed, there is" and read "that the religion" with the opening of the alif, thus applying "witnessed" to "that the religion" and his saying: "Indeed, there is no deity except Him" is a beautiful interruption in the context of the connected speech. Al-Suddi interpreted the verse in accordance with the reading of Ibn Abbas and said: Allah, His angels, and the scholars bear witness: "Indeed, the religion with Allah is Islam." Abu Al-Muhallab, the uncle of Muharib ibn Dithar, read: "Witnesses of Allah" in the form of Fu'ala and in addition to what is written. Abu Al-Fath said, it is an accusative case as a description of the pronoun in "the seeking forgiveness," and it is the plural of "witness" or the plural of "witness" like "scholar" and "scholars." It has been narrated from Abu Al-Muhallab that he read "Witnesses of Allah" in the nominative case. It has been narrated from him that he read: "Witnesses of Allah" in the form of Fu'l, with the first and second letters being pronounced, and the accusative "Witnesses" as a description. Al-Naqqash reported that it was read: "Witnesses of Allah" with the first letter and the second being pronounced, and in addition to what is written. He said: Among them are those who made the dal accusative and among them are those who made it nominative. The most correct of these readings is the reading of the majority, and the establishment of the testimony on the oneness. ﴿And the angels and those of knowledge﴾ is an addition to the name of Allah, exalted is He. And according to some of what we have mentioned of the readings, his saying: ﴿And the angels and those of knowledge﴾ is a beginning and its predicate is estimated, as if he said: ﴿And the angels and those of knowledge﴾ bear witness, and ﴿maintaining﴾ is in the accusative case as a description of His name, exalted is He, in His saying: ﴿Allah witnessed﴾ or from His saying: ﴿except Him﴾. Ibn Mas'ud read: "the one maintaining in justice" and justice is fairness.