فَإِنْ آمَنُوا بِمِثْلِ مَا آمَنْتُمْ بِهِ فَقَدِ اهْتَدَوْا وَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّمَا هُمْ فِي شِقَاقٍ فَسَيَكْفِيكَهُمُ اللَّهُ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ ﴿۱۳۷﴾ صِبْغَةَ اللَّهِ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللَّهِ صِبْغَةً وَنَحْنُ لَهُ عَابِدُونَ ﴿۱۳۸﴾ قُلْ أَتُحَاجُّونَنَا فِي اللَّهِ وَهُوَ رَبُّنَا وَرَبُّكُمْ وَلَنَا أَعْمَالُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَالُكُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُخْلِصُونَ ﴿۱۳۹﴾
﴾137﴿ Fa in aamanoo bimisli maaa aamantum bihee faqadih tadaw wa in tawallaw fa innamaa hum fee shiqaaq; fasayakfeekahumul laah; wa Huwas Samee'ul Aleem
﴾138﴿ Sibghatal laahi wa man ahsanu minal laahi sibghatanw wa nahnu lahoo 'aabidoon
﴾139﴿ Qul atuhaaajjoonanaa fil laahi wa Huwa Rabbunaa wa Rabbukum wa lanaa a'maalunaa wa lakum a'maalukum wa nahnu lahoo mukhlisoon
﴾137﴿ So if they believe as you have believed, then surely they are rightly guided. But if they turn away, then they are only in stubborn opposition. So Allah will suffice you against them, and Allah alone is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.
﴾138﴿ And they say, “We have taken on the color of Allah,” and who is better than Allah in coloring? And we worship Him alone with devotion.
﴾139﴿ Say, “Do you dispute with us about the oneness of Allah, while He is our Lord and your Lord? Our deeds are for us, and your deeds are for you. And we are devoted to Him alone with sincerity.”
[137] In this verse, they are invited to have faith like the faith of the noble companions. This is evidence of the virtue of the companions, as their faith is the standard for true faith.
(Bimithli ma amantum) means “like what you have believed”—that is, the very same faith, because the nature of each person's faith is established in themselves, so their faith is described as “like yours.”
(Fasayakfeekahum Allah) is a reassurance to the Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace) that because of the opposition of these people, he would certainly need to put forth effort against them, but he should not fear them.
[138] In this verse, it is the fifth warning to the Christians, who have made their religion about outward coloring. The response is that the best color is the color of monotheism, whose effect appears both outwardly and inwardly, in this world and the Hereafter.
This is a refutation of the false custom of the Christians, where when someone entered Christianity, they would color them with consecrated water and say that now they have become a pure Christian.
(And who is better than Allah in coloring?)—This means that the effects of other colors are only on the outside, but the color of the religion of Islam, given by Allah, remains both outwardly and inwardly, in this world and the Hereafter. Therefore, it is the most beautiful and firm.
[139] In this verse is the sixth warning – that is, arguing about the oneness of divinity and about the attributes of Allah, especially regarding His will and choice, by which He grants prophethood and revelation to some and bestows virtues on others. (Our Lord and your Lord) means that unity in belief in Lordship implies unity in belief in divinity, attributes, will, and authority. (And for us are our deeds) means our deeds are in accordance with the oneness of divinity, while your deeds are based on what leads to polytheism. So, unity in belief in Lordship is of no benefit when there is disagreement in the oneness of divinity.