“Sibghat Allah” was explained by the ulama of tafsir with meanings that all return to the same foundation. Muhammad ibn Jarir al Tabari (d. 310 AH) explained that “sibghah” refers to the din of Allah, meaning the path of Islam which Allah has prescribed.

He clarified that this wording comes in response to the Christians who would immerse their children in water as a form of religious marking, claiming it purified and defined them.

Allah responded that the true marking is not a physical act, but His din, which is the upright way of Ibrahim عليه السلام, based on tawhid and submission.

According to this explanation, “sibghat Allah” means holding firmly to the religion Allah created His creation upon, and it is the only true and superior path.

This meaning was explicitly stated by many from the salaf. Qatadah (d. 117 AH) said, “The colour of Allah is Islam, and there is no colour better than Islam,” and he explained that it is the religion Allah sent with Nuh عليه السلام and all the prophets after him. Mujahid ibn Jabr (d. 104 AH), Al Rabiʿ ibn Anas (d. 139 AH), Abu al ʿAliyah (d. 90 AH), Al Suddi (d. 127 AH), Ibn Abbas, and Ibn Zayd (d. 182 AH) all said that “sibghat Allah” means “the din of Allah,” showing a strong agreement among them on this interpretation.

Another explanation was reported from some of the salaf, where “sibghah” was understood as the fitrah, meaning the natural state upon which Allah created people. Mujahid ibn Jabr (d. 104 AH) said, “It is the fitrah of Allah which He created people upon,” and this was also transmitted through Ibn Jurayj (d. 150 AH) and others. Ata ibn Abi Rabah (d. 114 AH) explained that the Jews altered their children away from this natural state, so “sibghat Allah” refers to remaining upon that original disposition of submission to Allah.

Abd Allah ibn Kathir al Makki (d. 130 AH) combined the meanings by saying it is “the din of Allah,” and that it is also “the fitrah of Allah,” showing that both meanings return to one reality.

Muhammad ibn Jarir al Tabari (d. 310 AH) concluded that whoever interprets “sibghah” as fitrah intends the same meaning as din, because the fitrah itself is the path Allah created His creation upon, which is the upright religion.

Shaykh Salih ibn Uthaymeen said that it is called “sibghah” because its effect appears clearly on the believer, just as colour appears on a garment, and also because it remains firmly attached to the one who holds onto it. So the “sibghat Allah” is Islam, the din of Allah, which is also the natural fitrah, and it is the defining mark that defines the believer from the apparent and within.

Tafaseer Quoted

The Interpretation of Allah’s Saying

صِبْغَةَ اللَّهِ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللَّهِ صِبْغَةٌ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ عَابِدُونَ

“The colour of Allah, and who is better than Allah in colour, and we are worshippers of Him.” (al Baqarah 138)

Allah, Exalted is His mention, meant by “the colour” the colour of Islam. That is because when the Christians want to make their children Christians, they place them into water that they claim is a sanctification for them, like circumcision for the people of Islam, and that it is a colour for them in Christianity.

So Allah, Exalted is His mention, said, when they said to His Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and to his companions who believed in him:

كُونُوا هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَى تَهْتَدُوا

“Be Jews or Christians so that you may be guided.” (al Baqarah 135)

Say to them, O Muhammad: O Jews and Christians, rather follow the way of Ibrahim, peace be upon him, the colour of Allah which is the best colour , for it is the upright, submitting way. Leave associating partners with Allah, and leaving the clear path of His guidance.

Those who recited “the colour” in the accusative case recited it as returning to “the way”, and likewise those who recited “the colour” in the nominative case recited it as returning to it. It is also possible to recite it in the nominative case in another way, as a beginning, with the meaning: it is the colour of Allah.

It is also possible to recite it in the accusative case in another way, not as returning to “the way”, but on His saying:

قُولُوا آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ

“Say: We believe in Allah.” (al Baqarah 136)

وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ

“And we are submitting to Him.” (al Baqarah 136)

Meaning: “We believed this belief”, so belief then becomes the colour of Allah.

