[Al-Tabarī’s discussion in his commentary of the meaning of the natural disposition]

Abū Ja‘far Muhammad ibn Jarīr al-Tabarī said in his well-known Quranic commentary:

“He says: ‘Direct your face toward the way to which Allah has directed you, O Muhammad, in obedience to Him—that is, the religion—upright in faith.’ This means: steadfast in His religion and obedience to Him.

‘The natural disposition with which Allah has created mankind’ means the way Allah fashioned mankind when He created them. The word fitrah (natural disposition) is in the accusative as a verbal noun expressing the meaning of His words:

‘So set your face toward the religion, upright in faith.’

For this means: Allah created mankind with that natural disposition.”

He said:

“The scholars of Quranic interpretation explained this in much the same way as we have.”

He narrated from Yūnus ibn ‘Abd al-A‘lā, from ‘Abd Allāh ibn Wahb, from ‘Abd al-Rahmān ibn Zayd ibn Aslam, who said concerning His words, “The natural disposition with which Allah has created mankind”:

“Islam. Ever since Allah created them all from Adam, they have acknowledged this.”

He then recited:

“And when your Lord took from the children of Adam—from their loins—their descendants and made them testify concerning themselves, ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They said, ‘Yes, we bear witness’—lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection, ‘We were indeed unaware of this.’”

“This is Allah’s statement. Mankind were one community at that time; Allah sent the prophets afterwards.”