الأَخِلّاءُ يَومَئِذٍ بَعضُهُم لِبَعضٍ عَدُوٌّ إِلَّا المُتَّقينَ

On that day, friends will be one another’s enemies, except for the God-wary.

EXEGESIS

Akhillāʾ (friends) is the plural of khalīl. Friends are termed as such because they compensate for one another’s deficiencies (khillah) and look after one another’s needs.[1] Other lexicographers state that it refers to a friend who closely associates with you in your affairs, and is derived from al-khullah, meaning affection.[2] Some exegetes add that the root origin of khullah is khilāl, which denotes the space or interval between two bodies. Since love and friendship penetrate into the depths of the heart and its recesses, this word has been used for them.[3]

The tanwīn (nunation) in yawmaʾidhin (on that day) is a substitute for an omitted clause, meaning, ‘on the day when the hour overtakes them’.[4]

EXPOSITION

As for why all friends – except the God-wary – become enemies of one another, the reason is that the essence of friendship lies in mutual support in matters of importance. If, however, the bond between them has served only to lead one another toward misery, wretchedness, and eternal punishment, then on the Day of Judgement, that very relationship turns into enmity.[5]

Each person who supported his companion in falsehood, immorality, or negligence in this world was, in reality, bringing harm to him – even if at the time it appeared as affection or loyalty. Just as one who offers intoxicants or harmful substances to a friend imagines he is showing love, while in fact he is causing him ruin, so too will sinful companionship be exposed on the Day of Resurrection as enmity in disguise.

On that day, when the veils are lifted and realities are revealed, it will be clear that anyone who aided another in evil – or remained silent about it – was in truth his enemy, even if it were a father, mother, or child.[6]

The effects of such an enmity can be seen in different verses. In one instance, Prophet Abraham (a) admonishes his people about it: He said: ‘You have taken idols [for worship] besides Allah for the sake of [mutual] affection amongst yourselves in the life of the world. Then on the Day of Resurrection you will disown one another and curse one another, and the fire will be your abode, and you will not have any helpers’ (29:25). In another instance, God informs us about their ultimate feelings towards each other: Every time that a nation enters [hell], it will curse its sister [nation]. When they all rejoin in it, the last of them will say about the first of them: ‘Our Lord, it was they who led us astray; so give them a double punishment of the fire’ (7:38). They will run away from each other: The day when a man will evade his brother, his mother and his father, his spouse and his sons (80:34-36). They will wish they had not taken each other as friends: Woe to me! I wish I had not taken so-and-so as a friend! Certainly, he led me astray from the reminder after it had come to me, and Satan is a deserter of man (25:28-29). They will not even have the slightest inclination to help each other: And no friend will inquire about [the welfare of his] friend (70:10).[7]

By contrast, the God-fearing are an exception, because their loyalty was rooted in sincere concern. Their friendship and bonds will grow to such a degree that everyone in paradise would consider each other as one family, regardless of their tribal and genealogical affiliation in this world: We will remove whatever rancour there is in their breasts; [intimate like] brothers, [they will be reclining] on couches, facing one another (15:47).[8]

Looking at the matter from a psychological perspective, Rāzī explains that love is founded on the belief that someone provides a benefit or protects from harm, while hatred stems from the belief that they cause harm. The nature of this initial belief determines whether a friendship will last. If a bond is formed for transient, worldly gains – which are not only absent but are actually a source of punishment in the afterlife – the love will inevitably reverse into hatred, as the cause for the affection has been nullified and replaced by its opposite. However, if a friendship is rooted in the eternal and unchanging cause of mutual love for God, service, and obedience, then the bond itself will remain eternal. This love will not only persist but will become purer and stronger in the afterlife.[9]

