Tafseer of The Table · Al-Maaida · 5:111
And [remember] when I inspired to the disciples, "Believe in Me and in My messenger Jesus." They said, "We have believed, so bear witness that indeed we are Muslims [in submission to 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 His statement: وَإِذْ أَوْحَيْتُ إِلَى الْحَوَارِيِّينَ أَنْ آمِنُوا بِي وَبِرَسُولِي قَالُوا آمَنَّا وَاشْهَدْ بِأَنَّنَا مُسْلِمُونَ (111) (And when I revealed to the disciples: "Believe in Me and in My messenger," they said: "We believe, and bear witness that we are submitters (Muslims).") (5:111)
Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose praise is mentioned, says: And remember also, O ʿĪsā, when I sent down revelation to the disciples — and they were the helpers of ʿĪsā in his religion.
* * *
We have already expounded the meaning of that, and why they were called "the disciples" (al-ḥawāriyyūn), in an earlier place, in a manner that makes repetition unnecessary.
* * *
The wordings of the exegetes differ concerning the explanation of His statement: "And when I revealed," although they agree in meaning.
Some of them said, as in:
12992 - Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related this to me, saying: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: "And when I revealed to the disciples" means: I cast it into their hearts.
* * *
Others said: the meaning of that is: I gave them inspiration (ilhām).
* * *
Abū Jaʿfar said: The explanation of the words is then: And when I sent down revelation to the disciples, namely: "Hold Me and My messenger ʿĪsā to be true," whereupon they said: "We believe," that is: we hold to be true what You have commanded us to believe, O our Lord — "and bear witness" against us "that we are submitters (Muslims)," which means: and bear witness against us that we submit to You in humility, obediently heeding Your command and following it.
------------------
Footnotes:
(19) See the explanation of "awḥā" (revealed) in the foregoing, 6: 405, 406 / 9: 399.
(20) See the explanation of "al-ḥawāriyyūn" (the disciples) in the foregoing, 6: 449 - 451.