Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:51

The Prohibition of Taking the Jews, Christians and Enemies of Islamas Friends

Allah forbids His believing servants from having Jews and Christians as friends, because they are the enemies of Islam and its people, may Allah curse them. Allah then states that they are friends of each other and He gives a warning threat to those who do this,

(And if any among you befriends them, then surely he is one of them.) Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Umar ordered Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari to send him on one sheet of balance the count of what he took in and what he spent. Abu Musa then had a Christian scribe, and he was able to comply with `Umar's demand. `Umar liked what he saw and exclaimed, "This scribe is proficient. Would you read in the Masjid a letter that came to us from Ash-Sham" Abu Musa said, `He cannot." `Umar said, "Is he not pure" Abu Musa said, "No, but he is Christian." Abu Musa said, "So `Umar admonished me and poked my thigh (with his finger), saying, `Drive him out (from Al-Madinah).' He then recited,

(O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as friends...)" Then he reported that `Abdullah bin `Utbah said, "Let one of you beware that he might be a Jew or a Christian, while unaware." The narrator of this statement said, "We thought that he was referring to the Ayah,

(O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as friends, )" Allah said,

(And you see those in whose hearts there is a disease...) A disease of doubt, hesitation and hypocrisy.

(they hurry to their friendship,) meaning, they rush to offer them their friendship and allegiances in secret and in public,

(saying: "We fear lest some misfortune of a disaster may befall us.") They thus offer this excuse for their friendship and allegiances to the disbelievers, saying that they fear that the disbelievers might defeat the Muslims, so they want to be in favor with the Jews and Christians, to use this favor for their benefit in that eventuality! Allah replied,

(Perhaps Allah may bring a victory...) referring to the conquering of Makkah, according to As-Suddi.

(or a decision according to His will) requiring the Jews and Christians to pay the Jizyah, as As-Suddi stated,

(Then they will become) meaning, the hypocrites who gave their friendship to the Jews and Christians, will become,

(for what they have been keeping as a secret in themselves) of allegiances,

(regretful,) for their friendship with the Jews and Christians which did not benefit them or protect them from any harm. Rather, it was nothing but harm, as Allah exposed their true reality to His faithful servants in this life, although they tried to conceal it. When the signs that exposed their hypocrisy were compiled against them, their matter became clear to Allah's faithful servants. So the believers were amazed at these hypocrites who pretended to be believers, swearing to their faithfulness, yet their claims were all lies and deceit. This is why Allah said, s

(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 did has been in vain, and they have become the losers.)

Ayat ini melarang orang-orang yang beriman agar jangan menjadikan orang-orang Yahudi dan Nasrani sebagai teman akrab yang akan memberikan pertolongan dan perlindungan, apalagi untuk dipercayai sebagai pemimpin. Selain dari ayat ini masih banyak ayat yang lain dalam Al-Qur'an yang menyatakan larangan seperti ini terhadap orang-orang Yahudi dan Nasrani. Diulangnya berkali-kali larangan ini dalam beberapa ayat dalam Al-Qur'an, menunjukkan bahwa persoalannya sangat penting dan bila dilanggar akan mendatangkan bahaya yang besar.

Larangan ini berlaku atas diri pribadi. Orang mukmin dilarang menjadikan orang Yahudi dan Nasrani sebagai teman yang akrab, tempat menumpahkan rahasia dan kepercayaan seperti halnya dengan sesama mukmin. Begitu juga, berlaku terhadap jamaah dan masyarakat mukmin, bahwa mereka dilarang untuk menjadikan orang-orang Yahudi dan Nasrani sebagai pembela, pelindung dan penolong, lebih-lebih dalam urusan yang berhubungan dengan agama. Kalau hanya untuk berteman biasa dalam pergaulan, apalagi dalam urusan-urusan keduniaan, Allah tidak melarangnya, asal saja berhati-hati dalam pergaulan, sebab bagi mereka sifat melanggar janji dan berbohong untuk mencari keuntungan duniawi adalah biasa saja. Hal yang seperti ini sudah diperlihatkan oleh Rasulullah ketika beliau berada di Medinah. Beliau mengadakan hubungan kerja sama dengan orang Yahudi dan Nasrani dan kadang-kadang mengadakan perjanjian pertahanan dengan mereka, bila hal itu dipandang ada maslahatnya bagi orang-orang yang beriman.

Orang Yahudi dan Nasrani itu rasa golongan dan kesukuan mereka sangat tebal. Karena itu walau bagaimanapun baiknya hubungan mereka dengan orang mukmin, sehingga suka mengadakan perjanjian untuk kerja sama dengan mereka tapi kalau akan merugikan golongan dan bangsanya, mereka tidak akan segan-segan berbalik ke belakang, mengkhianati janji dan memusuhi orang mukmin. Sesama mereka senantiasa tolong menolong, bersatu dalam menghadapi orang mukmin. Lahirnya baik, tapi batinnya selalu mencari kesempatan untuk menghancurkan orang-orang mukmin.

Akhir ayat ini menegaskan, bahwa barang siapa di antara orang-orang mukmin yang menjadikan orang Yahudi dan Nasrani sebagai teman akrabnya, maka orang itu termasuk golongan mereka, tanpa sadar, lambat laun orang itu akan terpengaruh, bukan akan membantu Islam, tetapi akan menjadi musuh Islam. Kalau dia telah menjadi musuh Islam, berarti dia telah menganiaya dirinya sendiri. Ketahuilah, bahwa Allah tidak akan memberi petunjuk orang-orang yang aniaya, kepada jalan yang benar untuk mencapai hidup bahagia di dunia dan akhirat.