Verse:14 Commentary Commentary

Chastising the Hypocrites for their Secret Alliance with the Jews

أَلَمْ تَرَ‌ إِلَى الَّذِينَ تَوَلَّوْا قَوْمًا غَضِبَ اللَّـهُ عَلَيْهِم (Have you not seen those who have friendship with a people with whom Allah is angry? ....58:14) Allah condemns the hypocrites who secretly formed an alliance with the Jews who challenge Allah and His Apostle, while in effect they belong neither to the Muslims nor to the Jews. Consequently, Allah has prepared for them a humiliating and condign chastisement. It is not permissible to have a friendly intimacy with the enemies of Allah and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم - whether the unbelievers are Jews, or Christians, or pagans or of any other creed. Even rationally this is not possible, because the capital asset of a believer is the love of Allah, while a non-believer relishes in opposing and challenging Him. It is not possible for a person to have sincere love and affection for someone and to love and have intimacy with the latter's enemy. Here 'love', 'affection' or 'intimacy' refers to the one coming from the heart involving intense emotional commitment (which necessarily includes having love with his way of life. Ed.). This is called Muwalah or 'intimate friendship'. This type of friendship is limited to sincere Muslims. Therefore, the Qur'anic verses on many occasions strictly prohibit Muslims from having this sort of relationship with non-Muslims. Any Muslim who has such intimate friendship with non-Muslims will be seen to fall in the circle of unbelievers.

In contra-distinction to Muwalah [ intimate friendship ], there is a concept of Muwalah which refers to the relationship based on sympathy, kindness and concern. It includes charitable assistance and support, business, commercial, trade dealings and economic cooperation, condolence and consolation and any well-meaning attitude of well-being and welfare. Barring unbelievers who are at war with the believers, this kind of relationship is permissible with all other non-Muslims. The paradigm of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and the noble Companions ؓ in this direction is ample testimony to this practice. However, it is necessary to ensure that the relationship of Muwalah is not harmful to the cause of religion; it should not create laxity in 'faith and practice' of Islam nor should it 'harm, hurt or injure' other Muslims. Please see Ma` ariful Qur'an, Vol. 2/ pp 54-61: under Surah Al-` Imran: v.28-30 for a detailed account of the distinction between Muwalat [ intimate friendship ], Muwasat [ sympathy ] and Muamalat [ dealings ] or Mudarah [ cordiality ].

وَيَحْلِفُونَ عَلَى الْكَذِبِ (and they swear false oaths ...58:14). It means they swear oaths profanely. According to some reports, this verse was revealed in connection with ` Abdullah Ibn 'Ubayy and ` Abdullah Ibn Nabtal: One day the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم was sitting with his noble Companions ؓ and said to them: "Soon a person will come to you whose heart will be the heart of a tyrant and who sees through the Shaitan's eyes." Soon afterwards ` Abdullah Ibn Nabtal, the hypocrite, entered. He was blue-eyed, wheat-coloured, short-statured and skimpy-bearded. The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم asked him: "Why do you and your comrades use obscene words against me?" He swore that he did not do that. Then he called his comrades and they too took this false oath. Allah told the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ; about their lie and profane oath. [ Qurtubi ] Verse:15 Commentary - - - Verse:16 Commentary - - - Verse:17 Commentary - - - Verse:18 Commentary - - - Verse:19 Commentary - - - Verse:20 Commentary - - - Verse:21 Commentary - - - Verse:22 Commentary Believers cannot entertain intimacy with non-Believers

لَّا تَجِدُ قَوْمًا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّـهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ‌ يُوَادُّونَ مَنْ حَادَّ اللَّـهَ وَرَ‌سُولَهُ وَلَوْ كَانُوا آبَاءَهُمْ (You shall not find those who believe in Allah and in the Hereafter having friendship with those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even though they were their fathers....58:22). The preceding verses showed that those [ hypocrites ] who are in intimate friendship with unbelievers and pagans shall incur Allah's wrath, indignation and severe torment. This verse describes the condition of sincere believers who would not take an enemy of Faith, the opponents of Allah, for intimacy and friendship, even though such people are their own fathers, children, brothers or any other blood relatives. The bond of belief transcends all other bonds, even the close ties of blood. This description fits all noble Companions ؓ . Commentators on this occasion have cited a number of incidents of the blessed Companions which describe how, when they heard their fathers, sons and brothers or other blood relations utter blasphemy against Islam or the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم ، they left all ties aside and punished them or even killed them.

` Abdullah, the son of ` Abdullah Ibn 'Ubayy, the leader of the hypocrites in Madinah, heard his father make some blasphemous remarks against the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم . The son came up to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and sought his permission to kill his father. The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم stopped him. Sayyidna Abu Bakr ؓ heard his father, Abu Quhafah, uttering some insulting words against the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم . The most compassionate Siddiq ؓ became indignant and unexpectedly gave him such a hard slap that he fell down. When the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم heard about it, he advised Abu Bakr Siddiq ؓ not do it again. In the battle of Uhud, Sayyidna Abu ` Ubaidah's father, Jarrah, was fighting on the side of the unbelievers against the Muslims. In the battlefield, while the battle was on, he purposely came time and again face to face with Sayyidna Abu ` Ubaidah ؓ and pursued him. Every time his father came in front of him, Sayyidna Abu ` Ubaidah ؓ would, as a mark of respect, move out. But when he persisted, Sayyidna Abu ` Ubaidah ؓ had no choice but to kill him. The biography of the blessed Companions is replete with similar incidents. The present set of verses was revealed to laud them. [ Qurtubi ]

Ruling

Many jurists have ruled that this rule applies equally to all Muslims who transgress or violate the sacred laws of Shari' ah or in their practical life turn away from them, in that the sincere Muslims should not maintain an intimate friendship or relationship with such transgressors. As explained earlier, Muwalah [ intimate friendship ] with a fasiq [ transgressors ] is not possible because intimacy with them is possible if and only if the germs of fisq [ transgression ] are lurking in the people befriending them. Muwasah [ sympathy ] and Mu'amalat [ dealings ] or Mudarah [ cordiality ] are, however, a different matter to the degree of necessity. This is the reason why the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم used to pray: اَللَّھُمَّ لَا تَجعَلَ لِفَاجِرِ عَلَیَّ یَداً "0 Allah, do not give any transgressor the upper hand over me." The Messenger of Allah prayed thus because if anyone has the upper hand in a situation, he is most likely to get his own way. He will, for instance, show kindness to people and thus gain the upper hand; and the noble persons, on account of the kindness, will feel obliged or duty-bound to return his kindness with love. Thus the Messenger of Allah sought refuge with Allah from this situation. [ Qurtubi ]

وَأَيَّدَهُم بِرُ‌وحٍ مِّنْهُ (...and has helped them with a Spirit from Him....58:22) The word ruh, according to some authorities on Tafsir, stands for 'light', which radiates or emanates from Allah and enters the heart of a believer which urges him to perform righteous deeds, and is the source of peace and contentment of the heart. This tranquility and satisfaction is the source of great strength and power. Other authorities say that this word stands for the Holy Qur'an and the arguments of the Holy Qur'an. This is the real strength and power of a believer. [ Qurtubi ] Allah, the Pure and Exalted, knows best!

Alhamdulillah

The Commentary on

Surah A1-Mujadalah

Ends here.