His saying, exalted is He: "But be rabbaniyyin by what you teach of the Book and by what you study." [Al-Imran: 79] "And He does not command you to take the angels and the prophets as lords. Does He command you with disbelief after you have submitted?" "And when Allah took the covenant from the prophets, [He said], 'Whatever I give you of the Scripture and wisdom, then comes to you a messenger confirming what is with you, you must believe in him and support him.'"

The meaning: But He says: "Be rabbaniyyin," which is the plural of rabbani.

The grammarians have differed regarding this attribution. Some said: It is attributed to the Lord in that he is knowledgeable of His knowledge, acting in obedience to Him, teaching the people what He has commanded; and the alif and noon have been added for emphasis, as they said: lihyani and sha'riani in relation to the beard and hair. Others said: The rabbani is attributed to the rabban, which is the teacher of the people and their knowledgeable one, who governs their affairs, taken from rabba yarubbu, meaning to correct and nurture. The noon has been added to it as it has been added in ghadban and 'atshan. Then it was attributed to him as rabbani.

The scholars have differed regarding the description of the one who deserves to be called rabbani. Abu Razin said: The rabbani is the wise scholar. Mujahid said: The rabbani is the jurist. Qatadah and others said: The rabbani is the knowledgeable and forbearing one. Ibn Abbas said: He is the wise jurist. Al-Dahhak said: He is the jurist and scholar. Ibn Zayd said: The rabbani is the one in authority, who nurtures the people, meaning he corrects them. So the rabbaniyyin are the leaders, scholars, and learned ones. Mujahid said: The rabbani is above the scholar because the scholar is the knowledgeable one, and the rabbani is the one who combines knowledge and jurisprudence with insight into governance and management, and taking care of the affairs of the subjects and what rectifies them in their religion and worldly matters. In Al-Bukhari: The rabbani is the one who nurtures the people with small knowledge before the large. So the summary of what is said about the rabbani is that he is the one knowledgeable of the Lord and the Shari'ah, correct in the estimation of the sayings and actions he attempts with the people.

And His saying: "by what you were" means: because you are knowledgeable and studying. So 'ma' is a source, and it is not permissible for it to be a relative clause, because the return that was necessary did not have to include "you teach." And nothing of that is correct because 'kan' has fulfilled its news apparently, which is: "you teach," and likewise "you teach" has fulfilled its object, which is the "Book" apparently. So nothing remains except that 'ma' is a source, as there cannot be a return, and "you teach" means "you inform," so it is transitive to one object.

Ibn Kathir, Nafi, and Abu Amr read: "You know" with the letter 'ain being silent and the 'lam' being lightened. And Asim, Ibn Amer, Hamza, and Al-Kisai read: "You teach" with emphasis, with the 'ta' being pronounced and the 'lam' being broken. This is based on the transitive action of the verb with emphasis, and the second object in this reading is omitted, its estimation being: "You teach the people the Book." The two readings are close in meaning. I have preferred the reading with lightening because of their lightened "You study," and because knowledge is the reason that necessitates for the successful among people to be godly, and teaching is not a condition for that. I preferred the other reading because teaching includes knowledge, while knowledge does not include teaching, so the reading with emphasis is more eloquent in praise. From the perspective of the scholar regarding the state of the one who knows, teaching is as if it is included in knowledge. The reading with lightening is more preferable to me.

Mujahid and Al-Hasan read: "You learn" with the 'ta' and 'ain' being opened and the 'lam' being doubled. The majority of people read: "You study" with the 'ra' being pronounced, from 'darasa' if he persists in reading the Book and repeats it. Abu Haywah read: "You study" with the 'ra' being broken, and this is based on it being said in the present tense of 'darasa', he studies and he studies. It has been narrated from Abu Haywah that he read: "You teach" with the 'ta' being pronounced and the 'ra' being broken and doubled, meaning: "You teach others." Ibn Kathir, Nafi, Abu Amr, and Al-Kisai read: "And He does not command you" with the 'ra' being raised. Abu Amr used to take the vowel of the 'ra' lightly. Asim, Ibn Amer, and Hamza read: "And He does not command you" with the 'ra' being in the accusative. There is no disagreement regarding the 'ra' in His saying: "Does He command you" except for the lightening of Abu Amr. So whoever raised his saying: "He does not command you," it is on certainty. Sibawayh said: The meaning is: And Allah does not command you. Ibn Jurayj and others said: The meaning is: And this human who has been given these blessings does not command you, and he is Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him. In the reading of Ibn Mas'ud: "And He will not command you," this reading indicates certainty. As for the reading of those who placed the 'ra' in the accusative, it is connected to His saying: "That He may give him," and the meaning is: And it is not for Him to command you, as said by Abu Ali and others. Al-Tabari said: His saying "And He does not command you" in the accusative is connected to His saying: "Then He says"; and this is an error that does not align with the meaning, and the lords in this verse mean the deities.

