لَّا يَتَّخِذِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ أَوْلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۖ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَلَيْسَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ فِى شَىْءٍ إِلَّآ أَن تَتَّقُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ تُقَىٰةً ۗ وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسَهُۥ ۗ وَإِلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْمَصِيرُ 28
Translations
Let not believers take disbelievers as allies [i.e., supporters or protectors] rather than believers. And whoever [of you] does that has nothing [i.e., no association] with Allāh, except when taking precaution against them in prudence. And Allāh warns you of Himself, and to Allāh is the [final] destination.
Transliteration
La yattakhidhi al-mu'minun al-kafirun awliya'a min duni al-mu'minin wa-man yaf'al dhalika fa-laysa min Allah fi shay'in illa an tattaqu minhum tuqah wa-yuhaddirukum Allah nafsah wa-ila Allah al-masir
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah prohibits believers from taking disbelievers as allies (awliya') in place of believers, establishing a fundamental principle of Islamic loyalty and community bonds. However, the verse provides an important exception (istikhraj) for taqiyyah (prudent concealment) when Muslims face persecution or danger, as clarified by Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari. The concluding warning emphasizes that Allah warns against betraying His cause, and that the final destination is to Him alone.
Revelation Context
Revealed in the Medinan period when the Muslim community was establishing itself amid hostile polytheists and hypocrites. The broader context of Surah Ali 'Imran addresses interfaith relations and the protection of the Muslim ummah's spiritual and social integrity during a vulnerable period of Islamic history.
Related Hadiths
The concept of taqiyyah mentioned in this verse is clarified in traditions regarding Ammar ibn Yasir, who was forced to verbally renounce Islam under torture but whose heart remained faithful. This demonstrates the permissibility of concealment under duress, as mentioned in various hadith collections including those of Al-Tirmidhi.
Themes
Key Lesson
While believers must prioritize allegiance to Allah and the Muslim community, the verse recognizes human vulnerability by permitting taqiyyah when facing genuine persecution—teaching Muslims to balance principles with practical wisdom. For modern readers, this emphasizes that faith should guide political, social, and personal alliances while maintaining integrity, yet acknowledges that survival and safety are valid considerations in oppressive circumstances.
Related Ayahs
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِعَهْدِ ٱللَّهِ وَأَيْمَـٰنِهِمْ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَا خَلَـٰقَ لَهُمْ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ وَلَا يُكَلِّمُهُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَلَا يَنظُرُ إِلَيْهِمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ وَلَا يُزَكِّيهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
Indeed, those who exchange the covenant of Allāh and their [own] oaths for a small price will have no share in the Hereafter, and Allāh will not speak to them or look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them; and they will have a painful punishment.
إِذْ هَمَّت طَّآئِفَتَانِ مِنكُمْ أَن تَفْشَلَا وَٱللَّهُ وَلِيُّهُمَا ۗ وَعَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ
When two parties among you were about to lose courage, but Allāh was their ally; and upon Allāh the believers should rely.
إِذْ قَالَتِ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ يَـٰمَرْيَمُ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكِ بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنْهُ ٱسْمُهُ ٱلْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ وَجِيهًا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ وَمِنَ ٱلْمُقَرَّبِينَ
[And mention] when the angels said, "O Mary, indeed Allāh gives you good tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary - distinguished in this world and the Hereafter and among those brought near [to Allāh].
وَمَا كَانَ قَوْلَهُمْ إِلَّآ أَن قَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَا ٱغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَإِسْرَافَنَا فِىٓ أَمْرِنَا وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا وَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
And their words were not but that they said, "Our Lord, forgive us our sins and the excess [committed] in our affairs and plant firmly our feet and give us victory over the disbelieving people."