VIOLENT VERSES—PART 9 BY HJS

We now arrive at a very controversial verse. It is controversial in the sense that first, it has absolutely no connection with today, and second, the meaning is totally different than what it appears to say. In this part I will use the English translation first, followed by the original Arabic.

Do not take Jews and Christians for friends.

O, you who believe [in the message of Muhammad], do not take Jews and Christians as friends. They are friends to one another, and the one among you who turns to them is of them.

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تَتَّخِذُواْ ٱلۡيَہُودَ وَٱلنَّصَـٰرَىٰٓ أَوۡلِيَآءَ‌ۘ بَعۡضُہُمۡ أَوۡلِيَآءُ بَعۡضٍ۬‌ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمۡ فَإِنَّهُ ۥ مِنۡہُمۡ‌ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهۡدِى ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ (٥١)

[The Arabic word in red is the word AWLIYA, discussed below]

Mawdudi’s Introduction to Sura 5 (From the downloadable Noble Qur’an)

In view of the degenerate moral condition of the Jews and the Christians, the Believers have been warned not to make them their friends and confidants. Likewise they should be on their guard against the evil designs of the hypocrites, the disbelievers and the like and should rely on the true Believers alone. The people of the Book have, in their turn been exhorted to give up their enmity and adopt the right attitude, for they cannot get salvation without this. 51 - 69

Original Text from Al Islam
Translator: Yusuf Ali

51] O ye who believe! take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors; they are but friends and protectors to each other. And he amongst you that turns to them (for friendship) is of them. Verily Allah guideth not a people unjust.

[52] Those in whose hearts is a disease, thou seest how eagerly they run about amongst them, saying: "We do fear lest a change of fortune bring us disaster." Ah! Perhaps Allah will give (thee) victory, or a decision according to His Will. Then will they repent of the thoughts which they secretly harboured in their hearts.

[53] And those who believe will say: "Are these the men who swore their strongest oaths by Allah, that they were with you?" All that they do will be in vain, and they will fall into (nothing but) ruin.

Analysis From Some Misappropriations of Quranic Verses
by David Dakake, Islamic Research Institute, Washington, D.C.
www.religionofpeace.com/index_files/Page1006.htm

The word awliya’ (sing. “wali”), which we left
above in the original Arabic, has been commonly translated into English as “friends.” Given this translation, the verse appears to be a very clear statement opposing “normative” or “kindly relations” between Muslims and Jews and Christians, however, when we look at the traditional Quranic commentaries of Medieval times, which discuss the events surrounding the revelation of this
verse, the modern translation becomes suspect.

Within the city of Medina there were Jewish tribes who constituted a powerful presence in the town and who were on good terms with the Makkans, and to the north of the city there were also numerous Christian Arab tribes. Some Muslims saw the possibility of taking alliances with one or more of these groups as a way of guaranteeing their own survival should the Makkan armies ultimately triumph. This was the stark reality of Arabia at that time, that it was only through the protection of one’s tribe or one’s alliances with other tribes or clans that one’s own individual security was insured.

From the perspective of Islam, however, the Prophet realized that a young community, faced with great peril, could not allow such “dissension” in the ranks of the faithful as would be created by various individuals taking bonds of loyalty with other groups not committed to the Islamic message. Indeed, from the Islamic point of view such actions, had they been allowed, would have been a kind of communal suicide that would have seriously undermined Muslim unity, broken the morale of the community and perhaps caused the many individuals taking such alliances to lack fortitude in the face of the clear and present danger of the Makkan armies and their allies.

Keeping all these historical issues in mind, it becomes obvious that the translation of awliya’ as “friends” is wrong and that it should be rendered as “protectors” or “guardians” in the strict military sense of these terms. The verse should be read as, “Do not take Christians and Jews as your protectors. They are protectors to one another....”

(Note: The author's use of Makka for Mecca is correct Vowels e and o do not appear in normal Arabic alphabets, along with the consonant P (for Palestine).

Comment

Some texts actually need the original Arabic words analyzed in the context in order to be correct. I chose the translation of Yusuf Ali in this case to show that at least one of the translators agreed with Dakake’s assertion that awliya probably meant protector in this verse. So, the Muslims of today were not told by this text to avoid taking us, Jews and Christians, for friends; instead, the Muslims of 7th century Yathrib/Medina were warned not seek alliances or protection from other tribes as a hedge against a Meccan victory. Verses 52, and 53, above, seem to agree, telling the Muslims that God will give victory to whomever He wants, and they may repent their new alliances. He also reminds them they took very strong oaths of loyalty to him. So, the verses themselves appear to be not only innocent of application to the West, but also a reasonable reaction of the Prophet to some attempts by a few worried followers to reach out to some enemy tribes for some insurance against something going wrong.