DIVIDED BY FAITH:
QUR’AN 9:23–24, FAMILY LOYALTY, AND THE COST OF ALLEGIANCE
INTRODUCTION: WHEN FAITH OVERRIDES BLOOD
Few things are more sacred in human society than family. Across cultures and civilizations, parents, children, siblings, and spouses form the foundation of moral development, emotional security, and social stability. Any religious system that speaks to family loyalty therefore reveals something profound about its moral vision.
In this chapter, we examine Qur’an 9:23–24, a passage that directly addresses family relationships, loyalty, and religious allegiance. These verses are not marginal or obscure; they are part of Surah al-Tawbah, one of the most authoritative and forceful chapters in the Qur’an, revealed in a context of conflict, consolidation of power, and religious separation.
The question before us is not emotional, but theological:
> What does Islam teach about relationships with unbelieving family members, and how does this teaching compare with the biblical vision revealed by Jesus Christ?
QUR’AN 9:23–24
Arabic
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَتَّخِذُوٓا۟ ءَابَآءَكُمْ وَإِخْوَٰنَكُمْ أَوْلِيَآءَ إِنِ ٱسْتَحَبُّوا۟ ٱلْكُفْرَ عَلَى ٱلْإِيمَٰنِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمْ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ
Sahih Intl
O you who have believed, do not take your fathers or your brothers as allies if they have preferred disbelief over belief. And whoever does so among you – then it is those who are the wrongdoers.
Qur’an 9:24
Arabic
قُلْ إِن كَانَ ءَابَآؤُكُمْ وَأَبْنَآؤُكُمْ وَإِخْوَٰنُكُمْ وَأَزْوَٰجُكُمْ وَعَشِيرَتُكُمْ وَأَمْوَٰلٌ ٱقْتَرَفْتُمُوهَا وَتِجَٰرَةٌ تَخْشَوْنَ كَسَادَهَا وَمَسَٰكِنُ تَرْضَوْنَهَآ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَجِهَادٍ فِى سَبِيلِهِۦ فَتَرَبَّصُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِىَ ٱللَّهُ بِأَمْرِهِۦ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْفَٰسِقِينَ
Sahih Intl
Say, [O Muhammad], “If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your relatives, wealth which you have obtained, commerce wherein you fear decline, and dwellings with which you are pleased are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger and jihad in His cause, then wait until Allah executes His command. And Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people.”
These verses explicitly list:
Fathers
Sons
Brothers
Wives
Relatives
And warn believers not to love, ally with, or prioritize them above Allah, Muhammad, and jihad.
This is not a metaphor. It is a command.
TAFSIR IBN KATHIR
The Prohibition of taking the Idolators as Supporters, even with Relatives
Allah commands shunning the disbelievers, even if they are one’s parents or children, and prohibits taking them as supporters if they choose disbelief instead of faith. Allah warns,
(You will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, making friendship with those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even though they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred (people). For such He has written (predetermined) faith in their hearts, and strengthened them with a Ruh (proof, light and true guidance) from Himself. And He will admit them to Gardens (Paradise) under which rivers flow.) 58:22 Al-Hafiz Al-Bayhaqi recorded that `Abdullah bin Shawdhab said, “The father of Abu `Ubaydah bin Al-Jarrah was repeatedly praising the idols to his son on the day of Badr, and Abu `Ubaydah kept avoiding him. When Al-Jarrah persisted, his son Abu `Ubaydah headed towards him and killed him. Allah revealed this Ayah in his case,
(You will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, making friendship with those who oppose Allah and His Messenger.”)58:22 Allah commanded His Messenger to warn those who prefer their family, relatives or tribe to Allah, His Messenger and Jihad in His cause,
(Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained), amassed and collected,
(the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight), and prefer and love because they are comfortable and good. If all these things,
(are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving hard and fighting in His cause, then wait…) for what will befall you of Allah’s punishment and torment,
(until Allah brings about His decision. And Allah guides not the people who are rebellious.) Imam Ahmad recorded that Zuhrah bin Ma`bad said that his grandfather said, “We were with the Messenger of Allah, while he was holding the hand of `Umar bin Al-Khattab. `Umar said, `By Allah! You, O Messenger of Allah, are dearer to me than everything, except for myself.’ The Messenger of Allah said,
(None among you will attain faith until I become dearer to him than even himself.) `Umar said, `Verily, now, you are dearer to me than myself, by Allah!’ The Messenger of Allah said,
(Now, O `Umar!)” Al-Bukhari also collected this Hadith. Imam Ahmad and Abu Dawud (this is the version of Abu Dawud) recorded that Ibn `Umar said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah saying,
(If you transact in `Iynah (a type of Riba), follow the tails of cows (tilling the land), become content with agriculture and abandoned Jihad, Allah will send on you disgrace that He will not remove until, you return to your religion.)”
Tafsir Ibn Kathir
Ibn Kathir explains that awliyā’ refers to:
“Those whom one supports, assists, loves, and gives loyalty to in preference to the believers.”
Whoever chooses family over faith is guilty of wrongdoing, Loyalty to unbelievers is forbidden, Faith creates a new bond that replaces blood ties when conflict arises
He connects this verse to other passages such as Qur’an 58:22, where believers are said not to love even their parents or children if they oppose Allah and Muhammad
Thus, Qur’an 9:23 forbids believers from giving loyalty, closeness, and allegiance to unbelieving family members if they prefer disbelief.
Surah al-Tawbah was revealed during a period when Muhammad had gained dominance in Arabia. Many early Muslims still had:
Pagan parents, Pagan siblings, Pagan spouses
Economic ties to unbelievers.