Al-Qur'an Surah An-Nisa Verse 144

Mufti Taqi Usmani

O you who believe, do not take the disbelievers for friends instead of the believers. Do you want to produce before Allah a clear evidence against yourselves?

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

O believers! Do not take disbelievers as allies instead of the believers. Would you like to give Allah solid proof against yourselves?

Ruwwad Translation Center

O you who believe, do not take the disbelievers as allies instead of the believers. Do you want to give Allah a clear proof against yourselves?

A. J. Arberry

O believers, take not the unbelievers as friends instead of the believers; or do you desire to give God over you a clear authority?

Abdul Haleem

You who believe, do not take the disbelievers as allies and protectors instead of the believers: do you want to offer God clear proof against you?

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

O Ye who believe! take not infidels for friends, instead of believers. Would ye give Allah against you a manifest warranty!

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

O ye who believe! Take not for friends unbelievers rather than believers; Do ye wish to offer Allah an open proof against yourselves?

Abul Ala Maududi

Believers! Do not take the unbelievers as your allies in preference to the believers. Do you wish to offer Allah a clear proof of guilt against yourselves?

Ahmed Ali

O believers, do not hold unbelievers as friends in preference to the faithful. Do you want to proffer a clear proof of your own guilt before God?

Ahmed Raza Khan

O People who Believe! Do not befriend disbelievers in place of Muslims; do you wish to give Allah a clear proof against you?

Ali Quli Qarai

O you who have faith! Do not take the faithless for friends instead of the faithful. Do you wish to give Allah a clear sanction against yourselves?

Ali Ünal

O you who believe! Do not take the unbelievers for guardians and confidants in preference to the believers; or do you want to offer God a manifest proof against yourselves (of being hypocrites and so incur His punishment)?

Amatul Rahman Omar

O you who believe! do not take disbelievers for friends to the exclusion of believers. Do you mean to provide Allâh with clear plea against yourselves.

English Literal

You, you those who believed, do not take the disbelievers (as) allies from other than the believers, do you want that you make for God on you an evident proof ?

Faridul Haque

O People who Believe! Do not befriend disbelievers in place of Muslims; do you wish to give Allah a clear proof against you?

Hamid S. Aziz

Save those who repent, and do right, and take tight hold on Allah, and are sincere in religion for (or purify religion for) Allah; these are with the believers, and Allah will give to the believers mighty reward.

Hilali & Khan

O you who believe! Take not for Auliya' (protectors or helpers or friends) disbelievers instead of believers. Do you wish to offer Allah a manifest proof against yourselves?

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Wavering between that (and this) -- (belonging) neither to these nor to those. And whomsoever Allah leaves in error, thou wilt not find a way for him.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

O you who believe! do not take the unbelievers for friends rather than the believers; do you desire that you should give to Allah a manifest proof against yourselves?

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

O ye who believe! Choose not disbelievers for (your) friends in place of believers. Would ye give Allah a clear warrant against you?

Muhammad Sarwar

Believers, do not make unbelievers your intimate friends and supporters rather than believers. Do you want to establish clear evidence against yourselves before God?

Qaribullah & Darwish

Believers, do not take the unbelievers for guides instead of the believers, or do you desire to give Allah a clear authority over you?

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

O you who believe! Do not take disbelievers as friends instead of believers. Do you wish to offer Allah a manifest Sultan against yourselves

Wahiduddin Khan

Do not take deniers of the truth [who are at war with you] for your allies in preference to believers. Would you give God a clear proof against yourselves?

Talal Itani

O you who believe! Do not befriend disbelievers rather than believers. Do you want to give God a clear case against you?

Tafsir jalalayn

O you who believe, take not the disbelievers as friends instead of the believers; do you desire to give God over you, by your taking them as friends, a clear warrant?, a manifest proof of your hypocrisy?

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Prohibition of Wilayah with the Disbelievers

Allah

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُواْ لَا تَتَّخِذُواْ الْكَافِرِينَ أَوْلِيَاء مِن دُونِ الْمُوْمِنِينَ

O you who believe! Do not take disbelievers as friends instead of believers.

Allah forbids His believing servants from taking the disbelievers as friends instead of the believers. This includes being friends and associates of the disbelievers, advising them, being intimate with them and exposing the secrets of the believers to them.

In another Ayah, Allah said,

لااَّ يَتَّخِذِ الْمُوْمِنُونَ الْكَـفِرِينَ أَوْلِيَأءَ مِن دُونِ الْمُوْمِنِينَ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ فَلَيْسَ مِنَ اللَّهِ فِي شَىْءٍ إِلَا أَن تَتَّقُواْ مِنْهُمْ تُقَـةً وَيُحَذِّرْكُمُ اللَّهُ نَفْسَهُ

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)

meaning, He warns you against His punishment if you fall into what He has prohibited.

This is why Allah said here,

أَتُرِيدُونَ أَن تَجْعَلُواْ لِلّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ سُلْطَانًا مُّبِينًا



Do you wish to offer Allah a manifest Sultan against yourselves!

meaning, proof against you that warrants receiving His torment.

Ibn Abi Hatim narrated that Ibn Abbas commented;
سُلْطَانًا مُّبِينًا
(manifest Sultan),

"The word Sultan in the Qur'an means proof."

There is an authentic chain of narration for this statement, which is also the saying of Mujahid, Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi, Ad-Dahhak, As-Suddi and An-Nadr bin Arabi.
The Hypocrites and the Friends of Disbelievers are in the Lowest Depth of the Fire, Unless they Repent

Allah then states that