Surah Maidah ayat 81 Tafsir Quran 5:81

﴿وَلَوْ كَانُوا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالنَّبِيِّ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مَا اتَّخَذُوهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ وَلَٰكِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنْهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ﴾
[ المائدة: 81]

5:81 And if they had believed in Allah and the Prophet and in what was revealed to him, they would not have taken them as allies; but many of them are defiantly disobedient.

Yet had they believed in God and the Prophet Muhammad (s) and what has been revealed to him they would not have affiliated with them namely with the disbelievers; but many of them are wicked rebellious against faith.

If they were indeed faithful to Allah and to the Prophet Muhammad and gave credence to the Quran sent to him, they would not have sought the infidels’ tutelage, but many of them are indeed wicked

(5:81) For had they truly believed in Allah and the Messenger and what was sent down to him, they would not have taken unbelievers (instead of believers) for their allies. *103 But many of them have rebelled against Allah altogether.

And if they had believed in Allah meaning

*103).
It seems natural that those who believe in God and the Prophets and the Scriptures, compared with the polytheists, would naturally be more sympathetic to those who at least share with them belief in God, in prophethood and in .revelation ( whatever their disagreements on other religious issues ).
It was ironic, therefore, that the Jews should openly support the polytheists in the struggle between polytheism and monotheism, and that their sympathies in the conflict between those who rejected prophethood and those who believed in it should lie expressly with the former.
Despite all this, they brazenly claimed to be true believers in God, in the Prophets and in the Scriptures.

 

( If they ) i.e. the hypocrites ( believed in Allah ) genuinely believed in Allah ( and the Prophet ) Muhammad ( and that which is revealed unto him ) i.e. the Qur’an, ( they would not choose them ) i.e. the Jews ( for their friends ) seeking their assistance and help. ( But many of them ) from among the people of the Book ( are of evil conduct ) they are hypocrites. It is also said that this means: if the Jews genuinely believed in Allah, and in Allah’s divine Oneness, and believed in the Prophet ( pbuh ) and that which was revealed to him, i.e. the Qur’an, they would not have taken Abu Sufyan and his followers for friends, seeking their assistance and help. Nonetheless, many among the people of the Book are disbelievers.

And had they believed in Allah, and in the Prophet (Muhammad SAW) and in what has been revealed to him, never would they have taken them (the disbelievers) as Auliya' (protectors and helpers), but many of them are the Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah).

Page 121 English transliteration