Al-Qur'an Surah An-Nisa Verse 139

Mufti Taqi Usmani

- those who take the disbelievers for friends rather than the believers. Are they seeking honor in their company? But, indeed, all honor belongs to Allah,

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

who choose disbelievers as allies instead of the believers. Do they seek honour and power through that company? Surely all honour and power belongs to Allah.

Ruwwad Translation Center

those who take disbelievers as allies instead of the believers. Are they seeking power through them? Indeed, all power belongs to Allah.

A. J. Arberry

Those who take unbelievers for their friends instead of believers -- do they seek glory in them? But glory altogether belongs to God.

Abdul Haleem

Do those who ally themselves with the disbelievers rather than the believers seek power through them? In reality all power is God’s to give.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Those who take infidels for, friends, instead of the believers. Seek thy honour with them verily then honour is Allah's altogether.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Yea, to those who take for friends unbelievers rather than believers; is it honour they seek among them? Nay,- all honour is with Allah.

Abul Ala Maududi

who take the unbelievers for their allies in preference to the believers. Do they seek honour from them whereas honour altogether belongs to Allah alone?

Ahmed Ali

Do those who take unbelievers as their friends in preference to the faithful seek power from them? But all power belongs to God.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Those who leave the Muslims to befriend the disbelievers; do they seek honour from them? Then (know that) undoubtedly all honour is for Allah.

Ali Quli Qarai

—those who take the faithless for allies instead of the faithful. Do they seek honour with them? [If so,] indeed all honour belongs to Allah.

Ali Ünal

(The hypocrites are) those who take unbelievers for confidants, guardians and allies in preference to the believers: do they seek might and glory in being together with them? (If so, let them know that) might and glory belong altogether to God.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Do those who hold the disbelievers for friends to the exclusion of the believers, seek honour at their hands? Let them remember that all honour truly belongs to Allâh alone.

English Literal

Those who take the disbelievers (as) allies from other than the believers, do they wish/desire at them the glory/dignity , so that the glory/dignity (is) all to God.

Faridul Haque

Those who leave the Muslims to befriend the disbelievers; do they seek honour from them? Then (know that) undoubtedly all honour is for Allah.

Hamid S. Aziz

Those who lie in wait for you, and if the victory be your s from Allah, say, "Were we not with you?" and if the unbelievers have a chance of success, they say, "Did we not gain an advantage over you, and defend you from the believers?" But Allah shall judge between you on the Day of Resurrection; for Allah will not give the faithless a way against the faithful.

Hilali & Khan

Those who take disbelievers for Auliya' (protectors or helpers or friends) instead of believers, do they seek honour, power and glory with them? Verily, then to Allah belongs all honour, power and glory.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Give news to the hypocrites that for them is a painful chastisement --

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Those who take the unbelievers for guardians rather than believers. Do they seek honor from them? Then surely all honor is for Allah.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Those who chose disbelievers for their friends instead of believers! Do they look for power at their hands? Lo! all power appertaineth to Allah.

Muhammad Sarwar

Do those who establish friendship with the disbelievers instead of the believers seek honor? Let them know that all honor belongs to God.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Those who take unbelievers for guides instead of believers, are they seeking might with them? Surely, the Might altogether belongs to Allah.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Those who take disbelievers for friends instead of believers, do they seek honor with them Verily, then to Allah belongs all honor.

Wahiduddin Khan

As for those who take the deniers of the truth for their allies rather than the believers -- do they seek honour in their company? Surely all honour belongs to God.

Talal Itani

Those who ally themselves with the disbelievers instead of the believers. Do they seek glory in them? All glory belongs to God.

Tafsir jalalayn

Those who (alladhna, is either a substitution for, or an adjectival qualification of, al-munfiqna, `the hypocrites') take disbelievers for friends instead of believers, because they mistakenly believe them to be strong -- do they desire, [do] they seek, power with them? (an interrogative of disavowal), that is to say, they shall not find such [power] with them. Truly, power belongs altogether to God, in this world and the Hereafter, and none but His friends shall attain it.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

الَّذِينَ يَتَّخِذُونَ الْكَافِرِينَ أَوْلِيَاء مِن دُونِ الْمُوْمِنِينَ

Those who take disbelievers for friends instead of believers,

Allah describes the hypocrites as taking the disbelievers as friends instead of the believers, meaning they are the disbelievers' supporters in reality, for they give them their loyalty and friendship in secret.

They also say to disbelievers when they are alone with them, "We are with you, we only mock the believers by pretending to follow their religion."

Allah said, while chastising them for being friends with the disbelievers,

أَيَبْتَغُونَ عِندَهُمُ الْعِزَّةَ

do they seek honor, with them,

فَإِنَّ العِزَّةَ لِلّهِ جَمِيعًا



Verily, then to Allah belongs all honor.

Allah states that honor, power and glory is for Him Alone without partners, and for those whom Allah grants such qualities to.

Allah said,

مَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْعِزَّةَ فَلِلَّهِ الْعِزَّةُ جَمِيعاً

Whosoever desires honor, then to Allah belong all honor, (35;10)

and,

وَلِلَّهِ الْعِزَّةُ وَلِرَسُولِهِ وَلِلْمُوْمِنِينَ وَلَـكِنَّ الْمُنَـفِقِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

But honor belongs to Allah, and to His Messenger, and to the believers, but the hypocrites know not. (63;8)

The statement that honor is Allah's Alone, is meant to encourage the servants to adhere to their servitude to Allah and to be among His faithful servants who will gain victory in this life and when the Witnesses stand up to testify on the Day of Resurrection.

Allah's statement