Chapter of the book: The Doctrine of Monotheism · Read as PDF

The “Submission of the Face” is Ikhlas

In the previously examined verse of the Qur'an, it was mentioned that the “submission of the face” to the Creator of the worlds is the one essential factor that makes a person a monotheist and grants him entry into Paradise. Therefore, special attention should be given to this expression.

Through the explanations of the early scholars and Qur'anic exegetes, it becomes clear that the “submission of the face”, which appears in multiple places in the Qur'an, refers to pure monotheism, which consists of exclusive worship and complete obedience to Allah alone.

At-Tabari narrates the following regarding this verse⁷¹:

كَمَا حَدَّثَنِي الْمُثَنَّى، قَالَ: ثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ، قَالَ: ثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنِ الرَّبِيعِ: {بَلَى مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ لِلَّهِ} [البقرة: 112] يَقُولُ: «أَخْلَصَ لِلَّهِ»

Narrated from ar-Rabi': (“...whoever submits his face in Islam to Allah”) means: “akhlasa li-llah.”

As previously explained, akhlasa means “to make pure” or “to purify.” Thus, the expression used here means: “Whoever submits his face to Allah”, that is, “Whoever practices ikhlas for Allah”, meaning “Whoever completely purifies his actions for Allah.”

In all early works of tafsir, similar explanations for this expression can be found. As previously clarified, the term akhlasa li-llah implies that a person purifies his actions, his 'ibadah, his din, his obedience, and so on exclusively for Allah, ensuring that none of these are directed towards anyone else besides Him.

This refers to the frequently mentioned ikhlas, that purification which essentially serves as another term for describing pure and true monotheism in the early Islamic sources.

Then at-Tabari says:

وَكَمَا قَالَ زَيْدُ بْنُ عَمْرِو بْنِ نُفَيْلٍ:

وَأَسْلَمْتُ وَجْهِي لِمَنْ أَسْلَمَتْ ... لَهُ الْمُزْنُ تَحْمِلُ عَذْبًا زُلَالَا

يَعْنِي بِذَلِكَ: اسْتَسْلَمَتْ لِطَاعَةِ مَنِ اسْتَسْلَمَ لِطَاعَتِهِ الْمُزْنُ وَانْقَادَتْ لَهُ.

وَخَصَّ اللَّهُ جَلَّ ثَنَاؤُهُ بِالْخَبَرِ عَمَّنْ أَخْبَرَ عَنْهُ بِقَوْلِهِ: {بَلَى مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ لِلَّهِ} [البقرة: 112] بِإِسْلَامِ وَجْهِهِ لَهُ دُونَ سَائِرِ جَوَارِحِهِ؛ لِأَنَّ أَكْرَمَ أَعْضَاءِ ابْنِ آدَمَ وَجَوَارِحِهِ وَجْهُهُ، وَهُوَ أَعْظَمُهَا عَلَيْهِ حُرْمَةً وَحَقًّا، فَإِذَا خَضَعَ لِشَيْءٍ وَجْهُهُ الَّذِي هُوَ أَكْرَمُ أَجْزَاءِ جَسَدِهِ عَلَيْهِ فَغَيْرُهُ مِنْ أَجْزَاءِ جَسَدِهِ أَحْرَى أَنْ يَكُونَ أَخْضَعَ لَهُ.

وَلِذَلِكَ تَذْكُرُ الْعَرَبُ فِي مَنْطِقِهَا الْخَبَرَ عَنِ الشَّيْءِ فَتُضِيفُهُ إِلَى وَجْهِهِ وَهِيَ تَعْنِي بِذَلِكَ نَفْسَ الشَّيْءِ وَعَيْنَهُ ...

وَتَأْوِيلُ الْكَلَامِ: بَلَى مَنْ أَخْلَصَ طَاعَتَهُ لِلَّهِ وَعِبَادَتَهُ لَهُ مُحْسِنًا فِي فِعْلِهِ ذَلِكَ.

Just as Zayd ibnu 'Amr ibnu Nufayl said⁷²:

“I have submitted my face to the One⁷³ to Whom even the

rain-bearing clouds submit, carrying fresh, pure water.”

By this, he meant: “I have submitted to the One to Whose obedience even the clouds submit and yield.”

Allah, exalted be He, specifically mentions the face in this verse because it is the noblest, most important, and most worthy of protection part of the entire body.

Thus, when a person submits his face to someone ⁷⁴, it is clear that the rest of his body will submit all the more. Therefore, it was common in the language of the Arabs to refer to the entire body by mentioning the face specifically …

The meaning of the verse is as follows: Indeed! The one who completely purifies his obedience and worship for Allah and does so in the best manner.