Tafseer of She that is to be examined · Al-Mumtahana · 60:9
Allah only forbids you from those who fight you because of religion and expel you from your homes and aid in your expulsion - [forbids] that you make allies of them. And whoever makes allies of them, then it is those who are the wrongdoers.
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, the Exalted: إِنَّمَا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ قَاتَلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَأَخْرَجُوكُمْ مِنْ دِيَارِكُمْ وَظَاهَرُوا عَلَى إِخْرَاجِكُمْ أَنْ تَوَلَّوْهُمْ وَمَنْ يَتَوَلَّهُمْ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ ("Allah only forbids you, regarding those who fought you on account of religion, drove you out of your dwellings, and supported one another in driving you out, from taking them as protectors; and whoever takes them as protectors — they are the wrongdoers") (9).
The Exalted, whose remembrance is sublime, says: إِنَّمَا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ ("Allah only forbids you"), O believers, عَنِ الَّذِينَ قَاتَلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ ("regarding those who fought you on account of religion") among the unbelievers of the people of Mecca, وَأَخْرَجُوكُمْ مِنْ دِيَارِكُمْ وَظَاهَرُوا عَلَى إِخْرَاجِكُمْ أَنْ تَوَلَّوْهُمْ ("and drove you out of your dwellings, and supported one another in driving you out, from taking them as protectors"). He says: and those who drove you out of your dwellings and assisted in driving you out — that you take them as protectors and become their protectors and helpers. وَمَنْ يَتَوَلَّهُمْ ("and whoever takes them as protectors"). He says: and whoever among you, or among others than you, takes them as protectors, فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ ("they are the wrongdoers"). He says: those are the ones who have taken as protectors others than those whom they may rightfully take as protectors, who have placed their protective allegiance (walāya) in the wrong place and have therein transgressed the command of Allah.
And in accordance with what we have said concerning the meaning of His word: الَّذِينَ قَاتَلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ ("those who fought you on account of religion"), the scholars of exegesis have spoken.
* Mention of those who said that:
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, 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: إِنَّمَا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ قَاتَلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ ("Allah only forbids you, regarding those who fought you on account of religion"), he said: the unbelievers of the people of Mecca.
