Verses and Translation
لَّا تَجِدُ قَوۡمً۬ا يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأَخِرِ يُوَآدُّونَ مَنۡ حَآدَّ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ۥ وَلَوۡ ڪَانُوٓاْ ءَابَآءَهُمۡ أَوۡ أَبۡنَآءَهُمۡ أَوۡ إِخۡوَٲنَهُمۡ أَوۡ عَشِيرَتَہُمۡۚ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ ڪَتَبَ فِى قُلُوبِہِمُ ٱلۡإِيمَـٰنَ وَأَيَّدَهُم بِرُوحٍ۬ مِّنۡهُۖ وَيُدۡخِلُهُمۡ جَنَّـٰتٍ۬ تَجۡرِى مِن تَحۡتِہَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَاۚ رَضِىَ ٱللَّهُ عَنۡہُمۡ وَرَضُواْ عَنۡهُۚ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ حِزۡبُ ٱللَّهِۚ أَلَآ إِنَّ حِزۡبَ ٱللَّهِ هُمُ ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ (٢٢)
“You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day having affection for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred. Those – He has decreed within their hearts faith and supported them with spirit from Him. And We will admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally. Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him – those are the party of Allah. Unquestionably, the party of Allah – they are the successful.”
Commentary
Two things have been stated in this verse: first, a matter of principle, and the second, a statement of fact. The matter of principle is that faith in the true religion and love of the opponents of the religion are contradictory things, which cannot conceivably co-exist in one and the same place. It is absolutely impossible that love of the faith and love of the enemies of Allah and His Messenger should co-exist in one and the same heart, just as a person’s love for himself and his love for his enemy cannot co-exist in his heart simultaneously This is as if to say, “If you see a person who professes the faith as well as keeps relations of love with the opponents of Islam, you should never be involved in the misunderstanding that he might perhaps be true in his profession in spite of his this attitude and conduct.”
Likewise, the people who have established relations with Islam and the opponents of Islam simultaneously, should themselves also consider their position well and see what they actually are. Are they believers or hypocrites? And what actually they want to be – do they want to live as believers or as hypocrites? If they have any righteousness left in them. and any feeling that from the. moral viewpoint hypocrisy is the meanest and most abject attitude for man, they should give up their attempt to ride in two boats simultaneously. Faith wants them to be decisive. If they want to remain believers, they should sever and sacrifice all those connections that clash with their relationship with Islam; if they hold another relation dearer to themselves than the relationship with Islam, then they should better give up their false profession of Islam.
Here, Allah has not just stated the principle but has also presented the actual fact as a model before those who professed the Faith. The true believers had in actual fact severed all connections that clashed with their relationship with Allah’s Religion. This had been witnessed by entire Arabia in the’ battles of Badr and Uhud.
Do not befriend the deniers, even if they are among the closest relatives. Allah said, “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.” [Quran; 3:28] and, “Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving hard and fighting in His cause, then wait until Allah brings about His decision (torment). And Allah guides not the people who are the rebellious.”[Quran; 9:24]
Sa`id bin `Abdul-`Aziz and others said that this verse, “You will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day…” was revealed in the case of Abu `Ubaydah `Amir bin `Abdullah bin Al-Jarrah when he killed his disbelieving father, during the battle of Badr. This is why when `Umar bin Al-Khattab placed the matter of Khilafah in the consultation of six men after him, he said; “If Abu `Ubaydah were alive, I would have appointed him the Khalifah.’
It was also said that the verse, “even though they were their fathers” was revealed in the case of Abu `Ubaydah, when he killed his father during the battle of Badr, while the Ayah, “or their sons” was revealed in the case of Abu Bakr As-Siddiq when he intended to kill his (disbelieving) son, `Abdur-Rahman, (during Badr), while the verse, “or their brothers” was revealed about the case of Mus`ab bin `Umayr, who killed his brother, `Ubayd bin `Umayr, during Badr, and that the verse “or their kindred” was revealed about the case of `Umar, who killed one of his relatives during Badr, and also that this verse was revealed in the case of Hamzah, `Ali and Ubaydah bin Al-Harith. They killed their close relatives `Utbah, Shaybah and Al-Walid bin `Utbah that day. Allah knows best.
A similar matter is when Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) consulted with his Companions about what should be done with the captives of Badr. Abu Bakr As-Siddiq thought that they should accept ransom for them so the Muslims could use the money to strengthen themselves. He mentioned the fact that the captured were the cousins and the kindred, and that they might embrace Islam later on, by Allah’s help. `Umar said, “But I have a different opinion, O Allah’s Messenger! Let me kill so-and-so, my relative, and let `Ali kill `Aqil (`Ali’s brother), and so-and-so kill so-and-so. Let us make it known to Allah that we have no mercy in our hearts for the idolaters.’
Those who have the quality of not befriending those who oppose Allah and His Messenger , even if they are their fathers or brothers, are those whom Allah has decreed faith, meaning, happiness, in their hearts and made faith dear to their hearts and happiness reside therein.
As-Suddi said that the verse,”He has written faith in their hearts” means, “He has placed faith in their hearts.’
Ibn `Abbas said that,”and strengthened them with Ruh from Himself.) means, “He gave them strengths.”
Allah’s statement, “Allah is well pleased with them, and they are well pleased with Him.” contains a beautiful secret. When the believers became enraged against their relatives and kindred in Allah’s cause, He compensated them by being pleased with them and making them pleased with Him from what He has granted them of eternal delight, ultimate victory and encompassing favor.
Allah’s statement, “They are the party of Allah. Verily, the party of Allah will be the successful.” indicates that they are the party of Allah, meaning, His servants who are worthy of earning His honor.
Allah’s statement, “Verily, the party of Allah will be the successful.” asserts their success, happiness and triumph in this life and the Hereafter, in contrast to those, who are the party of the devil.