Tafseer of The Family of Imraan · Aal-i-Imraan · 3:32
Say, "Obey Allah and the Messenger." But if they turn away - then indeed, Allah does not like the disbelievers.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
Discussion of the explanation of His word: "Say: Obey Allah and the Messenger. But if they turn away — then indeed, Allah does not love the disbelievers" (3:32)
Abū Jaʿfar said: He, exalted be His praise, means by this: Say, O Muḥammad ﷺ, to this delegation of the Christians of Najrān: Obey Allah and the Messenger, Muḥammad, for you have known with certainty that he is My messenger to My creation; I have sent him with the truth, and you find him recorded with you in the Gospel. Then if they turn away — that is: they turn their backs upon that to which you have invited them of this, and turn away from it — then make known to them that Allah does not love whoever is a disbeliever (kufr) through denial of what he has recognized as truth, and who denied it after he knew it, and that they are among them, through their denial of your prophethood and their denial of the truth upon which you stand, after they have known the validity of your affair and the reality of your prophethood. As in:
6850 - Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, he said: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq, on the authority of Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar ibn al-Zubayr: "Say: Obey Allah and the Messenger" — for you know him (he means the delegation of the Christians of Najrān) and you find him in your Book = "But if they turn away" in their disbelief = "then indeed, Allah does not love the disbelievers".
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The footnotes:
(15) In the printed edition it reads "whoever is a disbeliever through denial of what he has recognized...", and I have established what is in the manuscript.
(16) His word "and that they are among them" is connected to his word "then make known to them that Allah does not love whoever is a disbeliever...", "and that they are among them", that is: among those whom Allah does not love, through their denial of your prophethood.
(17) The report 6850 - Sīra of Ibn Hishām 2: 228, and it belongs to the remaining reports, the last of which bears the number 6849.