Never will the Jews or Christians be pleased with you

Never will the Jews or Christians be pleased with you, until you follow their faith. Say, “Allah’s guidance is the only ˹true˺ guidance.” And if you were to follow their desires after ˹all˺ the knowledge that has come to you, there would be none to protect or help you against Allah.

Quran 2:120

Tafsir Source	Interpretation of Quran 2:120	Key Points	Common Themes	Points of Difference
Ibn Kathir	Jews and Christians will never be truly pleased with Muslims unless they abandon Islam and follow their religions	- Warns against compromising Islamic beliefs - Emphasizes impossibility of pleasing them through partial concessions - Calls for adherence to Islamic guidance only	Warning against religious compromise	Whether it applies to all Jews/Christians or specific groups
Al-Tabari	The verse addresses Prophet Muhammad specifically about pressure from Medinan Jewish tribes and Christian delegations	- Historical context of Jewish tribes wanting Muhammad to follow Judaism - Christian delegations from Najran wanting conversion to Christianity - Allah's guidance is the only true guidance	Importance of maintaining Islamic identity	Historical vs. universal application
Al-Qurtubi	Refers to religious leaders and scholars of Jews and Christians, not necessarily all individuals	- Distinguishes between religious authorities and common people - Focus on theological satisfaction, not personal relationships - Warns against following human desires over divine revelation	Divine guidance as ultimate authority	Literal vs. allegorical interpretation
Fakhr al-Din al-Razi	The verse establishes that fundamental theological differences cannot be reconciled through compromise	- Addresses the impossibility of theological synthesis - Each religion claims exclusive truth - Muslims must maintain doctrinal integrity	Impossibility of complete religious satisfaction through compromise	Scope of application (individuals vs. institutions)
Ibn Arabi	Spiritual interpretation: the "Jews and Christians" represent aspects of the soul that resist divine guidance	- Allegorical reading about internal spiritual struggle - External religious pressure reflects internal desires - True satisfaction comes only through divine guidance	Warning against religious compromise	Whether it applies to all Jews/Christians or specific groups
Al-Zamakhshari	Emphasizes the conditional nature: satisfaction depends on following their specific religious path (millah)	- Focus on the word "millah" (religious community/way) - Highlights the exclusivist nature of religious communities - Warns against religious syncretism	Importance of maintaining Islamic identity	Historical vs. universal application
Sayyid Qutb	Modern application: Western ideological pressure on Muslim societies to adopt secular values	- Extends meaning to include modern secular ideologies - Warns against cultural and political assimilation - Calls for Islamic authenticity in modern context	Divine guidance as ultimate authority	Literal vs. allegorical interpretation
Muhammad Asad	Historical context doesn't negate universal principle about interfaith relations and religious integrity	- Balances historical specificity with universal principles - Emphasizes maintaining religious identity in pluralistic settings - Warns against compromising core beliefs for acceptance	Impossibility of complete religious satisfaction through compromise	Scope of application (individuals vs. institutions)
Al-Alusi	The verse specifically addresses the Prophet but applies to all Muslims regarding religious compromise	- Universal application beyond historical context - Emphasizes that partial religious accommodation leads to complete compromise - Divine guidance supersedes human approval	Warning against religious compromise	Whether it applies to all Jews/Christians or specific groups
Maududi	Warns against the futility of trying to please other religious communities through religious concessions	- Focus on the psychological aspect of seeking approval - Emphasizes that compromise leads to loss of Islamic identity - Calls for confident Islamic practice without seeking validation	Importance of maintaining Islamic identity	Historical vs. universal application