Iman (a belief with certainty) is the defining characteristic of the Muslim for without this he or she would be a Kafir.

In the following Ayat Allah (swt) informs those who believe that there is a condition upon their Iman.

''Fa laa wa Rabbika Laa Yu'minoona Hattaa yu'hakkimooka fee maa Shajara baynahum, thumma laa yajidoo fee anfusihim harajam mimmaa qadayta wa yusallimooo tasleemaa.''

In the translation of the meaning:

''But no, I swear by your lord (Allah), they will have no Iman, until they make you, (O Prophet) rule between them in whatever they dispute amongst themselves, and then they find no resistance in their souls from what you have decided, instead they submit with absolute submission'' [ An-Nisa: 65]

Sabab un-Nazool (occasion of revelation)

Hakem has narrated in his Mustadrak that the reason for the revelation of this verse was that a Jew and a hypocrite had a dispute with respect to a matter, and they took it to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him), so he decided the matter in favour of the Jew; the Jew accepted the decision, but the hypocrite did not, and said: ''We should take the matter to Abu Bakr''. Abu Bakr reached the same decision as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him). The hypocrite rejected the decision and said: ''We should go to Umar''. The Jew complained about the hypocrite to Umar and said: ''We went to Mohammad, and he decided in my favour, so this man rejected the decision, then we went to Abu Bakr, and he decided in my favour, and the hypocrite rejected the decision.'' Umar then drew his sword, and struck at the neck of the hypocrite, and said this is the judgement with respect to he who is not satisfied with the judgement of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him).

The Muslims began saying that 'Umar had killed a Muslim, until Allah (swt) revealed this Ayah stating the righteousness of the action of 'Umar, by His (swt) saying that no man may have any Iman until you accept the Prophet's (saw) judgement. Thus, 'Umar in his capacity as a Judge in the Islamic State executed that man as a punishment for his apostasy.

The issue with which the quoted verse of the Qur'an deals is a crucially important issue in these times. It is the issue of the complete sovereignty of Allah. It is an issue of conviction directly linked to 'no god except Allah', and is not a personal legal issue at the discretion of the individual.

The verse and its Qaraa'in (Shari'i indications) pointing to the decisive obligation

1) The Ayah was sent down condoning Umar's (ra) action; thus we can see a Qareenah (Shari'i indication) here that the man apostatised, otherwise it would have been Haram to kill him (killing being sanctioned by the state for apostasy). This is a Qareenah here that the Iman mentioned in the Ayah is referring to Iman in the opposite meaning to Kufr, not simply an emphatic Iman (meaning Taqwa or piety) as is in other texts. This is a decisive Qareenah.

2) The silence of the Prophet (saw) toward the action of 'Umar (ra), which would ordinarily have been Haram is another decisive Qareenah.

3) These two lead us to the conclusion that ruling by what Allah (swt) has revealed is a matter of Iman, and anyone who rejects it with knowledge is a Murtad (apostate). (Surah Ma'idah Verses 44-5 and 47)

The Ayah and its Qaraa'in (Shari'i indications)

1) Allah (swt) swore an oath upon himself (fa laa wa Rabbika - 'No by your lord'). This is supportive Qareenah.

2) Allah (swt) said that they find no resistance in their souls to the judgement of the Prophet (saw). (thumma laa Yajidoo fee anfusihim - 'and then they find in themselves no resistance') This also is supportive Qareenah.

3) Allah (swt) said that they submit with absolute submission (wa yusalimoo tasleemah - 'they submit with absolute submission')

4) These are also Qaraa'in that the Ayah is talking about an obligation, because:

i) It is not obligatory to submit with absolute submission to a Mandoob (recommended act), only to a Fard (obligation) are we commanded to submit with absolute submission.

ii) Nor is it obligatory to find no resistance in our souls to a Mandoob. So the subject matter must be a Fard.

iii) For extra emphasis Allah (swt) swears upon the greatest thing that He (swt) could ever swear upon, not the stars, not the sun, not the constellations, nor the fig or the olive, like in other Ayat; but no, upon Himself (swt)! The greatest oath to take, and the only one that is also Halal for the Muslims to take; to swear upon nothing but Allah (swt)!

This all points to the obligation of ruling by what Allah (swt) has revealed, and it being a matter of Iman or Kufr - some of these Qaraa'in being definite and some being supportive.

