Transliteration:( Qul yaaa ayyuhal lazeena haadoo in za'amtum annakum awliyaaa'u lilaahi min doonin naasi fatamannawul mawta in kuntum saadiqeen )
"Say, O Jews! If you claim that you alone are the friends of Allah, to the exclusion of the rest of mankind, then wish for death, if you are truthful."
The verse addresses the Jews of Madinah, who often claimed that they were Allah’s exclusive beloveds, superior to all other nations.
They assumed that simply being part of the chosen lineage granted them salvation, regardless of their actions.
However, true friendship with Allah requires faith and obedience, not pride based on ancestry.
Allah challenges them: “If you truly believe you’re Allah’s favorites, then desire death.”
A sincere believer would not fear death, as it would mean meeting their beloved Lord.
But their fear of death exposed the hollowness of their claim—for they knew their actions didn’t align with righteousness.
The verse concludes with "if you are truthful", exposing their inconsistency.
Claiming closeness to Allah must be backed by fearlessness in meeting Him.
Their reluctance to wish for death shows that their claims were arrogant words, not grounded in genuine belief or piety.
This verse teaches us that honest faith requires action, sincerity, and a heart that longs for the Divine, not empty titles or pride in heritage.
The tafsir of Surah Jumuah verse 6 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Jumuah ayat 5 which provides the complete commentary from verse 5 through 9.
(62:6) Tell them: “O you who have become Judaised,[10] if you arrogantly fancy that you are Allah’s favourites[11] to the exclusion of all people, then wish for death, if you are truthful in your claim.”[12]
10. This point is noteworthy. It has not been said: O Jews. But: O you who have became Jews, or who have adopted Judaism, the reason being that the way of life brought by the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) and the Prophets after and before him, was Islam itself. None of those Prophets was a Jew, nor had Judaism been born in their time, but Judaism as such came into being much later. It is ascribed to the tribe which descended from Judah, the fourth son of the Prophet Jacob (peace be upon him). When after the Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him), his kingdom broke into two parts, this tribe became ruler over the state which came to be known as Judea. The other tribes of the Israelites established their separate state which became famous as Samaria. Then Assyria not only destroyed Samaria but also wiped out those Israelite tribes which had founded that state. After that only the decedents of Judah besides those of Benjamin remained. Who because of the predominance of the descendants of Judah, began to be called the Jews. Judaism is the name of the framework of the doctrines, customs, and religious rules and regulations which the priests, rabbis and learned men of this race prepared according to their own ideas, theories and trends for many centuries. This framework started being shaped in the 4th century B.C. and continued to develop till the 5th century A.D. It contains a very small element of the divine guidance brought by the Messengers of Allah, and even that element has been corrupted. That is why at many places in the Quran they have been addressed as alladhina hadu, O you who have become Jews. All of these were not the Israelites but there were among them also converts who had embraced Judaism. Whenever in the Quran the children of Israel have been addressed, the words are: O children of Israel, and where the followers of Judaism have been addressed, the words are; alladhina hadu, O you who have become Jews.
11. At several places in the Quran, their claim has been described in detail, as in (Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayat 111), they say: none shall enter Paradise unless he be a Jew. In (Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayat 80): The fire of Hell is not going to touch us, and even if it does at all, it will be only for a few days, and in (Surah Al-Maidah, Ayat 18): We are the sons of Allah and His beloved ones. Same such claims are also found in the books of the Jews themselves. The world at
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