Tafsir of An-Nisa' 4:144

The Prohibition of Wilayah with the Disbelievers Allah

يا أيها الذين آمنوا ﻻ تتخذوا الكافرين أولياء من دون المومنين

O you who believe! Do not take disbelievers as friends instead of believers. Allah forbids His believing servants from taking the disbelievers as friends instead of the believers. This includes being friends and associates of the disbelievers, advising them, being intimate with them and exposing the secrets of the believers to them. In another Ayah, Allah said,

ﻻ يتخذ المومنون الكفرين أولياء من دون المومنين ومن يفعل ذلك فليس من الله في شء إﻻ أن تتقوا منهم تقة ويحذركم الله نفسه

Let not the believers take the disbelievers as friends instead of the believers, and whoever does that, will never be helped by Allah in any way, except if you indeed fear a danger from them. And Allah warns you against Himself. (3:28) meaning, He warns you against His punishment if you fall into what He has prohibited. This is why Allah said here,

أتريدون أن تجعلوا لله عليكم سلطانا مبينا

Do you wish to offer Allah a manifest Sultan against yourselves! meaning, proof against you that warrants receiving His torment. Ibn Abi Hatim narrated that Ibn Abbas commented;

سلطانا مبينا

(manifest Sultan), "The word Sultan in the Qur'an means proof.'' There is an authentic chain of narration for this statement, which is also the saying of Mujahid, Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi, Ad-Dahhak, As-Suddi and An-Nadr bin Arabi. The Hypocrites and the Friends of Disbelievers are in the Lowest Depth of the Fire, Unless they Repent Allah then states that,