Commentary
And when he finished with the connection through the merits of good deeds, he began with the connection through lineage and wealth. He indicated that the similarity in actions is prioritized over all conditions. Since the basis of loyalty is support, and the support from fathers and brothers is greater than support from others, because its reference is to the abundance of helpers and friends, he limited it and said: "O you who have believed" meaning: they affirmed with their tongues their belief in their Lord, turning away from other apparent idols! Validate your claim by saying: "Do not take" meaning: do not deliberately and intentionally take "your fathers and your brothers as allies" meaning: based on what nature calls for and the strengthening of desires, so you may reveal to them your secrets and prefer their approval and status with them "if they have preferred" meaning: if they sought and found that they preferred "disbelief" which is the covering of the truth and denial "over faith." He alerted with the form of seeking that faith, due to its many merits and the appearance of its signs, is naturally beloved, so no one abandons it except through a type of treatment and struggle against his mind and effort.
And when the most precious of things is religion, and it can only be attained through guidance, and it has been previously stated that it is taken away from the oppressor, and he warned them against its removal by saying: "And whoever allies with them" meaning: he strives to act in their matters as a relative would with his relative "from you" meaning: after Allah has informed you about their matters as He has informed. "Then those are" meaning: the ones distanced from the divine presence "they are the wrongdoers" meaning: for placing loyalty in the wrong place after He has previously warned them with such warnings. This is a return with caution to: "And those of kinship are more deserving of one another" [Al-Anfal: 75] - the verse. The one responsible for clarifying the believers truly and indicating that he misleads them and does not guide them, as has been previously reported that He does not guide the wrongdoers.
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