Tafseer of The Women · An-Nisaa · 4:139
Those who take disbelievers as allies instead of the believers. Do they seek with them honor [through power]? But indeed, honor belongs to Allah entirely.
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.
The explanation of His word: الَّذِينَ يَتَّخِذُونَ الْكَافِرِينَ أَوْلِيَاءَ مِنْ دُونِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَيَبْتَغُونَ عِنْدَهُمُ الْعِزَّةَ فَإِنَّ الْعِزَّةَ لِلَّهِ جَمِيعًا (4:139) (Those who take the disbelievers as protecting allies (awliyāʾ) instead of the believers — do they seek power (ʿizza) with them? Indeed, all power belongs to Allah.)
Abū Jaʿfar said: As for His word, exalted be His praise: "Those who take the disbelievers as protecting allies instead of the believers" — this belongs to the attributes of the hypocrites (munāfiqīn). Allah says to His Prophet: O Muḥammad, proclaim to the hypocrites who take the people of disbelief in Me and of deviation from My religion as "protecting allies (awliyāʾ)" — that is, as helpers and intimate friends — "instead of the believers," that is, other than the believers — "do they seek power (ʿizza) with them?", He says: do they seek with them inviolability and strength, by taking them as protecting allies instead of the people who believe in Me? — "Indeed, all power belongs to Allah," He says: indeed, those who have taken the disbelievers (kāfir) as protecting allies in order to seek power with them, they are the humiliated, the lowly. Why then did they not take their protecting allies from among the believers, so that they would seek power, inviolability, and aid from Allah, to whom belong power and inviolability, who gives might to whom He wills and humiliates whom He wills — so that He would grant them power and protect them?
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The root meaning of "al-ʿizza" is hardness. From it is that one says of hard, firm ground "ʿazāz." And one says: "is istuʿizza ʿalā al-marīḍ" when the illness of the sick person worsens and he approaches death. And one says: "taʿazzaza al-laḥm" when the meat becomes hard. And from it is that one says: "ʿazza ʿalayya an yakūna kadhā wa-kadhā," in the meaning of: it weighed heavily upon me.
