وَلَن تَرْضَىٰ عَنكَ ٱلْيَهُودُ وَلَا ٱلنَّصَـٰرَىٰ حَتَّىٰ تَتَّبِعَ مِلَّتَهُمْ ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى ٱللَّهِ هُوَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ ۗ وَلَئِنِ ٱتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَآءَهُم بَعْدَ ٱلَّذِى جَآءَكَ مِنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ ۙ مَا لَكَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَلِىٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ 120
Translations
And never will the Jews and the Christians approve of you until you follow their religion. Say, "Indeed, the guidance of Allāh is the [only] guidance." If you were to follow their desires after what has come to you of knowledge, you would have against Allāh no protector or helper.
Transliteration
Wa lan tardā 'anka al-yahūdu wa lā an-nasārā hattā tattabi'a millatahum. Qul inna hudā Allāhi huwa al-hudā. Wa la-in ittaba'ta ahwā'ahum ba'da alladhī jā'aka mina al-'ilm, mā laka mina Allāhi min waliyy wa lā nasīr.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah addresses the impossibility of pleasing both Jews and Christians through compromising Islamic teachings, emphasizing that true guidance comes from Allah alone. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir explain that the Jews wanted the Muslims to face Jerusalem in prayer, while Christians sought other deviations, but the Quran firmly establishes that following divine revelation—not human desires—is the path to salvation. The ayah concludes with a stern warning that abandoning revealed knowledge for their preferences leaves one without Allah's protection or support.
Revelation Context
Revealed in Medina during the early Islamic period when the Muslim community faced pressure from Jewish and Christian communities to adopt elements of their practices. This ayah contextually follows verses discussing dietary laws and prayer direction, reflecting the historical tensions between the nascent Muslim community and established religious groups in Medina who sought to influence Islamic practices.
Related Hadiths
Sunan Ibn Majah reports that the Prophet ﷺ said: 'Do not imitate the People of the Book in their practices.' Additionally, in Sahih Bukhari, the Prophet ﷺ emphasized: 'Whoever imitates a people is one of them,' demonstrating the Islamic principle of maintaining religious identity.
Themes
Key Lesson
Muslims should recognize that the approval of non-Muslims cannot be achieved through compromising core Islamic principles, and that true success lies in steadfast adherence to divine guidance regardless of external pressure. This ayah teaches that spiritual security and divine protection depend on loyalty to revealed truth, not on accommodating worldly opinions.
Related Ayahs
قُولُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلَ وَإِسْحَـٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَٱلْأَسْبَاطِ وَمَآ أُوتِىَ مُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَمَآ أُوتِىَ ٱلنَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُۥ مُسْلِمُونَ
Say, [O believers], "We have believed in Allāh and what has been revealed to us and what has been revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Descendants [al-Asbāṭ] and what was given to Moses and Jesus and what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him."
وَمَن يَرْغَبُ عَن مِّلَّةِ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ إِلَّا مَن سَفِهَ نَفْسَهُۥ ۚ وَلَقَدِ ٱصْطَفَيْنَـٰهُ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَإِنَّهُۥ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ لَمِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ
And who would be averse to the religion of Abraham except one who makes a fool of himself. And We had chosen him in this world, and indeed he, in the Hereafter, will be among the righteous.
وَإِذْ قَتَلْتُمْ نَفْسًا فَٱدَّٰرَْٰٔتُمْ فِيهَا ۖ وَٱللَّهُ مُخْرِجٌ مَّا كُنتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ
And [recall] when you slew a man and disputed over it, but Allāh was to bring out that which you were concealing.
ثُمَّ أَنتُمْ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَتُخْرِجُونَ فَرِيقًا مِّنكُم مِّن دِيَـٰرِهِمْ تَظَـٰهَرُونَ عَلَيْهِم بِٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْعُدْوَٰنِ وَإِن يَأْتُوكُمْ أُسَـٰرَىٰ تُفَـٰدُوهُمْ وَهُوَ مُحَرَّمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ إِخْرَاجُهُمْ ۚ أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍ ۚ فَمَا جَزَآءُ مَن يَفْعَلُ ذَٰلِكَ مِنكُمْ إِلَّا خِزْىٌ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰٓ أَشَدِّ ٱلْعَذَابِ ۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَـٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ
Then, you are those [same ones who are] killing one another and evicting a party of your people from their homes, cooperating against them in sin and aggression. And if they come to you as captives, you ransom them, although their eviction was forbidden to you. So do you believe in part of the Scripture and disbelieve in part? Then what is the recompense for those who do that among you except disgrace in worldly life; and on the Day of Resurrection they will be sent back to the severest of punishment. And Allāh is not unaware of what you do.