Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Ma'idah Verse 51

Mufti Taqi Usmani

O you who believe, do not take the Jews and the Christians for intimate friends. They are friends to each other. Whoever takes them as intimate friends is one of them. Surely, Allah does not take the unjust people to the right path.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

O believers! Take neither Jews nor Christians as guardians—they are guardians of each other.[[ Wali means guardian, caretaker, protector, provider, ally, etc. The Prophet (ﷺ) for example says, “A woman should not get married without a wali.”—that is a guardian such as her father to represent her in the marriage and make sure she receives her full rights. The verse forbids Muslims from allying with the Jews and Christians (or anyone else) conspiring to persecute Muslims. On the other hand, as long as non-Muslims are not at war with Muslims or persecuting them, the Quran ({60:8}) commands Muslims to be kind and gracious to them. ]] Whoever does so will be counted as one of them. Surely Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.

Ruwwad Translation Center

O you who believe, do not take the Jews and Christians as allies; they are allies of one another. Whoever among you takes them as allies is indeed one of them. Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.

A. J. Arberry

O believers, take not Jews and Christians as friends; they are friends of each other. Whoso of you makes them his friends is one of them. God guides not the people of the evildoers.

Abdul Haleem

You who believe, do not take the Jews and Christians as allies:they are allies only to each other. Anyone who takes them as an ally becomes one of them- God does not guide such wrongdoers-

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

O ye who believe! take not the Jews and the Nazarenes as friends: friends they are to each other: and whosoever of you befriendeth them, verily he is of them; verily Allah guideth not a wrong-doing people.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

O ye who believe! take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors; They are but friends and protectors to each other. And he amongst you that turns to them (for friendship) is of them. Verily Allah guideth not a people unjust.

Abul Ala Maududi

Believers! Do not take the Jews and the Christians for your allies. They are the allies of each other. And among you he who takes them for allies, shall be regarded as one of them. Allah does not guide the wrong-doers.

Ahmed Ali

O believers, do not hold Jews and Christians as your allies. They are allies of one another; and anyone who makes them his friends is surely one of them; and God does not guide the unjust.

Ahmed Raza Khan

O People who Believe! Do not make the Jews and the Christians your friends; they are friends of one another; and whoever among you befriends them, is one of them; indeed Allah does not guide the unjust.

Ali Quli Qarai

O you who have faith! Do not take the Jews and the Christians for allies: they are allies of each other. Any of you who allies with them is indeed one of them. Indeed Allah does not guide the wrongdoing lot.

Ali Ünal

O you who believe! Take not the Jews and Christians for guardians and confidants (in their Judaism and Christianity). Some among them are guardians and confidants to some others. Whoever among you takes them for guardians and confidants will eventually become one of them (and be counted among them in the Hereafter). Surely God does not guide such wrongdoers.

Amatul Rahman Omar

O you who believe! do not take these Jews and the Christians for allies. They are allies of one to another (when against you), and whoso from amongst you takes them for allies, is indeed one of them. Verily, Allâh does not guide the unjust people to attain their goal.

English Literal

You, you those who believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians (as) guardians/patrons , some of them (are) guardians/patrons (of) some, and who follows them from you, so that he truly is from them, that God does not guide the nation, the unjust/oppressive.

Faridul Haque

O People who Believe! Do not make the Jews and the Christians your friends; they are friends of one another; and whoever among you befriends them, is one of them; indeed Allah does not guide the unjust.

Hamid S. Aziz

You will see those in whose heart is a disease runs about among them, saying, "We fear lest a reversal befall us." It may be that Allah will give you victory, or a commandment from Himself, and they may awake repenting of their secret thoughts.

Hilali & Khan

O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as Auliya' (friends, protectors, helpers, etc.), they are but Auliya' to one another. And if any amongst you takes them as Auliya', then surely he is one of them. Verily, Allah guides not those people who are the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers and unjust).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Is it then the judgment of ignorance that they desire? And who is better than Allah to judge for a people who are sure?

Mohammad Habib Shakir

O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

O ye who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians for friends. They are friends one to another. He among you who taketh them for friends is (one) of them. Lo! Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk.

Muhammad Sarwar

Believers, do not consider the Jews and Christians as your intimate friends for they are only friends with each other. Whoever does so will be considered as one of them. God does not guide the unjust people.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Believers, take neither Jews nor Nazarenes for your guides. They are guides of one another. Whosoever of you takes them for a guide shall become one of their number. Allah does not guide the wrongdoers.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

O you who believe! Do not take friends from the Jews and the Christians, as they are but friends of each other. And if any among you befriends them, then surely, he is one of them. Verily, Allah guides not those people who are the wrongdoers.

Wahiduddin Khan

Believers, do not take the Jews and Christians as allies. They are allies with one another. Whoever of you takes them as an ally shall become one of them. God does not guide the wrongdoers.

Talal Itani

O you who believe! Do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies; some of them are allies of one another. Whoever of you allies himself with them is one of them. God does not guide the wrongdoing people.

Tafsir jalalayn

O you who believe, do not take Jews and Christians as patrons, affiliating with them or showing them affection; they are patrons of each other, being united in disbelief. Whoever amongst you affiliates with them, he is one of them, counted with them. God does not guide the folk who do wrong, by affiliating with disbelievers.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Prohibition of Taking the Jews, Christians and Enemies of Islam as Friends

Allah says;

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُواْ لَا تَتَّخِذُواْ الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَى أَوْلِيَاء بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاء بَعْضٍ

O you who believe! Do not take friends from the Jews and the Christians, as they are but friends of each other.

Allah forbids His believing servants from having Jews and Christians as friends, because they are the enemies of Islam and its people, may Allah curse them.

Allah then states that they are friends of each other and He gives a warning threat to those who do this,

وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمْ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْهُمْ

And if any among you befriends them, then surely he is one of them.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that;

Umar ordered Abu Musa Al-Ashari to send him on one sheet of balance the count of what he took in and what he spent. Abu Musa then had a Christian scribe, and he was able to comply with Omar's demand.

Umar liked what he saw and exclaimed, "This scribe is proficient. Would you read in the Masjid a letter that came to us from Ash-Sham?"

Abu Musa said, `He cannot."

Umar said, "Is he not pure?"

Abu Musa said, "No, but he is Christian."

Abu Musa said, "So `Umar admonished me and poked my thigh (with his finger), saying, `Drive him out (from Al-Madinah).'

He then recited,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُواْ لَا تَتَّخِذُواْ الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَى أَوْلِيَاء


O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as friends..."

Then he reported that Abdullah bin `Utbah said,

"Let one of you beware that he might be a Jew or a Christian, while unaware."

The narrator of this statement said, "We thought that he was referring to the Ayah,
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُواْ لَا تَتَّخِذُواْ الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَى أَوْلِيَاء
(O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as friends),"

إِنَّ اللّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ



Verily, Allah guides not those people who are the wrongdoers.

Allah said