فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّىٰ يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا۟ فِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِّمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا۟ تَسْلِيمًا 65
Translations
But no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you, [O Muḥammad], judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you have judged and submit in [full, willing] submission.
Transliteration
Fa-lā wa-rabbika lā yu'minūn ḥattā yuḥakkimūka fīmā shajara baynahum thumma lā yajidū fī anfusihim ḥarajan mimmā qaḍayta wa-yusallimū taslīmā
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah establishes that true faith is incomplete without submitting to the Prophet's judgment in disputes and accepting his decisions without internal resistance or hesitation. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this verse demands unconditional acceptance of the Prophet's rulings, reflecting the principle that accepting Islamic law is foundational to belief itself. The 'harj' (constraint or discomfort in the heart) must be absent, meaning believers must achieve complete psychological submission alongside external compliance.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in the Medinan period when the Prophet ﷺ was the chief judge and arbiter of disputes among the Muslim community. The context addresses those who claimed belief but were reluctant to submit their disputes to the Prophet's judgment, preferring pre-Islamic practices (jahiliyyah) or showing internal resistance to Islamic verdicts. It reinforces the theme of Surah An-Nisa regarding social order and just settlement of matters among the ummah.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet ﷺ said, 'None of you believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself' (Sahih Bukhari 13). Additionally, the principle of taslīm (submission) is reinforced in the hadith where the Prophet ﷺ stated that believers are those who accept his judgment without dispute (At-Tirmidhi).
Themes
Key Lesson
True faith requires not only outward submission to Islamic law and the Prophet's guidance, but also inward acceptance free from doubt, resistance, or resentment. For contemporary Muslims, this teaches that genuine belief manifests as wholehearted acceptance of Islamic rulings and principles, even when they challenge our desires or cultural inclinations.