Al-Mujadila: 22

Ayah

Word by Word

لَّا

Not

تَجِدُ

You will find

قَوۡمٗا

a people

يُؤۡمِنُونَ

who believe

بِٱللَّهِ

in Allah

وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ

and the Day

ٱلۡأٓخِرِ

the Last

يُوَآدُّونَ

loving

مَنۡ

(those) who

حَآدَّ

oppose

ٱللَّهَ

Allah

وَرَسُولَهُۥ

and His Messenger

وَلَوۡ

even if

كَانُوٓاْ

they were

ءَابَآءَهُمۡ

their fathers

أَوۡ

أَبۡنَآءَهُمۡ

their sons

أَوۡ

إِخۡوَٰنَهُمۡ

their brothers

أَوۡ

عَشِيرَتَهُمۡۚ

their kindred

أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ

Those

كَتَبَ

He has decreed

فِي

within

قُلُوبِهِمُ

their hearts

ٱلۡإِيمَٰنَ

faith

وَأَيَّدَهُم

and supported them

بِرُوحٖ

with a spirit

مِّنۡهُۖ

from Him

وَيُدۡخِلُهُمۡ

And He will admit them

جَنَّـٰتٖ

(to) Gardens

تَجۡرِي

flow

مِن

from

تَحۡتِهَا

underneath it

ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُ

the rivers

خَٰلِدِينَ

will abide forever

فِيهَاۚ

in it

رَضِيَ

Allah is pleased

ٱللَّهُ

Allah is pleased

عَنۡهُمۡ

with them

وَرَضُواْ

and they are pleased

عَنۡهُۚ

with Him

أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ

Those

حِزۡبُ

(are the) party

ٱللَّهِۚ

(of) Allah

أَلَآ

No doubt

إِنَّ

Indeed

حِزۡبَ

(the) party

ٱللَّهِ

(of) Allah

هُمُ

they

ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ

(are) the successful ones

Translation

Thou wilt not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, loving those who resist Allah and His Messenger, even though they were their fathers or their sons, or their brothers, or their kindred. For such He has written Faith in their hearts, and strengthened them with a spirit from Himself. And He will admit them to Gardens beneath which Rivers flow, to dwell therein (for ever). Allah will be well pleased with them, and they with Him. They are the Party of Allah. Truly it is the Party of Allah that will achieve Felicity.

Tafsir

The Believers do not closely befriend the Disbelievers

Allah the Exalted said

لَاا تَجِدُ قَوۡمًا يُوۡمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالۡيَوۡمِ الاۡاخِرِ يُوَادُّونَ

مَنۡ حَادَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَوۡ كَانُوا ابَاءهُمۡ أَوۡ أَبۡنَاءهُمۡ أَوۡ إِخۡوَانَهُمۡ أَوۡ عَشِيرَتَهُمۡ

You will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, making friendship with those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even though they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred.

Meaning, do not befriend the deniers, even if they are among the closest relatives.

Allah said,

لااَّ يَتَّخِذِ الۡمُوۡمِنُونَ الۡكَـفِرِينَ أَوۡلِيَأءَ مِن دُونِ الۡمُوۡمِنِينَ وَمَن يَفۡعَلۡ ذَلِكَ فَلَيۡسَ مِنَ اللَّهِ فِي شَىۡءٍ إِلَا أَن تَتَّقُواۡ مِنۡهُمۡ تُقَـةً وَيُحَذِّرۡكُمُ اللَّهُ نَفۡسَهُ

Let not the believers take the disbelievers as friends instead of the believers, and whoever does that will never be helped by Allah in any way, except if you indeed fear a danger from them. And Allah warns you against Himself. (3:28),

and,

قُلۡ إِن كَانَ ءَابَاوُكُمۡ وَأَبۡنَأوُكُمۡ وَإِخۡوَنُكُمۡ وَأَزۡوَجُكُمۡ وَعَشِيرَتُكُمۡ وَأَمۡوَلٌ اقۡتَرَفۡتُمُوهَا وَتِجَـرَةٌ تَخۡشَوۡنَ كَسَادَهَا وَمَسَـكِنُ تَرۡضَوۡنَهَأ أَحَبَّ إِلَيۡكُمۡ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَجِهَادٍ فِي سَبِيلِهِ فَتَرَبَّصُواۡ حَتَّى يَأۡتِىَ اللَّهُ بِأَمۡرِهِ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهۡدِى الۡقَوۡمَ الۡفَـسِقِينَ

Say:If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving hard and fighting in His cause, then wait until Allah brings about His decision (torment).