This which we said about the interpretation of “the colour” is exemplified in (4/158), and a group from the people of interpretation said it.

Mention of Those Who Said That

Bishr said: Yazid said: Saʿid said, from Qatadah (d. 117 AH), about His saying: “The colour of Allah, and who is better than Allah in colour”: “The Jews colour their children as Jews, and the Christians colour their children as Christians. The colour of Allah is Islam, so there is no colour better than Islam and none more apparent.

It is the religion of Allah which He sent with Nuh, peace be upon him, and the prophets after him.” (Al Suyuti attributed it in al Durr al Manthur, 1/141, to al Musannaf, ʿAbd ibn Humayd, and Ibn al Mundhir.)

Al Qasim said: Al Husayn said: Hajjaj told me, from Ibn Jurayj (d. 150 AH). He said: Ata (d. 114 AH) said to me: “The colour of Allah”: “The Jews coloured their children. They opposed the fitrah.”

Allah, Exalted is His mention. The people of interpretation differed about the interpretation of His saying: “the colour of Allah”. Some of them said: “the religion”.

Those Who Said Colour Means The Religion

Al Hasan ibn Yahya said: ʿAbd al Razzaq (d. 211 AH) informed us. He said: Maʿmar (d. 153 AH) informed us, from Qatadah (d. 117 AH): “The colour of Allah”, he said: “The religion of Allah.” (Tafsir ʿAbd al Razzaq, 1/60.)

Abu Kurayb said: Wakiʿ (d. 197 AH) told us, from Abu Jaʿfar, from al Rabiʿ ibn Anas (d. 139 AH), from Abu al ʿAliyah (d. 90 AH), about His saying: “the colour of Allah”, he said: “The religion of Allah, and who is better than Allah in colour”: “And who is better than Allah in religion?” (Ibn Abi Hatim narrated it in his Tafsir, 1/245, after report 1313 and 1315, through Abu Jaʿfar.)

Al Muthanna said: Ishaq said: Ibn Abi Jaʿfar told us, from his father Abu Jaʿfar, from al Rabiʿ ibn Anas (d. 139 AH), the like of it. (Ibn Abi Hatim narrated it in his Tafsir, 1/245, after report 1313 and 1315, through Ibn Abi Jaʿfar.)

Ahmad ibn Ishaq al Ahwazi said: Abu Ahmad al Zubayri told us. He said: Sufyan al Thawri (d. 161 AH) told us, from a man, from Mujahid (d. 104 AH), the like of it.

Al Muthanna said: Abu Nuʿaym (d. 219 AH) told us: Sufyan al Thawri (d. 161 AH) told us, from Mujahid (d. 104 AH), the like of it.

Al Muthanna said: Abu Hudhayfah (d. 220 AH) told us: Shibl told us, from Ibn Abi Najih (d. 131 AH), from Mujahid (d. 104 AH), the like of it. (ʿAbd ibn Humayd narrated it, as in al Fath, 8/161, through Mansur, from Mujahid. It is in Tafsir Sufyan, p. 49, from his saying.)

Mujahid (d. 104 AH), the like of it.

Ahmad ibn Ishaq said: Abu Ahmad al Zubayri told us. He said: Fudayl ibn Marzuq (d. 159 AH) told us, from Atiyyah al ʿAwfi (d. 111 AH), about His saying: “the colour of Allah”, he said: “The religion of Allah.”

Musa ibn Harun said: ʿAmr ibn Hammad said: Asbat told us, from al Suddi (d. 127 AH): “The colour of Allah, and who is better than Allah in colour”, meaning: “the religion of Allah, and who is better than Allah in religion?”

