Hamdun informed us; Makki ibn Abdan informed us; Abd al-Rahman ibn Bishr narrated to us; Sufyan ibn Uyaynah narrated to us from Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir, who heard Umaymah bint Ruqayyah say: “I pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, along with a group of women. He said to us, ‘As far as you are able and capable.’ I said, ‘The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, is more merciful to us than we are to ourselves.’ I then said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, accept our pledge.’” Sufyan said: She meant, “Shake hands with us.” He replied, “I do not shake hands with women. My word to one woman is like my word to one hundred women.” (1)

“O believers! Do not take as allies a people with whom Allah is angry. They have despaired of the Hereafter, just as the disbelievers have despaired of those in the graves.” (13)

The words of the Exalted, “O believers! Do not take as allies a people with whom Allah is angry,” refer to the Jews. This was because some poor Muslims would give the Jews information about the Muslims, thereby seeking to gain favour with them and obtain some of their fruit. So Allah forbade them from doing so. (2)

“They have despaired,” meaning these Jews, “of the Hereafter”—that they will have any reward or good therein—“just as the disbelievers have despaired of those in the graves”; that is, just as the disbelievers who have died and entered their graves have despaired of receiving any share or reward in the Hereafter.

Mujahid said: “When the disbelievers entered their graves, they despaired of Allah’s mercy.” Sa'id ibn Jubayr said: “They have despaired of the Hereafter just as the disbelievers who died and directly witnessed the Hereafter despaired.” It was also said: just as the disbelievers have despaired that those in the graves will return to them.