His saying, exalted and glorified is He:

﴿Allah is the Protector of those who believe. He brings them out of darkness into light. And those who disbelieve, their protectors are taghut. They bring them out of light into darkness. Those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein forever.﴾

The Protector: it is a form derived from wali, meaning to be close to something and to adhere to it. So if someone adheres to another with support, affection, and care, he is his protector. This is its common understanding in the language. Qatadah said: "Darkness" refers to misguidance, and "light" refers to guidance. Al-Dhahhak and Al-Rabi' said the same in meaning. Mujahid and Abadah ibn Abi Lubabah said that His saying: ﴿Allah is the Protector of those who believe﴾ - this verse was revealed about a people who believed in Jesus. When Muhammad came, blessings and peace be upon him, they disbelieved in him. That is their being brought out from light into darkness.

Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: It is as if this saying has secured light in the belief that has gone out into darkness. The wording of the verse is sufficient without this specification; rather, it applies to every disbelieving nation where some of them believed, like the Arabs, and it applies to all people. This is because whoever among them believes, Allah is his Protector. He brings him out from the darkness of disbelief into the light of faith. And whoever disbelieves after the presence of the calling of the sent Prophet, his devil and misleader are as if they have brought him out from faith, as he is prepared and deserving to enter into it. This is like saying to someone who prevented you from entering a matter: "You have brought me out of this matter, even if you did not enter it at all."

The term taghut in this verse implies that it is a generic name, and that is why it is said "their protectors" in the plural, as there are various types. Al-Hasan ibn Abi al-Hasan read: "their protectors are the taghuts," meaning the devils. And He has decreed upon them eternal punishment in the Fire for their disbelief.