'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' Allah, the Exalted, says: "Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due, and when you judge between people to judge with justice. Indeed, Allah is ever Hearing and Seeing." "O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is best and more suitable for final determination." Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, and Zayd ibn Aslam, and Shahr ibn Hawshab, and Ibn Zayd said: This is a discourse specifically for the leaders of the Muslims. The judge Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: It is for the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, and his commanders, then it includes those after them. Ibn Jurayj and others said: This is a discourse specifically for the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, regarding the matter of the key to the Ka'bah when he took it from Uthman ibn Talhah ibn Abi Talhah al-Abdari, and from his cousin Shaybah ibn Uthman ibn Abi Talhah. Al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib requested it so that he could add the guardianship to the water service. Then the Messenger of Allah entered the Ka'bah and broke what was in it of idols, and he removed the Station of Ibrahim. Gabriel descended upon him with this verse. Umar ibn al-Khattab said: The Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, came out while reciting this verse, and I had not heard it from him before. He called Uthman and Shaybah and said to them: "Take it as a permanent trust; no one shall remove it from you except a wrongdoer." And Makki narrated that Shaybah intended not to give the key, then he gave it and said to the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him: Take it with the trust of Allah. The judge Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: The narrators differed regarding some of the words of this report, in addition and omission, but the meaning remains the same. Ibn Abbas said: The verse is about the leaders advising women regarding disobedience and similar matters, and returning them to their husbands. The apparent meaning of the verse is that it is general for all people, and although its reason is what we have mentioned, it encompasses the leaders regarding what pertains to them of trusts in the distribution of wealth, returning grievances, and just rulings, and others. It includes them and those below them from the people in safeguarding deposits and being cautious in testimonies, and others, like a man judging in a case and similar matters. Prayer, zakat, fasting, and all other acts of worship are trusts for Allah, the Exalted. Ibn Abbas said: Allah has not permitted the wealthy or the poor to withhold the trust. And 'Indeed' is originally: 'Indeed what', the first being made silent and merged into the second, and the 'ayn was moved for the meeting of two silent letters, and it was specified with a kasrah following the noon. The 'what' that follows 'Indeed' is merely a preparatory for the connection of the action with it, as it is in 'perhaps' and 'of what' in His saying: "And the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, was among those who moved their lips." And like the saying of the poet: 'And we are among those who strike the ram a blow to its head that causes the tongue to escape from the mouth.'

And similar to it, in this it is like "perhaps", and it has a difference in meaning, because "perhaps" means to lessen, while "mimma" means to increase. Although "ma" is a preparatory word, it is in the meaning of "which" and it only prepared while it is a noun. However, the intention is only for what follows it from the meaning that is in the action.

And it is appropriate to describe after these introductions with hearing and sight because they are in the witness the attainments of what the commanded one does in what he was commanded.

And His saying, exalted and glorified is He: ﴿O you who have believed, obey Allah﴾, when He previously addressed the leaders in the preceding verse, He has now addressed the followers in this one. He commanded obedience to Him, exalted and glorified is He, which is: compliance with His commands and prohibitions, and the obedience to His Messenger, and the obedience to the leaders according to the saying of the majority: Abu Huraira, Ibn Abbas, Ibn Zayd, and others. And Jabir ibn Abdullah, and Mujahid, and a group said: The leaders are the people of the Qur'an and knowledge. So the matter in this interpretation is a reference to the Qur'an and the Shari'ah, meaning: those of this matter and this affair. And Al-Tabari reported from Mujahid that he said: The reference here by "the leaders" is to the companions of Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him, specifically. And it was reported from Ikrimah that it refers specifically to Abu Bakr and Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, and in this specification there is distance. And some of those who said: "They are the leaders": that it was revealed concerning the leaders of the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him. And the reason was that "the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, sent a battalion in which was Ammar ibn Yasir, and its leader was Khalid ibn al-Walid. They aimed for a tribe of the Arabs, and a herald came to them, so they fled under the cover of night. And a man from them came to Khalid's camp, and he entered upon Ammar and said: O Abu al-Yaqzan, my people have fled, and I have embraced Islam. If my Islam benefits me, I will remain, otherwise I will flee. Ammar said to him: It will benefit you, so remain. When they became morning, Khalid raided and found nothing except the mentioned man, so he took him and took his wealth. Then Ammar came and said: Release the man, for he has embraced Islam, and he is under my protection. Khalid said: And you grant protection? So they quarreled and raised their voices to the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, who upheld Ammar's protection and forbade him to grant protection to the second one over a leader. They quarreled before the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, and Khalid said: O Messenger of Allah, will you leave this mutilated slave to insult me? The Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, said: "O Khalid, do not insult Ammar, for whoever insults Ammar, Allah insults him, and whoever hates Ammar, Allah hates him, and whoever curses Ammar, Allah curses him." Ammar became angry and stood up and left, and Khalid followed him until he apologized to him, and they reconciled. Then Allah, exalted and glorified is He, revealed His saying: ﴿Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you﴾. And the obedience to the Messenger is: following his Sunnah, as said by Ata and others. And Ibn Zayd said: The meaning of the verse is: And obey the Messenger.

The judge Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

He means his Sunnah after his death.

"And if you disagree," the meaning is: If you dispute among yourselves, or you and your leaders. And the meaning of disagreement is that each one takes the argument of the other and nullifies it.

And the return to Allah is to look into His Glorious Book. The return to the Messenger is to ask him during his life and to look into his Sunnah after his passing, blessings and peace be upon him. This is the saying of Mujahid, Al-A'mash, Qatadah, and Al-Suddi, and it is the correct view. Some people said: Its meaning is to say: Allah and His Messenger know best, and this is the return.

And in His saying: "If you truly believe in Allah and the Last Day," there is a warning, for it contains the recompense for the wrongdoer. He addressed them with "If you truly believe" while they had already believed, in order to confirm the obligation.

And "ta'wilan" means: an outcome, according to the saying of a group. Mujahid said: the best recompense. Qatadah, Al-Suddi, and Ibn Zayd said: the meaning is the best end. A group said: the meaning is that Allah and His Messenger have a better understanding and interpretation than you when you isolate yourselves with your interpretation.