Al-Qur'an Surah Ali 'Imran Verse 118

Mufti Taqi Usmani

O you who believe, do not take anyone as an insider but those from among your own selves. They would spare no effort to do you mischief. They want you to be in trouble. Malice has come out of their mouths while what is concealed in their hearts is still worse. We have made the signs clear to you, if only you understand.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

O believers! Do not associate closely with others who would not miss a chance to harm you. Their only desire is to see you suffer. Their prejudice has become evident from what they say—and what their hearts hide is far worse. We have made Our revelations clear to you, if only you understood.

Ruwwad Translation Center

O you who believe, do not take as close friends those from other than yourselves; they spare no effort to ruin you; they wish to see you suffer. Hatred has appeared from their mouths, but what their hearts conceal is even greater. We have made the verses clear to you, if only you understand.

A. J. Arberry

O believers, take not for your intimates outside yourselves such men spare nothing to ruin you; they yearn for you to suffer Hatred has already shown itself of their mouths, and what their breasts conceal is yet greater. Now We have made clear to you the signs, if you understand.

Abdul Haleem

You who believe, do not take for your intimates such outsiders as spare no effort to ruin you and want to see you suffer: their hatred is evident from their mouths, but what their hearts conceal is far worse. We have made Our revelations clear for you; will you not use your reason?

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

O Ye who believe! take not for an intimate anyone besides yourselves; they shall not be remiss in doing you mischief. Fain would they that which distresseth you. Surely their malice hath shewn itself by their mouths, and that which their breasts conceal is greater still. Surely We have expounded unto you the signs, if ye will but reflect.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

O ye who believe! Take not into your intimacy those outside your ranks; They will not fail to corrupt you. They only desire your ruin; Rank hatred has already appeared from their mouths; What their hearts conceal is far worse. We have made plain to you the Signs, if ye have wisdom.

Abul Ala Maududi

Believers! Do not take for intimate friends those who are not of your kind. They spare no effort to injure you. 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).

Ahmed Ali

O believers, do not make others except your own people your confidants. They will spare no effort to ruin you: They surely desire your annihilation. Hate is on their tongues, and what they hide in their hearts is worse. We have shown you the signs if you have sense.

Ahmed Raza Khan

O People who Believe! Do not share your secrets with others – they do all they can to ruin you; they desire the maximum harm for you; enmity has been revealed from their speech, and what they hide in their breasts is greater; we have explained the signs clearly to you, if you have intelligence.

Ali Quli Qarai

O you who have faith! Do not take your confidants from others than yourselves; they will spare nothing to ruin you. They are eager to see you in distress. Hatred has already shown itself from their mouths, and what their breasts hide [within] is yet worse. We have certainly made the signs clear for you, should you exercise your reason.

Ali Ünal

O you who believe! Take not for intimates from among others than your own people, for those (who especially cherish hostility towards you) spare no effort to ruin you, and yearn for you to always suffer. Hatred has shown itself by their mouths, and what their bosoms conceal is even greater. Now We have told you the manifest truths, if you reason and understand.

Amatul Rahman Omar

O you who believe! Do not hold other people as confidants of your secrets to the exclusion of your own (honest) folk. Such people shall not be remiss to corrupt you; they love all that by which you get into trouble. Gross hatred has already expressed itself through (the utterances of) their mouths and what their hearts conceal is far worse. Now We have explained the Messages fully to you if you would only understand.

English Literal

You, you those who believed, do not take a confidant from other than you, they do not slacken/relax in (causing) degeneration/corruption (to) you, they loved/wished what you suffered (from) exertion/burden . The intense, hatred/animosity appeared from their mouths, and what their chests (innermosts) hide (is) greater/bigger. We have clarified to you the signs/verses/evidences if you were/are understanding .

Faridul Haque

O People who Believe! Do not share your secrets with others - they do all they can to ruin you; they desire the maximum harm for you; enmity has been revealed from their speech, and what they hide in their breasts is greater; we have explained the signs clearly to you, if you have intelligence.

Hamid S. Aziz

Verily, it is you who love them, but they love not you; and you believe in the whole of the Scripture. But when they meet you they say, "We believe;" and when they go aside they bite their fingertips at you through rage. Say, "Die in your rage, for Allah does know what is in your heart."

Hilali & Khan

O you who believe! Take not as (your) Bitanah (advisors, consultants, protectors, helpers, friends, etc.) those outside your religion (pagans, Jews, Christians, and hypocrites) since they will not fail to do their best to corrupt you. They desire to harm you severely. Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, but what their breasts conceal is far worse. Indeed We have made plain to you the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses) if you understand.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

The likeness of that which they spend in the life of this world is as the likeness of wind in which is intense cold; it smites the harvest of a people who are unjust to themselves and destroys it. And Allah wronged them not but they wronged themselves.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

O you who believe! do not take for intimate friends from among others than your own people; they do not fall short of inflicting loss upon you; they love what distresses you; vehement hatred has already appeared from out of their mouths, and what their breasts conceal is greater still; indeed, We have made the communications clear to you, if you will understand.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

O ye who believe! Take not for intimates others than your own folk, who would spare no pains to ruin you; they love to hamper you. Hatred is revealed by (the utterance of) their mouths, but that which their breasts hide is greater. We have made plain for you the revelations if ye will understand.