And Allah guides not the people who are the rebellious. (9:24)

Sa`id bin `Abdul-`Aziz and others said that this Ayah,

لَاا تَجِدُ قَوۡمًا يُوۡمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالۡيَوۡمِ الاۡاخِرِ

You will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day...

was revealed in the case of Abu Ubaydah Amir bin Abdullah bin Al-Jarrah when he killed his disbelieving father, during the battle of Badr. This is why when Umar bin Al-Khattab placed the matter of Khilafah in the consultation of six men after him, he said; If Abu Ubaydah were alive, I would have appointed him the Khalifah.

It was also said that the Ayah,

وَلَوۡ كَانُوا ابَاءهُمۡ

(even though they were their fathers), was revealed in the case of Abu Ubaydah, when he killed his father during the battle of Badr,

while the Ayah,

أَوۡ أَبۡنَاءهُمۡ

(or their sons) was revealed in the case of Abu Bakr As-Siddiq when he intended to kill his (disbelieving) son, Abdur-Rahman, (during Badr),

while the Ayah,

أَوۡ إِخۡوَانَهُمۡ

(or their brothers) was revealed about the case of Mus`ab bin `Umayr, who killed his brother, Ubayd bin Umayr, during Badr,

and that the Ayah,

أَوۡ عَشِيرَتَهُمۡ

(or their kindred) was revealed about the case of Umar, who killed one of his relatives during Badr, and also that this Ayah was revealed in the case of Hamzah, Ali and Ubaydah bin Al-Harith. They killed their close relatives Utbah, Shaybah and Al-Walid bin Utbah that day.

Allah knows best.

A similar matter is when Allah's Messenger consulted with his Companions about what should be done with the captives of Badr.

Abu Bakr As-Siddiq thought that they should accept ransom for them so the Muslims could use the money to strengthen themselves. He mentioned the fact that the captured were the cousins and the kindred, and that they might embrace Islam later on, by Allah's help.

Umar said,

But I have a different opinion, O Allah's Messenger! Let me kill so-and-so, my relative, and let Ali kill Aqil (Ali's brother), and so-and-so kill so-and-so. Let us make it known to Allah that we have no mercy in our hearts for the idolators.

Allah said,

أُوۡلَيِكَ كَتَبَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الاِۡيمَانَ وَأَيَّدَهُم بِرُوحٍ مِّنۡهُ

For such He has written faith in their hearts, and strengthened them with Ruh from Himself.

means, those who have the quality of not befriending those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they are their fathers or brothers, are those whom Allah has decreed faith, meaning, happiness, in their hearts and made faith dear to their hearts and happiness reside therein.

As-Suddi said that the Ayah,

كَتَبَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الاِۡيمَانَ

(He has written faith in their hearts), means,

He has placed faith in their hearts.

Ibn Abbas said that,

وَأَيَّدَهُم بِرُوحٍ مِّنۡهُ

(and strengthened them with Ruh from Himself), means,

He gave them strengths.

Allah's statement,

وَيُدۡخِلُهُمۡ جَنَّاتٍ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا الاَۡنۡهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا

رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنۡهُمۡ وَرَضُوا عَنۡهُ

And He will admit them to Gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein. Allah is well pleased with them, and they are well pleased with Him.

was explained several times before.

Allah's statement,

رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنۡهُمۡ وَرَضُوا عَنۡهُ

Allah is well pleased with them, and they are well pleased with Him.

contains a beautiful secret. When the believers became enraged against their relatives and kindred in Allah's cause, He compensated them by being pleased with them and making them pleased with Him from what He has granted them of eternal delight, ultimate victory and encompassing favor.

Allah's statement,

أُوۡلَيِكَ حِزۡبُ اللَّهِ

أَلَا إِنَّ حِزۡبَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الۡمُفۡلِحُونَ

They are the party of Allah. Verily, the party of Allah will be the successful.

indicates that they are the party of Allah, meaning, His servants who are worthy of earning His honor.

Allah's statement,

أَلَا إِنَّ حِزۡبَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الۡمُفۡلِحُونَ

(Verily, the party of Allah will be the successful), asserts their success, happiness and triumph in this life and the Hereafter, in contrast to those, who are the party of the devil,

أَلَا إِنَّ حِزۡبَ الشَّيۡطَانِ هُمُ الۡخَاسِرُونَ

(Verily, the party of Shaytan will be the losers!)

This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Al-Mujadilah. All praise and thanks are due to Allah.