Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:51-56 - Quran Translation Commentary

51. O you who believe ! Take not the Jews and the Christians f or friends. They are but friends to each other. And he among you who takes them for friends is of them.¹⁶⁴ Verily, Allah guides not wrong-doing people.

52. You see those in whose heart is a disease¹⁶⁵ eager running towards them, saying: “We fear lest there may befall us disaster.”¹⁶⁶ But it may happen that Allah will give you victory or show something else from Himself. Then will they feel ashamed of that which they are hiding in their hearts.¹⁶⁷

53. And those who believe will say: “ Are these the men who swore their strongest oaths by Allah, that they were with you? All they did was in vain,¹⁶⁸ and they have become the losers.

54. O you who believe ! whoever turns away from his religion, (he will not in anyway harm Allah), soon will Allah bring forth a people whom He will love and they will love Him, humble towards believers, stern towards disbelievers, striving in the cause of Allah, and fearing not the reproaches of the reproachers.¹⁶⁹ This is the grace of Allah, He bestows it on whom He pleases. And Allah is bountiful¹⁷⁰ and He is Allknowing.

55. Your friend, in reality, is Allah, His messenger, and the believers¹⁷¹, who establish salat (prayer), and pay zakat and bow down before Allah.¹⁷²

56. And whoever takes Allah, and His messenger and those who believe, for friend, (he is the party of Allah, and) verily, only the party of Allah will be victorious.

Commentary

164. Among the Muslims there were some who were not sincere in their faith. These people had friendly relations with the Jews in view of their personal interests, even though such a relationship was forbidden earlier (Surah Aal-i-Imran, Verse No.28). Here it is further emphasised, and people are warned that faith and friendship with the enemies of Islam cannot go together, and therefore those persons who would cultivate friendship and friendly relations with them would be counted as belonging to that group or community.

It should be noted that the restriction on the friendship with the Jews and the Christians in the Quran means that there should not be heart-felt love or friendship with them, because heart-felt friendship and love for the enemies of the Prophet and the rebels against Allah is contrary to faith. Secondly, it implies that Muslims should not overlook the religious interest and political benefits of Islam and Muslims and should not cultivate friendly relations with infidel individuals or groups for the sake of their own personal interests. The political conditions obtaining at the time of the revelation of these verses demanded that the Muslims should be very cautious in forming relationship with non-Islamic elements, so that they may not divulge their war secrets to others, and besides, if it was required to take any action against any group of the infidels, then their personal friendship might not come in the way, but that they should be above all friendly and personal considerations and should give proof of their loyalty to Allah and His Messenger .

As regards human friendship with the infidels in the ordinary circumstance it has not been forbidden. For further explanation, Note No.41, Surah Aal-i-Imran may be seen.

You see those in whose heart is a disease eager running towards them, saying: “We fear lest there may befall us disaster.” But it may happen that Allah will give you victory or show something else from Himself. Then will they feel ashamed of that which they are hiding in their hearts. (Al-Quran)

165. That is: The disease of discord, hypocrisy.

166. The hypocrites were afraid that if the final victory were gained by the enemies of Islam, then there would be no future for them. Therefore, they were not openly and wholeheartedly supporting Islam. They thought that it was better for them if they remained with the group of Muslims, and also had relations with the anti-Islam communities.

167. That is: He may bestow the favour of final victory on Muslims or before that cause some such event to occur as would bring the hypocrites to disgrace.

168. The acceptance of one’s acts and deeds depends on sincere faith. All manifestations of religiosity with hypocrisy are unacceptable to Allah. Therefore, all the acts and deeds of such people which merely have the label of religiosity on them would go in vain and would be of no avail.

169. Here the idea is to show that for the purpose of striving for religion persons who are hypocrites and self-seeking are quite useless. For this high purpose the people required are such and such.

The hypocrites were in love with the world. It is obvious that people of this type can spare no time from their worldly occupations to devote to religious work. They had a soft corner for the enemies of the religion. How could they then take up cudgels against them? They were hungry for self-praises. How could they be expected to bear the criticism and reproaches of the world on following the path of truth and justice? In the positive qualities that have been mentioned in the verse there is full material for providing training to the soldiers in the cause of Truth.

170. Refers to the fact that He is not stingy in the matter of bestowing His favours, but that His bounty knows no bounds.

171. That is: The people who are not loyal to God do not deserve to be your friends, but those who deserve your friendship are God, His Messenger and His loyal slaves. You should take them into your confidence.

172.“They bow down before Allah” expresses the spirit both of salat and zakat, that the sincere believers make arrangements for the prayer in such a way that in their hearts there is sense of humbleness, and when they pay zakat, at that time also their hearts bow down before Allah. But the conditions of the hypocrites are quite the opposite. Their prayers and their payment of zakat are for show only, their hearts do not bow down before Allah. When the heart does not bow down, what is the use of bowing down the head?