Al-Suddi said: It was revealed concerning the nomadic Arabs whom Allah mentioned in Surah al-Fath: the Bedouins of Juhaynah, Muzaynah, Aslam, Ashja‘, and Ghifar. They would say, “We believe,” in order to secure their lives and property; but when they were summoned to al-Hudaybiyyah, they held back. So Allah, exalted is He, revealed: “The nomadic Arabs say, ‘We believe.’” (1)—that is, “We have affirmed it as true.”

“Say, ‘You have not believed; rather, say, “We have submitted,”’” meaning: We have yielded and submitted out of fear of being killed or taken captive. “For faith has not yet entered your hearts.” Thus, He informed us that the reality of faith is affirmation of the heart, and that verbal profession and outward observance of its prescribed rites do not constitute faith without affirmation of the heart and sincerity.

Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Nu‘aymi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma‘il narrated to us; Muhammad ibn Ghurayr al-Zuhri narrated to us; Ya‘qub ibn Ibrahim narrated to us, from his father, from Salih, from Ibn Shihab, who said: Amir ibn Sa‘d informed me, from his father, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave gifts to a group of men while I was sitting among them. He left out one man from among them, giving him nothing, though he was the one I admired most. So I went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, [and spoke to him privately] (2), and said, “Why have you passed over so-and-so? By Allah, I consider him a believer.” He said, “Or a Muslim.” I remained silent for a while, but what I knew of him got the better of me, so I said, “O Messenger of Allah, why have you passed over so-and-so? By Allah, I consider him a believer.” He said, “Or a Muslim.” Then he said: “I give a man a gift while someone else is dearer to me than he is, out of fear that he may be cast face-first into the Fire.” (3)

Islam is entering into submission, which is compliance and obedience. A man is said to have aslama when he enters into submission, just as one says ashta when he enters winter, asafa when he enters summer, and arba‘a when he enters spring. Islam may therefore be genuine obedience by the tongue, the limbs, and the heart, as in His saying to Abraham, peace be upon him: “Submit.” He said, “I have submitted myself to the Lord of all worlds.” (al-Baqarah 2:131) It may also be submission by the tongue without the heart, as in His saying: “Rather, say, ‘We have submitted,’ for faith has not yet entered your hearts.”

“And if you obey Allah and His Messenger”—outwardly and inwardly, in private and in public. Ibn Abbas said: that is, if you make your faith sincere—“He will not diminish for you.” Abu Amr recited it as ya’litkum, with an alif, based on His saying, exalted is He: “And We will not deprive them of anything of their deeds.” (al-Tur 2:21) The others recited it without an alif. Both are dialectal forms, and both mean: He will not diminish you. One says alita ya’litu altan and lata yalitu laytan when he diminishes.