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Qur'an 3:118

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Qur'an 3:118
Verse's Information
SuraAl 'Imran
Verse118
Juz'4
Content Information
Cause of
Revelation		Some Muslims forming close ties with Jews or hypocrites
Place of
Revelation		Medina
AboutWarning against close ties with outsiders and the resulting harm to the Islamic society
Related VersesQur'an 5:52 • Qur'an 9:16


Qur'an 3:118 prohibits Muslims from establishing close, confidential relationships with non-Muslims and hypocrites to preserve the cohesion of the Islamic society. This verse highlights the overt and covert enmity of these groups, encouraging Muslims to remain vigilant and refrain from disclosing community secrets to them. The circumstances of revelation for this verse relate to the intimate ties some Muslims maintained with the Jews and hypocrites of Medina, which led to the leaking of the Muslims' internal affairs.

Some exegetes view this verse as a foundational guideline for the foreign policy and international relations of the Islamic society. Citing this verse, Shi'a jurists argue that sensitive positions such as the collector of zakat, the court clerk, the executor of a will (wasi), and the wartime envoy must be held by Muslims.

Warning Regarding Intimacy with Non-Believers

Qur'an 3:118 warns Muslims against befriending outsiders and hypocrites, emphasizing the need to maintain social cohesion.[1] This verse correlates with others that stress Muslim unity and the need to be cautious of hypocrites, such as Qur'an 5:52 and Qur'an 9:16.[2] According to 'Allamah Tabataba'i, a Shia exegete, the word bitanah refers to an intimate friend or private consultant, indicating that Muslims should not establish close circles with those who harbor ill intentions toward the Islamic community.[3] Furthermore, the end of the verse points to the visible signs of the enemy's hatred, advising believers to use their reason when dealing with adversaries.[4]

Rationale for the Prohibition of Intimacy with Non-Believers

The commentary Tafsir-i tasnim outlines several reasons for prohibiting close intimacy with non-believers:

  • They seek the corruption and destruction of the Islamic society.
  • They desire for Muslims to fall into suffering and hardship.
  • Their enmity and rancor are evident even in their speech.
  • The hatred they conceal in their hearts is far more dangerous than what they reveal.[5]

Jurisprudential and Strategic Inferences

Shi'a jurists have derived several rulings from Qur'an 3:118:

  • Believers must not choose disbelievers as their close confidants or seek assistance from them.[6]
  • Being a Muslim is a prerequisite for certain roles, such as the collector of zakat,[7] a wartime envoy,[8] an executor of a will (wasi),[9] and a court clerk.[10]

Strategy for International Relations

Husayn Ali Montazeri (d. 2009) argues in his book Dirasat fi wilayat al-faqih that this verse sets the general strategy for the Islamic ruler regarding foreign policy and international relations.[11] According to this view, the ruler must not violate the rights of others but must simultaneously prevent foreign political, economic, or cultural dominance over Muslims.[12] Additionally, 'Abd Allah Jawadi Amuli asserts that while vigilant interaction with non-Muslims is permissible, accepting their authority (wilaya) or establishing intimate ties is unacceptable.[13] Muhammad Sadiqi Tihrani also cites this verse as evidence for the necessity of maintaining the intellectual and social independence of Muslims, arguing that intimate relations with enemies can create vulnerabilities in decision-making and expose the Islamic society to serious risks.[14]

Circumstances of Revelation

Al-Shaykh al-Tusi (d. 460/1067) narrated that a group of believers from the Pre-Islamic Era maintained friendly relations with certain polytheists, Jews, and hypocrites and were hesitant to cut these ties. With the revelation of this verse, Muslims were prohibited from maintaining such intimacy.[15] Narrated from Mujahid b. Jabr (d. 104/722-23), this verse was revealed specifically concerning the hypocrites of Medina.[16]

The commentary Tafsir-i nimuna attributes these social interactions with Jews to factors such as kinship, neighborhood, foster relationships, or prior alliances.[17] Exegetes, citing various traditions, believe the ruling is general: at no time should grounds be provided for harming the Islamic society.[18]

