Surah Āl ‘Imrān
In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

[Surah Āl ‘Imrān (3): verse 18]
“Allah bears witness that there is no deity except Him—and so do the angels and those endowed with knowledge—while He upholds justice. There is no deity except Him, the Almighty, the All-Wise.” (18)

This noble verse affirms the reality of Allah’s oneness, refutes all those groups whose false beliefs were detailed earlier, and testifies to the falsity of their statements and doctrines. This becomes clear only after understanding the verse through an explanation of the knowledge concerning Allah and the truths of faith that it contains.

This verse contains the most exalted and greatest, the most just and truthful testimony, from the most exalted Witness, concerning the most exalted truth.

The early scholars’ explanations of “bears witness” revolve around ruling and decreeing, making known, explaining, and reporting.

Mujāhid said: “He ruled and decreed.” Al-Zajjāj said: “He made clear.” Others said: “He made known and reported.”

All these explanations are true and do not contradict one another. Testimony encompasses the witness’s speech, report, and statement, as well as his making known, reporting, and explaining. It therefore has four levels: