۞ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَتَّخِذُوا۟ ٱلْيَهُودَ وَٱلنَّصَـٰرَىٰٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ ۘ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءُ بَعْضٍ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمْ فَإِنَّهُۥ مِنْهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ 51
Translations
O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you - then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allāh guides not the wrongdoing people.
Transliteration
Ya ayyuha alladhina amanu la tattakhidhu al-yahuda wa-al-nasara awliya. Ba'duhum awliya ba'd. Wa-man yatawallahum minkum fa-innahu minhum. Inna Allah la yahdee al-qawm al-zalimin.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah prohibits Muslims from taking Jews and Christians as intimate allies (awliya) in matters of faith and loyalty, as they form their own alliance with each other against the believers. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari emphasize that this refers to taking them as protectors in religious matters or depending on them over the Muslim community, not a blanket prohibition on civil interactions or justice. The warning that whoever allies with them becomes of them indicates that such close association in faith-based matters separates one from the Muslim community.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed during the Medinan period when tensions existed between the Muslim community and certain Jewish and Christian groups who opposed Islam and allied against the believers. The context addresses the political and religious dangers of Muslims forming exclusive alliances with non-Muslim groups at the expense of Muslim unity and Islamic principles.
Related Hadiths
The principle is supported by various hadiths on loyalty (wala) and disassociation (bara'ah). Related hadith in Sunan Abu Dawud regarding not befriending those who oppose Allah and His Messenger reflects the spirit of this ayah's teaching.
Themes
Key Lesson
While Muslims are commanded to treat all people with justice and kindness, they must prioritize their ultimate loyalty and allegiance to Allah and the Muslim community in matters of faith and fundamental values. The ayah serves as a reminder that religious identity and Islamic principles should guide our closest associations and that compromising Islamic principles for external alliances weakens the ummah.