According to Taberî, Ibrahim and Jacob bequeathed to their sons that they should not deviate from the Islamic religion throughout their lives; because no one knows when they will die, for this reason they told them to submit to their Lord and obey Him with sincerity. The fact that death and life are in Allah's hands should be understood not as a command for a person to die in a particular state, but as not deviating from the religion; because death can come unexpectedly and a person may be caught while having deviated from the religion.

فلا تفارقوا هذا الدين وهو الإسلام أيام حياتكم؛ وذلك أن أحدا لا يدري متى تأتيه منيته، فلذلك قالا لهم: لربكم مذعنون له بالطاعة، مخلصون له الألوهية والعبادة

According to Zemahşerî, what Ibrahim bequeathed to his sons is the phrase of tawhid; the term 'bequest' here means to command the guarding and protection of that thing, as in the example 'I bequeathed to Zayd the command to do such-and-such'. Furthermore, the view that the agent of the phrase 'and He made it' is Allah has also been reported, and it is stated that the word 'word' is read both with and without a doubled letter, and the phrase 'in his descendants' means 'in his progeny, in his lineage'.

وقولك : وصيت زيدا بعمرو ، معناه : وصيته بتعهد عمرو ومراعاته ونحو ذلك

This text discusses, based on the mention of 'your fathers' religion' in the address of Jacob to his sons (grandsons) in verse 132 of al-Baqarah, whether a grandfather is truly considered a 'father' in the literal sense. Ar-Razî, by presenting multiple proofs, argues that a grandfather (ced) is not literally a father, and that this name can only be given to him in a figurative or broader sense. According to this, the fact that someone whose father has died but grandfather is alive can say 'I have no father', the disagreement of the Companions regarding the inheritance of the grandfather, and the refusal of jurists and linguists to call the grandfather 'father' support this view.

فلو كان الصاعد في الأبوة أبا لكان النازل في البنوة ابنا في الحقيقة ، فلما لم يكن كذلك ثبت أن الجد ليس بأب . وثانيها : لو كان الجد أبا على الحقيقة لما صح لمن مات أبوه وجده حي أن ينفي أن له أبا

According to Qurtubî, the definite article (al-) in the word 'ad-dîn' in the verse is for specification of something already known, because the addressees were already familiar with this religion. The expression of the verse is of the type 'eloquent brevity'; the meaning is to hold fast to Islam and not deviate from it until death. This concise wording contains both the purpose and carries a reminder of death and counsel, because a person knows that he will die but does not know when he will die; for this reason the command becomes continuous and binding from the moment of address.

إيجاز بليغ والمعنى : ألزموا الإسلام ودوموا عليه ولا تفارقوه حتى تموتوا فاتى بلفظ موجز يتضمن المقصود ويتضمن وعظا وتذكيرا بالموت

According to Ibn Kathîr, this text indicates that the demonstrative pronoun can refer either to the Islamic nation (its religion), that is, the religion of submission to Allah, or to the previous statement (word) that Joseph mentioned. In other words, it emphasizes the possibility that the thing being bequeathed is either this religion/nation or the previous saying that was mentioned.

أي وصى بهذه الملة وهي الإسلام لله أو يعود الضمير على الكلمة وهي قوله وقال يوسف

According to Baydhâwî, the bequest of Ibrahim and Jacob to their children in this verse includes the command to be steadfast in the religion and to remain firm upon Islam; the phrase 'do not die' is not literally about the moment of death, but rather a command not to be in a state outside of Islam throughout life. Furthermore, the difference between the readings of 'wassâ' and 'ewsâ' and who the sons of Ibrahim and Jacob are is discussed. It is narrated that this verse was revealed in response to the claim of the Jews to the Prophet that Jacob bequeathed Judaism to his children.

ظاهره النهي عن الموت على خلاف حال الإسلام، والمقصود هو النهي عن أن يكونوا على خلاف تلك الحال إذا ماتوا، والأمر بالثبات على الإسلام