Surah Ali 'Imran 3:18

The Testimony of Tawhid

Allah bears witness, and verily, Allah is sufficient as a Witness, and He is the Most Truthful and Just Witness there is; His statement is the absolute truth,

(that La ilaha illa Huwa) meaning, He Alone is the Lord and God of all creation; everyone and everything are His servants, creation and in need of Him. Allah is the Most Rich, Free from needing anyone or anything. Allah said in another Ayah,

(But Allah bears witness to that which He has sent down (the Qur'an) unto you (O Muhammad )) 4:166.

Allah then mentioned the testimony of His angels and those who have knowledge after he mentioned His own testimony,

(Allah bears witness that none has the right to be worshipped but He), and the angels, and those having knowledge (also bear witness to this)). This Ayah emphasizes the great virtue of those who have knowledge.

((He) maintains His creation in justice) in all that He does,

(None has the right to be worshipped but He) thus emphasizing this fact,

(the Almighty, the All-Wise.) the Mighty that does not submit to weakness due to His might and greatness, the Wise in all His statements, actions, legislation and decrees.

The Religion with Allah is Islam

Allah said,

(Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam.) Allah states that there is no religion accepted with Him from any person, except Islam. Islam includes obeying all of the Messengers until Muhammad who finalized their commission, thus closing all paths to Allah except through Muhammad . Therefore, after Allah sent Muhammad , whoever meets Allah following a path other than Muhammad's, it will not be accepted of him. In another Ayah, Allah said,

(And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him) 3:85.

In this Ayah 3:19, Allah said, asserting that the only religion accepted with Him is Islam,

(Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam.)

Allah then states that those who were given the Scripture beforehand divided in the religion after Allah sent the Messengers and revealed the Books to them providing them the necessary proofs to not do so. Allah said,

(Those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) did not differ except out of rivalry, after knowledge had come to them.) meaning, some of them wronged others. Therefore, they differed over the truth, out of envy, hatred and enmity for each other. This hatred made some of them defy those whom they hated even if they were correct. Allah then said,

(And whoever disbelieves in the Ayat of Allah) meaning, whoever rejects what Allah sent down in His Book,

(then surely, Allah is Swift in reckoning.) Allah will punish him for his rejection, reckon him for his denial, and torment him for defying His Book. Thereafter, Allah said.

(So if they dispute with you (Muhammad )) so if they argue with you about Tawhid,

(Say: "I have submitted myself to Allah (in Islam), and (so have) those who follow me") meaning, Say, `I have made my worship sincere for Allah Alone without partners, rivals, offspring or companion,

(and those who follow me) who followed my religion and embraced my creed.' In another Ayah, Allah said,

(Say (O Muhammad ): "This is my way; I invite unto Allah with sure knowledge, I and whosoever follows me...") 12:108.

Islam is the Religion of Mankind and the Prophet Was Sent to all Mankind

Allah commanded His servant and Messenger, Muhammad , to call the People of the Two Scriptures and the unlettered idolators to his religion, way, Law and all that Allah sent him with. Allah said,

(And say to those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) and to those who are illiterates (Arab pagans): "Do you (also) submit yourselves" If they do, they are rightly guided; but if they turn away, your duty is only to convey the Message.) meaning, their reckoning is with Allah and their return and final destination is to Him. It is He Who guides whom He wills and allows whom He wills to stray, and He has the perfect wisdom and the unequivocal proof for all of this. This is why Allah said,

(And Allah sees the servants.) for He has perfect knowledge of who deserves to be guided and who does not deserve to be guided. Verily,

(He cannot be questioned for what He does, while they will be questioned.) 21:23 because of His perfect wisdom and mercy. This and similar Ayat are clear proofs that the Message of Muhammad is universal to all creation, as it is well established in the religion, according to the various texts of the Book and Sunnah. For instance, Allah said,

(Say (O Muhammad ): "O mankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as the Messenger of Allah.") 7:158, and,

(Blessed be He Who sent down the criterion to His servant that he may be a warner to the `Alamin (mankind and Jinn).) 25:1.

The Two Sahihs and other collections of Hadith recorded that the Prophet sent letters to the kings of the earth during his time and to different peoples, Arabs and non-Arabs, People of the Book and the unlettered, just as Allah had commanded him. `Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Ma`mar said, that Hammam said that Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet said,

(By He in Whose Hand is my soul! No member of this Ummah, no Jew or Christian, hears of me but dies without believing in what I was sent with, but will be among the people of the Fire.) Muslim recorded this Hadith.

The Prophet said,

(I was sent to the red and black. ) and,

(A Prophet used to be sent to his people, but I was sent to all mankind.)

Keesaan Allah dinyatakan dengan menegakkan dalil-dalil dan dengan bukti ciptaan-Nya pada alam dan diri manusia, serta menurunkan ayat-ayat yang menjelaskannya. Para malaikat menyatakan pula hal keesaan Allah itu dan menyampaikannya kepada nabi-nabi. Para nabi menyatakan kesaksian yang diperkuat oleh ilmu yang sudah tertanam dalam jiwa mereka yang lebih tinggi daripada ilmu-ilmu lainnya yang diperoleh dengan pengalaman. Demikian pula para ulama, turut menyatakan keesaan Allah dan menjelaskannya. Mereka menyaksikan Allah dengan kesaksian yang disertai bukti-bukti dan alasan ilmiah. Ayat ini menunjukkan martabat yang tinggi dari para ulama karena mereka telah disejajarkan dengan malaikat yang mulia yaitu sama-sama dapat menyaksikan keesaan Allah.

"Menegakkan keadilan" ialah menegakkan keseimbangan dalam itikad, karena tauhid itu merupakan suatu kepercayaan yang lurus, tauhid yang murni yang tidak dicampuri sedikit pun oleh keingkaran kepada Allah dan mempersekutukan-Nya. Juga menegakkan keseimbangan di dalam ibadah, budi pekerti dan amal perbuatan, artinya menegakkan keseimbangan antara kekuatan rohani, dan kekuatan jasmani. Allah memerintahkan kita melakukan ibadah salat dan ibadah lainnya untuk menyucikan rohani. Allah menyuruh kita makan makanan yang baik, untuk memelihara tubuh. Allah melarang kita berlebih-lebihan di dalam beragama dan keterlaluan dalam mencintai dunia.

Demikian pula, Allah meletakkan hukum keseimbangan pada alam ini. Barang siapa memperhatikan hukum alam ini dan ketertibannya dengan teliti, maka tampak jelas baginya hukum keseimbangan itu paling sempurna. Allah menegakkan keseimbangan yang sempurna pada alam ini sebagai bukti nyata atas kebenaran kebijaksanaan-Nya. Kesatuan tata tertib pada alam ini menunjukkan keesaan pencipta-Nya.

Di akhir ayat ini, keesaan Zat-Nya ditegaskan dalam sifat ketuhanan. "Tak ada Tuhan melainkan Dia, yang Mahakuasa lagi Mahabijaksana". Sifat "Mahakuasa" dalam ayat ini memberi pengertian kesempurnaan kodrat-Nya dan sifat "Mahabijaksana" menunjukkan kesempurnaan ilmu-Nya. Suatu kekuasaan tidak dapat sempurna kecuali dengan adanya hak yang mutlak dalam bertindak. Keadilan (keseimbangan) juga tidak akan dapat sempurna, kecuali dengan mengetahui segala keadaan dan kemaslahatan. Maka barang siapa yang kesempurnaannya sudah sampai demikian, tidak seorang pun dapat mempengaruhinya dalam menjalankan keseimbangan itu dan tidak ada satu makhluk pun yang luput dari hukum-Nya.