5-51 O you who believe, take not the Jews and the Christians for friends. They are friends of each other. And whoever amongst you takes them for friends he is indeed one of them. Surely Allah guides not the unjust people.a
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تَتَّخِذُواْ ٱلۡيَہُودَ وَٱلنَّصَـٰرَىٰٓ أَوۡلِيَآءَۘ بَعۡضُہُمۡ أَوۡلِيَآءُ بَعۡضٍ۬ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمۡ فَإِنَّهُ ۥ مِنۡہُمۡۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهۡدِى ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ (٥١)
5-51a: Friendship with Ahl Kitab: See 2:257a for what is meant by اولیاء . In verse 3:28 there is a general order prohibiting the believers from taking disbelievers as friends but there is a condition imposed that the said friendship is in preference to a friendship with a Muslim for which see 3:28a. Apparently, the words here are unconditional that Jews and Christians are not to be befriended, that is believers should not seek help from them nor give them help. The next verse shows that the hypocrites sought refuge with Jews and Christians out of a fear that if Islam is eliminated, they will get destroyed as well and so as a precautionary measure they kept good relations with the Jews and Christians. In the next section, this topic is repeated and particular mention is made of those Ahl Kitab who mocked Islam (5: 57), of the enmity of the Ahl Kitab (5:59) and of their efforts to spread mischief and to initiate hostilities against Islam (5:64). This context shows clearly that Muslims are prohibited from making friends with those Jews who were inimical to Islam and desired to destroy Islam and incited people against Islam.
In a description of the conditions which led to the revelation of this verse, mention is made of how Ubadah ibn al-Samat was disgusted with cooperating with the Jews, and the refusal of the hypocrite Abdullah bin Ubay to abandon cooperating with the Jews (IJ). In another tradition, the violation of the treaty by the Jewish tribe of Bani Qurayza is mentioned as the reason for the revelation of the verse (IJ). Ibn Jarir prefers the interpretation of this verse which holds that the friendship prohibited is the one مِن دُونِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَۖ that is against the Muslims or that will harm the Muslims because he states that the narrations about the rationale for this verse are not categorically correct and keeping the common Quranic words in view, this is the most appropriate meaning.
Islam has neither the narrow mindedness to prohibit its followers from meeting others or stops them from necessary interaction that occur in the normal course. In fact, it permits marriages with the chaste women of the Ahl Kitab which results in the normal feeling of love between the spouses. During the administration of Caliph Umar, the Ahl Kitab fought in the ranks of Muslim forces against the Iranians. Further Islam teaches to keep justice and equity in mind even when dealing with the enemy and to show kindness and to deal justly with those who do not fight and do not help those who fight Muslims (60:8). However, Islam is a very wise religion and strictly stops the Muslims from doing things that will cause harm even if a utopian philosopher who has not practically fashioned a nation may not appreciate this necessity and may criticize it. Islam has taught us to distinguish between these people those who are the enemies of our religion and those who are not. There is also no doubt that those who will keep a connection with them will get influenced by their thinking and will become one of them. This is what is meant by فَإِنَّهُ ۥ مِنۡہُمۡۗ . If on the one hand, it is correct that if a nation becomes the enemy of Islam, individual friendships with its members should not be maintained, and on the other hand, it is also true that Muslims cannot consider the Jews and the Christians nations as a friend because they do not want Islam to spread in the world. Therefore, to have any expectation of assistance from them is meaningless. The important thing towards which attention is drawn is that Muslims should abandon any idea of getting assistance from them.
5-52 But thou seest those in whose hearts is a disease, hastening towards them, saying: We fear lest a calamity should befall us. Maybe Allah will bring the victory or a commandment from Himself, so they will regret what they hid in their souls.a
فَتَرَى ٱلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ۬ يُسَـٰرِعُونَ فِيہِمۡ يَقُولُونَ نَخۡشَىٰٓ أَن تُصِيبَنَا دَآٮِٕرَةٌ۬ۚ فَعَسَى ٱللَّهُ أَن يَأۡتِىَ بِٱلۡفَتۡحِ أَوۡ أَمۡرٍ۬ مِّنۡ عِندِهِۦ فَيُصۡبِحُواْ عَلَىٰ مَآ أَسَرُّواْ فِىٓ أَنفُسِہِمۡ نَـٰدِمِينَ (٥٢)
5-52a: دَآٮِٕرَة – The meaning of دَوۡر is to go around or to rotate. A house is called دار because the wall surrounds it and because دار is a place of rest, a town is also called دار . Further دار is combined to form the compound words دار دنیا (earthly abode) and دار آخرت (heavenly abode), and paradise is called دار السلام and hell is called دار البوار , that is the house of peace and the house of destruction. دائرہ is a line that goes around and encircles and metaphorically it refers to accidents and calamities because they encircle a person, as in: عَلَيۡهِمۡ دَآٮِٕرَةُ ٱلسَّوۡءِ (On them is the evil turn) (9:98). Its plural is دوائر as in يَتَرَبَّصُ بِكُمُ ٱلدَّوَآٮِٕرَۚ (they wait for an evil turn of fortune for you) (9:98). دَآٮِٕرَة is used in disliked affairs just as دَولة is used in liked affairs.
