Quran Universe
9:71

وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتُ بَعۡضُهُمۡ أَوۡلِيَآءُ بَعۡضٖۚ يَأۡمُرُونَ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَيَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَيُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُؤۡتُونَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَيُطِيعُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥٓۚ أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ سَيَرۡحَمُهُمُ ٱللَّهُۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٞ

Waalmuminoona waalmuminatu baAAduhum awliyao baAAdin yamuroona bialmaAAroofi wayanhawna AAani almunkari wayuqeemoona alssalata wayutoona alzzakata wayuteeAAoona Allaha warasoolahu olaika sayarhamuhumu Allahu inna Allaha AAazeezun hakeemun

The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and establish prayer and give zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger. Those - Allah will have mercy upon them. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.

Word by word
  1. وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَAnd the believing men
  2. وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتُand the believing women
  3. بَعۡضُهُمۡsome of them
  4. أَوۡلِيَآءُ(are) allies
  5. بَعۡضٖۚ(of) others
  6. يَأۡمُرُونَThey enjoin
  7. بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِthe right
  8. وَيَنۡهَوۡنَand forbid
  9. عَنِfrom
  10. ٱلۡمُنكَرِthe wrong
  11. وَيُقِيمُونَand they establish
  12. ٱلصَّلَوٰةَthe prayer
  13. وَيُؤۡتُونَand give
  14. ٱلزَّكَوٰةَthe zakah
  15. وَيُطِيعُونَand they obey
  16. ٱللَّهَAllah
  17. وَرَسُولَهُۥٓۚand His Messenger
  18. أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَThose
  19. سَيَرۡحَمُهُمُAllah will have mercy on them
  20. ٱللَّهُۗAllah will have mercy on them
  21. إِنَّIndeed
  22. ٱللَّهَAllah
  23. عَزِيزٌ(is) All-Mighty
  24. حَكِيمٞAll-Wise
At-Tawbah · 9:71Madinah

Believers hold each other up like one building.

The opposite picture to the hypocrites

What believers do together
alliesmen and women alike
urge the rightand steer from wrong
prayer and zakahto Allah, to people
promised
mercyAllah will have mercy
Two mirror images
hypocritesurge wrong, close hands
believersurge right, open hands

After the traits of the hypocrites, Allah describes the believers. They help and aid each other. The Prophet ﷺ said the believer to the believer is like a building, its parts supporting each other, and crossed his fingers together.

A friend in your circle loses her job. One person sends a message, another quietly shares a lead, a third reminds everyone to pray for her. Nobody is a hero; everyone is a brick. That is what the verse calls allies.

My faith is my own private matter.

My faith is meant to hold others up, and theirs to hold me.

Try this

Message one believing friend today just to ask how they are really doing.

Related3:104
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

The believers, men and women, are supporters of one another; they enjoin good, and forbid evil; they perform the Salah, and give the Zakah, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah will have His mercy on them. Surely, Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise (71)

Qualities of Faithful Believers

After Allah mentioned the evil characteristics of the hypocrites, He then mentioned the good qualities of the believers,

وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ

(The believers, men and women, are supporters of one another;) they help and aid each other. Surely, an authentic Hadith states,

الْمُؤْمِنُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ كَالْبُنْيَانِ يَشُدُّ بَعْضُهُ بَعْضًا

(The believer to the believer is just like a building, its parts support each other.) and the Prophet ﷺ crossed his fingers together. In the Sahih it is recorded,

مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِي تَوَادِّهِمْ وَتَرَاحُمِهِمْ كَمَثَلِ الْجَسَدِ الْوَاحِدِ، إِذَا اشْتَكَى مِنْهُ عُضْوٌ تَدَاعَى لَهُ سَائِرُ الْجَسَدِ بِالْحُمَّى وَالسَّهَرِ

(The example of the believers in the compassion and mercy they have for each other, is the example of one body: if a part of it falls ill, the rest of the body suffers with fever and sleeplessness.)

Allah's statement,

يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ

(...they enjoin good, and forbid evil), this is similar to,

وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ

(Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining Al-Ma'ruf and forbidding the Munkar...)[3:104]. Allah said next,

وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ

(they perform the Salah, and give the Zakah), they obey Allah and are kind to His creation,

وَيُطِيعُونَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ

(and obey Allah and His Messenger), concerning what he commands and refraining from what he prohibits,

أُولَٰئِكَ سَيَرْحَمُهُمُ اللَّهُ

(Allah will have mercy on them.) Therefore, Allah will give mercy to those who have these qualities,

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ

(Surely, Allah is All-Mighty), He grants glory to those who obey Him, for indeed, might and glory is from Allah Who gives it to His Messenger ﷺ and the believers,

حَكِيمٌ

(All-Wise), in granting these qualities to the believers, while giving evil characteristics to hypocrites. Surely, Allah's wisdom is perfect in all His actions; praise and glory be to Him.