Surah Al-Anfal, Ayah 73
Quran 8:73 · The Spoils of War · Madani · Para 10 · Page 186
وَالَّذِیْنَ كَفَرُوْا بَعْضُهُمْ اَوْلِیَآءُ بَعْضٍ ؕ اِلَّا تَفْعَلُوْهُ تَكُنْ فِتْنَةٌ فِی الْاَرْضِ وَفَسَادٌ كَبِیْرٌ ۟ؕ
Transliteration
Wallatheena kafaroo baAAduhumawliyao baAAdin illa tafAAaloohu takunfitnatun fee al-ardi wafasadun kabeer
Saheeh International
And those who disbelieved are allies of one another. If you do not do so [i.e., ally yourselves with other believers], there will be fitnah [i.e., disbelief and oppression] on earth and great corruption.
Al-Mukhtasar fi Tafsir
The disbelievers are united in their disbelief and they therefore become friends of one another. A believer should not become friends with them. If you do not become friends with the believers and oppose the disbelievers, the believers will suffer weakness as a result of a lack of support and there will be great corruption on earth as people will be prevented from Allah’s path.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged)
And those who disbelieve are allies of one another, (and) if you (Muslims) do not do so (protect one another), there will be Fitnah on the earth, and great corruption (73)
The Disbelievers are Allies of Each Other; the Muslims are not their Allies
After Allah mentioned that the believers are the supporters of one another, He severed all ties of support between them and the disbelievers. In his Mustadrak, Al-Hakim recorded that Usamah said that the Prophet ﷺ said,
لَا يَتَوَارَثُ أَهْلُ مِلَّتَيْنِ، وَلَا يَرِثُ مُسْلِمٌ كَافِرًا، وَلَا كَافِرٌ مُسْلِمًا
(No followers of two religions inherit from each other. Therefore, neither a Muslim inherits from a disbeliever nor a disbeliever from a Muslim.)
The Prophet ﷺ recited this Ayah,
وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ ۚ إِلَّا تَفْعَلُوهُ تَكُن فِتْنَةٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَفَسَادٌ كَبِيرٌ
(And those who disbelieve are supporters of one another, (and) if you (Muslims) do not do so (protect one another), there will be Fitnah on the earth, and great corruption.) Al-Hakim said, "Its chain is Sahih, and they did not record it." However, the following, from Usamah bin Zayd, is in the Two Sahihs; the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
لَا يَرِثُ الْمُسْلِمُ الْكَافِرَ وَلَا الْكَافِرُ الْمُسْلِمَ
(Neither a Muslim inherits from a disbeliever nor a disbeliever inherits from a Muslim.)
Allah said next,
إِلَّا تَفْعَلُوهُ تَكُن فِتْنَةٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَفَسَادٌ كَبِيرٌ
(If you do not do so, there will be Fitnah and oppression on the earth, and a great corruption), meaning, if you do not shun the idolators and offer your loyalty to the believers, Fitnah will overcome the people. Then confusion [polytheism and corruption] will be rampant, for the believers will be mixed with disbelievers, resulting in tremendous, widespread trials [corruption and mischief] between people.