Tafseer of Ornaments of gold · Az-Zukhruf · 43:67
Close friends, that Day, will be enemies to each other, except for the righteous
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 statement concerning the explanation of His exalted word: Close friends will on that Day be enemies of one another, except the God-fearing (67).
He, exalted is His mention, says: those who were close friends of one another in disobedience to Allah in the worldly life will, on the Day of Resurrection, be enemies of one another, the one declaring himself free of the other, except those who were close friends of one another in the fear of Allah (taqwā).
And in accordance with what we have said about this, the scholars of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl) have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to us, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both of them — on the authority of Ibn abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning his word: ( Close friends will on that Day be enemies of one another, except the God-fearing ): every friendship (khulla) that rests upon disobedience to Allah in the worldly life — they will be enemies of one another.
ʿAlī related to me, saying: Abū Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning his word ( Close friends will on that Day be enemies of one another, except the God-fearing ): every friendship is enmity, except the friendship of the God-fearing.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Abū Isḥāq, that ʿAlī, may Allah be pleased with him, said: there are two believing close friends and two disbelieving close friends. When one of the two believers dies, he says: O Lord, so-and-so used to command me to obey You and to obey Your messenger, he used to command me to do good, to restrain me from evil, and to inform me that I would meet You; O Lord, do not let him go astray after me, guide him as You have guided me, and honor him as You have honored me. Then, when his believing close friend dies, the two of them are brought together, and He says: let each of you praise the other. Then he says: O Lord, he used to command me to obey You and to obey Your messenger, he used to command me to do good, to restrain me from evil, and to inform me that I would meet You. Then He says: what an excellent close friend, what an excellent brother, what an excellent companion. He said: and one of the two disbelievers dies, and he says: O Lord, so-and-so used to restrain me from obeying You and obeying Your messenger, he used to command me to do evil, to restrain me from good, and to inform me that I would not meet You. Then He says: what an evil brother, what an evil close friend, what an evil companion.
