Al Imran: (118) O you who believe...

Know that when the Almighty detailed the states of the believers and the disbelievers, He began in this verse by warning the believers against mixing with the disbelievers. Herein lie several issues:

Issue 1: Who are those whom God forbade the believers from mixing with?

There are several opinions:

1. They are the Jews: This is because the Muslims used to consult them and socialize with them due to existing kinship ties (through suckling or alliances), thinking that even if they differed in religion, the Jews would advise them sincerely regarding worldly matters. God forbade this in this verse. The proof for this view is that all these verses, from beginning to end, are addressed to the Jews.
2. They are the Hypocrites (Munafiqun): This is because the believers were deceived by the outward appearance of the hypocrites' words, thinking they were truthful. Thus, believers would reveal secrets and inform them of hidden matters. God forbade them from this. The proof is the subsequent verse: {Here you are, loving them, but they do not love you, and you believe in the entire Scripture, yet when they meet you, they say...} (Al Imran: 119). This description does not suit the Jews but rather characterizes the hypocrites, similar to His saying in Surah Al-Baqarah: {And when they meet those who believe, they say, "We believe," but when they are alone with their devils, they say, "Indeed, we are with you; we were only mocking"} (Al-Baqarah: 14).
3. It refers to all categories of disbelievers: The evidence is His saying: {Do not take as intimate advisors (buttana) from other than yourselves}. This prohibits believers from taking confidants from outside their own community, thus encompassing all disbelievers. Also, the Almighty says: {O you who have believed, do not take as intimate advisors those other than yourselves} (Al-Mumtahanah: 1). What confirms this is the narration that when 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may God be pleased with him) was told about a Christian man from Al-Hira who was excellent in memorization and writing, and asked to employ him as a scribe, 'Umar refused, saying, "Then I would have taken an intimate advisor from other than the believers." 'Umar (RA) took this verse as evidence prohibiting taking such confidants. As for the argument that the following verse is specific to hypocrites, this does not negate the generality of the beginning of the verse. It is established in the principles of jurisprudence (Usul al-Fiqh) that if the beginning of a verse is general and the end is specific, the specificity of the end does not prevent the generality of the beginning.

Issue 2: The meaning of Butanah (intimate advisors)

Abu Hatim narrated from Al-Asma'i: "So-and-so was yabtanu (intimate) with so-and-so," meaning he was close to him and involved in his affairs. Butanah is a masdar (verbal noun) used for both singular and plural. A man's buttana are his close associates who are privy to his secrets. Its origin is from batn (stomach/belly), the opposite of dhahr (back). Similarly, the lining of a garment (bitanah) is the opposite of its exterior (dhihar). In essence, those whom a person takes into extreme closeness are called buttana because they are like what is close to one's belly in terms of proximity.

Issue 3: The word Butanah

His saying, {Do not take buttana} is indefinite (nakirah) in the context of negation, which implies generality.

Regarding His saying: {from other than yourselves}

There are several issues concerning this phrase:

It means from other than the Muslims and not from your religious community. The phrase min dūnikum is appropriately interpreted this way, just as when someone says, "You have done good to us and favored us," intending to mean, "You have done good to our brothers." Similarly, God says: {and they kill the prophets without right} (Al Imran: 21), meaning their fathers did that.

There are two possibilities:

1. It is related to the prohibition: {Do not take buttana from other than yourselves}.
2. It is an adjective describing buttana: The meaning is, "intimate advisors who are created from other than yourselves."

If it is asked: What is the difference between saying: "Do not take from other than yourselves buttana" and "Do not take buttana from other than yourselves"?

We reply: Sibawayh said that they place the most important matter first, the one they are currently concerned with. Here, the primary concern is not the act of taking advisors in general, but rather taking them from them (the disbelievers). Therefore, {Do not take from other than yourselves buttana} is stronger in conveying the intended meaning.

It is said that min (from) is superfluous. It is also said that the meaning is: "Do not take intimate advisors from those outside your religious community."

If it is asked: Does this verse imply a complete prohibition on associating with disbelievers? But God says: {Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes - from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly} (Al-Mumtahanah: 8). How can these be reconciled?

We reply: There is no doubt that the specific ruling takes precedence over the general ruling.

Know that when the Almighty forbade the believers from taking disbelievers as buttana, He mentioned the reason for this prohibition, which consists of several points:

First: His saying: {They will not fail you in causing harm (khalāl)}, and here are several issues:

Issue 1: Meaning of Yalū

The author of Al-Kashshāf said: The word alā (in the form yālu) is used for falling short in a command. It is then used transitively with two objects in their saying, "I do not spare you sincerity (nushh)" or "I do not spare you effort (juhd)," implying that they do not withhold sincerity or diminish effort from you.

