سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 120
وَلَن تَرْضَىٰ عَنكَ ٱلْيَهُودُ وَلَا ٱلنَّصَـٰرَىٰ حَتَّىٰ تَتَّبِعَ مِلَّتَهُمْ ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى ٱللَّهِ هُوَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ ۗ وَلَئِنِ ٱتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَآءَهُم بَعْدَ ٱلَّذِى جَآءَكَ مِنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ ۙ مَا لَكَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَلِىٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ ﴿120﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Never will the Jews nor the Christians be pleased with you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) till you follow their religion. Say: "Verily, the Guidance of Allâh (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism) that is the (only) Guidance. And if you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) were to follow their (Jews and Christians) desires after what you have received of Knowledge (i.e. the Qur’ân), then you would have against Allâh neither any Walî (protector or guardian) nor any helper.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَن
walan
And never
تَرْضَىٰ
tarḍā
will be pleased
عَنكَ
ʿanka
with you
ٱلْيَهُودُ
l-yahūdu
the Jews
وَلَا
walā
and [not]
ٱلنَّصَـٰرَىٰ
l-naṣārā
the Christians
حَتَّىٰ
ḥattā
until
تَتَّبِعَ
tattabiʿa
you follow
مِلَّتَهُمْ ۗ
millatahum
their religion
قُلْ
qul
Say
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
هُدَى
hudā
(the) Guidance
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
هُوَ
huwa
it
ٱلْهُدَىٰ ۗ
l-hudā
(is) the Guidance
وَلَئِنِ
wala-ini
And if
ٱتَّبَعْتَ
ittabaʿta
you follow
أَهْوَآءَهُم
ahwāahum
their desires
بَعْدَ
baʿda
after
ٱلَّذِى
alladhī
what
جَآءَكَ
jāaka
has come to you
مِنَ
mina
of
ٱلْعِلْمِ ۙ
l-ʿil'mi
the knowledge
مَا
mā
not
لَكَ
laka
for you
مِنَ
mina
from
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
مِن
min
any
وَلِىٍّۢ
waliyyin
protector
وَلَا
walā
and not
نَصِيرٍ
naṣīrin
any helper
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
120. The Jews and the Christians will never be pleased with youﷺ until you follow their religion [144]. Say, "Indeed, the guidance is Allah's guidance [145]." And if you follow their desires after the knowledge that has come to you, you will have no protector or helper against Allah [146].
[144] Here, "Millat" does not refer to the religion mentioned in the Torah or the Gospel, but rather to that religion which also includes all those absurdities which these people have taken as religion, and those customs and ways which these people have adopted. Therefore, do not worry about keeping them pleased, because it is impossible for them to be pleased with youﷺ until you become involved in the same misguidances of beliefs and actions in which they are entangled.
[145] After yourﷺ prophethood, it is obligatory for all people to have faith in youﷺ: Guidance from Allah always comes in accordance with the needs of the time, and only that guidance is valid which the prophet of that time brings. So, in this era, Allah's guidance is in the Quran, and it is necessary for everyone to have faith in it. Thus, Hazrat Jabirؓ narrates from the Messenger of Allahﷺ that Hazrat Umarؓ came to youﷺ with a copy of the Torah and said, "O Messenger of Allahﷺ, this is a copy of the Torah." Youﷺ remained silent. Hazrat Umarؓ began to read it, and the face of the Messenger of Allahﷺ kept changing. Seeing this situation, Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiqؓ said to Hazrat Umarؓ, "Woe to you! Do you not see the face of the Messenger of Allahﷺ?" When Hazrat Umarؓ saw signs of anger on yourﷺ face, he said, "I seek refuge with Allah from the anger of Allah and His Messengerﷺ. We are pleased with Allah as our Lord, with Islam as our religion, and with Muhammadﷺ as our Prophet." Upon hearing this, the Messenger of Allahﷺ said, "By Him in whose hand is the life of Muhammadﷺ, if Musa were present today and you were to follow him, leaving me, you would surely go astray. And if Musaؑ himself were alive and found the time of my prophethood, he would certainly follow me." [دارمي، بحواله مشكوٰة شريف، كتاب الايمان باب الاعتصام بالكتاب والسنة فصل ثالث] And in another narration from Hazrat Jabirؓ, the words are: "If Musa were alive, he would have no choice but to follow me." [احمد بيهقي فى شعب الايمان، بحواله مشكوٰة باب ايضاً فصل ثاني]
[146] This warning is by way of supposition. That is, even if you were to do so, no one could save you from Allah. In other words, the Ummah is being informed with utmost emphasis that if anyone, after accepting Islam, becomes a Jew or Christian again, then no one can save him from Allah's punishment.
[144] Here, "Millat" does not refer to the religion mentioned in the Torah or the Gospel, but rather to that religion which also includes all those absurdities which these people have taken as religion, and those customs and ways which these people have adopted. Therefore, do not worry about keeping them pleased, because it is impossible for them to be pleased with youﷺ until you become involved in the same misguidances of beliefs and actions in which they are entangled.
[145] After yourﷺ prophethood, it is obligatory for all people to have faith in youﷺ: Guidance from Allah always comes in accordance with the needs of the time, and only that guidance is valid which the prophet of that time brings. So, in this era, Allah's guidance is in the Quran, and it is necessary for everyone to have faith in it. Thus, Hazrat Jabirؓ narrates from the Messenger of Allahﷺ that Hazrat Umarؓ came to youﷺ with a copy of the Torah and said, "O Messenger of Allahﷺ, this is a copy of the Torah." Youﷺ remained silent. Hazrat Umarؓ began to read it, and the face of the Messenger of Allahﷺ kept changing. Seeing this situation, Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiqؓ said to Hazrat Umarؓ, "Woe to you! Do you not see the face of the Messenger of Allahﷺ?" When Hazrat Umarؓ saw signs of anger on yourﷺ face, he said, "I seek refuge with Allah from the anger of Allah and His Messengerﷺ. We are pleased with Allah as our Lord, with Islam as our religion, and with Muhammadﷺ as our Prophet." Upon hearing this, the Messenger of Allahﷺ said, "By Him in whose hand is the life of Muhammadﷺ, if Musa were present today and you were to follow him, leaving me, you would surely go astray. And if Musaؑ himself were alive and found the time of my prophethood, he would certainly follow me." [دارمي، بحواله مشكوٰة شريف، كتاب الايمان باب الاعتصام بالكتاب والسنة فصل ثالث] And in another narration from Hazrat Jabirؓ, the words are: "If Musa were alive, he would have no choice but to follow me." [احمد بيهقي فى شعب الايمان، بحواله مشكوٰة باب ايضاً فصل ثاني]
[146] This warning is by way of supposition. That is, even if you were to do so, no one could save you from Allah. In other words, the Ummah is being informed with utmost emphasis that if anyone, after accepting Islam, becomes a Jew or Christian again, then no one can save him from Allah's punishment.
