Al-Baqarah [2:120]

English – Tafsir ibn kathir

Allah said,

وَلَن تَرْضَى عَنكَ الْيَهُودُ وَلَا النَّصَارَى حَتَّى تَتَّبِعَ مِلَّتَهُمْ

Never will the Jews nor the Christians be pleased with you (O Muhammad) till you follow their religion.

Ibn Jarir commented on Allah’s statement,

meaning, `The Jews and the Christians will never be happy with you, O Muhammad! Therefore, do not seek what pleases or appeases them, and stick to what pleases Allah by calling them to the truth that Allah sent you with.’

Allah’s statement,

قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى اللّهِ هُوَ الْهُدَى

Say:”Verily, the guidance of Allah (i.e. Islamic Monotheism) that is the (only) guidance.”

means, `Say, O Muhammad, the guidance of Allah that He sent me with is the true guidance, meaning the straight, perfect and comprehensive religion.”‘

Qatadah said that Allah’s statement,

قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى اللّهِ هُوَ الْهُدَى

(Say:”Verily, the guidance of Allah (i.e. Islamic Monotheism) that is the (only) guidance) is,

“A true argument that Allah taught Muhammad (ﷺ) and his Companions and which they used against the people of misguidance.”

Qatadah said,

“We were told that the Messenger of Allah used to say,

لَاا تَزَالُ طَايِفَةٌ مِنْ أُمَّتِي يُقَاتِلُونَ عَلَى الْحَقِّ ظَاهِرِينَ لَاا يَضُرُّهُمْ مَنْ خَالَفَهُمْ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ أَمْرُ الله

There will always be a group of my Ummah fighting upon the truth, having the upper hand, not harmed by their opponents, until the decree of Allah (the Last Hour) comes.

This Hadith was collected in the Sahih and narrated from Abdullah bin `Amr.

وَلَيِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءهُم بَعْدَ الَّذِي جَاءكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَكَ مِنَ اللّهِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ

And if you (O Muhammad (ﷺ)) were to follow their (Jews and Christians) desires after what you have received of Knowledge (i.e. the Qur’an), then you would have against Allah neither any Wali (protector or guardian) nor any helper.

This Ayah carries a stern warning for the Muslim Ummah against imitating the ways and methods of the Jews and Christians, after they have acquired knowledge of the Qur’an and Sunnah, may Allah grant us refuge from this behavior.

Although the speech in this Ayah was directed at the Messenger, the ruling of which applies to his entire Ummah.