Al-Mahkoomoon (those addressed by the Hukm)

Having realised the emphasis of this ayat the question arises upon who does this Fard(obligation) rest?

1) Allah (swt) says:

Laa Yu'minoona.

This is a third person (Ghaa'ib) masculine (Mudhakkir) plural (jam'a) verb (Fi'l) in the present tense (al-mudharee). Thus it means, ''They all don't have Iman''.

The fact that it is in the masculine includes women with men, as in Arabic the masculine verb can mean a mixed group or just men.

The fact that it came in the third person, is because the Prophet (saw) is addressed regarding us. So as to say ''O Prophet (saw) they have no Iman''.

The fact that it came in the present tense means that it can include the future, as the present tense in Arabic can include the future, so as to say, ''…They will have no Iman unless they do so…''

The fact that it came in the plural is interesting, as the original sabab only mentions one man, the Murtad (apostate). This indicates that the Ayah is actually talking about all Muslims, as it is in the plural, when it did not need to be. So the meaning is ''all of you Muslims don't have Iman''. Thus it came in an 'Aam (general) form, with no exception mentioned. Thus it is obligatory upon all of the Muslims.

So, it means, ''O Prophet all the Muslims (men and women) will have no Iman (they will have only Kufr) unless ...''

Besides all of this is the Shari'i principle ''al-Ibraa bi 'umoom il-Lafdhee wa laa bi Khusoos is-Sabab''. ''The meaning is taken by the generality of the expressions, and not by the specificity of the cause (sabab).'' Thus, the meaning is taken by the generality of the wording in the texts, and it is not restricted to that one man.

So we are all addressed by the 'Aam (general) ruling; that we have no Iman, unless we accept the Hukm of Islam.

2) The words ''hattaa yuhakkimooka''.

The verb (fi'l) here came in the third person (al-Ghaai'b) masculine (mudhhakkir) plural (Jama'a) present tense (al-mudharee). Additionally, and most importantly, it came in the transitive form 2 (fa'ala - yufa'ilu).

Thus, it means, ''Until they all (men and women) MAKE you rule between them''.

The difference between Hakama (form 1 - fa'ala), and Hakkama (form 2 - fa'ala -with emphasis on the kaaf), is one of causation.

Hakama means to rule. Hakkama (with emphasis on the kaaf) means to make somebody else rule.

Thus, the meaning here is ''O Prophet, all the Muslims (male and female) will have no Iman, until they all (male and female) MAKE you rule between them...''

Thus, it is important to note here, that we are not just commanded with a Fard, each one of us, but rather we are actively commanded to MAKE the ruler rule by Islam, with deliberate actions. We are commanded to do action in making this happen.

3) fee maa Shajara Bayahum - ''in whatever they dispute amongst themselves..''

Again, this is emphasising the meaning that it is all Muslims, as it concerns whatever we may dispute in between us all. The word Maa here is Maa al-'Umoom - a general Maa, meaning in whatever and in any matter that they dispute. So in all matters we must refer to the Prophet's (saw) judgement

4) The address to the Prophet (saw)

The Ayah states ''till they make you (O Prophet) rule between them.''

It is known that any address to the Prophet (saw) is an address to all the
Muslims, unless restricted.

For example, the Ayah commanding Zakah: ''Take Sadaqah from their wealth'' is in the second person form (al-Haadhir). So is it addressing the Prophet (saw) only? Is it no longer Fard to give Zakah to the Khalifah? When those who refused to pay the Zakah argued with Abu Bakr (ra) they argued that the obligation of Zakah was only to the Prophet (saw) because the Ayah was only addressing him alone. The Sahabah (ra) fought against those who brought this argument and killed some of them. Thus, it is Ijma'a as-Sahabah (consensus of the companions) that the command, when addressing the Prophet (saw), is a command intended for all Muslims, unless specified.

So this applies to all of the Muslims. We are commanded to MAKE all Muslim rulers judge between us by Islam; otherwise we would have no Iman (that is, if we knowingly go against this).

Conclusion

After the Tafseer of this Ayah, it becomes apparent that all Muslims will have no Iman until they make their rulers rule by Islam, and they submit absolutely to the ruling of Islam. Anyone who knowingly goes against this (though not out of ignorance) is a Kafir Murtad (apostate), and anyone who neglects this is sinful. So come, and work to establish Islam, as it is a great obligation, and neglecting it is neglecting the biggest prerequisite in Islam; Iman.