Quran Universe
3:28

لَّا يَتَّخِذِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ أَوۡلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَۖ وَمَن يَفۡعَلۡ ذَٰلِكَ فَلَيۡسَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ فِي شَيۡءٍ إِلَّآ أَن تَتَّقُواْ مِنۡهُمۡ تُقَىٰةٗۗ وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ نَفۡسَهُۥۗ وَإِلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡمَصِيرُ

La yattakhithi almuminoona alkafireena awliyaa min dooni almumineena waman yafAAal thalika falaysa mina Allahi fee shayin illa an tattaqoo minhum tuqatan wayuhaththirukumu Allahu nafsahu waila Allahi almaseeru

Let not believers take disbelievers as allies rather than believers. And whoever [of you] does that has nothing with Allah, except when taking precaution against them in prudence. And Allah warns you of Himself, and to Allah is the [final] destination.

Word by word
  1. لَّا(Let) not
  2. يَتَّخِذِtake
  3. ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَthe believers
  4. ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَthe disbelievers
  5. أَوۡلِيَآءَ(as) allies
  6. مِنfrom
  7. دُونِinstead of
  8. ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَۖthe believers
  9. وَمَنAnd whoever
  10. يَفۡعَلۡdoes
  11. ذَٰلِكَthat
  12. فَلَيۡسَthen not he (has)
  13. مِنَfrom
  14. ٱللَّهِAllah
  15. فِيin
  16. شَيۡءٍanything
  17. إِلَّآexcept
  18. أَنthat
  19. تَتَّقُواْyou fear
  20. مِنۡهُمۡfrom them
  21. تُقَىٰةٗۗ(as) a precaution
  22. وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُAnd warns you
  23. ٱللَّهُAllah
  24. نَفۡسَهُۥۗ(of) Himself
  25. وَإِلَىand to
  26. ٱللَّهِAllah
  27. ٱلۡمَصِيرُ(is) the final return
Ali 'Imran · 3:28Madinah

Whose side are you on when it counts?

Loyalty, and the warning that Allah sees it

The warning
believersa young community
told not to choose
allies against themover their own
Allah warns of Himselfto Him is the return
Where loyalty sits
with whoever benefits mestatus, safety, approval
with Allah and the believerseven when it costs

In Madinah, the young Muslim community faced pressure from many sides. Ibn Kathir explains the verse forbids taking the enemies of faith as close supporters instead of the believers, with an exception for someone who fears for their safety. Allah warns of Himself, and to Him is the return.

Your friends mock a fellow Muslim in the group chat, and laughing along keeps you in the circle. The question is quiet: where does your heart sit when it costs something?

I go along with whoever keeps me comfortable.

My deepest loyalty belongs to Allah, and He knows where my heart leans.

Try this

Next time someone is mocked for their faith around you, say one kind word for them.

Related60:14:1448:73
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

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, unless you indeed fear a danger from them. And Allah warns you against Himself, and to Allah is the final return (28)

The Prohibition of Supporting the Disbelievers

Allah prohibited His believing servants from becoming supporters of the disbelievers, or to take them as comrades with whom they develop friendships, rather than the believers. Allah warned against such behavior when He said,

وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَلَيْسَ مِنَ اللَّهِ فِي شَيْءٍ

(And whoever does that, will never be helped by Allah in any way) meaning, whoever commits this act that Allah has prohibited, then Allah will discard him. Similarly, Allah said,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا عَدُوِّي وَعَدُوَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ تُلْقُونَ إِلَيْهِم بِالْمَوَدَّةِ

(O you who believe! Take not My enemies and your enemies as friends, showing affection towards them), until,

وَمَن يَفْعَلْهُ مِنكُمْ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ

(And whosoever of you does that, then indeed he has gone astray from the straight path.)[60:1]. Allah said,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا الْكَافِرِينَ أَوْلِيَاءَ مِن دُونِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَتُرِيدُونَ أَن تَجْعَلُوا لِلَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ سُلْطَانًا مُّبِينًا

(O you who believe! Take not for friends disbelievers instead of believers. Do you wish to offer Allah a manifest proof against yourselves?)[4:144], and,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَىٰ أَوْلِيَاءَ ۘ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمْ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْهُمْ

(O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as friends, they are but friends of each other. And whoever befriends them, then surely, he is one of them.)[5:51].

Allah said, after mentioning the fact that the faithful believers gave their support to the faithful believers among the Muhajirin, Ansar and Bedouins,

وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ إِلَّا تَفْعَلُوهُ تَكُن فِتْنَةٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَفَسَادٌ كَبِيرٌ

(And those who disbelieve are allies of one another, (and) if you do not behave the same, there will be Fitnah and oppression on the earth, and a great mischief and corruption.)[8:73].

Allah said next,

إِلَّا أَن تَتَّقُوا مِنْهُمْ تُقَاةً

(unless you indeed fear a danger from them) meaning, except those believers who in some areas or times fear for their safety from the disbelievers. In this case, such believers are allowed to show friendship to the disbelievers outwardly, but never inwardly. For instance, Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Ad-Darda' said, "We smile in the face of some people although our hearts curse them." Al-Bukhari said that Al-Hasan said, "The Tuqyah is allowed until the Day of Resurrection." Allah said,

وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ اللَّهُ نَفْسَهُ

(And Allah warns you against Himself.) meaning, He warns you against His anger and the severe torment He prepared for those who give their support to His enemies, and those who have enmity with His friends,

وَإِلَى اللَّهِ الْمَصِيرُ

(And to Allah is the final return) meaning, the return is to Him and He will reward or punish each person according to their deeds.