—it is they who are truthful.”

“Say, ‘Would you inform Allah of your religion?’ Allah knows whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth, and Allah has knowledge of all things.”

“They regard their acceptance of Islam as a favour to you. Say, ‘Do not regard your Islam as a favour to me. Rather, Allah has bestowed a favour upon you by guiding you to faith, if you are truthful.’”

Allah Most High said:

“You have not believed. Rather, say, ‘We have submitted,’ for faith has not yet entered your hearts.”

This particle—lammā (“not yet”)—negates something whose occurrence is near and anticipated, but which has not yet happened. Thus, one says to someone awaiting an absent person, “Not yet.” One says, “He has come”; “He has not come yet.”

When they said, “We believe,” they were told, “You have not believed”—not yet; rather, faith was still hoped for and expected of them.

Then He said:

“If you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not diminish for you…”

That is, He will not diminish the reward of your recorded deeds “in the least”—meaning, in this present condition. For if they meant obedience to Allah and His Messenger after faith had entered their hearts, this would convey nothing of benefit to them or anyone else. It was already known that believers are rewarded for obeying Allah and His Messenger, and they themselves acknowledged this.

If they were told, “The one obeyed is rewarded,” and what was meant was the believer who knows that he is a believer, this would convey no new information.

Furthermore, these very people were being addressed. He had stated that faith had not yet entered their hearts, and they were told:

“If you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not diminish the reward of your deeds in the least.”

If they were not rewarded for obeying Allah and His Messenger while in this condition, that would contradict what these words signify. This is further clarified by His description of the believers, from whose ranks He excluded these people. Allah Most High said:

“The believers are only those who believe in Allah and His Messenger, then never doubt, and strive with their wealth and their lives