Quran Universe
2:138

صِبۡغَةَ ٱللَّهِ وَمَنۡ أَحۡسَنُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ صِبۡغَةٗۖ وَنَحۡنُ لَهُۥ عَٰبِدُونَ

Sibghata Allahi waman ahsanu mina Allahi sibghatan wanahnu lahu AAabidoona

[And say, "Ours is] the religion of Allah. And who is better than Allah in [ordaining] religion? And we are worshippers of Him."

Word by word
  1. صِبۡغَةَ(The) color (religion)
  2. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah
  3. وَمَنۡAnd who
  4. أَحۡسَنُ(is) better
  5. مِنَthan
  6. ٱللَّهِAllah
  7. صِبۡغَةٗۖat coloring
  8. وَنَحۡنُAnd we
  9. لَهُۥto Him
  10. عَٰبِدُونَ(are) worshippers
Al-Baqarah · 2:138Madinah

The colour of Allah. Whose colouring could be better?

Let faith dye you through

Sibghah
Allah's colouringHis religion
soaks into
the believerinside and out
who says
we worship Him
How deep
a coat of paintfor show
dyed throughit colours everything

Sibghah literally means dye or colouring. Ibn Abbas and many others said it means the religion of Allah. Ibn Kathir links it to 30:30, Allah's fitrah, the natural way He made us on, and says: hold to it. Who could colour better than Allah?

Some people wear faith like a jacket: on for Friday, off for the office. Allah's dye goes through the fabric. It shows in how you drive, how you text, how you split the bill.

My faith is a part of my life, kept in its place.

Allah's religion is a dye meant to colour every part of me.

Try this

Choose one ordinary part of your day, like driving or shopping, and do it as a Muslim on purpose.

Related30:30
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 2:137)

So if they believe in the like of that which you believe then they are rightly guided; but if they turn away, then they are only in opposition. So Allah will suffice for you against them. And He is the Hearer, the Knower (137)[Our Sibghah (religion) is] the Sibghah of Allah (Islam) and which Sibghah can be better than Allah's? And we are His worshippers (138)

Allah said, if they, the disbelievers among the People of the Book and other disbelievers, believe in all of Allah's Books and Messengers and do not differentiate between any of them,

فَقَدِ اهْتَدَوا

(then they are rightly guided) meaning, they would acquire the truth and be directed to it.

وَّإِن تَوَلَّوْا

(but if they turn away) from truth to falsehood after proof had been presented to them,

فَإِنَّمَا هُمْ فِي شِقَاقٍ فَسَيَكْفِيكَهُمُ اللَّهُ

(then they are only in opposition. So Allah will suffice you against them) meaning, Allah will aid the believers against them,

وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

(And He is the Hearer, the Knower). Allah said,

صِبْغَةَ اللَّهِ

(The Sibghah of Allah). Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn 'Abbas commented, "The religion of Allah." This Tafsir was also reported of Mujahid, Abu Al-'Aliyah, 'Ikrimah, Ibrahim, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, 'Abdullah bin Kathir, 'Atiyah Al-'Awfi, Ar-Rabi' bin Anas, As-Suddi and other scholars. The Ayah,

فِطْرَتَ اللَّهِ

(Allah's Fitrah (i.e. Allah's Islamic Monotheism))(30:30) directs Muslims to, "Hold to it."