He said: When the Battle of Uhud occurred, it weighed heavily upon a group of people, and they feared that the disbelievers would gain dominance over them. So a man said to his companion: 'As for me, I will join that Jew, take security from him, and become a Jew with him, for I fear that the Jews will gain dominance over us.' The other said: 'As for me, I will join so-and-so, the Christian, in some land of the Levant, take security from him, and become a Christian with him.'

Then Allah, the Exalted, revealed regarding them what forbade them from doing so, saying: 'O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another.'

[6508] My father narrated to us, Abu Salih narrated to us, from Mu'awiyah ibn Salih, in a book other than this, that 'Ali ibn Abi Talhah (1) said: This verse, 'O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another,' is a verse concerning sacrificial animals; whoever enters into the religion of a people is one of them.

His saying, the Almighty and Majestic: 'And whoever is an ally to them among you—then indeed, he is [one] of them.'

[The First Aspect]

[6509] Abu Sa'id al-Ashaj narrated to us, 'Umar ibn Muhammad al-Kufi narrated to us, from Khusayf, from 'Ikrimah, from Ibn 'Abbas, that he was asked about the sacrificial animals of the Christians of Banu Taghlib, so he disliked it and said: 'And whoever is an ally to them among you—then indeed, he is [one] of them.'

[6510] Kathir ibn Shihab narrated to us, Muhammad ibn Sa'id ibn Sabiq narrated to us, 'Amr ibn Abi Qays narrated to us, from Simak ibn Harb, from 'Iyad, that 'Umar ordered Abu Musa al-Ash'ari to submit to him in a single scroll all that he had taken and given. He had a Christian scribe, so he submitted that to him. 'Umar was amazed and said: 'Indeed, this one is a hafiz (preserver of records). Are you able to read to us a letter in the mosque from Syria?' He said: 'He cannot.' 'Umar said: 'Is he ritually impure (junub)?' He said: 'No, but he is a Christian.' He said: So he rebuked me and struck my thigh, saying: 'Expel him!' Then he recited: 'O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you—then indeed, he is [one] of them.'

[6511] Al-Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn al-Sabbah narrated to us, 'Uthman ibn 'Umar narrated to us, Ibn 'Awn narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn Sirin, he said: 'Abd Allah ibn 'Utbah said: 'Let one of you beware of becoming a Jew or a Christian while he is unaware.' He said: So we thought he meant this verse: 'O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you—then indeed, he is [one] of them.'