سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 118
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَتَّخِذُوا۟ بِطَانَةً مِّن دُونِكُمْ لَا يَأْلُونَكُمْ خَبَالًا وَدُّوا۟ مَا عَنِتُّمْ قَدْ بَدَتِ ٱلْبَغْضَآءُ مِنْ أَفْوَٰهِهِمْ وَمَا تُخْفِى صُدُورُهُمْ أَكْبَرُ ۚ قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ ۖ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ ﴿118﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O you who believe! Take not as (your) Bitânah (advisors, consultants, protectors, helpers, friends) those outside your religion (pagans, Jews, Christians, and hypocrites) since they will not fail to do their best to corrupt you. They desire to harm you severely. Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, but what their breasts conceal is far worse. Indeed We have made plain to you the Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses) if you understand.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
yāayyuhā
O you
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
who
ءَامَنُوا۟
āmanū
believe[d]
لَا
lā
(Do) not
تَتَّخِذُوا۟
tattakhidhū
take
بِطَانَةًۭ
biṭānatan
(as) intimates
مِّن
min
from
دُونِكُمْ
dūnikum
other than yourselves
لَا
lā
not
يَأْلُونَكُمْ
yalūnakum
they will spare you
خَبَالًۭا
khabālan
(any) ruin
وَدُّوا۟
waddū
They wish
مَا
mā
what
عَنِتُّمْ
ʿanittum
distresses you
قَدْ
qad
Indeed
بَدَتِ
badati
(has become) apparent
ٱلْبَغْضَآءُ
l-baghḍāu
the hatred
مِنْ
min
from
أَفْوَٰهِهِمْ
afwāhihim
their mouths
وَمَا
wamā
and what
تُخْفِى
tukh'fī
conceals
صُدُورُهُمْ
ṣudūruhum
their breasts
أَكْبَرُ ۚ
akbaru
(is) greater
قَدْ
qad
Certainly
بَيَّنَّا
bayyannā
We made clear
لَكُمُ
lakumu
for you
ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ ۖ
l-āyāti
the Verses
إِن
in
if
كُنتُمْ
kuntum
you were
تَعْقِلُونَ
taʿqilūna
(to use) reason
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.
118. O you who believe! Do not take anyone other than yourselves as confidants, for they will spare no effort to harm you. They love to see you in distress. Their hatred is evident from their tongues, but what their hearts conceal is far worse [106]. We have made the signs clear to you, if only you would understand.
[106]
Prohibition of Friendship with the Jews of Madinah:
This address is actually to the Ansar of Madinah. Their two major tribes, Aws and Khazraj, were settled in Madinah. Before Islam, these tribes were often at odds with each other, and the Jews of Madinah were also divided into three tribes. The practice of the Jews was that one of their tribes would become an ally of Aws and another of Khazraj, and in this way, they would keep Aws and Khazraj fighting among themselves and thus gain various benefits. For example, one benefit was that their weapons would be sold. Secondly, despite their small numbers, they maintained dominance over the Ansar of Madinah and had control over their economy and politics. When the tribes of Aws and Khazraj became Muslim, even after that, they continued their old relations with the Jews and met their former Jewish friends with the same previous affection and sincerity. But due to the malice and enmity the Jews had towards you and your mission, they were not willing to have sincere love for any Muslim. They had adopted a hypocritical attitude. Outwardly, they claimed friendship with the Ansar, but in their hearts, they had become their severe enemies. From this apparent friendship, they wanted to gain two kinds of benefits. One was to somehow create discord and mischief among the Muslims, as the Jew Shamas bin Qais had done, and the second was to convey the communal secrets of the Muslims to their enemies. For these reasons, Allah Almighty forbade Muslims from making friends with any non-Muslim and from making them confidants. As for the malice and enmity of the Jews, it was such that often something would slip from their tongues that would reveal their deep hostility towards the Muslims, and regarding jealousy and enmity, their tongues could not be controlled. And the malice filled in their hearts was much greater than that. That is why Allah Almighty, warning the Muslims, said that if you reflect, you will find nothing but loss in their friendship. Therefore, you must avoid friendship with disbelievers in any case.
[106]
Prohibition of Friendship with the Jews of Madinah:
This address is actually to the Ansar of Madinah. Their two major tribes, Aws and Khazraj, were settled in Madinah. Before Islam, these tribes were often at odds with each other, and the Jews of Madinah were also divided into three tribes. The practice of the Jews was that one of their tribes would become an ally of Aws and another of Khazraj, and in this way, they would keep Aws and Khazraj fighting among themselves and thus gain various benefits. For example, one benefit was that their weapons would be sold. Secondly, despite their small numbers, they maintained dominance over the Ansar of Madinah and had control over their economy and politics. When the tribes of Aws and Khazraj became Muslim, even after that, they continued their old relations with the Jews and met their former Jewish friends with the same previous affection and sincerity. But due to the malice and enmity the Jews had towards you and your mission, they were not willing to have sincere love for any Muslim. They had adopted a hypocritical attitude. Outwardly, they claimed friendship with the Ansar, but in their hearts, they had become their severe enemies. From this apparent friendship, they wanted to gain two kinds of benefits. One was to somehow create discord and mischief among the Muslims, as the Jew Shamas bin Qais had done, and the second was to convey the communal secrets of the Muslims to their enemies. For these reasons, Allah Almighty forbade Muslims from making friends with any non-Muslim and from making them confidants. As for the malice and enmity of the Jews, it was such that often something would slip from their tongues that would reveal their deep hostility towards the Muslims, and regarding jealousy and enmity, their tongues could not be controlled. And the malice filled in their hearts was much greater than that. That is why Allah Almighty, warning the Muslims, said that if you reflect, you will find nothing but loss in their friendship. Therefore, you must avoid friendship with disbelievers in any case.
