Tafsir Ibn Abbas: Al-Mumtahana, Ayah 1
Common Words
Other Scholars on This Ayah
Tafsir
O you who believe do not take My enemy and your enemy namely the disbelievers of Mecca for friends. You offer you communicate to them the Prophet’s plan s to attack them which he had confided to you and had kept secret at Hunayn communicating this to them out of affection between you and them. Hātib b. Abī Balta‘a sent them a letter to that effect on account of his having children and close relatives idolaters among them. The Prophet s intercepted it from the person to whom he Hātib had given it to deliver after God apprised him of this. Hātib’s excuse for this conduct of his was accepted by the Prophet; when verily they have disbelieved in the truth that has come to you that is in the religion of Islam and the Qur’ān expelling the Messenger and you from Mecca by oppressing you because you believe in God your Lord. If you have gone forth to struggle in My way and to seek My pleasure … the response to the conditional is indicated by what preceded that is to say understand it as being ‘then do not take them as friends’. You secretly harbour affection for them when I know well what you hide and what you proclaim. And whoever among you does that that is to secretly communicate the Prophet’s news to them has verily strayed from the right way he has missed the path of guidance originally al-sawā’ means ‘the middle way’.
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Ibn Abbas Commentary
And from his narration on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas that he said concerning the interpretation of Allah's saying (O ye who believe!): (O ye who believe!) referring to Hatib, (Choose not My enemy) in religion (and your enemy) who fight you, i.e. the people of Mecca (for friends) seeking their assistance and help. (Do ye give them friendship) you send them a letter to assist and help them (when they disbelieve in that truth which hath come unto you) i.e. to Hatib, (driving out the messenger) Muhammad (pbuh) from Mecca (and you) i.e. Hatib (because ye believe) because of your faith (in Allah, your Lord? If ye have come forth) if you have, O Hatib, come forth from Mecca to Medina (to strive in My way) for the sake of My obedience (and seeking My good pleasure, (show them not friendship). Do ye show friendship unto them in secret) do not send letters to them in secret to assist and help them, (when I am best Aware of what ye hide) i.e. of what you hide, O Hatib, regarding the letter; and it is also said that this means: regarding your faith (and what ye proclaim) O Hatib, of excuse; and it is also said: of profession of Allah's divine Oneness? (And whosoever doeth it among you) whoever of you, O believers, does as Hatib did, (he verily hath strayed from the right way) he has indeed strayed from the path of guidance.