Overview (Verses 62 - 64)

When There Is Nothing More to Say
 
This is indeed the truth of the matter. There is no deity save God. Indeed, it is God Who is the Mighty, the Wise. And if they turn away, God has full knowledge of those who spread corruption. Say: ‘People of earlier revelations Let us come to an agreement which is equitable between you and us: that we shall worship none but God, that we shall associate no partners with Him, and that we shall not take one another for lords beside God. “And if they turn away, then say: “Bear witness that we have surrendered ourselves to God.” (Verses 62-64)
 
In this short passage, which concludes the story of Jesus as related in this sūrah, we have a statement explaining the true nature of revelation and Qur’ānic stories, and the Oneness of God which is the subject matter of all this revelation. There is also a stern warning for those who turn away from this truth in order to spread corruption in the world: “This is indeed the truth of the matter. There is no deity save God. Indeed, it is God Who is the Mighty, the Wise. And if they turn away, God has full knowledge of those who spread corruption.” (Verses 62-63) Having been stated earlier, these facts are repeated here, after those who disputed the true nature of Jesus with the Prophet have rejected his invitation to them to join him in a humble prayer to God invoking His curse upon those who lie. The only new element in this verse is the description of those who turn away from the truth as people who spread corruption, and the warning that God has full knowledge of what they do.
 
The corruption which is spread by those who reject the truth of the oneness of God is surely great. Indeed, corruption does not appear on earth except as a result of refusing to acknowledge this most important fact. I do not mean verbal acknowledgement; for such an acknowledgement is of little value. Nor do I mean a negative mental acknowledgement which leaves no practical effects on people’s lives. What is meant is a refusal to acknowledge this fact with its far-reaching effects on human life. The first of these stresses that the Lord of all the universe is One, which means in effect that all worship should be addressed to Him alone. He is the One to be obeyed and He is the only source of legislation from whom we receive our values, standards and morality as well as everything that relates to human life. If such an acknowledgement of the oneness of God is refused, then the person concerned is either an idolater or a non-believer, no matter how strong his verbal claim to believe in God is and no matter how strong his assurances are that at heart he is a believer.
 
This universe, as a whole entity, is not set on its right course unless it is run by one God who determines all its affairs: “Had there been in them [i.e. the heavens and the earth] any deities other than God, they would surely have been overwhelmed by corruption.” (al-Anbiyā’ 21: 22) The most essential characteristics of Godhead, according to man, are: that He be worshipped, and that He lays down legislation and sets standards for people to apply in their lives. He who claims any of these for himself, claims in effect to be a deity alongside God.
 
Corruption does not spread on earth unless Divinity is thus ascribed to beings other than God. It is only when a human being enslaves others, claiming that he himself must be obeyed, or that he has the power to legislate and to set values and standards for human society that corruption becomes rife. Such an assertion is a claim of Godhead, even though the claimant may not state it in as many words as Pharaoh did when he cried: “I am your lord, most high.” (al-Nāzi`āt 79: 24) To acknowledge such an assertion by anyone is to be an idolater or to disbelieve in God. It is indeed the worst type of corruption.
 
Hence, the warning in this sūrah is followed by an address to the people of earlier revelations to come to an equitable agreement stipulating that worship is to be addressed to God alone and that no partners may be associated with Him, and that people do not take one another for lords beside God. If they reject this offer, then there can be no agreement or argument with them: “Say: ‘People of earlier revelations. Let us come to an agreement which is equitable between you and us: that we shall worship none but God, that we shall associate no partners with Him, and that we shall not take one another for lords beside God.’ And if they turn away, then say: ‘Bear witness that we have surrendered ourselves to God.’” (Verse 64)
 
It is indeed an equitable agreement proposed by the Prophet. It does not seek to win any favours for the Prophet himself or for the Muslim community. It only aims to establish a clear agreement which applies to all at the same level, so that none is elevated above another, and none enslaves another. It is the fairest of offers which cannot be rejected except by those corrupters who have determined not to abide by the truth. According to this agreement, all will submit to God as His servants. None is His partner. He has chosen them to convey His message to mankind, not to share with Him His Divinity and Lordship.
 
"If they turn away, then say: ‘Bear witness that we have surrendered ourselves to God." If they decline to worship God alone without partners and to submit themselves to Him alone, when worship and submission are the two clear aspects which determine people’s attitudes towards God, then the Muslims have to declare their own attitude of surrendering themselves to God. The contrast shown here is between the Muslims and those who take one another for lords beside God, and it demonstrates decisively who the true Muslims are.
 
They are indeed those who worship God alone, submit to Him and do not enslave one another. These are the characteristics which distinguish them from the followers of all other religions. These characteristics single out the Islamic way of life as unique among all the alternatives known to man. When these characteristics apply to a certain community, it is a Muslim community. When these characteristics do not exist in a community it cannot be described as Muslim, even though people may emphatically profess that they are Muslims. Islam is the total liberation of man from enslavement by others. The Islamic system is the only one which makes that liberation a reality.
 
In all man-made systems, people enslave one another, and take one another for lords beside God. This happens in the most advanced democracies as well as in the worst types of dictatorship. Under all human systems, the authority to legislate and set values and standards is claimed by a group of people, in one form or another, who have the final authority. This group, which requires others to submit to its legislation, are the lords. They are acknowledged by the others as such since they allow them to claim for themselves the essential characteristics of Godhead. When people do acknowledge this authority for such a group, they are in effect worshipping them although they may not bow or prostrate before them.
 
It is only under Islam that man is free from such subjugation. He is free because he receives his values, standards, morality, systems, laws and legislation from God alone like everyone else who does the same. All people under the Islamic system stand at one level, looking up to one Lord Who is the Master of them all. None claims lordship over others. Submission to God, in this sense, is the Divine faith preached by every messenger God sent to man. When God sent His messengers to preach this faith, their task was to help people free themselves from subjugation to others, so that worship of God alone could be established. They were to help liberate people from the injustice inflicted by human beings so that they could enjoy God’s absolute justice. Those who reject the message of the Prophets are not Muslims, no matter how deceptively and persuasively they may try to describe themselves as such. For, “In the sight of God, the true faith is [man’s] self-surrender to Him.” That is indeed the meaning of Islam.