60:1يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا عَدُوِّي وَعَدُوَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ تُلْقُونَ إِلَيْهِم بِالْمَوَدَّةِ وَقَدْ كَفَرُوا بِمَا جَاءَكُم مِّنَ الْحَقِّ يُخْرِجُونَ الرَّسُولَ وَإِيَّاكُمْ أَن تُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ رَبِّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ خَرَجْتُمْ جِهَادًا فِي سَبِيلِي وَابْتِغَاءَ مَرْضَاتِي تُسِرُّونَ إِلَيْهِم بِالْمَوَدَّةِ وَأَنَا أَعْلَمُ بِمَا أَخْفَيْتُمْ وَمَا أَعْلَنتُمْ وَمَن يَفْعَلْهُ مِنكُمْ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ
O you who have faith! Do not take My enemy and your enemy for friends, [secretly] offering them affection, if you have set out for jihad in My way and to seek My pleasure, for they have certainly denied whatever has come to you of the truth, expelling the Apostle and you, because you have faith in Allah, your Lord. You secretly nourish affection for them, while I know well whatever you hide and whatever you disclose, and whoever among you does that has certainly strayed from the right way.
Agha Ali Puya Commentary
Commentary on Quran 60:1
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 60:1]
The immediate occasion for the revelation of this passage was a letter, secretly despatched from Madina, through a slave songstress of Makka who came to Madina posing as a destitute but was a spy, by Hatib, a muhajir, addressed to the Makkans, giving them notice of the intended Muslim expedition to Makka, and advising them to arm themselves to fight against the Holy Prophet. Jibrail revealed the affair to the Holy Prophet who immediately sent Ali, Miqdad and Ammar after her. The spy, when intercepted, readily presented herself for a search, denying the charge she was accused of. Having full faith in the knowledge of the Holy Prophet, Ali threatened her with slaughter if she did not produce the letter. Then she brought the letter from the long tresses of her hair. On being questioned, Hatib offered the excuse that it was solely due to his natural desire to save his unprotected family at the hands of the Makkan pagans. The Holy Prophet, in view of his past conduct, graciously asked him to seek pardon from Allah.
This was shortly before the conquest of Makka, but the principle is of universal importance. There cannot be any intimacy with the enemies of your faith and people, who are persecuting your faith and seeking to destroy you and your faith. You should not do so even for the sake of your relatives, as it compromises the life and existence of your whole community. For treachery the plea of children and relatives will not be accepted when the day of judgement comes. Children, family and friends will be of no avail.
The command to avoid contact with the enemies of the truth is the basis of the doctrine of tabarra. Tabarra is not vulgar vilification or wanton abuse. It is that which has been commanded in this verse.
60:2إِن يَثْقَفُوكُمْ يَكُونُوا لَكُمْ أَعْدَاءً وَيَبْسُطُوا إِلَيْكُمْ أَيْدِيَهُمْ وَأَلْسِنَتَهُم بِالسُّوءِ وَوَدُّوا لَوْ تَكْفُرُونَ
If they were to confront you they would be your enemies, and would stretch out against you their hands and [unleash] their tongues with evil [intentions], and they are eager that you [too] should be faithless.
Agha Ali Puya Commentary
Commentary on Quran 60:2
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 60:2] (see commentary for verse 1)
60:3لَن تَنفَعَكُمْ أَرْحَامُكُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ
Your relatives and children will not avail you on the Day of Resurrection: He will separate you [from one another], and Allah watches what you do.
Agha Ali Puya Commentary
Commentary on Quran 60:3
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 60:3] (see commentary for verse 1)
60:4قَدْ كَانَتْ لَكُمْ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ فِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ إِذْ قَالُوا لِقَوْمِهِمْ إِنَّا بُرَآءُ مِنكُمْ وَمِمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ كَفَرْنَا بِكُمْ وَبَدَا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةُ وَالْبَغْضَاءُ أَبَدًا حَتَّى تُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ إِلَّا قَوْلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ لَأَسْتَغْفِرَنَّ لَكَ وَمَا أَمْلِكُ لَكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِن شَيْءٍ رَّبَّنَا عَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْنَا وَإِلَيْكَ أَنَبْنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ
There is certainly a good exemplar for you in Abraham and those who were with him, when they said to their own people, ‘Indeed we repudiate you and whatever you worship besides Allah. We disown you, and enmity and hate have appeared between you and us for ever, unless you come to have faith in Allah alone,’ apart from Abraham’s saying to his father, ‘I will surely plead forgiveness for you, though I cannot avail you anything against Allah.’ ‘Our Lord! In You do we put our trust, and to You do we turn penitently, and toward You is the destination.