Muhammad Sarwar

Believers, do not expose your privacy to the unbelievers. They like to mislead you and see that you are seriously harmed. Signs of animosity from their mouths have already become audible, but what they hide in their heads is even worse. We have certainly made Our evidence clear, if only you would consider it.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Believers, do not take intimates with other than your own. They spare nothing to ruin you, they yearn for you to suffer. Hatred has already shown itself from their mouths, and what their chests conceal is yet greater. Indeed, We have made clear to you the signs, if you understand.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

O you who believe! Take not as (your) Bitanah (advisors, helpers) those other than your own, since they will not fail to do their best to corrupt you. They desire to harm you severely. Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, but what their breasts conceal is far worse. Indeed We have made plain to you the Ayat if you understand.

Wahiduddin Khan

Believers, do not take outsiders as your intimate friends, they will spare no effort to harm you. They love to see you suffer; their hatred is evident from the words which fall from their mouths. But what their hearts conceal is far worse. We have made Our signs clear to you; will you not understand?

Talal Itani

O you who believe! Do not befriend outsiders who never cease to wish you harm. They love to see you suffer. Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, but what their hearts conceal is worse. We have made the messages clear for you, if you understand.

Tafsir jalalayn

O you who believe, do not take as intimates, as sincere friends, revealing to them your secret thoughts, anyone apart from yourselves, from among the Jews, Christians and the hypocrites; such men spare nothing to ruin you (khablan is in the accusative because the preposition [that usually precedes it, sc. f'l-khabl] has been omitted), that is to say, they would not be remiss about corrupting you; they would love, they wish, for you to suffer ([al-`anat means] extreme hardship). Hatred, enmity towards you, is revealed, it is manifested, by their mouths, by sowing discord among you and informing the idolaters of your secret [plans]; and what their breasts conceal, of enmity, is yet greater. Now We have made clear to you the signs, of their enmity; if you understand, this, then do not befriend them.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Prohibition of Taking Advisors From Among the Disbelievers

Allah said,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُواْ لَا تَتَّخِذُواْ بِطَانَةً مِّن دُونِكُمْ

O you who believe! Take not as (your) Bitanah those other than your own,

Allah forbids His believing servants from taking the hypocrites as advisors, so that the hypocrites do not have the opportunity to expose the secrets of the believers and their plans against their enemies. The hypocrites try their very best to confuse, oppose and harm the believers any way they can, and by using any wicked, evil means at their disposal. They wish the very worst and difficult conditions for the believers. Allah said,
لَا تَتَّخِذُواْ بِطَانَةً مِّن دُونِكُمْ
(Take not as (your) Bitanah those other than your own), in reference to taking followers of other religions as consultants and advisors, for advisors of a certain person have access to his most secret affairs.

Al-Bukhari and An-Nasa'i recorded that, Abu Sa`id said that the Messenger of Allah said,

مَا بَعَثَ اللهُ مِنْ نَبِيَ وَلَاا اسْتَخْلَفَ مِنْ خَلِيفَةٍ إِلاَّ كَانَتْ لَهُ بِطَانَتَانِ بِطَانَةٌ تَأْمُرُهُ بِالْخَيْرِ وَتَحُضُّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَبِطَانَةٌ تَأْمُرُهُ بِالسُّوءِ وَتَحُضُّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَالْمَعْصُومُ مَنْ عَصَمَ الله

Allah has not sent any Prophet nor was there any Khalifah but they have two types of advisors, one that commands him with righteousness and advises it, and another that commands him with evil and advises him with it. Only those whom Allah gives immunity are immune.

Ibn Abi Hatim reported that Ibn Abi Ad-Dahqanah said,

"Umar bin Al-Khattab was told, `There is young man here from the people of Hirah (in Iraq, who were Christians) who is a proficient scribe. Why do you not appoint him as a scribe?'

Umar said, `I would then be taking advisors from among the disbelievers."'

This Ayah and the story about Umar testify to the fact that Muslims are not allowed to use Ahl Adh-Dhimmah to be scribes in matters that affect the affairs of Muslims and expose their secrets, for they might convey these secrets to combatant disbelievers.

This is why Allah said,

لَا يَأْلُونَكُمْ خَبَالااً وَدُّواْ مَا عَنِتُّمْ

since they will not fail to do their best to corrupt you. They desire to harm you severely.

Allah then said,

قَدْ بَدَتِ الْبَغْضَاء مِنْ أَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَمَا تُخْفِي صُدُورُهُمْ أَكْبَرُ

Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, but what their breasts conceal is far worse.

meaning, enmity appears on their faces and in what they sometimes utter, as well as, the enmity they have against Islam and its people in their hearts.

Since this fact is apparent to every person who has sound comprehension, therefore,

قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمُ الايَاتِ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ



Indeed We have made plain to you the Ayat if you understand.

Allah said next