His saying, exalted is He: "Does He command you with disbelief" confirms this apparent meaning of its corruption.

His saying, exalted is He: "And when Allah took the covenant from the prophets..." The meaning is: And remember, O Muhammad, when, and it is possible that this taking of the covenant was when He brought forth the children of Adam from the back of Adam as souls, and it is possible that this taking was upon every prophet in his time and at the time of his sending. Then He gathered the wording in the narration of the state in this verse, and the meaning is that Allah, exalted is He, took the covenant from every prophet that he and those who believed in him would believe in those who were sent after him from the messengers whose clear signs were given to them, and to support him.

The commentators have differed in their expression regarding the implications of the words of this verse. Mujahid and Al-Rabi' said: The covenant was taken only from the people of the Book, not from the prophets. In the Mushaf of Ubayy ibn Ka'b and Ibn Mas'ud: "And when Allah took the covenant from those who were given the Book," Mujahid said: This is how it is in the Qur'an, and the inclusion of "the prophets" is an error by the scribes. This wording is rejected by the consensus of the Companions on the Mushaf of Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Allah took the covenant from the prophets regarding their people; thus, it is a taking of the covenant from all. Al-Tawus said: Allah took the covenant from the prophets that they should affirm one another. Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Allah did not send a prophet - Adam and those after him - except that a covenant was taken from him regarding Muhammad; that if he were sent while he was alive, he would certainly believe in him and support him. He commanded him to take this covenant from his people, then he recited this verse. Al-Suddi said the same, and it was narrated from Al-Tawus that he said: The beginning of the verse is the taking of the covenant from the prophets, and His saying: "Then came to you" is an address to the people of the Book regarding the taking of the covenant upon them - as narrated by Al-Tabari, and this statement is invalidated by the grammatical structure of the verse. All these statements return to what Ali ibn Abi Talib and Ibn Abbas said, because the taking from the prophets is a taking from the nations.

Hamzah and others besides the seven read: "For what" with a kasrah on the lam, which is a lam of jar, and the meaning is: For the sake of what We have given you, since you are the leaders and heads. Whoever is in this condition is the one whose covenant is taken. And "what" in this reading means the relative pronoun, and its antecedent from the relative clause is understood as: We have given it to you, and "from" is for indicating the type. His saying: "Then came to you"... the verse is a phrase that is connected to the relative clause, and there must be in this phrase a pronoun that refers back to the relative. Its understanding according to Sibawayh is: A messenger confirming what is with you, and the subject has been omitted for brevity, just as what is in the relative clause has been omitted for the length of the speech, as He, the Exalted, said: "Is this the one whom Allah has sent as a messenger?" [Al-Furqan: 41]; and the omission from the relatives is often beautiful. As for Abu al-Hasan al-Akhfash, he said that His saying: "For what is with you" is the antecedent referring back to the relative, as it is in meaning like the pronoun that Sibawayh estimated. Al-Akhfash also said regarding His saying: "Indeed, whoever fears and is patient, then indeed Allah does not waste the reward of the doers of good" [Yusuf: 90] that the meaning is: He does not waste their reward, as the doers of good are those who fear and are patient. Likewise, His saying: "Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds, We do not waste the reward of whoever has done good" [Al-Kahf: 30] and similarly what resembles these verses. And Sibawayh, may Allah have mercy on him, does not see that the apparent should be placed in the position of the implied, as Abu al-Hasan sees it. The lam in: "You will surely believe" is the lam that is related to the oath contained in the taking of the covenant, and it separates between the oath and that which is sworn upon by the preposition and the genitive, and that is permissible.

