Translation:
˹Some of˺ the nomadic Arabs say, “We believe.” Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “You have not believed. But say, ‘We have submitted,’ for faith has not yet entered your hearts.7 But if you obey Allah and His Messenger ˹wholeheartedly˺, He will not discount anything from ˹the reward of˺ your deeds. Allah is truly All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
˹Some of˺ the nomadic Arabs say, “We believe.” Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “You have not believed. But say, ‘We have submitted,’ for faith has not yet entered your hearts.7 But if you obey Allah and His Messenger ˹wholeheartedly˺, He will not discount anything from ˹the reward of˺ your deeds. Allah is truly All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
Translation:
The desert Arabs say, 4934 "We believe." Say, "You have no faith; but you (only)say, ´We have submitted 4935 our wills to Allah,´ For not yet has Faith entered your hearts. But if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not belittle anything of your deeds: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
The desert Arabs say, 4934 "We believe." Say, "You have no faith; but you (only)say, ´We have submitted 4935 our wills to Allah,´ For not yet has Faith entered your hearts. But if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not belittle anything of your deeds: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
Commentary:
4934 The desert Arabs were somewhat shaky in their faith. Their hearts and minds were petty, and they thought of petty things, while Islam requires the complete submission of one's being to Allah. See next verse. Some of the failings of the desert Arabs are described in 48:11-15. But the reference here is said to be to the BanuAsad, who came to profess Islam in order to get charity during a famine.
4935 'This is what ye ought to prove if your faith has any meaning, but ye only say it with your tongues.'
Translation:
THE BEDOUIN say, “We have attained to faith.” Say [unto them, O Muhammad]: “You have not [yet] attained to faith; you should [rather] say, ‘We have [outwardly] surrendered’ - for [true] faith has not yet entered your hearts. 17 But if you [truly] pay heed unto God and His Apostle, He will not let the least of your deeds go to waste: 18 for, behold, God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.”
THE BEDOUIN say, “We have attained to faith.” Say [unto them, O Muhammad]: “You have not [yet] attained to faith; you should [rather] say, ‘We have [outwardly] surrendered’ - for [true] faith has not yet entered your hearts. 17 But if you [truly] pay heed unto God and His Apostle, He will not let the least of your deeds go to waste: 18 for, behold, God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.”
Commentary:
17 Inasmuch as this is evidently an allusion to the intense tribalism of the bedouin and their "pride of descent" (Razi), the above verse connects with the preceding condemnation of all tribal preferences and prejudices, and with the call for their abandonment as a prerequisite of true faith. Primarily, this relates to the bedouin contemporaries of the Prophet, but its import is general and timeless.
18 I.e., "your own deeds, in distinction from the supposed ‘glorious deeds’ of your ancestors, which count for nothing in His sight".
17 Inasmuch as this is evidently an allusion to the intense tribalism of the bedouin and their "pride of descent" (Razi), the above verse connects with the preceding condemnation of all tribal preferences and prejudices, and with the call for their abandonment as a prerequisite of true faith. Primarily, this relates to the bedouin contemporaries of the Prophet, but its import is general and timeless.
18 I.e., "your own deeds, in distinction from the supposed ‘glorious deeds’ of your ancestors, which count for nothing in His sight".
7 The verse makes a distinction between Islam (the declaration of accepting the faith, then performing Islamic duties such as prayers and fasting) and Îmân (a higher state of Islam, which means to embrace the faith wholeheartedly). This distinction is very clear in a famous narration from the Prophet (ﷺ), commonly known as the Ḥadîth of Gabriel.