Issue 2: Meaning of Khalāl

Khalāl means corruption and deficiency. They cited poetry:

You are not a hand except a hand always crippled in the arm, Meaning a hand corrupted in the arm, broken. Hence, a man who is makhbūl, mukhbal, or mukhtabal is one deficient in intellect. God says: {If they had gone out among you, they would have only increased disorder (khalālan) among you} (At-Tawbah: 47), meaning corruption and harm.

Issue 3: Interpretation of {They will not fail you in causing harm}

It means they will not neglect their utmost effort in harming and corrupting you. It is said: "I did not spare him sincerity," meaning I did not fall short in advising him sincerely, and similarly, "I did not spare him evil."

Issue 4: Grammatical analysis of Khalāl

Khalāl is in the accusative case because lā ya’lūnakum is transitive with two objects, as mentioned. Alternatively, you can take it as a masdar (verbal noun), because the meaning of {They will not fail you in causing harm} is "They will not corrupt you with corruption."

Second: His saying: {They wish for what would burden you ('antum)} (Al Imran: 118), and here are several issues:

Issue 1: Meaning of Waddū and 'Antum

Waddū means "they loved." Al-'Int is severe harm and hardship, as in His saying: {If He had willed, He could have made it difficult for you} (Al-Baqarah: 220).

Issue 2: Meaning of Mā

Mā here is a masdar particle, like in {That is because you used to rejoice on the earth without right and because you used to exult} (Ghafir: 75), meaning because of your rejoicing and exulting. Also, like in {By the sky and He who constructed it, and by the earth and He who spread it} (Ash-Shams: 5-6), meaning His construction of it and His spreading of it.

Issue 3: Estimated meaning

The meaning of the verse is: They wished to inflict upon you the most severe harm in your religion and your worldly affairs.

Issue 4: Grammatical status of {They wished for what would burden you}

Al-Wahidi (may God have mercy on him) said that this clause has no grammatical position because it is a new, independent sentence (Istinaf). Another view is that it is an adjective for buttana. This is incorrect because buttana has already been described by {They will not fail you in causing harm}; if this were also an adjective, a conjunction particle would be required between them.

Issue 5: Difference between {They will not fail you in causing harm} and {They wished for what would burden you}

The difference lies in several aspects:

1. They do not fall short in corrupting your religion. If they are incapable of that, they wish to cast you into the most severe types of harm.
2. They do not fall short in corrupting your worldly affairs. If they are incapable of that, the love of causing you hardship does not leave their hearts.
3. They do not fall short in corrupting your affairs. If they are prevented from doing so by an external factor, the love for that remains in their hearts.

Third: His saying: {Indeed, hatred has become apparent from their mouths} (Al Imran: 118), and here are several issues:

Issue 1: Meaning of Baghḍā’

Al-Baghḍā’ is the most intense form of hatred (bughḍ). Bughḍ is to Baghḍā’ as ḍurr (harm) is to ḍarrā’ (intense harm).

Issue 2: Meaning of Afwāh

Afwāh is the plural of fam (mouth). The origin of fam is fawh, evidenced by its plural being afwāh, similar to sawt (voice) and its plural aswāt, and tiwq (collar) and its plural atwāq. It is said a man is mafūh if he is eloquent, and afwah if he has broad understanding. Thus, the origin of fam is established as fawh (on the pattern of sawṭ), then the hā’ was dropped for ease, and the mīm replaced the wāw because both are labial letters.

Issue 3: Interpretation of {Indeed, hatred has become apparent from their mouths}

If we apply this to the hypocrites, there are two interpretations:

1. A hypocrite must inevitably utter something that indicates his hypocrisy and deviation from sincere affection and advice. This is similar to His saying: {And you will surely recognize them by the tone of speech} (Muhammad: 30).
2. Qatadah said: The hatred has become apparent to their allies among the hypocrites and disbelievers, as they reveal it to one another.

If we apply this to the Jews, the interpretation is that they openly declare the rejection of your Prophet and your Book, and they attribute ignorance and foolishness to you. Whoever believes someone insists on ignorance and foolishness cannot possibly love them; rather, he must hate them. This is what is meant by {Indeed, hatred has become apparent from their mouths}.

Then the Almighty said: {And what their breasts conceal is greater}. This means that what appears on the hypocrite's tongue as signs of hatred is less than what is in his heart of aversion. What appears on his tongue as signs of malice is less than the malice in his heart.

Then the Almighty clarified that revealing these secrets to the believers is a grace upon them, saying: {Indeed, We have made the signs clear to you, if you would use reason (ta'qilūn)}. This means, if you are people of intellect, understanding, and knowledge. It is also said that {if you would use reason} means distinguishing between what an enemy deserves and what a friend deserves. The purpose is to urge them to use their intellect in contemplating this verse and reflecting upon these clear signs. And God knows best.