And the rest of the seven reciters read "lama" with a فتح (fath) on the لام (lam), and this can be explained in two ways. One of them is that "ما" (ma) is a relative pronoun in the position of رفع (raf') by way of beginning, and the لام (lam) is a لام (lam) of beginning, and it is a recipient of what has been made to take the place of an oath from His saying, the Exalted: "And when Allah took the covenant". And the news of the beginning is His saying: "You will surely believe" and "You will surely believe" is related to an omitted oath, and the meaning is: By Allah, you will surely believe; thus said Abu Ali al-Farisi. And there is a consideration regarding the meaning if you reflect on what the oath has occurred upon. However, it is directed that the oath occurs twice for emphasis, so reflect. And the return that is in the relative clause, and the return that is in the clause that is conjoined to the relative clause here in this reading are as we mentioned them in the reading of Hamzah. As for the fact that this interpretation necessitates a return from the news which is "You will surely believe", it is His saying, the Exalted: "in it". So the هاء (ha) of "in it" returns to "ما" (ma) and it is not permissible for it to return to "رسول" (rasul) so that the relative pronoun remains then without a return to it from its news mentioned. The second way that the reading of the reciters "lama" with a فتح (fath) on the لام (lam) can be explained is that "ما" (ma) is for the conditional reward, so it would be in the position of نصب (nasb) by the verb that follows it, which is in the جزم (jazm) state, and "جاءكم" (ja'ukum) is conjoined in a position of جزم (jazm), and the لام (lam) that enters upon "ما" (ma) is not the recipient of the oath, but it is the preparatory لام (lam) indicating the coming of the لام (lam) of the oath. So it is like the لام (lam) in His saying, the Exalted: "If the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease do not cease" [Al-Ahzab: 60] because it indicates the coming of the recipient of the oath in His saying: "We will surely incite you against them" [Al-Ahzab: 60]. Likewise, this indicates the coming of the recipient of the oath in His saying: "You will surely believe in it", and this لام (lam) that enters upon "إن" (in) does not depend on the oath, and for that reason it is permissible to omit it at times and affirm it at times, as He, the Exalted, said: "And if they do not cease from what they say, surely those who disbelieved among them will be touched by a painful punishment" [Al-Ma'idah: 73]. Al-Zajjaj said: Because your saying, "By Allah, if you come to me, I will surely honor you", is an oath upon your action, not that the condition is dependent upon it, for that reason the لام (lam) entered upon the condition, and what is in this way of it being a reward does not need a return because it is a فعل (fa'il) and the فعل (fa'il) does not need to mention a return. And the pronoun in His saying, the Exalted: "You will surely believe in it" returns to "رسول" (rasul), and likewise it is for the reading of whoever broke the لام (lam). As for the pronoun in His saying: "And you will surely help him", it cannot return in any way except to "رسول" (rasul). Abu Ali said in the omission: And the reward of the condition is omitted by the indication of His saying: "You will surely believe" upon it. Sibawayh said: I asked him - meaning al-Khalil - about His saying, the Exalted: "And when Allah took the covenant from the prophets, when I gave you". He said: "ما" (ma) here is like that which the لام (lam) has entered upon, just as it entered upon "إن" (in) when you said: "If you do, I will surely do". Then he continued to explain the aspect of the reward; Abu Ali said: What al-Khalil meant by his saying: it is like that which, is that it is a name just as "الذي" (al-ladhi) is a name, and he did not mean that it is a relative pronoun like "الذي" (al-ladhi), but rather he avoided that "ما" (ma) be a حرف (harf) just as it came as a حرف (harf) in His saying, the Exalted: "And indeed, every one of them will surely be fully compensated by your Lord for their deeds" [Hud: 111] and in His saying: "And indeed, all of that is merely the enjoyment of the worldly life" [Az-Zukhruf: 35]. And Allah is the One sought for help.

Al-Mahdawi and Makki narrated from Sibawayh and Al-Khalil: that the report of the beginning for those who made the beginning according to the reading of the one who opened the 'lam' is in His saying: ﴿From a Book and Wisdom﴾. I do not know from where they narrated it, because it corrupts the meaning of the verse, and it is not fitting for Sibawayh and Al-Khalil; rather, the report is in His saying: "You will surely believe," as Abu Ali Al-Farisi and those who followed his path like Al-Zajjaj and others said.

And Al-Hasan read: "When We gave you" with the 'lam' opened and the 'mim' doubled. Abu Ishaq said: that is, when He gave you the Book and Wisdom, He took the covenant, and the 'lam' would refer to the recompense, as you say: when you came to me, I honored you.

Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: It appears that this "When" is the adverbial one, meaning when you were in this state, the leaders of the people and their like, He took the covenant from you, as it is taken from the leaders. This meaning comes like the meaning in the reading of Hamzah.

Ibn Jinni went in "When" in this verse to say that its origin is "For whom what," and "min" was added in the obligatory according to the view of Al-Akhfash, then it was assimilated, as is required in such cases, so it came as "Lammima." The gathering of three 'mims' was heavy, so the first 'mim' was omitted, and "Lamma" remained. This reading can be interpreted according to this elevated explanation, interpreting "When" with an opened 'mim' as lightened, and it has been previously mentioned. Nafi alone read: "We gave you" with the 'nun', while the others read: "I gave you" with the 'ta'. And "Messenger" in this verse is a generic name, and many of the interpreters said: the reference is to Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him. In the Mushaf of Ibn Mas'ud, it is: "Confirming" with the accusative case as a state.