Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 2 of 2

'AIi ibn Abi Tllib 393
at night and cannot tell fresh wood from dry wood'; in other words,
they said that he does not know what he is doing. Most of these
reports come from al-Kalbi from Abu Siilih, and these are the
weakest of reports on Qur'anic interpretation according to them."476
According to sound reports, the reason for the revelation of
this verse was that Banu Qaynuqa' betrayed the Messenger (g) and
went to 'Ubidah ibn as-Sinit - as Ibn Jareer mentioned in his
Tafseer - wanting 'Ubidah to join them. He rejected them,
regarding them as enemies, and he declared his love and support for
AUah (s) and His Messenger. Then Allah (s) revealed these
words: $Verily, your Wali [Protector or Helper] is none other than
Allah, His Messenger, and the believers - those who perform As-
Salcih [Zqiimah-as-Salcih], and give Zakcih, and they are Ri?ki'oon
[those who bow down or submit themselves with obedience to Allah
in (Qur'an 5: 55). This means that when they pray and give
zakih, they do so with humility and submission to Allah (&) in all
their affairs.
At the beginning of this passage, Allah (&) says: 40 you who
believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as Awliyci' [friends,
protectors, helpers], they are but AwliyLi' of each other. And if any
amongst you takes them [as Awliyi?'], then surely, he is one of them.
Verily, Allah guides not those people who are the &ilimoon
[polytheists and wrongdoers and unjustlb (Qur'an S: 51). This refers
to Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salool; he allied himself with Banu
Qaynuqa' and when a dispute arose between them and the Prophet
(g), he showed loyalty to them and stood with them, and he went to
the Prophet (g) .- to intercede for them. 'Ubidah ibn as-Sinit, on the
other hand, disavowed them and rejected them. Allah (s) followed
that with a description of the attributes of the believers, which applied
to 'Ubzdah ibn as-Shit and those who were with him: eerily, your
Wali [Protector or Helper] is none other than Allah, His Messenger,