Agha Ali Puya Commentary
Commentary on Quran 60:4
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 60:4]
Refer to the commentary Anam: 75 and Bara-at: 114 and Maryam: 41 to 48 for "there is for you an excellent pattern in Ibrahim." Ibrahim warned Azar, not his father but the patriarch of his family and his people, against idolatry and prayed for Azar, but when they became open enemies of Allah, he dissociated himself from them and left his home, his family and his people. "Those with him" were his wife and nephew Lut and those who believed in Allah who went into exile with him. The enemies of Allah are the enemies of the believers. Therefore the believers must cut themselves off from them, unless they repent and submit themselves to Allah.
The believers must put their trust in Allah and seek His protection from becoming so weak as to tempt the disbelievers to try to attack and destroy them.
For fitnat see commentary of Baqarah: 102 and Anfal: 25.
Imam Jafar bin Muhammad as Sadiq said:
"In ancient times every believer was poor and a great number of disbelievers were men of large means, but when Ibrahim prayed to Allah to make believers strong and able to stand up to the disbelievers, riches or poverty became the fruit of one's labour and efforts."
60:5رَبَّنَا لَا تَجْعَلْنَا فِتْنَةً لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ
Our Lord! Do not make us a test for the faithless, and forgive us. Our Lord! Indeed You are the All-mighty, the All-wise.’
Agha Ali Puya Commentary
Commentary on Quran 60:5
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 60:5] (see commentary for verse 4)
60:6لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِيهِمْ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِّمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآخِرَ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ
There is certainly a good exemplar for you in them—for those who look forward to Allah and the Last Day—and anyone who refuses to comply [should know that] indeed Allah is the All-sufficient, the All-laudable.
Agha Ali Puya Commentary
Commentary on Quran 60:6
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 60:6] (see commentary for verse 4)
60:7عَسَى اللَّهُ أَن يَجْعَلَ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَ الَّذِينَ عَادَيْتُم مِّنْهُم مَّوَدَّةً وَاللَّهُ قَدِيرٌ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
It may be that Allah will bring about affection between you and those with whom you are at enmity, and Allah is all-powerful, and Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful.
Agha Ali Puya Commentary
Commentary on Quran 60:7
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 60:7]
That which has been stated in this verse happened on taking of Makka, when some of the leading Quraysh, who had till then been invertebrate enemies of Islam, apparently embraced the faith and their hostility was neutralised.
60:8لَّا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ أَن تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا إِلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ
Allah does not forbid you from dealing with kindness and justice with those [polytheists] who did not make war against you on account of religion and did not expel you from your homes. Indeed Allah loves the just.
Agha Ali Puya Commentary
Commentary on Quran 60:8
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 60:8]
Fairness and equity are made obligatory in dealing with every creature of Allah whatever his beliefs may be, unless they exceed all bounds and come out to destroy the faith and the faithful.
Aqa Mahdi Puya says:
Islam enjoins kindness, fairplay and justice to non-violent non-muslims.
60:9إِنَّمَا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ قَاتَلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَأَخْرَجُوكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ وَظَاهَرُوا عَلَى إِخْرَاجِكُمْ أَن تَوَلَّوْهُمْ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُمْ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ
Allah forbids you only in regard to those who made war against you on account of religion and expelled you from your homes and supported [the polytheists of Makkah] in your expulsion, that you make friends with them, and whoever makes friends with them—it is they who are the wrongdoers.
