سورة آل عمران

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): یا أَیُّهَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا لا تَتَّخِذُوا بِطانَة [O you who believe, do not take intimates] — and He informed the believers of what the non-believers hold in their hearts; and what is meant by the non-believers is the People of the Sahifa (the five who made a pact and covenant together to oppose Imam Ali (peace be upon him)).

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): They are the Khawarij.

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): This verse was revealed concerning the Jews.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): یا أَیُّهَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا لا تَتَّخِذُوا [O you who believe, do not take]; it was revealed concerning some men of the Muslims who used to maintain ties with some men of the Jews on account of the friendship, kinship, neighbourliness, covenant and pact, and foster-relationship of nursing that existed between them. And it has been said: "The verse was revealed concerning a group of the believers who used to befriend and mingle with the hypocrites."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): By Allah! You would see us with the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) killing our fathers, sons, maternal uncles, paternal uncles, and our own relatives, and this only increased our faith, submission, and earnestness in obedience to Allah, and our strength for battling our peers. A man from us and a man from our enemy would grapple with one another like two stallions (males), each thinking of saving himself and of which of them would make his companion taste the cup of death. Sometimes it would go from the enemy in our favor, and sometimes from us in the enemy's favor. When Allah saw that we were truthful and patient, He sent down the verse of the Quran mentioning us with good and expressing His pleasure with us, and He sent down victory upon us. I do not say: 'Everyone who was with the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) was like this, but the greater part, the majority, and the general body of them were like this. At the same time, there was among us a group who did not refrain from causing corruption in affairs.' Allah the Mighty and Majestic says: قَدْ بَدَتِ الْبَغْضاءُ مِنْ أَفْواهِهِمْ وَ ما تُخْفِی صُدُورُهُمْ أَکْبَرُ [Vehement hatred has already appeared from out of their mouths, and what their breasts conceal is greater still].