Notes

  1. ↑ Jawādī Āmulī, Tasnīm, 1388 Sh, vol. 15, p. 424; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 3, p. 66.
  2. ↑ See: Jawādī Āmulī, Tasnīm, 1388 Sh, vol. 15, pp. 430-431.
  3. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1390 AH, vol. 3, pp. 386-387.
  4. ↑ Qarāʾatī, Tafsīr-i nūr, 1388 Sh, vol. 1, p. 591.
  5. ↑ Jawādī Āmulī, Tasnīm, 1388 Sh, vol. 15, pp. 432-433.
  6. ↑ Jamʿī az Pizhūhishgarān, Mawsūʿat al-fiqh al-Islāmī, 1423 AH, vol. 20, p. 370.
  7. ↑ ʿAllāma al-Ḥillī, Tadhkirat al-fuqahāʾ, 1414 AH, vol. 5, p. 277.
  8. ↑ ʿAllāma al-Ḥillī, Tadhkirat al-fuqahāʾ, 1414 AH, vol. 9, pp. 92-93.
  9. ↑ Burūjirdī, Taqrīrāt thalātha, 1413 AH, pp. 90-91.
  10. ↑ Ṭūsī, al-Mabsūṭ, 1387 Sh, vol. 8, p. 113.
  11. ↑ Muntaẓirī, Dirāsāt fī wilāyat al-faqīh, 1409 AH, vol. 2, p. 19.
  12. ↑ Muntaẓirī, Dirāsāt fī wilāyat al-faqīh, 1409 AH, vol. 2, p. 21.
  13. ↑ Jawādī Āmulī, Tasnīm, 1388 Sh, vol. 15, p. 426.
  14. ↑ Ṣādiqī Ṭihrānī, al-Furqān, 1406 AH, vol. 5, pp. 352-353.
  15. ↑ Ṭūsī, al-Tibyān, vol. 2, p. 570.
  16. ↑ Qurashī Makhzūmī, Tafsīr Mujāhid, 1410 AH, p. 258.
  17. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 3, p. 63.
  18. ↑ For instance, see: Jawādī Āmulī, Tasnīm, 1388 Sh, vol. 15, p. 443; Ṣādiqī Ṭihrānī, al-Furqān, 1406 AH, vol. 5, pp. 352-353.

References

  • Ibn ʿAbbās, ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAbbās. Tanwīr al-miqbās min tafsīr Ibn ʿAbbās. Beirut, Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyya, 1425 AH.
  • Burūjirdī, Ḥusayn. Taqrīrāt thalātha. Qom, Jamāʿat al-Mudarrisīn fī l-Ḥawzat al-ʿIlmiyya, 1413 AH.
  • Jamʿī az Pizhūhishgarān. Mawsūʿat al-fiqh al-Islāmī ṭibqan li-madhhab Ahl al-Bayt ʿalayhim al-salām. Qom, Muʾassisa Dāʾirat al-Maʿārif Fiqh-i Islāmī, 1423 AH.
  • Jawādī Āmulī, ʿAbd Allāh. Tasnīm: Tafsīr-i Qurʾān-i Karīm. Qom, Isrāʾ, 1388 Sh.
  • Ṭūsī, Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan al-. al-Tibyān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Beirut, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, n.d.
  • Ṭūsī, Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan al-. al-Mabsūṭ fī fiqh al-Imāmiyya. Tehran, al-Maktabat al-Murtaḍawiyya, 1387 Sh.
  • Ṣādiqī Ṭihrānī, Muḥammad. al-Furqān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Beirut, al-Aʿlamī li-l-Maṭbūʿāt, 1406 AH.
  • Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn. al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Beirut, al-Aʿlamī li-l-Maṭbūʿāt, 1390 AH.
  • ʿAllāma al-Ḥillī, Ḥasan b. Yūsuf. Tadhkirat al-fuqahāʾ. Qom, Muʾassasat Āl al-Bayt (a) li-Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth, 1414 AH.
  • Qarāʾatī, Muḥsin. Tafsīr-i nūr. Tehran, Cultural Center of Lessons from the Quran, 1388 Sh.
  • Qurashī Makhzūmī, Mujāhid b. Jabr. Tafsīr Mujāhid. Egypt, Dār al-Fikr al-Islāmī al-Ḥadītha, 1410 AH.
  • Makārim Shīrāzī, Nāṣir. Tafsīr-i nimūna. Tehran, Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyya, 1374 Sh.
  • Muntaẓirī, Ḥusayn ʿAlī. Dirāsāt fī wilāyat al-faqīh wa fiqh al-dawlat al-Islāmiyya. Qom, al-Markaz al-ʿĀlamī li-l-Dirāsāt al-Islāmiyya, 1409 AH.
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