Prevalence of unbelief is no cause to be frightened: By disease is meant weakness of faith or hypocrisy (See 2-10a and 2-184b). Hypocrites, like Abdullah bin Ubay mentioned in the previous comment, kept secret relations with the disbelievers and Jews out of fear that the Muslims will ultimately be vanquished but their friendship with the disbelievers will save them. In the current times, there are several Muslims who see Islam surrounded by difficulties and seek to find refuge with the Christians. If they had faith in God’s promises, they would have had their trust in God and would not have sought friendship with people who are bent upon the destruction of Islam. Two things are stated here as a consolation. Either God will grant Muslims victory against their opponents, that is a clear victory in battle as happened in the time of the Holy Prophet, and that is why this is mentioned first or if this does not happen then Allah may create some other conditions that result in the dominance of Islam. So, even if the Muslims suffer defeat instead of gaining victory, Allah can create conditions that result in the dominance of Islam. In the current defeated state, these words provide consolation and good news that Allah will cause Islam to dominate in some other way.
5-53 And those who believe will say: Are these they who swore by Allah with their most forcible oaths that they were surely with you? Their deeds will bear no fruit, so they will be losers.
وَيَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ أَهَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ ٱلَّذِينَ أَقۡسَمُواْ بِٱللَّهِ جَهۡدَ أَيۡمَـٰنِہِمۡۙ إِنَّہُمۡ لَمَعَكُمۡۚ حَبِطَتۡ أَعۡمَـٰلُهُمۡ فَأَصۡبَحُواْ خَـٰسِرِينَ (٥٣)
5-54 O you who believe, should anyone of you turn back from his religion, then Allah will bring a people, whom He loves and who love Him, humble towards the believers, mighty against the disbelievers, striving hard in Allah’s way and not fearing the censure of any censurer. This is Allah’s grace — He gives it to whom He pleases. And Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing.a
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَن يَرۡتَدَّ مِنكُمۡ عَن دِينِهِۦ فَسَوۡفَ يَأۡتِى ٱللَّهُ بِقَوۡمٍ۬ يُحِبُّہُمۡ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ ۥۤ أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى ٱلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ يُجَـٰهِدُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا يَخَافُونَ لَوۡمَةَ لَآٮِٕمٍ۬ۚ ذَٲلِكَ فَضۡلُ ٱللَّهِ يُؤۡتِيهِ مَن يَشَآءُۚ وَٱللَّهُ وَٲسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ (٥٤)
5-54a: أَذِلَّةٍ – It is the plural of ذلیل and ذُلّ from which it is derived means to be overcome or humiliated (R) but being ذلیل or overcome before one’s own people means to assume extreme degree of lowness or humbleness like a person who is defeated and overcome. For example, it has been stated about treatment of parents to lower to them : جَنَاحَ ٱلذُّلِّ (wing of humility) out of mercy (17:24) where the meaning of ذُلّ is extreme softness and humbleness. The meaning of أَذِلَّةٍ here is those who are humble in their dealings. In another place, the same idea has been expressed as: رُحَمَآءُ بَيۡنَہُمۡ (compassionate among themselves) (48:29). So the meaning of أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ is to be humble with the believers like a person who bends down in humility after being overcome. There can be no greater relationship of love and affection than this.
أَعِزَّةٍ – It is the plural of عزیز and عِزَّة is the name of the condition when a person is not overcome. It is derived from ارض عَزَاز which means firm ground and عزیز is one who overpowers and is not overcome, that is: الذی یُقۡھِر و لا یُقۡھَرُ (R).
Meaning of not overcome before an enemy: The meaning of not overcome before an enemy is not to absorb the influence of the enemy. In another place, it is stated as: أَشِدَّآءُ عَلَى ٱلۡكُفَّارِ (firm of heart against the disbelievers). Muslims have had to live under the rule of non-Muslims somewhere right from the time of the Holy Prophet to the present day and so أَعِزَّةٍ does not imply physically not being overcome but what is meant is not being overcome morally and spiritually. In fact, when one has to live under non-Muslim rulers, the need to manifest this attribute of عزیز is more than ever because the condition is one of: الناس علےٰ دین ملوکھم والا . People tend to lean towards the religion, habits and traits of the ruler and are so overawed by them that they leave the path of truth. Muslims are taught that even if they are physically overcome, they should overpower the rulers morally and they should not adopt a lowliness before them which will have an adverse effect on their morals, religion and spirituality.
