Towards Understanding the Quran
With kind permission of Islamic Foundation UK
Introduction | About | Glossary | Verbs
Tafsirs: Maarif | Dawat | Ishraq | Clear
Surah Ali 'Imran 3:118-120   Chapters ↕   Word for Word
Verses [Section]: 1-9[1], 10-20 [2], 21-30 [3], 31-41 [4], 42-54 [5], 55-63 [6], 64-71 [7], 72-80 [8], 81-91 [9], 92-101 [10], 102-109 [11], 110-120 [12], 121-129 [13], 130-143 [14], 144-148 [15], 149-155 [16], 156-172 [17], 173-180 [18], 181-187 [19], 188-200 [20]
یٰۤاَیُّهَاO youالَّذِیْنَwhoاٰمَنُوْاbelieve[d]!لَا(Do) notتَتَّخِذُوْاtakeبِطَانَةً(as) intimatesمِّنْfromدُوْنِكُمْother than yourselvesلَاnotیَاْلُوْنَكُمْthey will spare youخَبَالًا ؕ(any) ruinوَدُّوْاThey wishمَاwhatعَنِتُّمْ ۚdistresses youقَدْIndeedبَدَتِ(has become) apparentالْبَغْضَآءُthe hatredمِنْfromاَفْوَاهِهِمْ ۖۚtheir mouthsوَ مَاand whatتُخْفِیْconcealsصُدُوْرُهُمْtheir breastsاَكْبَرُ ؕ(is) greaterقَدْCertainlyبَیَّنَّاWe made clearلَكُمُfor youالْاٰیٰتِthe Versesاِنْifكُنْتُمْyou wereتَعْقِلُوْنَ (to use) reason هٰۤاَنْتُمْLo! You areاُولَآءِthoseتُحِبُّوْنَهُمْyou love themوَ لَاbut notیُحِبُّوْنَكُمْthey love youوَ تُؤْمِنُوْنَand you believeبِالْكِتٰبِin the Bookكُلِّهٖ ۚall of itوَ اِذَاAnd whenلَقُوْكُمْthey meet youقَالُوْۤاthey sayاٰمَنَّا ۖۗۚWe believeوَ اِذَاAnd whenخَلَوْاthey are aloneعَضُّوْاthey biteعَلَیْكُمُat youالْاَنَامِلَthe finger tipsمِنَ(out) ofالْغَیْظِ ؕ[the] rageقُلْSayمُوْتُوْاDieبِغَیْظِكُمْ ؕin your rageاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahعَلِیْمٌۢ(is) All-Knowingبِذَاتِof whatالصُّدُوْرِ (is in) the breasts اِنْIfتَمْسَسْكُمْtouches youحَسَنَةٌa goodتَسُؤْهُمْ ؗit grieves themوَ اِنْand ifتُصِبْكُمْstrikes youسَیِّئَةٌmisfortuneیَّفْرَحُوْاthey rejoiceبِهَا ؕat itوَ اِنْAnd ifتَصْبِرُوْاyou are patientوَ تَتَّقُوْاand fear (Allah)لَاnotیَضُرُّكُمْwill harm youكَیْدُهُمْtheir plotشَیْـًٔا ؕ(in) anythingاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahبِمَاof whatیَعْمَلُوْنَthey doمُحِیْطٌ۠(is) All-Encompassing

Translation

(3:118) Believers! Do not take for intimate friends those who are not of your kind. They spare no effort to injure you.92 Indeed they love all that distresses you. Their hatred is clearly manifest in what they say, and what their breasts conceal is even greater. Now We have made Our messages clear to you, if only you can understand (the danger of their intimacy).

(3:119) Lo! It is you who love them but they do not love you even though you believe in the whole of the (heavenly) Book.93 When they meet you they say: 'We believe', but when they are by themselves they bite their fingers in rage at you. Say: 'Perish in your rage.' Allah knows even what lies hidden in their breasts.

(3:120) If anything good happens to you they are grieved; if any misfortune befalls you they rejoice at it. But if you remain steadfast and mindful of Allah their designs will not cause you harm. Allah surely encompasses all that they do.

Commentary

92. The Jews living on the outskirts of Madina had long enjoyed friendly relations with the two tribes of Aws and Khazraj. In the first place this was the result of relations between individuals. Later, they were bound by ties of neighbourliness and allegiance as a result of tribal inter-relationship. Even after the people of Aws and Khazraj embraced Islam, they maintained their old ties with the Jews and continued to treat them with the same warmth and cordiality. However, the hostility of the Jews towards the Arabian Prophet (peace be on him) and towards his mission was far too intense to allow them to maintain a cordial relationship with anyone who had joined the new movement. Outwardly, the Jews maintained the same terms of friendship with the Ansar (Helpers) as before but at heart they had become their sworn enemies. They made the best use of this pretended friendship, and remained constantly on the look-out for opportunities to create schisms and dissensions in the Muslim body-politic, and to draw out the secrets of the Muslims and pass them on to their enemies. Here God warns the Muslims to note this hypocrisy and take the necessary precaution.

93. It is strange that although the Muslims had reason to feel aggrieved by the Jews it was the latter who felt aggrieved by the Muslims. Since the Muslims believed in the Torah along with the Qur'an the Jews had no justifiable ground for complaint. If anyone had cause to complain it was the Muslims for the Jews did not believe in the Qur'an.