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

1. It has been reported from Imam al-Bāqir (a): ‘Two believers who became brothers in God – when one of them is placed in paradise at a rank higher than the other, he will say: “O Lord! My companion used to command me to obey You, hold me back from disobeying You, and encourage me toward what is with You. So gather me together with him in this rank.” Then Allah will gather them both together in the same place. But two hypocrites – when one of them is placed in the fire at a level lower than the other, he will say: “O Lord! So-and-so used to command me to disobey You, restrain me from obeying You, make me disinclined from what is with You, and never warned me about meeting You. So gather me and him together in this depth.” And Allah will gather them both in the same place.’ Then the Imam recited this verse, On that day, friends will be one another’s enemies, except for the God-wary.[10]
2. It has been reported from Imam al-Ṣādiq (a): ‘The one who loves for the sake of Allah is a lover of Allah, and the one who is loved for the sake of Allah is beloved to Allah, for they do not love one another except through Allah. The Messenger of Allah (s) said: “A person will be with the one he loves. Whoever loves a servant for the sake of Allah has indeed loved Allah, and none loves Allah the exalted except one whom Allah loves.” The Messenger of Allah (s) also said: “The best of people after the prophets, in this world and the hereafter, are those who love for the sake of Allah and those who love each other in Him.” Every kind of love, besides this, has some ulterior cause that eventually leads to separation and even enmity – except these two loves, which spring from the same source. They only increase forever and never diminish. Allah has said, On that day, friends will be one another’s enemies, except for the God-wary. For the essence of true love is dissociation from everything other than the Beloved.’[11]
3. It has been reported from Imam al-Ṣādiq (a): ‘Indeed, every friendship that existed in this world for other than Allah will turn into enmity on the Day of Resurrection.’[12]
4. It has been reported from Imam Ali (a): ‘Tomorrow, for the wrongdoer, there shall be a biting of his hands; for man, the appointed time is near; and for close companions, remorse – except for the God-wary.’[13]
5. It has been reported from Imam Ali (a): ‘Corruption of character arises from associating with the foolish, while soundness of character is attained through competing with the wise. People are of different dispositions, and everyone acts according to his own nature [17:84]. Human beings are brothers, but if brotherhood is established on anything other than for the sake of God, it will turn into enmity. And this is the saying of the Almighty, On that day, friends will be one another’s enemies, except for the God-wary.’[14]
6. It has been reported from Imam al-Ṣādiq (a): ‘Three things are rare in every age: a brother for the sake of God, a righteous and affectionate wife in the religion of God, and an upright and wise child. Whoever attains one of these three has indeed attained the good of both abodes and the greatest portion of this world. Beware of befriending one who seeks your companionship out of greed, fear, desire, or for eating and drinking. Instead, seek the brotherhood of the God-wary, even if they are in the darkest corners of the earth, and even if you spend your life searching for them. For God, mighty and majestic, has not created on the face of the earth anyone better than them after the prophets and the saints. And God has not bestowed upon His servant a blessing greater than the success of keeping their company. Allah has said, On that day, friends will be one another’s enemies, except for the God-wary.’[15]

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Some exegetes state that this verse was revealed in reference to Ubayy ibn Khalaf and ʿUqbah ibn Abī Muʿayṭ.[16]According to Qurṭubī, Umayyah ibn Khalaf al-Jumaḥī and ʿUqbah ibn Abī Muʿayṭ were close friends. ʿUqbah used to sit in the company of the Prophet, so the Quraysh said: ‘ʿUqbah ibn Abī Muʿayṭ has abandoned the religion of his people!’ Then Umayyah said to him: ‘My face is forbidden to yours if you meet Muhammad and do not spit in his face.’ ʿUqbah followed the instructions of his friend and did exactly that. It was regarding them that this verse was revealed.[17]

Yet, this incident has been attributed by many exegetes to be the cause of revelation of, A day when the wrongdoer will bite his hands, saying: ‘I wish I had followed the Apostle’s way! Woe to me! I wish I had not taken so-and-so as a friend! Certainly, he led me astray from the reminder after it had come to me, and Satan is a deserter of man’ (25:27-29), and has thus been mistakenly associated with the verse under discussion.

Some exegetes suggest that it is not the case that friendships will turn into enmity on that day, but rather the verse refers to the unveiling of the inner reality of such friendships on the Day of Resurrection, i.e. friendships that are built upon a lack of piety have an inner reality filled with hostility and breeding enmity.[18]

Some exegetes opine friends becoming enemies does not refer to actual enmity and animosity but rather what is intended is that ties and bonds of love and affection that were established in this world will be gone in that realm.[19] However, this clearly goes against the apparent of the verse which suggests formation of actual enmity and not merely dissolving bonds of friendship.[20]

[1] Mizan, 18/120.
[2] Bahrayn, 5/364.
[3] Amthal, 16/89.
[4] Muhit, 9/387.
[5] Amthal, 16/90.
[6] Hadi, 3/255; Mizan, 18/120-121.
[7] Fadlallah, 17/59; Qaraati, 8/471.
[8] Kashif, 6/559.
[9] Razi, 27/641-642.
[10] Uddah, p. 190; Bihar, 71/278.
[11] Misbah, p. 194.
[12] Qummi, 2/287.
[13] Qummi, 2/287.
[14] Kashf al-Ghummah, 2/349.
[15] Misbah, p. 150.
[16] Zamakhshari, 4/263; Alusi, 13/97; Muhit, 9/387; Muqatil, 3/801.
[17] Qurtubi, 16/109; Mudarrisi, 12/516.
[18] Rahnama, 17/94.
[19] Kashif, 6/559.
[20] Munyah, 25/243.