a believer. Here He states that whoever gives them allegiance is one of them. Thus, the passages of the Quran confirm one another. Allah Most High says:

“Allah has sent down the best discourse: a Book consistent in its parts and oft-repeated, at which the skins of those who fear their Lord shiver”—to the end of the verse.

Likewise, His words:

“The believers are only those who believe in Allah and His Messenger and, when they are with him on a matter of common concern, do not leave until they have asked his permission.”

This shows that leaving in the circumstances mentioned without asking his permission is impermissible, and that one must not leave until one has asked permission. Whoever leaves without asking permission has therefore neglected part of the faith obligatory upon him. This is why faith is negated in his case: the particle “innamā” affirms what is mentioned and excludes everything else.

Some scholars of legal theory say that “inna” expresses affirmation and “mā” expresses negation, so that combining them conveys both negation and affirmation. This, however, is not the view of Arabic grammarians or those who discuss the matter with knowledge. This “mā” is the restraining particle that attaches to “inna” and its sister particles, preventing them from exercising their grammatical effect. They exercise that effect only when restricted to nominal clauses. Once restrained, both their grammatical effect and their restriction cease, so that either verbal or nominal clauses may follow them. Thus, adding “mā” changes both their meaning and their grammatical effect. The same applies to “ka’annamā” and other such combinations.

Likewise, Allah Most High says:

“They say, ‘We believe in Allah and the Messenger, and we obey.’ Then a group of them turns away after that. Such people are not believers.

“When they are called to Allah and His Messenger so that he may judge between them, a group of them turns away.

“But if the right is theirs, they come to him in submission.

“Is there a disease in their hearts? Or have they doubted? Or do they fear that Allah and His Messenger will be unjust to them? Rather, it is they who are the wrongdoers.

“The only response of the believers, when they are called to Allah and His Messenger so that he may judge between them, is to say, ‘We hear and we obey.’ It is they who are successful.”