After the mention of such people who take their enemies as friends to benefit in this life of a few days, it is now stated that sometimes they are so overawed by their rulers that they reject their own faith under their influence. Along with this, Allah gives the glad tidings that if someone wants to apostatize, they may but Allah will cause such strong willed and firm of faith people to be born in Islam who will not care for any censure and will work tirelessly in the cause of Islam regardless of the conditions. There also seems to be an indication that if a person apostatizes, Allah will cause other people to join in his place who are true to their faith.
Cases of apostasy in early Islam: During the time of the Holy Prophet, apostasy, if it took place at all, was very rare. Abu Sufyan in his testimony before Heraclius, the Roman Emperor, stated that no Muslim apostatized after getting disappointed with the religion. The biggest mischief of apostasy raised its head during the administration of Caliph Abu Bakr. In the closing days of the Holy Prophet’s life Aswad al-Ansi, Musailma the liar, and Tulayha al-Asadi falsely claimed to be prophets and their tribes namely Banu Mudlej, Banu Hanifa and Banu Asadwan apostatized. Caliph Abu Bakar nipped this mischief in the bud. Apart from these, the following tribes apostatized after the death of the Holy Prophet: Banu Fazara, Ghatafan, Banu Salim, Banu Yarbu, the people of the false prophetess Sajjah who married Musailma, Kundah, and Banu Bakr bin Dayal. Caliph Abu Bakr remained steadfast and firm, much like prophets, during this mischief and all these tribes rejoined Islam. Truly, Abu Bakr and the companions are deserving of the epitaph: یحبّہم و یحبونه that is, God loved them and they loved God. This testimony of the Quran is sufficient to rebut the impudent charges made by the followers of the Shia sect. In the late nineteenth century, there was an increase in apostatizing when Muslims started converting to Christianity. This was stemmed after a short period which coincided with the appearance of the Mujaddid of the fourteenth century, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. The principles that stopped the mischief of apostatizing are the ones taught by him. One wishes that the Muslims had reflected on this Movement and strengthened it for then they would have seen how Islam would have dominated the world.
5-55 Only Allah is your Friend and His Messenger and those who believe, those who keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, and they bow down.a
إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ ۥ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُؤۡتُونَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَهُمۡ رَٲكِعُونَ (٥٥)
5-55a: The Muslims are advised not to befriend Jews and Christians, that is not to rely on their assistance. They are now told who to rely upon. They should consider Allah as their helper and befriend the Prophet and the believers. This is made clear by stating وَلِيُّكُمُ ٱللَّهُ that is, your real patron and helper is Allah. It is important to note that the wording of the statement is not: اولیاء کم ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ ۥ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ because the purport is that the Messenger and the believers are your friends only because they obey the commands of Allah.
Caliph Ali and the story of giving the ring: It is narrated that Caliph Ali, while in the prayer posture of bowing (ruku), gave his ring to a petitioner and this verse is revealed for him because he gave the poor-rate while bowing in prayer. First, this action by itself is not commendable that a person while saying his prayers gives away his ring to a petitioner. Acts of greater merit and sacrifice were performed by Caliph Abu Bakr who donated his entire wealth on several occasions both in Makkah and in Madinah. Second, people come to the mosque to pray not to pay the poor-rate. Third, the verse talks about those who pay the poor rate and Caliph Ali’s giving away his ring was not poor rate because the poor rate is paid into the national treasury. The meaning of هُمۡ رَٲكِعُونَ is just that they obey the commands of Allah. Prayer and poor rate are two great acts of obeying Allah and hence they are mentioned separately. To deduce the excellence of Caliph Ali from this is a foolish proposition.
5-56 And whoever takes Allah and His Messenger and those who believe for friend — surely the party of Allah, they shall triumph.a
وَمَن يَتَوَلَّ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ۥ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ فَإِنَّ حِزۡبَ ٱللَّهِ هُمُ ٱلۡغَـٰلِبُونَ (٥٦)
5-56a: حِزۡب – Is a party that is vehement, and its plural is أَحۡزَابَ as in: لَمَّا رَءَا ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ ٱلۡأَحۡزَابَ (when the believers saw the allies) (33:22). In this and other uses of the word in the Quran, the meaning is those tribes who formed an alliance to wage war against the Holy Prophet (R). The definition of أَحۡزَابَ in Lisan al-Arab is parties that join to wage war against the Holy Prophet. The meaning of حِزۡب الرجُل is اَصۡحَبُه‘ و جندہ الذین علی رَأیه (His friends and his army who are of the same opinion as him) (LA). In accordance with this meaning, the disbelievers and hypocrites are حزب الشیطان and the believers are حِزۡب ٱللَّه because they follow the commands of Allah. The glad tidings given here is that those who trust in the help of Allah do not fail and they will certainly overcome their enemies. This is a clear prophecy of the dominance of Islam and the Muslims.
Bayan-ul-Quran 