Agha Ali Puya Commentary
Commentary on Quran 60:9
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 60:9] (see commentary for verse 8)
60:10يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا جَاءَكُمُ الْمُؤْمِنَاتُ مُهَاجِرَاتٍ فَامْتَحِنُوهُنَّ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِإِيمَانِهِنَّ فَإِنْ عَلِمْتُمُوهُنَّ مُؤْمِنَاتٍ فَلَا تَرْجِعُوهُنَّ إِلَى الْكُفَّارِ لَا هُنَّ حِلٌّ لَّهُمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحِلُّونَ لَهُنَّ وَآتُوهُم مَّا أَنفَقُوا وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ أَن تَنكِحُوهُنَّ إِذَا آتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ وَلَا تُمْسِكُوا بِعِصَمِ الْكَوَافِرِ وَاسْأَلُوا مَا أَنفَقْتُمْ وَلْيَسْأَلُوا مَا أَنفَقُوا ذَلِكُمْ حُكْمُ اللَّهِ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
O you who have faith! When faithful women come to you as immigrants, test them. Allah knows best [the state of] their faith. Then, if you ascertain them to be [genuinely] faithful women, do not send them back to the faithless. They are not lawful for them, nor are they lawful for them, but give them what [dowry] they have spent [for them]. There is no sin upon you in marrying them when you have given them their dowries. Do not hold on to [conjugal] ties with faithless women. Demand [from the infidels] what you have spent [as dowries], and let the faithless demand [from you] what they have spent [as dowries]. That is Allah’s judgment; He judges between you, and Allah is all-knowing, all-wise.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 60:10]
Under the treaty of Hudaybiya [see Fat-h: 1 clause (ii) and (iii),] whosoever wished to join the Holy Prophet had the liberty to do so, but if claimed back by the guardian should be returned. A party of men and women came to the Holy Prophet and embraced Islam among whom was Saba daughter of Harith. Her husband came and demanded her return under clause (iii). But as the Quraysh had already broken the treaty, some instructions were necessary as to what should be done in such circumstances. Muslim women married to pagan husbands were oppressed for their faith and some of them came to Madina as refugees. After this verse, they were not to be resumed to the custody of their pagan husbands, as the marriage of believing women with non-muslims is held to be dissolved if the husbands do not accept Islam. In order to give no room of complaint to the pagans, the dower they had given on marriage should be repaid to the husband.
Islam recognises the change of faith as one of the causes of separation.
The believers are told to examine women who come to them as fugitives from the idolaters and find out their real and inner motives that they are prompted by the sole desire of serving Islam and of saving their faith, and are not pretenders. The examination should be directed, among other things, to the points mentioned in verse 12. They were required
(i) not to worship any god save one true God, Allah;
(u) not to steal;
(iii) not to indulge in sex outside the marriage tie;
(iv) not to commit infanticide,
(v) not to disobey the laws and principles of Islam.
Ma arjulihanna literally means "not to utter slander which they have forged between their hands and feet", which implies the practice of ascribing their spurious (illegitimate) children to their husbands.
La yaqtulna awladahunna (not to kill their children) also refers to abortion.
60:11وَإِن فَاتَكُمْ شَيْءٌ مِّنْ أَزْوَاجِكُمْ إِلَى الْكُفَّارِ فَعَاقَبْتُمْ فَآتُوا الَّذِينَ ذَهَبَتْ أَزْوَاجُهُم مِّثْلَ مَا أَنفَقُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي أَنتُم بِهِ مُؤْمِنُونَ
If anything [of the dowries] pertaining to your wives is not reclaimed from the faithless and then you have your turn, then give to those whose wives have left the like of what they have spent, and be wary of Allah in whom you have faith.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 60:11] (see commentary for verse 10)
60:12يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِذَا جَاءَكَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتُ يُبَايِعْنَكَ عَلَى أَن لَّا يُشْرِكْنَ بِاللَّهِ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَسْرِقْنَ وَلَا يَزْنِينَ وَلَا يَقْتُلْنَ أَوْلَادَهُنَّ وَلَا يَأْتِينَ بِبُهْتَانٍ يَفْتَرِينَهُ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِنَّ وَأَرْجُلِهِنَّ وَلَا يَعْصِينَكَ فِي مَعْرُوفٍ فَبَايِعْهُنَّ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُنَّ اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
O Prophet! If faithful women come to you, to take the oath of allegiance to you, [pledging] that they shall not ascribe any partners to Allah, that they shall not steal, nor commit adultery, nor kill their children, nor utter any slander that they may have intentionally fabricated, nor disobey you in what is right, then accept their allegiance, and plead for them to Allah for forgiveness. Indeed Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 60:12] (see commentary for verse 10)
60:13يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَوَلَّوْا قَوْمًا غَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ قَدْ يَئِسُوا مِنَ الْآخِرَةِ كَمَا يَئِسَ الْكُفَّارُ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْقُبُورِ
O you who have faith! Do not befriend a people at whom Allah is wrathful: they have despaired of the Hereafter, just as the faithless have despaired of the occupants of the graves.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 60:13]
See commentary of Mujadilah: 14 and verses 1 to 3 of this surah for not turning to disbelievers for friendship.
Aqa Mahdi Puya says:
The last portion of this verse asserts that to believe that the people of the grave have no existence at all and are just dust and decayed bones is kufr (infidelity).
