And when he clarified their stubbornness; and that their enmity towards the people of this religion - which drove them to this great matter - there is no enmity after it; he forbade those who are characterized by faith from allying with them; because no believer will do so after this clarification; nor any rational person; so he said: ﴿O you who have believed﴾; meaning: those who acknowledge faith; and when a person does not ally with anyone other than his own people except by striving in preliminary matters he undertakes; and things he endeavours to endear himself to those whom he wishes to ally with; he indicated this with the form of causative action; so he said: ﴿Do not take﴾; meaning: if that were to be done easily, it would not be appropriate for you to do it; so how could it be when it can only be done by exerting effort?! ﴿the Jews and the Christians as allies﴾; meaning: as relatives; you act with them as a relative acts with his relative; and you hope for from them the same; and they are the most dismissive of people towards you; and the most contemptuous of you; then he justified that by saying: ﴿Some of them are allies of others﴾; meaning: each group among them supports one another; and they are all united - in all of disbelief; even if they differ in religion - against you, O people of this pure religion; ﴿And whoever among you takes them as allies﴾; meaning: he treats his original nature; until he treats them as relatives; ﴿then indeed, he is one of them﴾; because Allah is free of the worlds; so whoever allies with His enemies, he disassociates from Him; and He leaves him to them; then he justified that; as a deterrent against them; and a warning for those who take them as allies; by saying: ﴿Indeed, Allah﴾; meaning: He who has absolute wealth; and profound wisdom; and the original was: "He does not guide them"; or: "He does not guide him"; but he made it clear; generalizing; and linking the ruling to the description; so he said: ﴿does not guide the wrongdoing people﴾; meaning: those who place things in other than their proper places; they walk in darkness; and for that reason they chose other than the religion of Allah; and allied with one whose alliance is not appropriate; and whoever Allah does not will to guide, no one can guide him; and the negation of guidance from them is evidence that the lesson is in the faith of the heart; as it means that what appears from the acknowledgment of those who ally with them is nothing; because the one who allies with them is wronging himself by his alliance with them; and the wrongdoer is not guided by Allah; so the one who allies with them is not guided by Allah; so he is a disbeliever; and thus is everyone who says - or does - something that clearly indicates his disbelief; even if he professes faith - and Allah is the guide; and this is a severity from Allah; and a strictness in the obligation to avoid the opposer in religion; and to distance oneself from him - as he said, blessings and peace be upon him: "Do not let their fires see each other"; and from him is the saying of Umar to Abu Musa - may Allah be pleased with them both - when he appointed a Christian scribe: do not honor them when Allah has humiliated them; and do not trust them when Allah has betrayed them; and do not draw near to them when Allah has distanced them; and it was narrated that Abu Musa - may Allah be pleased with him - said: there is no stability for Basra except through him; so Umar - may Allah be pleased with him - said: the Christian has died - and peace; meaning: suppose he died; what would you do then? So do it now.