الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَهَاجَرُوا وَجَاهَدُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنْفُسِهِمْ أَعْظَمُ دَرَجَةً عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْفَائِزُونَ ﴿۲۰﴾ يُبَشِّرُهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِنْهُ وَرِضْوَانٍ وَجَنَّاتٍ لَهُمْ فِيهَا نَعِيمٌ مُقِيمٌ ﴿۲۱﴾ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا إِنَّ اللَّهَ عِنْدَهُ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ ﴿۲۲﴾ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا آبَاءَكُمْ وَإِخْوَانَكُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ إِنِ اسْتَحَبُّوا الْكُفْرَ عَلَى الْإِيمَانِ وَمَنْ يَتَوَلَّهُمْ مِنْكُمْ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ ﴿۲۳﴾

﴾20﴿ Allazeena aamanoo wa haajaroo wa jaahadoo fee sabeelil laahi bi amwaalihim wa anfusihim a'zamu darajatan 'indal laah; wa ulaaa'ika humul faaa'izoon
﴾21﴿ Yubashshiruhum Rabbuhum birahmatim minhu wa ridwaaninw wa Jannaatil lahum feehaa na'eemum muqeem
﴾22﴿ Khaalideena feehaaa abadaa; innal laaha 'indahooo ajrun 'azeem
﴾23﴿ Yaaa aiyuhal lazeena aamanoo laa tattakhizooo aabaaa 'akum wa ikhwaanakum awliyaaa'a inis tahabbul kufra 'alal eemaan; wa mai yatawal lahum minkum fa ulaaa'ika humuz zaalimoon

﴾20﴿ Those who believed, emigrated, and fought in the way of Allah with their wealth and their lives are greater in rank with Allah, and it is they who are the successful
﴾21﴿ Their Lord gives them good news of mercy from Him and His approval, and gardens in which they will have everlasting bliss
﴾22﴿ They will always be in them forever. Surely, Allah Almighty has a great reward with Him
﴾23﴿ O you who believe, do not take your fathers and your brothers as friends if they prefer disbelief over faith. And whoever among you takes them as friends, then these are the wrongdoers

[20] This verse serves as a reason or explanation (tafsīr) for the previous verse in which Allah said: (لَا يَسْتَوُونَ) — “They are not equal.”
It clarifies why the disbelievers’ good deeds cannot be compared with the faith and actions of the believers.
In that earlier verse, only the side of the believers was honored and elevated, while the other side (the disbelievers) was not even mentioned with praise — because their condition is as if nonexistent (kal-ʿadam), meaning their deeds have no spiritual value due to disbelief.
This highlights that faith is the foundation upon which all deeds are built—without it, the structure collapses.
[21,22] In these two verses, the glad tidings of the Hereafter are mentioned, and they serve as a detailed explanation of the term (الفَائِزُونَ) — “the successful”.
The phrase (بِرَحْمَةٍ) — “with mercy” — has two interpretations:
1. It refers to salvation from every type of punishment, as seen in verse 16 of Surah al-Anʿām and verse 9 of Surah al-Mu’min.
2. Or it refers to the acceptance of their deeds by Allah — meaning Allah’s mercy is manifested through rewarding their sincere actions.
Both meanings show the greatness of divine mercy as the source of eternal success for the believers.
[23] This verse responds to the third objection to fighting: the concern that many of these polytheists are relatives, and maintaining family ties (ṣilah raḥmī) is obligatory—so how can fighting them be justified?
The answer is that friendship and loyalty with polytheists, even if they are close relatives, is prohibited—especially when it involves:
Following them in matters of shirk and disbelief,
Supporting or assisting them in those actions, or
Abandoning