Quran Universe
60:13

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تَتَوَلَّوۡاْ قَوۡمًا غَضِبَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡهِمۡ قَدۡ يَئِسُواْ مِنَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ كَمَا يَئِسَ ٱلۡكُفَّارُ مِنۡ أَصۡحَٰبِ ٱلۡقُبُورِ

Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo la tatawallaw qawman ghadiba Allahu AAalayhim qad yaisoo mina alakhirati kama yaisa alkuffaru min ashabi alquboori

O you who have believed, do not make allies of a people with whom Allah has become angry. They have despaired of [reward in] the Hereafter just as the disbelievers have despaired of [meeting] the inhabitants of the graves.

Word by word
  1. يَـٰٓأَيُّهَاO you
  2. ٱلَّذِينَwho
  3. ءَامَنُواْbelieve
  4. لَا(Do) not
  5. تَتَوَلَّوۡاْmake allies
  6. قَوۡمًا(of) a people
  7. غَضِبَ(The) wrath
  8. ٱللَّهُ(of) Allah
  9. عَلَيۡهِمۡ(is) upon them
  10. قَدۡIndeed
  11. يَئِسُواْthey despair
  12. مِنَof
  13. ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِthe Hereafter
  14. كَمَاas
  15. يَئِسَdespair
  16. ٱلۡكُفَّارُthe disbelievers
  17. مِنۡof
  18. أَصۡحَٰبِ(the) companions
  19. ٱلۡقُبُورِ(of) the graves
Al-Mumtahanah · 60:13Madinah

Do not lean on those who lost hope in the Hereafter.

The surah ends where it began

Two kinds of despair
no hopeof the Hereafter
like
no hopeof meeting the buried
Who shapes your hope
companions without hopethis life is all
companions who remindof meeting Allah

The surah closes as it opened, warning against close alliance with those under Allah's anger. Ibn Kathir gives two meanings for the despair: they do not expect to meet their buried relatives again, since they deny the Resurrection, or like the dead disbeliever who sees his end and loses all hope.

Your closest circle jokes that nothing comes after death, so get what you can now. You laugh along, and slowly your own hope fades. Who you lean on shapes what you hope for. Keep some people near who remind you of the meeting with Allah.

Who I am close to does not affect my faith.

My closest companions shape my hope. I keep near those who look forward to the Hereafter.

Try this

Message one friend today who reminds you of Allah, and plan to see them.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

O you who believe! Take not as friends the people who incurred the wrath of Allah. Surely, they have despaired of the Hereafter, just as the disbelievers have despaired of those (buried) in graves (13)

Just like in the beginning of the Surah, Allah the Exalted forbids taking the disbelievers as protecting friends at the end of the Surah, saying,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَوَلَّوْا قَوْمًا غَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ 

(O you who believe! Take not as friends the people who incurred the wrath of Allah.) referring to the Jews, Christians and the rest of the disbelievers whom Allah became angry with and cursed. Those who deserved being rejected and banished by Him. (Allah says here), 'how can you become their allies, friends and companions, after Allah decided that they earn the despair of receiving any good or delights in the Hereafter?'

Allah's statement,

كَمَا يَئِسَ الْكُفَّارُ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْقُبُورِ

(just as the disbelievers have despaired of those (buried) in graves.) This has two possible meanings. First, the disbelievers despair of ever again meeting their relatives buried in graves, because they do not believe in Resurrection or being brought back to life. Therefore, they have no hope that they will meet them again, according to their creed. Secondly, just as the disbelievers who are buried in graves have lost hope in receiving any kind of goodness (i.e., after seeing the punishment and knowing that Resurrection is true).

Al-A'mash reported from Abu Ad-Duha from Masruq that Ibn Mas'ud said,

كَمَا يَئِسَ الْكُفَّارُ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْقُبُورِ

(just as the disbelievers have despaired of those (buried) in graves.)

"Just as the disbeliever despairs when he dies and realizes and knows his (evil) recompense." This is the saying of Mujahid, 'Ikrimah, Muqatil, Ibn Zayd, Al-Kalbi and Mansur; Ibn Jarir preferred this explanation.

This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Al-Mumtahanah, all praise and thanks be to Allah.