"Do they seek other than the religion of Allah?" (i.e., do they seek) "while to Him has submitted whoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or by compulsion." Al-Hasan's interpretation: "And to Him has submitted whoever is in the heavens," then the speech pauses, then he said: "and the earth," meaning: and whoever is in the earth, willingly or by compulsion; that is: obediently and unwillingly. Al-Hasan said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allah, Allah does not treat the one who entered Islam willingly like one who entered it by compulsion."
Yahya said: I do not know whether he meant the hypocrite or the one who was fought until he entered it.
Qatada said: As for the believer, he submitted willingly, so that benefited him and was accepted from him. As for the disbeliever, he submitted unwillingly, so that did not benefit him and was not accepted from him.
Yahya said: He means by the disbeliever: the hypocrite whose heart did not submit.
Muhammad said: "Willingly" (taw'an) is an infinitive (masdar) used in the position of a state (hal).
﴿أفغير دين الله يَبْغُونَ﴾ (يطْلبُونَ) ﴿وَلَهُ أَسْلَمَ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَات وَالْأَرْض طَوْعًا وَكرها﴾ تَفْسِير الْحسن: وَله أسلم من فِي السَّمَوَات، ثمَّ انْقَطع الْكَلَام، ثمَّ قَالَ: ﴿وَالأَرْضِ﴾ أَيْ: وَمَنْ فِي الأَرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكرها؛ يَعْنِي: طَائِعا وكارها. قَالَ الْحَسَنُ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: ((وَاللَّهِ لَا يَجْعَلُ اللَّهُ مَنْ دَخَلَ فِي الإِسْلامِ طَوْعًا؛ كم دَخَلَهُ كَرْهًا)).
قَالَ يَحْيَى: لَا أَدْرِي أَرَادَ الْمُنَافِقَ، أَوِ الَّذِي قُوتِلَ عَلَيْهِ.
وَقَالَ قَتَادَةُ: أَمَّا الْمُؤمن فَأسلم طَائِعا؛ فنفعه ذَلِك وَقُبِلَ مِنْهُ، وَأَمَّا الْكَافِرُ فَأَسْلَمَ كَارِهًا؛ فَلَمْ يَنْفَعْهُ ذَلِكَ وَلَمْ يُقْبَلْ مِنْهُ.
قَالَ يَحْيَى: يَعْنِي بِالْكَافِرِ: الْمُنَافِقَ الَّذِي لَمْ يُسْلِمْ قلبه.
قَالَ مُحَمَّد: ﴿طَوْعًا﴾ مصدر، وضع مَوضِع الْحَال.