Muhammad ibn Saʿd (d. 230 AH) told me. He said: My father told me. He said: My uncle told me. He said: My father told me, from his father, from Ibn ʿAbbas: “The colour of Allah”, he said: “The religion of Allah.” (Al Suyuti attributed it in al Durr al Manthur, 1/141, to al Musannaf. Ibn Abi Hatim narrated it in his Tafsir, 1/245, report 1313, through al Dahhak, from Ibn ʿAbbas.)

Yunus said: Ibn Wahb (d. 197 AH) informed us. He said: Ibn Zayd (d. 182 AH) said about Allah’s saying: “the colour of Allah”: “The religion of Allah.” He said: ʿAmr ibn Abi Salamah told us. He said: I asked Ibn Zayd about Allah’s saying: “the colour of Allah”.

Ibn al Barqi told me: Allah’s saying: “the colour of Allah”, he said: “The religion of Allah.”

Others said: “the colour of Allah” means the fitrah of Allah.

Those Who Said Colour Means Fitrah

Muhammad ibn ʿAmr said: Abu ʿAsim (d. 212 AH) told us. He said: ʿIsa told us, from Ibn Abi Najih (d. 131 AH), from Mujahid (d. 104 AH), about Allah’s saying: “the colour of Allah”, he said: “The fitrah of Allah which He created people upon.” (Tafsir Mujahid, p. 214. Al Hafiz attributed it in al Fath, 8/161, and al Suyuti in al Durr al Manthur, 1/141, to ʿAbd ibn Humayd, through Ibn Abi Najih.) (Ibn Abi Hatim mentioned it in his Tafsir, 1/245, after report 1313, without a chain.)

Side Note: The fitrah of Allah means the natural disposition that Allah created people upon.

Al Muthanna said: Ishaq said: Muhammad ibn Harb said: Ibn Lahiah (d. 174 AH) told us, from Jaʿfar ibn Rabiʿah (d. 136 AH), from Mujahid (d. 104 AH): “And who is better than Allah in colour ”, he said: “The colour is the fitrah.” (Ibn Abi Hatim narrated it in his Tafsir, 1/245, after report 1313 and 1315, through ʿAmr.)

Al Qasim said: Al Husayn said: Hajjaj told me, from Ibn Jurayj (d. 150 AH), from Mujahid (d. 104 AH), he said: “The colour of Allah” meaning Islam (submission to Allah alone), the fitrah of Allah which He created people upon. Ibn Jurayj (d. 150 AH) said: ʿAbd Allah ibn Kathir (d. 130 AH) said to me: “The colour of Allah”, he said: “The din (religion) of Allah, and who is better than Allah in the religion?” He said: “It is the fitrah  of Allah.”

Abu Jaʿfar, Muhammad ibn Jarir al Tabari (d. 310 AH), said: Whoever said this statement directed “the colour” to the fitrah, so its meaning is: rather we follow the fitrah (natural disposition) of Allah and His way which He created His creation upon. That is the upright religion, from Allah’s saying, Exalted is His mention:

فَاطِرِ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ

“The Originator of the heavens and the earth.” (Fatir 1)

Meaning: the Creator of the heavens and the earth.

Tafsir At Tabari (2/603–606)

Shaykh Salih Al Uthaymeen said: “Sibghat Allah” means the colouring of Allah.

The word “sibghah” means colour, as is well known.

So what is meant by “Sibghat Allah”?

They said that what is meant is the religion of Allah.

So “Sibghat Allah” means the din (religion) of Allah.

The religion was called a sibghah (colouring) because its effect appears upon the one who acts by it. The one who follows the din (religion) shows the effect of the din upon himself.

It appears on the brightness of his face, in his conduct, in his khushuʿ (humble submission), in his apparent apperance, and in his whole state. So it is like dye on a garment, whose effect becomes visible upon it.

It was also said that it was called a sibghah (colouring) because of how firmly it stays, just as dye stays upon a garment. Is there anything to prevent us from saying that it was called this for both reasons together?”

Tafsir Ibn Uthaymeen