Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
The word “al-Ṣābiʾūn” in Surah al-Mā’idah is not a grammatical error. Rather, it is in the nominative case according to valid Arabic grammatical analyses mentioned by leading grammarians and Qur’anic commentators, and it has parallels in classical Arabic usage.
The form “al-Ṣābiʾīn” with yāʾ occurs in Surahs al-Baqarah and al-Ḥajj. Allah says:
﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالنَّصَارَى وَالصَّابِئِينَ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ﴾ [Al-Baqarah: 62].
And He says:
﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالصَّابِئِينَ وَالنَّصَارَى وَالْمَجُوسَ وَالَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ﴾ [Al-Ḥajj: 17].
But in Surah al-Mā’idah it appears with wāw:
﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالصَّابِئُونَ وَالنَّصَارَىٰ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ﴾ [Al-Mā’idah: 69].
Why, then, does it appear as “al-Ṣābiʾīn” in al-Baqarah and al-Ḥajj, but as “al-Ṣābiʾūn” in al-Mā’idah?
Arabic grammarians and Qur’anic commentators have mentioned several valid analyses. Among the most well-known are:
First explanation: Fronting and postponement
The meaning may be understood as:
“Indeed, those who believe, those who are Jews, and the Christians—whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and does righteous deeds shall have no fear concerning them, nor shall they grieve—and the Ṣābiʾūn likewise.”
On this analysis, “al-Ṣābiʾūn” is a مبتدأ (subject/topic) in the nominative case, with the wāw serving as its nominative marker because it is a sound masculine plural.
Arabic contains comparable instances of fronting and postponement.
Second explanation: “al-Ṣābiʾūn” is a مبتدأ, with the following sentence serving as its predicate
“Al-Ṣābiʾūn” may be treated as a nominative مبتدأ, with “al-Naṣārā” coordinated with it. The clause:
﴿مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا﴾
then serves as the predicate for both.
The predicate of “inna” is understood as omitted, with the predicate of the مبتدأ providing evidence for it.
This construction is known in Arabic usage.
Third explanation: Coordination with the syntactic position of the noun governed by “inna”
“Inna” is one of the particles that govern nominal sentences. Its noun is accusative in form, but before “inna” entered the sentence, it was a nominative مبتدأ.
Accordingly, “al-Ṣābiʾūn” may be coordinated with the syntactic position of the noun of “inna”, and therefore takes the nominative case based on its original syntactic position.
This explanation was mentioned by leading grammarians, including Ibn Hishām, and by Qur’anic commentators when explaining the verse.
No. The verse does not contain a grammatical error. Rather, it employs a sound Arabic construction for which recognized grammatical analyses exist.
Ibn ‘Āshūr explained that the wording was revealed in this form, recited by the Prophet ﷺ, transmitted by the Muslims from him, and read and written in the muṣḥafs. The Arabs who received it were native Arabic speakers, making the verse evidence of an established form of eloquent Arabic usage, even if that construction is not the most common in every context.
The fact that a construction may be unfamiliar to a modern reader, or different from the grammatical form one might initially expect, does not make it incorrect. Arabic permits several valid constructions, some of which are less common than others.
Ibn ‘Āshūr mentioned an important rhetorical point: the nominative form “al-Ṣābiʾūn” draws the reader’s attention because it appears differently from what the immediate context might lead one to expect.
This usage draws attention to the inclusion of the Ṣābiʾūn in the promise mentioned in the verse. Thus, the unusual syntactic arrangement encourages reflection on the meaning and highlights the breadth of Allah’s forgiveness and mercy: whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and performs righteous deeds receives the stated promise.
This matter demonstrates the importance of learning Islamic knowledge and Arabic, and reflecting upon the Qur’an. A Muslim should not merely respond defensively when confronted with a claim, but should learn and contemplate so that he understands the various dimensions of expression and eloquence in the Book of Allah.
Allah says:
﴿أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ وَلَوْ كَانَ مِنْ عِنْدِ غَيْرِ اللَّهِ لَوَجَدُوا فِيهِ اخْتِلَافًا كَثِيرًا﴾ [Al-Nisāʾ: 82].
And He says:
﴿كِتَابٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ لِيَدَّبَّرُوا آيَاتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ﴾ [Ṣād: 29].
Shaykh al-Saʿdī, may Allah have mercy on him, stated that one of the purposes of revealing the Qur’an is for people to contemplate its verses, derive knowledge from them, and reflect upon their meanings, wisdoms, and deeper insights.
The occurrence of “al-Ṣābiʾūn” with wāw in Surah al-Mā’idah is not a grammatical error. Rather, it is a valid Arabic construction for which grammarians and Qur’anic commentators have mentioned several grammatical analyses, including that it is a مبتدأ or that it is coordinated with the syntactic position of the noun of “inna.”
As for its occurrence with yāʾ in al-Baqarah and al-Ḥajj, it is accusative there because it is coordinated with the noun of “inna”, which is accusative.
Thus, the difference in grammatical case between the passages does not indicate contradiction or error. Rather, it reflects valid Arabic grammatical constructions, while also containing a rhetorical dimension that invites reflection and contemplation.
And Allah knows best.