Tafseer of The Romans · Ar-Room · 30:31
[Adhere to it], turning in repentance to Him, and fear Him and establish prayer and do not be of those who associate others with Allah
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of the saying of the Exalted: مُنِيبِينَ إِلَيْهِ وَاتَّقُوهُ وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلاةَ وَلا تَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ (30:31) ("Turning to Him in repentance, and fear Him, and establish the prayer (ṣalāh), and do not be among the polytheists (mushrikīn).")
The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, means by His saying مُنِيبِينَ إِلَيْهِ ("turning to Him in repentance"): penitent, returning to Allah, turning toward Him.
As Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His saying مُنِيبِينَ إِلَيْهِ: The munīb (the one who returns) to Allah is the one who obeys Allah, who has returned to obedience to Allah and His command, and who has turned away from the matters in which he formerly was. The people were unbelievers, and they detached themselves [from unbelief] and returned to Islam.
The explanation of the words [is]: "Set then your face, O Muḥammad, toward the religion as a ḥanīf (pure monotheist), while you are turned to Him — to Allah — in repentance." For "those turning [to Him] in repentance" (al-munībūn) is a circumstantial qualifier (ḥāl) for the kāf (the suffix "your") in "your face."
If someone asks: How can it be a circumstantial qualifier for it, when the kāf refers to a single person, while "those turning in repentance" is a designation for a group? — then it is answered: Because the command to the kāf, whose name [namely the one addressed] comes from Allah, in this place is a command from Him to him [the Prophet ﷺ] and to his community. It is as though it was said to him: "Set your face — you and your community — toward the religion as a ḥanīf for Allah, while you are turned to Him in repentance."
His saying وَاتَّقُوهُ ("and fear Him") — the Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: and fear Allah and be on your guard against Him, lest you be negligent in His obedience and commit His disobedience.
وَلا تَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ("and do not be among the polytheists") — that is to say: and do not be among the people of shirk (associating partners) with Allah by neglecting His obligations, committing His acts of disobedience, and your opposing the religion to which He has called you.
